Allergy To Acana

[The Food Group]

Within the past month I have made the switch from Royal Canin maxi puppy food to adult Acana with my GD. I have been noticing a large increase in itching and scratching from her in this time. Im constantly searching through her coat whenever I see her itching, and can't seem to see anything in her skin that could be causing the itching, no fleas, no blotchiness, redness, etc.

After a bit of googling, I have seen that it's not highly unusual for some dogs to develop some kind of allergy to the acana Burbank chicken and potato, which we're on, more so an allergy to the chicken. She has gotten chicken throughout her life thus far as rewards sometimes and loves it but maybe since it is not the primary ingredient in her food, it hasn't affected her the same way.

Anybody have any insight into this? Your dog maybe has a mild allergy to chicken? We have a vet appointment coming up this weekend to rule out anything else but these timelines seem to fit. It's also been suggested that the Pacifica might be a better option for dogs with a chicken allergy. Any input would be appreciated!

[simon]

We've cut potatoes out of Bella's diet, her coats a lot smoother, less like straw...

[F, Calla & Luca]

I suspect it is a seasonal allergy . My Calla has been scratching for a few weeks and she always does at this time of year. I give her Allegra as needed and I know she'll be better in a couple of weeks. There is a ton of information on allergies here and how inhalant allergies are much more common than true food allergies.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Okay, first, it is impossible to be allergic to a brand, so Freya is definitely not "allergic to Acana", lol. 

And chicken was the primary, in fact the only, protein source in her previous food, so it's unlikely that she suddenly became allergic to it with the food switch. 

It's great that you switched, because the RC food is truly dreadful. Here are the ingredients:

http://www.royalcanin.us/products/products/dog-products/size-health...

Ingredients

Chicken by-product meal, brewers rice, corn, wheat, wheat gluten, chicken fat, corn gluten meal, natural flavors, dried beet pulp, sodium silico aluminate, calcium carbonate, potassium phosphate, vegetable oil, salt, fish oil, psyllium seed husk, fructooligosaccharides, L-lysine, potassium chloride, hydrolyzed yeast, choline chloride, taurine, DL-methionine, glucosamine hydrochloride, vitamins [DL-alpha tocopherol (source of vitamin E), L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), biotin, D-calcium pantothenate, vitamin A acetate, niacin, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), folic acid, vitamin D3 supplement], marigold extract (Tagetes erecta L.), trace minerals (zinc proteinate, zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, copper proteinate, sodium selenite), chondroitin sulfate, rosemary extract, preserved with natural mixed tocopherols and citric acid.

Chicken by-products, broken pieces of rice leftover from breweries, corn and wheat. Awful.

It's also unlikely that potatoes are to blame, as food allergies develop over time, so if she hasn't been eating potatoes on a regular basis for awhile, she wouldn't have developed an allergy to them. 

I suspect that F is correct; this is most likely a seasonal inhalant allergy and has nothing to do with her food. 

Whatever you do, don't allow your vet to sell you Rx food. Vets are not experts on allergies and while they often blame any type of itching or allergy symptoms on food, the fact is that only 10% of all allergy symptoms in dogs are caused by food. In puppies, it's an even lower percentage. 

Fatty acid supplements, antihistamines, and some other simple things (change your furnace filter, wash her bedding) can help with inhalant allergies. In fact, if you recently turned on your furnace, that could be a factor right there.

You might try switching to the Acana Pacifica just to see if it makes a difference. No harm, and the additional Omega 3s from the fish might help the itching.

Here is some info on Food Allergies in Dogs and on treating Allergies in Dogs in general. I'd read it before you see the vet.

Food Allergies in Dogs

General Info on Allergies in Dogs (and how to keep them comfortable) 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Ned has been scratching more than usual past two weeks.  For him, it is just seasonal allergies.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jacqueline, coconut oil taken internally has no benefit for dogs, and may actually be harmful. For itching, you need Omega 3 fatty acids. Your best bets are either fish oil for the Omega 3 fatty acids DHA & EPA, or evening primrose oil softgels, for the GLA. Use human softgels. 

Here's some information on why coconut oil is not recommended for dogs: https://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/is-coconut-oil-useful-for-dogs/

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

3000 mg sounds like a lot to me. I'd start with 1000 to 1500 mg. Some dogs get diarrhea from higher amounts of fish oil. 

Omega 3 fatty acids work best when used in conjunction with antihistamines, for allergy itching. But even then, they may not help all that much. It depends on the cause of the itching, and if it's allergies, how severe that allergic response is. It typically takes a couple of weeks to see an improvement.