Allergic reaction 2 dogs at once

[Layla&Chaos]

Hi,

A few weeks ago, my 3 yr old (Layla) had me up all night, she was constantly licking, coughing, loose stools etc. I took her to the vet and he said the base of her tongue was swollen, along with her digestive track, her lips were bright red and she had a few small bald spots. He said it was most likely an allergic reaction and most likely it was something she digested because it was affecting her whole system (not just skin). He gave her steroid and antihystamin shot and sent her home with oral meds of both. Well, she is still having problems and now my 1 yr old, her daughter is having the same. I understand that they could potentially be having an allergy to the same thing, but have NO idea what it could be, also, it's not really allergy season here (the vet said it could possibly be environmental). They have been on the same food for over a year and it's a limited ingredient food (Nutro Lamb/Rice), I've washed their bedding, given them both baths, and haven't fed them anything but their normal food. I do understand that they can become allergic to their food all of the sudden, but since I have 2 reacting at the same time, I can't imagine that would be the case. Full panel blood work came up negative, and stools were negative. I do know that allergies can be heriditary, but there's got to be something going on that they are all of the sudden both having reactions they never had before. I haven't used any new cleaning products or scents or anything. Anyone been through this before?

 

[Roxie'sMommy]

Have you given them any different kinds of treats? My Roxie has really bad allergies and I tried everything and it ended up being an underactive thyroid. Im not saying this is the case but it was for me. You can always get an allergy test done although they can be expensive. I hope you figure something out so your babies wont suffer with allergies. Sorry I could not be any more help. Good luck.

 

[Layla&Chaos]

allergic reaction

they did have a new homemade treat that I had bought from the internet that we initially assumed was the problem, however, it's been weeks, they haven't had it since and my youngest started reaction several days later. they are both still having problems. and, in reply to eaten a bug, again, it's been weeks, they should've gotten over that and again, they started at different times. another thing the vet suggested with Layla is to have her fast for 48 hrs (ok, so I made it 30 something) and then feed them sticky rice, so I went to the chinese store and fed them that for a few days, but didn't seem to make a difference, however, he said allergens can hang out in the system for a long time, that's why food trials are so difficult. tonight I am starting them on tuna (as I read the acids can help with allergies and is not a food dogs are likely to be allergic to, and they need the protein) and then put some rice in it to give it some substance. They can't stay on this long term as it is deficient in other vitamins and minerals, I will add other foods to it bit by bit. It's the best way I can figure out. Thanks for the advice! If you think of anything else, it's all welcome!

 

[Cami]

I would forgo the tuna and try boiled chicken breast and rice or hamburger (greased drained) and rice. Both of these protein sources are far more bland than the tuna. I hope they are feeling better soon.

 

[Layla&Chaos]

Boiled Chicken or Hamburger and Nutro warning

Thanks for the advice, but the vet suggested anything other than beef or chicken. this is why Layla was on Lamb and Rice in the first place b/c she had grown up on Chicken Soup for the doggie Lover's and had a rash last year. That vet said that chicken and beef are the most common allergen in dogs. Even though I don't think it was her food at that time, I think it may have been a combination of things, she had recently had a litter and her immune system was slightly down . At the suggestion of the vet, I switched them to lamb and rice. They have been eating rice with fish oil or tuna for a few days now and the reaction has been decreasing. I can not figure out why both dogs who never had allergies reacted to the food they've been on for over a year at the same time out of no where. I thought it could be a bad batch of food, but I've since bought another bag and no change. I kept looking on the front of the bag to see if it said new and improved. Then I finally looked back to the ingredients again and noticed that where it highlights each ingredient and what benefits it has to the dogs, towards the bottom it says New Flavor System guarantees great taste, then the description goes on to say it's a special blend of sunflower oil and poultry fat. I don't know how "new" this flavor system is, but I have a feeling that poultry fat may be the problem. That's not something I would expect in a Lamb formula b/c most dogs are on this to avoid chicken. Thanks for all the advice, any more is welcome!

 

[Net45582]

"sunflower oil and poultry fat" doesn't sound like much of a quality enhancement to me. I have heard of a few dogs having allergic reactions to flaxseed oil maybe this is happening with the sunflower oil and your pups.