Looking for a home for our 2 year old Labradoodle

[Andy Caldwell]

We have a two year old Labradoodle with some special needs and we feel like we are unable to meet her needs. We are looking for a good home for her in the Las Vegas area. She is full-sized and white. She has an allergy to wheat. We feed her twice a day and she is still to thin. She is full of energy and plays with our other dog but when she gets into anything she is allergic to her ears flame up and she starts scratching.  We feed her an antihistamine every night that seems to help but it also makes her energy level go up.  If you are interested please feel free to call me at 702-767-9616 or email me at [e-mail] I can send pictures if you are interested.  We are not looking for money just want to make sure she will get the care and love she deserves.       

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Your dog needs to see a veterinary dermatology specialist. Chances are that wheat is not the problem at all, but rather Atopic Dermatitis. We have a support group here for owners of dogs with AD if you are interested in learning more.

 

[Andy Caldwell]

We bought her from our local vet who told us she had the wheat allergy.  I will do some research on Atopic Dermatitis though, thank you for your thoughts.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It's almost impossible to determine a food allergy without doing a 3 month food elimination trial. Nevertheless, if she is allergic to wheat, it's a fairly simple matter to eliminate wheat from her diet, as there are very few good dog foods that even contain wheat any more. There are many good widely available kibbles that contain no grains at all. If the problem is her getting into the other dog's food, coudln't you feed them both the same, wheat or grain free food? 

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

Andy, have you considered closely monitoring everything that you feed your doodle?  I know that it a complete pain (I have 1 doodle that has severe gastrointestinal problems if he gets any food/treat that has any form of rice).  We have had to switch foods several times but there are many grain free foods out there that are wonderful (Taste of the Wild, Orijen, etc).  We are limited in treats, but there are grain free options out there too.  

Seeing a vet would be the best bet and they can help you determine the best path/treatments for your dog.

[Andy Caldwell]

We have taken her to the same vet we bought her from and get the same direction to eliminate wheat.  This seems to work but we still end up with the feeling we are not giving her what she needs.  We like to let our dogs live inside with us but we have younger children who like to give the dogs treats.....that is a problem with her, so she is mostly an outside dog now and we do not feel right about that. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

To be honest, no dog should be an "outside" dog, especially not these dogs, and you are right that she isn't getting what she needs by being kept outdoors. It's hard to understand having to keep a dog outdoors and rehoming a dog just because of food or treats. Is it not possible to eliminate dog treats that contain wheat? There are lots of wheat and grain-free treats available that the children could give her.

 

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

Andy there are plenty of treats out there that don't have wheat in them, and if you want I can send you a list of all the treats that we use that don't have any grains in them.  If you only keep "safe" treats in the home it won't matter if your kids offer treats to the dog.  If your children are giving your dog people food then you might want to consider sitting down with your kids (even if they are young) and explaining to them that dogs should only eat dog food in the same way that people should only eat people food. 

[Adina P]

You can make it a hard rule to not give ANY treats and hold your kids responsible for it.  Even my 2 y.o. Knows she can't share her food with the dogs. And the actual dog treats can be controlled simply by NOT buying ones that contain wheat.  I'm not clear on why just 'no wheat' is the hardest part.  Is there something ELSE you feel you are not giving your dog?

[Ray]

My dog, Emma has allergies too.  this can be a real challenge when you come home to a     mess.  now i have it figured out and shes good to go.  a good friend of mine is going to call you though, as she knows how to deal with a doodle with allergies and she also would very much benefit from having a doodle in her life.

please consider her

[Andy Caldwell]

We have found a diet that works but sometimes she gets into our other dogs food.  She is a sweet dog.

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

This is some hopeful news!

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

The best way to ensure your doodle goes to a good home is to surrender her to the DRC http://doodlerescue.org/  many people here volunteer with them