puppy eyes swell after changing to acana??

[Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie]

Okay Karen need your expertise. A co worker has a fairly new dog, now 12 weeks, 12 lbs, and it's been a week since his last vaccinations. She's very eager to feed her pup the right food so she switched to orijen after two weeks (yes they got the puppy when he was really young). Unfortunately the puppy doesn't like the orijen so she's spent the last week switching to acana and today the pups eyes are swollen almost shut. She's noticed eye issues since starting the switch. Could it be the grain in the acana? They also have been offering milk from the get go, dog owners recommend it, which I don't think is good is it? They are first time dog owners so she's coming to me for guidance. I want to help any way I can but food I'd not my strength! Labored breathing so I suggested the ER but any thoughts could it be food related??

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It's not the food and she needs to get that puppy to the ER immediately.

I'll elaborate later. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It can't be grains, there are no grains in any of the Acana formulas and I will bet my next mortgage payment that whatever the puppy was eating before the switch was loaded with grains anyway. It sounds like she got this puppy from a BYB or worse, and those kinds of people don;t feed high quality food. And she needs to stop the milk. 

But swollen eyes and labored breathing require emergency treatment. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

And those symptoms could be reactions to the vaccines, but they show up within 24 hrs, not a week. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There's a condition called Puppy Strangles that can be fatal if left untreated, and this puppy may have it.

[Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie]

Thank you Karen. When I heard labored breathing I became concerned. I called and got her voicemail so I hope that means they are on their way or there? The puppy came from a friend who's dog got knocked up , a pit husky mix? I guess her daughter has really taken the front seat in the care of the puppy and he follows her everywhere. I hope he's okay. He loves the acana so I hope they stay with that food. Thank you again. I'll send updates as I get them. Btw, I have never heard of puppy strangles, thank you.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Puppy Strangles is otherwise known as Juvenile Cellulitis, and it runs in Huskies, Goldens, Dachshunds, and Gordon Setters. I have heard of it in doodle puppies. It needs to be treated with prednisone. 

I just checked and there are oats in the Acana Classics line, so I misspoke about there not being grains in any of the Acana formulas. But that's not what's causing this. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Any news on your friend's puppy?

[Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie]

What timing I just ran into her in the hall about 15 minutes ago.  She said the ER wasn't very concerned they took some tests gave her Benadryl and sent them home?  She said the Benadryl really helped.  I suggested she keep the appointment with her vet today to really find out what's going on? 

She did mention the Orijen was chicken and the Acana was lamb and duck?  Could it be an allergy to the lamb and duck?  

Her appt is this afternoon so hopefully we'll know more tomorrow? 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I am absolutely baffled as to what Acana formula she is using, but in any event, it takes 6 months of eating the same protein repeatedly to develop an allergy to it. At 12 weeks, it's close to impossible for her puppy to have developed an allergy to anything, and certainly not to anything he's been eating for a week. 

An allergic response that takes the form of labored breathing and facial swelling would also be an anaphylactic reaction and wouldn't come on gradually. It happens immediately after exposure to the allergen. This is why people who are prone to anaphylactic reactions (common with peanut allergies, allergies to insect stings, etc) carry an Epi-Pen with them. Is she certain the puppy didn't get stung by a bee?

I hope you can impress upon your friend that none of this has anything at all to do with the Acana. If there is any relationship to food, in fact, the most likely culprit would be the milk she was giving him. 

[Julie and Charlie]

Grasslands has lamb and duck.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

But it's not a puppy formula, and it also doesn't contain grains. The dog's owner was concerned that the grains in the Acana were causing the problem. Very confusing.