I really need help :( please!

[mokkurboxer]

Hello everyone...

Im really desperate for help now :( My boxer has been dealing with allergies since he was a puppy (he's 2 year old now). Every since I got him, he's had dry and flaky skin and some itching. We though it was food allergy, and finally after testing various dog food we found the one he could eat and be well.

Then early in spring 2012 he swallowed a big ball (stupid stupid dog!!!) and it had to be removed with surgery... and since then he's be experiencing much worse allergies than before. Flaky and itchy skin was nothing. Now he has red bumps over his body and the worst of all he doesn't really want to eat anymore (especially in the mornings). The noises from his stomach is terrible, so loud and clearly hurting. It appears to be that the surgery has fucked up his stomach and the whole immune system as well.

I've been trying to find different food, and tried most of it we got here in Iceland... but nothing seems to work for him :( I'm so desperate for him to be well... I'll try anything. Can someone here give me some advise ? Or have you ever heard of something like this after gastric surgery?

Things we already tried and didn't work well:
1. Various Dog Food for at least month at a time, and no treat. Also veterinary food.
2. Barley Shampoo. (Reduced the itching for 1 day)
3. Oil over his food.
4. Remedies for allergies.
5. Oil in his hair/skin.
6. 3 different allergy medicine. None of them worked.
7. Steroids. They work well, but I don't like steroids, its no solution.

His symptoms: Itching, licking, flaky skin, red bumps on his body, no appetite (mostly in the morning), very loud stomach noises!! and quite loose stool.

Hope i get some answers here, thanks for reading !!

 

[LILYLARUE]

Can't help as far as food goes other than suggesting a grain-free food. Vet prescription diets will only mask the allergies, not cure them. You will need to find the culprit of the allergen, which grains is a huge allergen especially to sensitive boxers. Other common allergens is chicken, beef, potato, rice. Check on dogfoodanalysis.com to see if any of the 4-5 star foods are available in your country. Do you have any small pet stores that specialize in holistic foods? May be a great place to start for information and suggestions too.

Of course, you can always try home cooking, raw foods or going back to basics of raw meat, bones and offal (Prey model raw). This would help in elimating the allergens and giving you complete control of the dog's meals.

Maybe someone will chime in here that comes from your area for some suggestions.

 

[brodieboxer]

Do you have grain free kibbles available? I would recommend feeding one, especially for an allergy dog. What do you have available there? Your dog may have developed a yeast problem (sometimes it becomes an internal problem as well as external) as a result of the allergy problem. Apple Cider Vinegar has also helped many dogs. Google: Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar. This forum won't allow me to post a link from another boxer forum that had some great information on this, or I'd post it.

For itchy skin, I've found that using tea tree oil shampoo to help my allergy westie mix, and yes, relief will only be temporary. You may need to bathe your dog weekly at first. There may be some environmental allergies at play here, too.

 

[mokkurboxer]

Thanks both of you for the response!

LILYLARUE: I only use grain-free food! The vet diet was one of the worst we tried, so I totally agree with u on that. I'm trying my best to find a diet that works for him. The only 4-5 star food we got here is Orijen, which i tried and didn't work and Acana, and i haven't tried that yet, it only came here like 1 month ago. It will be my next attempt.

brodieboxer: Apple Cider Vinegar and Tee Tree Oil ! I will try that, thanks

 

[Bathel]

Did you try the 6 fish Orijen or the Regional Red?

If you can get the Orijen 6 fish that would be what I would recommend from food point of view. It doesn't have the chicken, beef or rice as Lilylarue spoke of and is grain free, athougth it does have potato.

 

[mokkurboxer]

Bathel: I tried Orijen 6 Fish. But only a small bag and he was still itchy, i maybe should have tried it for a longer time. Its very expensive here. Ill keep it in mind

 

[LILYLARUE]

Bathel: I tried Orijen 6 Fish. But only a small bag and he was still itchy, i maybe should have tried it for a longer time. Its very expensive here. Ill keep it in mind

It can take a few months for the body to rid itself and heal. So I would give this food a try again and wait for at least a month to see if any symptoms seems to be slowing. Think of it as purging the system of bad stuff, allowing the body to recognize the new good stuff and giving the body time to readjust.

 

[crazychopper]

food allergies are from proteins sources, grains are low onlist of causes of allergies. With any diet you need to be on it for at least 14 to 16 weeks to see a differnece. Past food proteins can remain in intestinal wall for many many weeks. You need to pick one protein for example venison that is the only protein that can go in the dogs mouth, including treats. There can be environmental allergies as well. You may want to consider allergy testing. Wiping your dog down after they come in from outside can help as well

 

[LILYLARUE]

I have read in several Vet sites that the allergy testing really isn't that accurate. Like a little below 50%. So doing your own food trials will get much better results, especially since you are studying one dog, not a lot of dogs and making a conclusive result like the tests do.

Corn is the biggest allergen for dogs. Wheat, oats and rice comes in as a secondary allergen. Most dogs with symptoms of allergies have been released of symptoms once fed a grain-free food. Yes, some dogs are allergic to protiens, but in my experiences, more often than not it's grains that are the largest culprit of symptoms with chicken next, then beef. BUT some of those dogs who were switched to a raw meat diet can tolerate the chicken and beef just fine with no symptoms.

Read an excerpt about food allergies from this holistic vet that explains how allergies work - in layman terms: doctordeva.com I find the info very intersting and explains a lot about my issues with my staffy who developed allergies to all ingredients in commercial dog food.