# Help! Is my Golden allergic to new food?



## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

Food allergies tend to show up over time rather than overnight. Has he been on the new food very long? Is there something in the new food that is not in the old food? Two of my goldens had allergy issues resulting in chronic (recuring)ear infections in my male and urinary tract infections in my female - I strongly suspect the chicken that is in most dog foods. I have fed mine Orijen Regional Red (made in Alberta) for over a year now and no more expensive vet visits for infections!! 
If the tail chewing is a new thing - he may have gotten a bugbite that is making him itch - or he could have injured it.


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## Sheamus (Jul 4, 2010)

He has been on the new food now for about 1 month, gradual change by mixing his old food with the new. I will keep a close eye on him for the next few days to see if he continues this behaviour, like you say, it could be a bug bite or he may have injured it...it just looks very funny as he has a big beautiful tail and now the end is furless. Thanks for the reply!


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

I would bet he got a bug bite on the camping trip and chewed the itch.


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## Doodle (Apr 6, 2009)

I agree with the bug bite theory.


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

I agree that he got a bite or scratch on the trip instead of the allergy. Allergys would show up all over with the feet and ears most of the time. I think I would have him checked by a vet just to be on the safe side to see if there could be something on his tail causing the problem.


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## ebenjamin85 (Apr 13, 2008)

I'm familiar with both foods, and if you were to see food allergies it would have been more likely with the Royal Canin than with Blue Buffalo. Royal Canin has (or at least had when Samantha was eating it) both wheat and corn, which are common allergens for dogs. Blue Buffalo does not have these ingredients and should be less likely to cause food allergies. We actually switched Samantha from Royal Canin to Blue Buffalo for that reason  Good luck, and I hope he feels better soon!


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## 2Retrievers222 (Sep 5, 2007)

what was the name of blue buffalo


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

ebenjamin85 said:


> I'm familiar with both foods, and if you were to see food allergies it would have been more likely with the Royal Canin than with Blue Buffalo. Royal Canin has (or at least had when Samantha was eating it) both wheat and corn, which are common allergens for dogs. Blue Buffalo does not have these ingredients and should be less likely to cause food allergies. We actually switched Samantha from Royal Canin to Blue Buffalo for that reason  Good luck, and I hope he feels better soon!


Chicken, pork, and beef are actually more common allergens than any grain.

Also, food allergies are only the culprit in 10% of cases of general allergic itching. So, when a dog has a skin issue, corn or wheat is only going to be the culprit a fraction of a fraction of the time.


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## 2Retrievers222 (Sep 5, 2007)

tippykayak said:


> Chicken, pork, and beef are actually more common allergens than any grain.
> 
> Also, food allergies are only the culprit in 10% of cases of general allergic itching. So, when a dog has a skin issue, corn or wheat is only going to be the culprit a fraction of a fraction of the time.


 
Right it can be chemicals and Mold 

The corn designated for pet consumption has often been treated heavily with chemicals, both in the field and during processing. In addition to the corn itself, these chemicals can also cause allergic reactions in dogs. Finally, corn is highly susceptible to mold, which can often cause allergic reactions in dogs. 

For wheat

C/P

So what symptoms should you be looking for to check if your dog has a wheat allergy:

Itchy skin
Shaking of the head
Ear inflammation
Licking front paws
Rubbing face on carpet
Vomiting
Diarrhoea
Flatulence
Sneezing
Asthma like symptoms
Anal itching
Behavioural changes
Seizures


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

2Retrievers222 said:


> The corn designated for pet consumption has often been treated heavily with chemicals, both in the field and during processing. In addition to the corn itself, these chemicals can also cause allergic reactions in dogs. Finally, corn is highly susceptible to mold, which can often cause allergic reactions in dogs.


Where are you getting this info? What chemicals? And if it's got too many chemicals on it, why aren't any of them anti-mold? Why is corn more susceptible to mold than, say, oatmeal?


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## 2Retrievers222 (Sep 5, 2007)

*Visual Corn Mold Identification *
By Jared Heckart & Tim Johnson​ 
From Iowa state university​ 

There are approximately 13 fungal genera that are commonly seen on corn kernels, making it easier to identify the species. Since only one species usually grows on corn kernels at a time the genus is also easy to identify, however there are always exceptions to the rule. Fusarium, Penicillium, and Aspergillus can be difficult to determine exactly which classification they fall under due to the common qualities in each. 
Under certain conditions of temperature, relative humidity, and grain moisture, molds can grow within the kernel and spread during transportation and storage. Mold causes several issues such as lowering the grain quality, effects on human health, and effects on animal health and reproduction. Mold has a potential to lower grain quality by affecting the feed efficiency or grain processing characteristics. 
Some grain molds produce mycotoxins that can be toxic to farm animals, wildlife, or humans. A combination of corn that was 20% infected with Penicillin rubrum and 80% clean grain was fed to a pen of 55lb pigs and resulted in their death in less than 32 hours (Christensen, 1969). The mold needs to be identified, so the producer can determine the best way to deal with the problem. Once the mold is identified, the producer will be able to take steps in preventing future occurrences of the problem. 
Identifying the fungus is important because if the fungus is present throughout, it could tell if the grain or feed is possibly toxic. Fungi have very limited minimum requirements for growth. Understanding which fungi are present could tell a lot about the conditions in which it came from. Identification of these common fungi usually happens with a visual observation of the colony on the kernel. The important things to look for when identifying the fungi are


<LI class=MsoNormal>Size of the colony <LI class=MsoNormal>Colony texture which includes density, amount, and arrangement of the structures <LI class=MsoNormal>Pigmentation of the mycelium or fruiting structures 
Colony reverse as seen in the agar


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## 2Retrievers222 (Sep 5, 2007)

chemicals are


*Pesticides Commonly Used on Corn*
A Fact Sheet from Toxic Free NC
*Fighting pesticide pollution since 1986.*
*www.ToxicFreeNC.org | 1-877-NO-SPRAY*
A large number of pesticides are used on corn, which in North Carolina is grown throughout the state, both for human consumption and
animal feed. Corn is an extremely chemical-intensive crop – conventionally-grown corn requires many applications of insect-killers,
weed-killers, plant growth regulators and other types of pesticides. If you live near a corn-growing area, you may be exposed to these
chemicals through drift or runoff. Some of these chemicals may be applied to corn fields from airplanes (called _aerial application_, also
known as _crop dusting_), which can increase the chances of contaminating neighboring areas, such as homes or organic farms.
Chemicals that may be applied aerially in North Carolina are followed by this symbol: ñ You can find more information about these
pesticides, including effects on human health and the environment, from the sources listed on the back side of this fact sheet.
Season Chemical Name Brand Names Chemical Class Uses Information
Spring Acetochlor Acetochlor, Fultime, Topnotch, Keystone, Fieldmaster, Harness,
Volley
Chloroacetamide Herbicide 1, 3, 4
Spring Atrazine
Aatrex, Atrazine, Axiom, Brawn, Cadence, Contour, Degree,
Fultime, Fieldmaster, G-Max, Harness, Liberty, Lumax, Marksman,
Medal, Rifle
Chloroacetamide Herbicide ñ 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Spring S-Metolachlor Bicep, Brawl, Brawn, Dual Magnum, Cinch, Expert, Lexar, Lumax,
Medal II, Sequence
Chloroacetamide Herbicide ñ 4
Spring Mesotrione Callisto, Lexar, Lumax Chloroacetamide Herbicide ñ 2, 4
Spring Terbufos Counter Organophosphate Insecticide ñ 1, 4, 7
Spring-Fall 2,4-D 2,4-D, Duo, Tenkoz 638 Herbicide, Unison, Weedone Chlorophenoxy Herbicide ñ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7
Spring, Summer Bifenthrin Annex, Bifenthrin, Bifenture, Capture, Discipline, Empower2,
Fanfare Pyrethroid Insecticide ñ 1, 4
Spring, Summer Cyfluthrin Baythroid, Renounce Pyrethroid Insecticide 1, 2, 4
Spring, Summer Zeta-cypermethrin Fury, Mustang Pyrethroid Insecticide ñ 1, 2, 3, 5
Spring, Summer Esfenvalerate Bonide Bug Buster, Asana Pyrethroid Insecticide ñ 1, 4
Spring, Summer Chlorpyrifos Lorsban, Eraser, Govern, Nufos, Pilot, Warhawk, Whirlwind Organophosphate Insecticide ñ
1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
6, 7
Spring, Summer Nicosulfuron Steadfast, Accent, Basis Gold, Clarion Sulfonylurea Herbicide ñ 4
Spring, Summer Permethrin Kickstart VP, Permethrin Pyrethroid Insecticide ñ 1, 2, 5
Spring, Summer Indoxacarb Dupont Avaunt Pyrethroid Insecticide ñ 1, 4
Spring, Summer Spinosad Bull’s Eye, Tracer Microbial Insecticide ñ 1, 4
Summer Bacillus thuringiensis
(Bt)
Bt, Biobit, Deliver LC, Dipel, Javelin Biological Larvicide ñ 1, 2, 4, 5
Summer Lamda-cyhalothrin Karate, Lambda T, Silencer, Warrior Pyrethroid Insecticide ñ 1, 4, 5
Summer Methomyl Dupont Lannate Carbamate Insecticide ñ 1, 4, 7


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Neither of those posts indicates that corn is more susceptible to mold than any other grain, nor more likely to have pesticides used on it than any other grain (except for the line that corn is an "extremely chemical-intensive crop").


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

For example, here's a fact sheet on pesticide use in potato production, as well as some information about problems with fungus. Potatoes are a common ingredient in "premium" foods.


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## 2Retrievers222 (Sep 5, 2007)

There are 13 mycotoxins in corn and only 5 in wheat


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