Beamer needs help with ongoing

[Jo and Beamer]

Beamer almost 8 months old now has been having issues with a groin rash going on 3 months. At that time he was on Natures Variety Prairie food and treated with Cephalexin for a few rounds. Did see and improvement. Then it would flare up again and again. Can not find any environmental triggers. He does love to chew either a bully stick or sometimes a rawhide. Did not see a difference when I did eliminate those. Yesterday when I arrived home he had chewed his tail and created a big ole sore spot. His anal glands are fine but did have them expressed about a month ago.

So what to do with the Beamer boy. I found out what food Stuart ( Jane's pup) is on since they are brothers. Should I switch up the food and see if that is the culprit. 
He is a big dood. 56 pounds and always looking for food....

Thanks guys.

Jo 

[Trudy Harlow]

You might start with changing his food to eliminate all grains and typical protein allergens like chicken and beef.  I note that the Prairie food does have oatmeal, which contains gluten.  When Paddy and I started down this road, I even eliminated rice.  I've since added it back in.  You could try switching him to Instinct (same manufacturer) grain-free in one of the less common proteins like lamb or rabbit or duck.  It can take a couple of months (yes, months) for a change in diet to show improvement.

Additionally, I'm not sure what you mean by "can not find any environmental triggers."  Have you had him tested?  It's awfully hard to tell without testing, and even then it's not 100% accurate.  Paddy is off the charts allergic to dust mites and mold mites, and I use Febreeze Allergen Reducer to keep things bearable for him in our 50+ year old house.  Since I can't remove the most potent allergens entirely from his life, I have tried to remove any other possible allergens to lighten the load.  He is definitely worse in the spring and fall even though he did not test positive for pollen and leaves.  Must be mold spores, is all I can figure.

Have you checked your detergent?  Are you washing his bed regularly?  He could be allergic to your detergent or other laundry products.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Although most people immediately look to food as the culprit when a dog has any kind of skin issues, food is responsbile for only 10% of all allergy symptoms in dogs. 90% of the time, it is something organic which is inhaled: Dust mites, storage mites, molds (molds exist anywhere there are constant wet surfaces, even in the pipes in your home, and outdoors where there puddles, etc.), pollens from trees, grasses, and weeds, dander from other animals, etc. Your dog does not have to come into contact with the particular subastance in order to have a reaction. The allergens are in the air. Pollens travel hundreds of miles.

A rash may not necessarily indicate allergies. Is there biting, licking or scratching? Does Beamer seem very uncomfortably itchy?

I would look to a cause other than food. If this started at 5 months of age, it is unlikely that he had developed a food allergy by that time, sepcially since it is doubtful you started feeding him the same food he had previously been eating. Food allergies take a lot of time and exposure to develop.

However, grain free foods may help to add more EFAs to his diet and also eliminate the storage mites. I think Stuart is on Orijen, which would be my choice of kibble for any dog who is having skin issues. Very good Omega 6:3 ratio, and no grains. Wellness CORE would be my next choice.

You can try giving him a 500 mg evening primrose oil capsule each day, and/or adding fish oil to his diet. EFAs can help.

I would also follow Trudy's advice to wash his bedding and eliminate dust mites in his usual sleeping areas as much as possible. (However, it is not likely to be a true allergy to a detergent, other than a contact allergy. Forget chemical, carpet cleaners, detergents, fertilizers, etc as the cause. Organic materials that are ingested ot inhaled are the causes of true allergic reactions.)

When bathing Beamer, use a good oatmeal shampoo and leave it on his skin at least 10 minutes before rinsing. Let him air dry or use a cool dryer setting, no hot dryers, and no "conditioners" or other leave-in products. This helps keep his coat from attracting allergens.

But if he continues to infect himself, you are going to have to ask for a referral to a veterinary dermatology specialist to determine the cause. That is the only way to tell, and they will usually not do skin testing on a dog younger than a year old. Blood tests are worthless, don't waste your $ on them.   

If you see him licking or biting a particular area, try an OTC cortisone spray for itching, it will give temporary relief. The main thing is to get him to stop causing himself infections and relieve the discomfort, while you are trying to find the cause.

Try the fatty acids and see if that helps at all. Good luck.

 

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

Stuart was on 100% Orijen with some Primal (a frozen, raw as a topper) but his stools were too runny.  Now I mix 50% Orijen + 50% Acana with the Primal topper.  This has firmed up both Stuart and Rooney's poop.  Stuart up to now has had no skin issues other than those white growth things in his mouth.  We are off to the animal dermatologist about those this afternoon.  Good luck Jo and let us know how Beamer is doing!

[Jo and Beamer]

what happened at the docs office with stuart?

[F, Calla & Luca]

What kind of bed does Beamer have? Some dogs are allergic to the cedar filling in beds.

[Melody & Bruin]

Bruin has also experienced a rash on his groin.  Our vet put him on antibiotics and asked that I wipe his groin area twice a day with baby wipes.  He thinks it may be a reaction from his urine splashing, almost like a chemical burn.  He is a puppy  too @ 5 mos and squats to pee - many, many times right on the deck, which does cause a splash.  The wipes have really helped a lot.  Good luck

[Jo and Beamer]

I was thinking about this yesterday since he does splatter. Thanks

[Trudy Harlow]

This makes a lot of sense, Melody!