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  1. #1
    Senior Dog beth101509's Avatar
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    Post Biting at Feet and Constant Scratching at Ears

    Oliver has been excessively shedding and biting at his feet and scratching at his ears. I am assuming he has allergies to his current food which is Purina Pro Plan Focus for Large Breed Puppies. Since he will be about 5 months old when this bag of food runs out, I was going to switch him from a chicken based kibble to a lamb based kibble (Purina Smart Blend) and see if that doesn't help. Does anyone know if lamb is supposed to help with allergies or just easily upset stomachs?

    Also, what can I give him to help reduce some of the shedding. I feel like I am allergic to him with all the hair that is every where! I know that won't go away but is there a way to at least make it less?
    “Don't allow your happiness to be interrupted by overly judgmental people. The problem is not you, because even if you do good all the time, they would still find a way to judge you wrongly.”
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  2. #2
    Senior Dog Charlotte K.'s Avatar
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    What does your vet say? Mites sometimes cause itchy ears and feet, for example.

    You would be going from a better Purina food to a lesser one, with many of the same ingredients. Is it labeled for growth?

  3. #3
    Senior Dog beth101509's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Charlotte K. View Post
    What does your vet say? Mites sometimes cause itchy ears and feet, for example.

    You would be going from a better Purina food to a lesser one, with many of the same ingredients. Is it labeled for growth?
    I was more looking at the "lamb" vs "chicken". The SmartBlend is an all stages food.

    He doesn't have mites or anything like that.
    “Don't allow your happiness to be interrupted by overly judgmental people. The problem is not you, because even if you do good all the time, they would still find a way to judge you wrongly.”
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  4. #4
    Senior Dog charliebbarkin's Avatar
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    Raw feeding might be your answer
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  6. #5
    Senior Dog beth101509's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by charliebbarkin View Post
    Raw feeding might be your answer
    That is what I was thinking.
    “Don't allow your happiness to be interrupted by overly judgmental people. The problem is not you, because even if you do good all the time, they would still find a way to judge you wrongly.”
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  7. #6
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    If he still doesn't do well with the other Purina variety, consider that the allergy may be to something other than the protein source...and a different brand with fewer ingredients in common may be a good one to try next. I'm not familiar with Purina ingredients but some common allergens for dogs seem to be potatoes, peas, and wheat. There may already be threads here citing a more complete list (those come to mind)...see what a search gives you.

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  9. #7
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
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    I commented on your post on going raw, which I saw first. I didn't know you were thinking it might help with allergies. It may not, not if you don't know what the provoking food is. It might not even be food, it might be environmental sensitivity, which is more common. If it is food raw may seem to give him a break but in reality only be prolonging the time till there is a reaction. There are antigen sites on raw chicken just as there are on kibble chicken. But there are 4-5 times less antigen sites on raw so it could take a longer time for the cumulative effect to build up, but it likely will.

    This was all new information to me and came as a result of me doing the Nutriscan test on Oban. Turkey got the highest response so no more turkey. We were sure his problems were seasonal environmental, and they mostly are. But a few foods did come up with a high number.

    NutriScan Food Sensitivity and Intolerance Test for Cats and Dogs

    Is your house too dry? Check it with a hygrometer.

    Brushing regularly is the only thing I know that will help with shedding. At his age he might be shedding some puppy coat, though mine didn't do that till about a year old. Going raw does prompt a shed in some dogs and so does switching kibble foods for some.

  10. #8
    Senior Dog beth101509's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Snowshoe View Post
    I commented on your post on going raw, which I saw first. I didn't know you were thinking it might help with allergies. It may not, not if you don't know what the provoking food is. It might not even be food, it might be environmental sensitivity, which is more common. If it is food raw may seem to give him a break but in reality only be prolonging the time till there is a reaction. There are antigen sites on raw chicken just as there are on kibble chicken. But there are 4-5 times less antigen sites on raw so it could take a longer time for the cumulative effect to build up, but it likely will.

    This was all new information to me and came as a result of me doing the Nutriscan test on Oban. Turkey got the highest response so no more turkey. We were sure his problems were seasonal environmental, and they mostly are. But a few foods did come up with a high number.

    NutriScan Food Sensitivity and Intolerance Test for Cats and Dogs

    Is your house too dry? Check it with a hygrometer.

    Brushing regularly is the only thing I know that will help with shedding. At his age he might be shedding some puppy coat, though mine didn't do that till about a year old. Going raw does prompt a shed in some dogs and so does switching kibble foods for some.
    Thank you for the advice. Is our house too dry? The answer is: absolutely could be. My hands and legs are always dry and my husband complains that he could use a bottle of lotion all over his body and still be dry. I never thought of that for some reason...
    “Don't allow your happiness to be interrupted by overly judgmental people. The problem is not you, because even if you do good all the time, they would still find a way to judge you wrongly.”
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  11. #9
    Senior Dog sheltieluver's Avatar
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    I was going to say about the house being to dry. You could try a humidifier and maybe give him some coconut oil to help with the coat being dry.

  12. #10
    Senior Dog beth101509's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sheltieluver View Post
    I was going to say about the house being to dry. You could try a humidifier and maybe give him some coconut oil to help with the coat being dry.
    Do you just put a spoonful of coconut oil in their food? This may be a dumb question but it is a liquid like you find in the grocery store with all the other oils (olive oil, vegetable oil, etc.), right or is it something special you have to get at a pet store?
    “Don't allow your happiness to be interrupted by overly judgmental people. The problem is not you, because even if you do good all the time, they would still find a way to judge you wrongly.”
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