Food allergy

[Bernice Parrott]

Has anyone fed their Doodle "Blue Buffalo" brand fish & Sweet Potato or Fish & Oatmeal dog food?   Our Doodle Rufus has a bad habit of constantly licking himself and chewing the fur on his legs, to such an extent that he's had fur balls!!  Our breeder said that it could be caused by an allergy to the Eukanuba dog food that he's been eating.  Comments please.

[Denice Caouette]

I know that there have been many discussions on here about "Prescriptive Diets", and I did not want to put my girls on one...but! Coco has always "chewed" her paws and it has gotten worse. My vet had me try Royal Canin Skin Support ( prescription food). Both my girls are eating it. They love it, their coats and skin have never looked better and miracles of miracles, Coco no longer chews her feet. They get VERY LITTLE treats of any kind now also. I was wondering about the Blue Fish mixes myself...but have tried other Blue products in the past and although I know they are excellent foods, my girls wouldn't touch them! Picky little kids....yikes. Let me know what you find out!

 

[F, Calla & Luca]

Karen will be more complete but the chance of non food based allergies, pollen etc, is much more likely to be the cause. She has an Atopy group. Good luck with your doodle.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

He can't be allergic to a brand...he might possibly be allergic to a specific ingredient in the food, but the chances of that are very slim. Likewise, a certain brand can't cure allergies either, even if it's prescription. The only thing that will cure is a budget surplus.

Most likely, given the time of year, your pup has seasonal allergies, which are the culprit in 90% of cases.

With all due respect to your breeder, she is not a vet or an allergy specialist, and it is very common for people to think that most allergies are caused by food, when the opposite is true. I would not take medical advice from the breeder, groomer, trainer, etc.

Eukanuba is a lousy brand anyway. Switch him to a food that has no corn or wheat, and if you want to pursue the food allergy theory, you can choose one that also has no beef or chicken. It probably won't help, but you can give it a try. Check our recommended foods list for ideas on brands and formulas. I personally would switch to a grain-free fish-based food. because a good Omega 6/3 ratio can help a lot with itching, even if the allergy is not related to ingredients in the food..

Pick up some 500 mg evening primrose oil capsules and give him one a day. They work best in conjunction with antihistamines, but i hesitate to recommend those for someone else's dog. Brush him everyday, wipe him down when he comes in from outside, keep his feet clean and dry, wash his bedding, keep the areas where he spends the most time vacuumed and as dust free as possible and wash his food and water bowls with hot water and soap daily. You can also pick up an OTC cortisone spray for his feet if he's stripping the fur.

[Bernice Parrott]

I have started Rufus and Abby on "Blue Buffalo" fish and sweet potato, so hope that that might help.  They also recommend the fish and oatmeal, but my pet store was out of that one, so maybe I'll buy that next time.  I'll also see if I can get the evening primrose oil capsules.  They might have them in Costco?  He doesn't seem to chew his feet, just his legs.  I don't think it's a seasonal thing, as he does this all year round.  Can I give my other Doodle, Abby the capsules too, as she sometimes licks the pads of her feet and between her toes also, continuously.

Thanks for your input.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I don't think they would have the EPO at Costco, but i don't shop there, so I'm not sure. You can get it at any store that sells human vitamins and supplements, it's not very expensive.

I agree that most of what you're describing with Rufus, doesn't sound like a seasonal allergy, but since allergies were mentioned by someone (the groomer?) it's worth a shot to try to improve things. The EPo is not just for allergies, lots of FG dogs get it just for dry skin & coat, and it does help itching.

You can give it to Abby, you can even take it yourself. It's just GLA, a  beneficial atty acid.