# Calluses & Dry skin/Allergies?



## Milliegsd (Nov 24, 2015)

So wasn't sure where to post this under since it's like two questions....


Finn is 10 months old, a lean 55ish lbs.. 2 cups in the morning and evening of Fromm Gold LBP..


so issues..


#1: I think he has some sort of allergy... he itches a lot.. he did as a puppy but I thought it was normal puppies tend to be itchy but he's 10 months now and still excessively (in opinion, compared to Millie) itches and bites at himself a lot. He was licking his paw excessively too (that stopped), I though maybe he just picked up something from rolling around the grass or something.. his coat looks a little dull and dry sometimes so I've been adding a tablespoon of coconut oil to each meal and an egg once a week... does this maybe sound like a food allergy?? 


#2: At night and when myself or my boyfriend is not home he is kenneled, but no longer than necessary. He's out when we're home and if we can't supervise him momentarily he'll be on "place" on his cot. But I've noticed that he's begun to get small calluses knees and elbows from the hard surfaces.. I cant give him any sort of dog bed for his kennel b/c German Shredder... lol he'll destroy it if he's left alone with it. I put vasoline on the affected areas.. but is there anything I can do to further prevent it? or treat it? 








Side Note: 4 cups a day and he still seems hungry, like he looks at me for more food... should I increase the amount or no? I try and stick to the food chart and I don't want to overfeed him


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## Mary Beth (Apr 17, 2010)

I had the same issues with my Sting when he was your Finn's age.

For the food, I did increase the amount. 

For the itching, it wasn't a food allergy. I also gave and still do coconut oil and fish oil capsules. His seemed to be environment related- when it was dry and dusty in summer, he itched, then it cleared up when it rained. HomeoPet Skin & Itch drops helps.

For the calluses,coconut oil helps but I have had the best success with Musher's Secret. For the kennel, I think there are hard rubber mats and would give some protection.


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## Milliegsd (Nov 24, 2015)

Mary Beth said:


> I had the same issues with my Sting when he was your Finn's age.
> 
> For the food, I did increase the amount.
> 
> ...



Thank you!! I'll try it out. What fish oil capsules do you give?


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

Milliegsd said:


> Finn is 10 months old, a lean 55ish lbs.. 2 cups in the morning and evening of Fromm Gold LBP.. *All Fromm's products have some form of Chicken in it (fat, cartilage, eggs). Chicken and grains cause sensitivities/allergy symptoms in MANY dogs! Read the ingredients on labels carefully....INCLUDING Treats!
> *
> #1: I think he has some sort of allergy... he itches a lot.. he did as a puppy but I thought it was normal puppies tend to be itchy but he's 10 months now and still excessively (in opinion, compared to Millie) itches and bites at himself a lot. He was licking his paw excessively too (that stopped), *(This could also be a sign of yeast....does he ever smell slightly "moldy" or smell like "corn chips"???). * I though maybe he just picked up something from rolling around the grass or something.. his coat looks a little dull and dry sometimes so I've been adding a tablespoon of coconut oil to each meal *(you can work up to 1 teaspoon per 10 pounds of dog)* and an egg *(**I would not give eggs in case he is sensitive to chicken items)* once a week... does this maybe sound like a food allergy *(possibly)*??
> 
> Side Note: 4 cups a day and he still seems hungry, like he looks at me for more food... should I increase the amount or no? *Chart says your dog would eat approximately 3& 1/2 cups of the food below per day.* I try and stick to the food chart and I don't want to overfeed him



You could change to a food with ONLY ONE protein and no grains, such as *Acana Singles/Limited Ingredients*. *Pork* may be a novel protein for him: https://acana.com/our-foods/dog-foods/singles/pork-squash/?lang=usa 

_Deboned *pork**, *pork* meal, whole green peas, red lentils, *pork* liver*, *pork* fat, pinto beans, chickpeas, herring oil, green lentils, whole yellow peas, whole butternut squash*, *pork* kidney*, lentil fiber, natural pork flavor, *pork* cartilage*, dried kelp, freeze-dried *pork * liver, whole pumpkin*, kale*, spinach*, mustard greens*, collard greens*, turnip greens*, carrots*, Red Delicious apples*, Bartlett pears*, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, zinc proteinate, mixed tocopherols (preservative), chicory root, turmeric, sarsaparilla root, althea root, rosehips, juniper berries, dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product, dried lactobacillus casei fermentation product.

_Your dog treats should also only be ONE ingredient and match the single protein food you are feeding, such as this: https://www.chewy.com/primal-pork-l...gclid=CIbC9-eEjtICFdy1wAoddKUGew&gclsrc=aw.ds 
Or, I have a cost efficient, easy home-made recipe if you are interested! 

Only feed him the coconut oil, the single protein kibble, single ingredient treat, and the ProBiotic (see below) so that you have a "control" of the ingredients that go into his body. They call this an "elimination diet". Trial should be for about 8 to 10 weeks.

About 75% of the immune system lies in the gut, which wards of many things including allergies, so it is imperative to keep it healthy. The following are HUMAN INGREDIENT ProBiotics made for pets:

*Sunday Sundae* (Digestive Enzyme & Pro-Biotic Combo: https://market.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/search?q=sunday+sundae
*Gut Sense* (ProBiotic): http://dr-dobias-natural-healing-usa...ducts/gutsense
*Digest All Plus:* (Digestive Enzyme/ProBiotic combo) Wholistic Digest All Plus? - Digestive Support - Canine


 [FONT=&quot]For a natural approach, Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar from a health food store can help with itching. Raw Organic Apple Cider Vinegar has anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. You will know it is organic because you will see “The Mother” (which contains the medicinal properties) floating around in the bottle. It can be used internally (to aide in digestion) and externally (for itching). Make a 50/50 mix of the the Organic ACV with purified water (not city tap water) and after a bath with a mild organic shampoo (this one does not contain grains: 
[/FONT]http://www.amazon.com/dp/B011ESJXRW/ref=sxr_pa_click_within_right_aps_sr_pg1_2?psc=1 ) , rub the Organic ACV mix down into the skin/coat, working in small areas, until the whole dog is covered including legs and belly. Always be careful of eyes (vinegar stings). Let dog drip dry, do not rinse off. You can put the mix in a spray bottle and spray on their coats and specific itchy spots (if skin is not opened) a few times per day till you see improvement. You can also use this mix to wipe out ears.
 

Hope this helps! 
Moms


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## kelbonc (Aug 25, 2014)

Re calluses - I noticed in your post you mentioned a cot. Just thought I would mention this in case your cot was covered with a similar material to ours. We had an issue a few years back with our then 10 month old pup starting what seemed like a callus and hair loss on both his elbows one more pronounced then the other. Luck had it that we realized early on that the material on the cot which was similar to what you find on a lawn chair and felt smooth to touch was actually abrasive on his elbows when he pushed off the cot. We were using the cot a lot to practice the place command and he just enjoyed laying on it other times. I placed a dog blanket on the cot with the sheep skin side out and secured the blanket corners on each leg and the problem was solved. The areas on each elbow were very small but I kept them moisturized and after several months the hair grew back and you would never know there was an issue. All my floors are hardwood or stone and we have had no further problem with calluses in either of my dogs, so for us the cot was the problem and was an easy fix.


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## Mary Beth (Apr 17, 2010)

Milliegsd said:


> Thank you!! I'll try it out. What fish oil capsules do you give?


Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Pet Soft Gels


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## Milliegsd (Nov 24, 2015)

@Momto2GSDs thank you, that was very informative!! I'll look into this! My sense of smell is not very good, but when I asked my boyfriend he said that Finn does smell like what you described.. and also I am interested in the homemade recipe! I'm always wary of what treats to give him. 

@kelbonc now that you mentioned it, his cot is a rough kind of material... I'll troubleshoot and see if I can add a layer of old blankets to it to give it some cushion he can handle that at least. Thank you!

@MaryBeth Thank you!


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

Quote: My sense of smell is not very good, but when I asked my boyfriend he said that Finn does smell like what you described.. *Ah HA!....YEAST!*


*EEEZY PEEZY HOMEMADE MEAT TREATS*

*Items needed:*
*Non Stick Fry Pan*
*Spritz of PAM or Olive Oil*
*Round Steak (or inexpensive cut of beef), or Pork Chops, or Lamb, or Goat, or Calves Liver (if you go with the pork Acana, use pork chops!)*
*Scissors*
1. Trim off all fat on the edges and in-between and if it has a round bone in it, remove that too. 
2. Take a pair of scissors (outstanding tool for cutting meat) and cut the steak into manageable squares or rectangles.
3. Choose a fry pan (non stick works the easiest) that will hold the amount of steak you bought, and give the pan a small drop of oil or a quick spray of Pam/Olive Oil.
4. Heat the pan until really hot and drop in the steak pieces in to sizzle. Keep your heat high but don’t leave the pan unattended.
5. Sprinkle on a little garlic powder or garlic salt.
6. Let it sizzle for about a minute or two then flip over. Braise the other side (pour off the juice if there is too much) and remove from pan when the middle is pink. Place on to paper towel, blot and let cool.
7. Take your scissors and cut all of the meat in strips about ¼” wide. Now take those strips and cut small pieces about the size of a ½ of a dime, (or whatever size you prefer).
8. Place small amounts into sealable snack baggies, then place those baggies into a sealable freezer baggie and place in freezer. On the day you are going to training, take out one or two baggies, place them in the frig and they will be unthawed by the time you are ready for class that evening. Of course the dogs love them frozen too, if you forget! They will unthaw quickly in your pocket.

*If using calf’s liver*, after it is unfrozen, soak up the excess blood with paper towel, and proceed starting with #3 as above (you won’t have to cut this first). Only braise the liver long enough on both sides (don’t thoroughly cook it) as it only needs to be cooked to a “medium” range, otherwise it will get crumbly. Drain the liquid during cooking if needed. 
The process takes a little time but saves a lot of $$ and the dogs go crazy for them!

Moms


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