Switching puppy foods?

[Melissa Bissell]

Hi- My puppy is nearly 16 weeks.  He has started scratching a lot and biting/chewing himself.  He is also having a lot of soft stool.  He recently was bit by 4 ticks! Yuck!!!  So I am not sure if these symptoms are from that as they did start right after the tick bites.  But the tick bites were about 10 days ago and he is not having much relief, even with daily claritin.  He has been checked by the vet and has no signs of a skin rash or irritation.  He has been on Canidae All Life Stages food which the breeder started him on and we continued.  It has oats in it, but that is the only grain I believe.  His treats are mainly grain free except one that has oats.  I am thinking about trying a grain-free diet for him.  Any suggestions for kibble and treats??? In addition we have a lot of food allergies in the family so we avoid, dairy, egg, wheat, nuts, peanuts, and fish (although we can do some fish in the kibble, but not the treats since my son is fish allergic and he does give him treats for training.  Thanks!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm glad that you can do fish in the kibble, since it's the best source of the Omega 3 fatty acids that are most beneficial and that also help with dry skin and itching in dogs. 

It is very, very doubtful that food of any kind would be causing itching in a 16 week old puppy. It's also doubtful that it would cause the stool to become soft if it was firm to begin with. For stool issues, a fecal test should always be your first step before changing foods.

However, if you want to try switching to a grain free food, my suggestion would be Orijen Puppy food. If the itching or the soft stools are related to the food (which is doubtful), that may help. 

For treats, I would use Pure Bites, which are pure animal protein. Choose the Turkey, Chicken, or Beef Liver "flavors". 

[F, Calla & Luca]

Sounds more like I allergies to me. The trees are exploding around here and grasses are starting. Maybe more Claritin or another antihistamine. I gave Calla Allegra for about a week this spring for her scratching and now she's fine.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I just heard on the radio the other day that the pollen levels are out of control this year and that's expected to continue throughout the summer and fall. :(

[Melissa Bissell]

Thanks for this info - it is especially encoring because my husband is also having a lot of allergies, and I wondered if it was due to pollen/seasonal - just hoping it wasn't to the puppy.  He didn't think it was, but always a worry...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

No need to wonder what is causing your DH's symptoms, the pollen levels in your area are off the charts. Here's a handy tool you can use to check this: http://www.pollen.com/allergy-forecast.asp

[Melissa Bissell]

Wow!!!  You are right!  I don't suffer from seasonal allergies, but the rest of my household does, so now I understand why we are going through boxes of tissues so quickly right now!  And might also explain while Hugo is sooooo itchy!

[Pam Thomas]

Thanks, good website. That explains a lot!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

However, I should add that most people (and dogs) who suffer from inhalant allergies are affected by multiple allergens, so it is possible that he is also allergic to your puppy. And dogs bring the pollens into the home on their coats, so often a person with pollen allergies believes they are allergic to the dog because their symptoms are worse with a dog in the home. It helps both human and canine allergy sufferers to wipe the dog down every time he comes in from outside, paying special attention to the feet. 

[Melissa Bissell]

Thanks - yes, my husband thinks this is what it is.  Actually he thinks he has an upper respiratory infection which is exacerbated by pollen the puppy is bringing in.  We both think this is probably the case, since he was not allergic to Hugo for the first month we had him, and the very mild reactions he had initially were only a few small hives in the first day or two, no congestion or breathing issues.  Then we went away for a week and when we returned he started having all of these upper resp symptoms.  My niece was watching Hugo while we were away and they went into the woods everyday - hence, the 4 ticks, and the probably tracking a lot of allergens into the house.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

If it's any consolation, with pollen counts that high, your DH would probably be feeling just as miserable if you didn't have the puppy. :)