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Looking for help re Chrissie's allergies

george108

Well-known member
Noticed this morning that Chrissie appears to be losing her hair slightly and has very pink skin all along her side and down to her bum. We brought her to the vet and he reckons it's definitely an internal problem but he's not 100% sure what's causing it. We feed her Burns fish & brown rice and also she gets a small Royal Canin oral bar in the morning. The vet says that even though Burns is very good we should try changing her food. We're not sure whether to try Burns pork and potato or Royal Canin sensitive food. We had her at my sisters earlier and she didn't seem to be scratching as much. As soon as we got her home she started scratching and biting at herself. We washed the floors on Saturday with Dettol so we're not sure if that could be causing it. Also she has a new collar and she was treated with flea treament a few days ago. We're aware it could be any of these things so if anyone could give me any advice I would be very grateful especially regarding the food.

Thanks in advance.
 
Usually a dog needs to be on a food for at least 4 weeks to see whether it suits, so I don't know whether I'd feel it was the Burns. What does the vet recommend changing to? They should be making some recommendations if they feel this is likely to be a food allergy -- it can be very involved to test for food allergies and should be done under vet guidance (eg 4 week intervals on an unusual protein source).

Sensitive Royal Canin isn't so much an allergy food as an upset tummy food I think? Not sure but that's what I would have thought.

James Wellbeloved is also good and all flavours are intended for dogs with allergy sensitivities. A lot of westies do well on it and they tend to have a lot of skin allergies.

Probably not very likely to be dettol.

Did the vet discuss flea allergies too? That would seem more likely than food usually.

If none of these things resolve the issue just make sure the vet is also aware of SM and signs in the breed, as that needs to be investigated if there are no other obvious answers.
 
Hi George 108, sorry to read about Chrissies allergies, sensitive Royal Canin is for stomach problems, I know this as I have a friend with a cavalier who suffers with stomach upsets and colitis and was changed to this food earlier this year for these problems.
 
Don't have specific recommendations on food but our last golden had terrible allergies. First we were told to put her on a good with only lamb in it as meat. She could have no treats other than the food. This went on for 4 weeks. After that we had her tested for allergies by specialist. She was allergic not to food but to certain pollens, dust and to soap.

As Karlin said, ask vet for recommendation on food.


Good Luck Heather R
 
Thanks guys. I actually thought that myself about the Royal Canin as George was on it before for his upset tummy. The vet reckons it's nothing to do with fleas. He recommended Royal Canin sensitivity or Burns chicken & rice. I'm really confused as she seems to be doing well on Burns. She appears happy and healthy in every way. And she loves it :) I think I'll definitely bring her elsewhere for a second opinion. Thanks again.
 
Sensitive Royal Canin isn't so much an allergy food as an upset tummy food I think? Not sure but that's what I would have thought.

Yep - have never heard of it used for anything other than a dodgy belly. I know Royal Canin do a food spacifically for sore skin and general sensitivity "Sensible", perhaps this is what your vet was thinking of?!

From my own experience, grains or protein sources (usually chicken) tend to be what cause probs. Foods that use fish as their protein source seem to be the best route, as well as grain free (once again, this is only what I have experienced!). Burns is a good food and if you feel she is doing well on it, until it is confirmed outright, leaving her on it is prob the way to go. A second opinion is can't hurt either - if they come up with the same as your current vet then you are no worse off and if they say something different then you are more the wiser!

Has your vet taken a skin sample for analysis?
 
Thanks lorebringer. I'll check out the food. That's possibly the one that he meant. She's going for a second opinion today. It will be interesting to see what is said. No the vet didn't take samples. He just gave her a load of steroids (one every second day for about 80 days!)



Just checked the Royal Canin website and it says the sensible food is suitable for fussy eaters...definitely not a problem :) There is one called skin support which is for various skin conditions, allergies etc. If the vet today confirms that her food is causing it, I think this is the way to go.
 
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The best hypoallergenic food is Arden grange and the price is excellent.
I regret changing Daisy away from it but the little shrew refuses to eat it any more so Royal canin is her food.While she was on it,she had no anal gland problem and no scratching,this may be coincidence but I think it's a superior food.She's shedding her coat faster than Jordan at the moment and I can see all pink skin under her neck and "undercarriage".
She's at the groomer today and sometimes groomers can be very clued into coat and skin problems and might be useful to get some advice if you know a good one.
Sins
 
The best hypoallergenic food is Arden grange and the price is excellent.
I regret changing Daisy away from it but the little shrew refuses to eat it any more so Royal canin is her food.While she was on it,she had no anal gland problem and no scratching,this may be coincidence but I think it's a superior food.She's shedding her coat faster than Jordan at the moment and I can see all pink skin under her neck and "undercarriage".
She's at the groomer today and sometimes groomers can be very clued into coat and skin problems and might be useful to get some advice if you know a good one.
Sins

Thanks sins. We had George on Arden Grange before but he had very loose stools on it so we switched to Burns which so far, suits him better. They certainly know what they like don't they? :)

If we don't get anywhere with the vet today we'll definitely consider chatting to the groomer.

Thanks again.
 
Just back from the vet with Chrissie. He said he definitely can't rule out a food allergy so for the moment she's going on Royal Canin sensitivity. (He said that's the main one used for allergies). She's also on a course of antibiotics and preds. He said there's also a chance that she could have an infection from being nicked on the side during being clipped in the shelter. We discussed SM but he seemed to think that she doesn't have it (thank God) and he is familiar with it, having 2 cavs in his practice with it. Apart from that she's happy and healthy so we'll plough on and see how she goes. Thanks for all the comments.
 
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