Paw Chewing

[Dana Anton]

I'm sorry if this has been asked before, I'm new;-)

My goldendoodle seems to be allergic to something and I can't figure out what! She chews on her paws until they're raw sometimes. She has always gotten ear infections, which leads me to believe she has a yeast problem. Does anyone else have this kind of problem with their doodle? I feel terrible for her, sometimes she doesn't even want to go on walks because her feet hurt her. The second she gets on an antibiotic or antihistamine, she's fine. I have changed her food numerous times, but I'm beginning to think it's something else. Any thoughts??

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Dana, what you are describing is the most common symptom of allergies, and contrary to popular belief, it is usually NOT the food that is causing the problem. Inhalant (also called environmental or seasonal) allergies are to blame in 90% of cases.
Here are a few previous discussions that will give you some info on what you can do:
http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/healthandmedicalissues/forum/topi...
http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/healthandmedicalissues/forum/topi...
http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/healthandmedicalissues/forum/topi...

And some references about allergies in dogs:

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/inhalant_allergies.html
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/food_allergies.html
Good luck, dealing with an allergic dog is no fun. I hope you can find a way to help relieve your doodle's misery.

[Dana Anton]

Wow, Thank You! I have to take her to a specialist and see what it is. You're right, probably not her food. Just want her to feel good and playful:-) Thanks again!

[Debbie and Toby]

We just went through exactly the same thing, paw chewing and inflammation of the ear. Used prescription ointments and medicated washes for both ear and paw, he healed very quickly.Because we aren't completely sure of the cause, we wanted to rule out the wheat, corn, chicken, etc. so we are switching the food for now to Orijen 6 Fish formula, grain-free, since he has been on chicken and lamb formulas all his life. He is 19 months old now. Then at a later time we will gradually introduce other food sources back in one at a time and see how he does.We are really hoping it is a just a seasonal issue. It sounds like seasonal allergies are quite common this year, so we are keeping our fingers crossed.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

What everyone needs to understand is that true allergies are a permanent disease of the immune system. It is not that seasonal allergies are common this year, it is that the weather this year has been especially bad for allergy sufferers, and is bringing out more severe symptoms. Allergies cannot be cured, only managed.
Allergies in dogs most commonly appear between the ages of 1 and 3 years. If a dog has seasonal allergies, the symptoms will continue to appear seasonally each year, usually Spring & Fall, and may get worse as the dog ages, with symptoms sometimes becoming year round. Since common allergens such as dust mites and ragweed pollen are absolutely unavoidable, it is actually better if the dog does have food allergies instead, since by avoiding the particular food allergens, you can alleviate the symptoms. With inhalant allergies, that is not possible. Pollen travels hundreds of miles. The most severe form of inhalant allergies in dogs, atopic dermatitis, or atopy, is genetic, and runs in retriever lines, but poodles can less commonly have it, too.