Allergies

[rdenear]

My 2 year old Boxer, Baxter has been dealing with allergies since he was 8 months old. In March 2005 Allergy Testing was done. Baxter is allergic to Bluegrass, June, D. farinae, D. peteronyssinus, Marsh Elder, Burweed, Meadow Fescue, ORchard Grass, T. putrescentiae and yellow dock. I did the Immunotheraoy injections for about three weeks. I noticed no improvement, I actually felt he was getting worse. I stopped all injections and took him to another vet. The vet said that in many cases these injections do make it worse. I have given him Depo Medrol Injections, Dermalone ointment, Hydroxyzine, Keflex, Clomipramine, Clemastine Fumarate, 3V Capsules HB, Dexamethasone Injectiona and predisone. He is currently taking predison. It helps occasionally. I really don't notice any time of year when it is better or worse. To me the grasses do not bother him. When he is outside he does not itch. But I dust regulary and change me air filter 2 to 3 times a month. I have switched his food a couple times. He started on Iam and then Eukanuba and I have recently switched to Royal Canine Boxer 26. I do not feel his food has anything to do with his allergies. I am looking for any advice on trying to make Baxter more comfortable. He usually itches at his ears and occasionally at his chin. I really want to try not to keep him on medicines. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you!!

 

[BoxerBubbles]

i don't know anything about the allergy problem,but i know that those 3 foods aren't that good.even if the foods don't have anything in them causing the allergies,i would still switch him to something better.good luck!

here is the ingredients for the boxer 26..
Ingredients
Chicken meal, rice, brown rice, chicken fat (naturally preserved with mixed tocopherols, rosemary extract and citric acid), wheat gluten, corn, chicken, natural chicken flavor, dried egg powder, beet pulp (sugar removed), sodium silico aluminate, salmon oil, cellulose, pea fiber, soya oil, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, potassium citrate, sodium tripolyphosphate, choline chloride, brewers yeast extract (Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation solubles), taurine*, L-carnitine, Vitamins [dl-alpha tocopherol (source of vitamin E), inositol, niacin, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C*), d-calcium pantothenate, biotin, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), riboflavin (vitamin B2), thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin A acetate, folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement], Trace Minerals [zinc proteinate, zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, sodium selenite, calcium iodate], glucosamine hydrochloride, chondroitin sulfate, green tea extract, L-tyrosine, marigold extract.

this food has the wheat,corn,and beet pulp.all these are not good for the boxer,but especially the corn.with him having allergies,i would definitely get him off this food.

 

[Jan]

A better food might be a good start! Unfortunately, none of the choices that you have made so far are great food. You might want to read this: http://www.boxerworld.com/feeding/. You could also pick almost any food off of the Whole Dog Journal list of food.

I hope you are able to solve your dogs itchies.

Good Luck!

 

[Toulouse_]

My Dakota has allergies....

he is just two and since puppyhood has had hives, bee sting reactions, itchiness and gastric upsets with abdominal cramping. I had him on Nutro Natural Choice, switched to Royal Canin Boxer 26 and after seeing no improvement have now put him on Canidae original. I have just made the gradual switch over so it will be some time before I see if this really does help the situation. As to dealing with the allergenic attacks I found that the vet's recommendation of Benedryl 3X day really helped. I would try and get off the Pred...it really messes up the system big time. Good luck...I will post if I have some good results with the Canidae.

 

[rdenear]

What other food selections do you recommend. I thought the food he has been eating is a good choice since it was designed for boxers.

 

[gmacleod]

Marketing gimmick... It's not a great food - it doesn't contain much meat, and it *does* contain wheat, corn and beet pulp which are three of the most common allergy-causing food ingredients known to dog.

I'd suggest trying a good allergy formula such as California Natural (preferably the lamb, since he's been on Chicken-based foods of late). Alternatively, something like Natural Balance's duck/potato could be a good choice, or one of the Fromms Four Star range (except for the chicken formula - again, since he's been eating a chicken-based food, not because it's bad).

 

[hugomom1]

It's not a popular choice around here but I also feed Royal Canin. Hugo started throwing up with Nutro NC and we switched to Royal Canin, which he loves so I'm not changing it. (actually, when I first got Hugo 4 years ago Nutro NC was the most popular food on this site and considered somewhat 'premium') Hugo's finnicky and we have trouble keeping his weight up so if we find something he likes, we stick with it. And sadly, it's still probably higher quality than any of the food we eat! He also gets Wellness wet mixed in.

Hugo suffers allergies and the specialist told me that food wasn't his problem. He's allergic to dust and pollens. Allergies seem to be a big problem with Boxers, from what i've found on this site. Hugo suffers ear infections and feet infections badly from his allergies. Hugo gets oatmeal baths regularly, we clean his ears daily, and we dry his feet whenever he's outside. We also give him benedyl on really bad days. It sounds like your baby has far worse allergies than ours though. Hopefully you can get him on a routine that really works for him. It's hard to watch them suffer with itchiness.

 

[gmacleod]

...actually, when I first got Hugo 4 years ago Nutro NC was the most popular food on this site and considered somewhat 'premium'...

That would have been shortly before the phenobarbitol (agent used for euthanising pets) was discovered in Nutro products, I presume? Actually, that was technically the Nutro's Max formulation, but as always, there are generally good reasons why people suddenly go "off" a particular brand

Besides all that, dog food has moved on a lot in the intervening years. Chicken Soup hadn't even been invented four years ago. There were no grainless kibbles like EVO... If you go back further than 4 years, there was once a time when Eukanuba was one of the best foods it was possible to get, but it is now, comparitively, a low-end food. The food didn't change - others just got better.

I certainly expect (well, hope) that in five or so more years, the foods we currently consider "good" will have been well surpassed by better quality and more species-appropriate offerings.

 

[fancy07]

Allergic Dermatitis

Our boxer (fancy) is 7 months old and she started to have this allergic problem around 5 months old. When we first got her she was about 4 months old and in healthy condition. She started to break out in a bright red color on her chest, stomach, and feet area. Took her to the vet and they gave her steroids and antibiotics for 2 months (didn't work). She chews on her paws, licks, and scratches her face. She has several bald spots and has un-healthy looking skin. At the moment we can’t afford to take her to a dog allergist because out here in SF they run about $600-$1,000. Our third try would be ATOPICA med; hopefully this will stop the itching. If this doesn't work we would be forced to take her to an allergist after all. I feel sorry for my pup; she looks like she is suffering from a bad case of ALLERGIES. Today I dusted and cleaned up and her redness got brighter. I am putting two and two together and assuming it might be the same problem as BAXTER. Once Fancy is outside she is fine. HELP ANYONE?
Fancy is eating science diet prescription drug (allergen).

 

[fancy07]

Our boxer (fancy) is 7 months old and she started to have this allergic problem around 5 months old. When we first got her she was about 4 months old and in healthy condition. She started to break out in a bright red color on her chest, stomach, and feet area. Took her to the vet and they gave her steroids and antibiotics for 2 months (didn't work). She chews on her paws, licks, and scratches her face. She has several bald spots and has un-healthy looking skin. At the moment we can’t afford to take her to a dog allergist because out here in SF they run about $600-$1,000. Our third try would be ATOPICA med; hopefully this will stop the itching. If this doesn't work we would be forced to take her to an allergist after all. I feel sorry for my pup; she looks like she is suffering from a bad case of ALLERGIES. Today I dusted and cleaned up and her redness got brighter. I am putting two and two together and assuming it might be the same problem as BAXTER. Once Fancy is outside she is fine. HELP ANYONE?
Fancy is eating science diet prescription drug (allergen).