Allergy to chicken? or something else going on?

[Maya and Mike]

Here's the history. Sammy was originally being fed Blue Buffalo puppy formula (chicken based, not grain-free). We kept him on it when we got him from the breeder thinking he was used to it, but the runny poops were not improving. He did have Giardia at one point, was treated, but the poops continued to be runny. At that point we transitioned him to Orijen Puppy (also chicken based, but grain-free). He seemed to be better on it with the stool, but has always been a little itchy. More recently he had runny stool again, took him to the vet, and again Giardia. We treated him with a course of Panacur which cleared that up, stools were inconsistent- sometimes solid, but lots of loose. 

This week we have been adding more pumpkin and a bit of yogurt and pre-/pro-biotic chews to help with the healthy bacteria in his belly. All seemed to be improving.... BUT....

I'm beginning to think that Sammy may actually have a food allergy. This morning I noticed red bumps all over his belly and no sign of fleas. Now that I added the yogurt, I'm not sure if it's the dairy that's bugging him, or if it is indeed the chicken. He's always been a little on the itchy side and the runny poops (as I mentioned before) have been somewhat of an issue from the start (and we've always fed him chicken). 

Help!!??

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Maya, I'm pretty sure the red bumps have nothing to do with Sammy's diet. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Okay, let's go over some basic facts about some of these issues before we get to specifics.

Food allergies in dogs are relatively rare, and affect only 1% of all dogs. You would never know that by reading discussions in dog forums on-line, because food seems to be the first thing anyone blames whenever there is any kind of issue, digestive or otherwise, and also the first thing anyone thinks of when the word 'allergy" is mentioned- I don't know why. But the fact is, food allergies are rare, and in puppies, they are extremely rare. The reason for that is that an allergy takes time to develop, in the case of food allergies, the dog has to have been eating the particular ingredient (it's important to think in terms of ingredients and not brands) on a daily basis for a period of at least several months if not several years. Dogs do not even start eating any form of solid food until they are at least a month old. So any symptoms that showed up at a very early age (i.e. before 6 months old) are most likely not related to any kind of allergy. 

Unless Sammy has been eating dairy products on a regular basis, you can be pretty sure that the dairy in the yogurt is not causing the bumps on Sammy's belly. Again, there has to have been past exposure for an allergy to develop.

Food intolerances, or sensitivities, are more common. Those can cause digestive issues but not a histamine response, i.e. itching. 

In order to rule out chicken as the cause of any of these issues, you have to stop giving the dog chicken in any form...raw, cooked, kibble, treats, the dog simply cannot have any chicken at all for a period of 12 weeks. If the symptoms go away, you've solved the problem. So if you want to switch food, look for a grain free food that doesn't contain any chicken, preferably one with a fairly high protein content...at least 28% if not higher. There are a lot of them out there.

BUT...Giardia and the subsequent treatment can really mess up a puppy's GI tract, and repeated or prolonged bouts of giardia and giardia meds in puppyhood can lead to chronic GI issues. This is because the meds destroy the good bacteria along with the bad, and the good bacteria is necessary for proper digestion and stool formation. When the meds are discontinued, the bad bacteria often proliferate and you get a bacterial imbalance that contributes to chronic GI problems. Probiotics are so important in any type of GI infection or disease that they currently being used to treat humans with serious GI diseases. There has recently been a lot of research on this in the medical and veterinary communities, and all vets are not up to date on this. 

Giarida can also be very difficult to diagnose and treat, and unless you have been scrupulous about cleaning and disinfecting, including your yard, the dog can keep reinfecting himself. Sometimes it's just rampant in an area or neighborhood, especially where there are lots of dogs. There are also strains of giardia that are more difficult to get rid of than others, and require stronger drugs. There is one particular breeder whose dogs here seem to come home with this strain, and there are probably others we haven't heard about yet. We have many members here whose dogs have ongoing GI issues stemming back to major giardia infections and treatments. For these dogs, special diets and probiotic treatments have done a world of good. 

Itching in puppies can be cause by a lot of things, rarely food. Most often, it can be the result of dry skin & coat, lack of Omega 3 fatty acids from fish in the diet, prior flea infestations, and as F mentioned, contact dermatitis. (It can also be mites, which cannot be seen by the naked eye and require skin scrapings to diagnose. However, the itching from mites is extremely intense and noticeable.) Adding human fish oil capsules or evening prmrose oil capsules (to be given as pills, not punctured) can help a lot with this. 

It is very doubtful that the red bumps are related to food at all. 

For Sammy, the fact that his poop improved with the probiotics and fiber tells me that this is probably not a food related issue at all. (I would get the Gentle Digest capsules rather than the chews next time around). I really feel that if you order the Proviable DC, you will see an even bigger improvement. Then you could discontinue the yogurt, too.

[Maya and Mike]

Thank you Karen for such a thorough response!

You said that if a chicken allergy was the issue, it would take several months to manifest. So, being that he's been eating chicken based foods for the past 5 months, is it feasible that it could be an allergy or a sensitivity? I'm willing to switch him to the Orijen Red Meat formula for a few months to test it out, but do you think it's worth it or should I stick to the chicken. As I mentioned before, his stools are greatly improved in the last couple of days thanks to your prior recommendations!

Re: his itching- it's not constant, but he scratches around his rump, behind the ears, hind legs. And today, lots of licking in the groin area. It doesn't look like hot-spots. Some bumps are larger than others.

How dosage of Omega 3 do you recommend?

What is the difference between Gentle Digest capsules and chews? I couldn't tell much from the labels. Does it have to do with the way it's absorbed?

Thank you again! You are a gigantic help.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

IF Sammy had just recently started having issues, you could use the argument that he's been eating it for 5 months and an allergy or sensitivity to chicken could have developed. But you've said that Sammy's issues have been ongoing since you got him. So obviously, it couldn't have been caused by chicken when he was only 2 or 3 or even 4 months old. :)

But there's no reason not to eliminate chicken and see if that helps. Try the red meat formula, or try a simpler formula with duck, turkey, lamb, or fish and see if that makes a difference. Personally, I think it's just a matter of getting his GI tract regulated. The Honest Kitchen sounds like it might be a possiblity for Sammy, too. 

For Omega 3, I like Nature Made Omega 3 mini softgels, widely available and smaller than most fish oil capsules. I'd start with just one a day. Fish oil formulas vary greatly so hard to recommend a standard dosage. Or you can give him one 500 mg evening primrose oil softgel per day, those are even smaller and might work better for him right now. 

The Gentle Digest Chews have additional ingredients including whey, salt, poultry liver flavorings, citric acid, etc., so I feel it's better to just give the plain capsules. 

[Maya and Mike]

Thank you for the advice. I greatly appreciate it. I'm sure I'll be in touch again soon. :)