# My girl might be allergic to chicken



## maniac4577 (Sep 2, 2010)

I have a 9 month old female shepherd whom I've had on a raw diet for the majority of her life. I mainly feed chicken necks and chicken quarters for her RBMs. I have noticed for quite awhile that she frequently gnaws on the under side of her paws. She doesn't do it so bad that she bleeds or rips her fur out, but the underside of her paws are really pink. We have been to the vet several times, we've had skin scrapes to check for mites, and shes been vaccinated for scabies, so we are pretty sure it is allegeries. Its either an environmental allergy like grass or something similar or its her diet. I'm having a blood pannel done to find out her sensitivity to different environmental things, but I am kind of worried it might be her diet. I would like to keep her on the raw diet, she loves it and I'm a believer in the benefits of it, but if I have to change her diet the first thing I would have to elimate is chicken seeing as it has been the staple of her diet. I stick with chicken mainly because I can get whole sale prices on most of it ranging anywhere from .29 cents to .99 cents per pound which is awesome. I'm looking to get some suggestions from those of you who are very expierenced in raw feeding to figure out some other cheap RMBs alternatives to chicken. I would really appreciate any and all help I can get. She might not be allergic to chicken but I'd just like to prepare for it if I have to. Thank you all very much!!!


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## Rott-n-GSDs (Jul 7, 2010)

You could try turkey. It's quite often on sale. My dogs also get bone-in pork.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Duck necks are less than 0.50/lb, same with turkey necks. You could get pork neck from a local butcher. Where are you located at?


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

You should be getting the allergy tests back shortly, so I would wait for that before doing an elimination diet. In the meantime, are you giving vitamin C, benedryl and oils for supplements? C is a natural antihistamine and immune supporter, the benedryl will take the edge off the itchies.


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## maniac4577 (Sep 2, 2010)

Jax08 said:


> Duck necks are less than 0.50/lb, same with turkey necks. You could get pork neck from a local butcher. Where are you located at?


 
I live in Oceanside, CA. Thanks, I do feed her turkey necks sometimes but I completly forgot about duck necks, I'll have to see my whole sale supplier has those. I've never fed her pork necks but I'll check into that one too. Thank you very much I appreciate it!!


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## maniac4577 (Sep 2, 2010)

onyx'girl said:


> You should be getting the allergy tests back shortly, so I would wait for that before doing an elimination diet. In the meantime, are you giving vitamin C, benedryl and oils for supplements? C is a natural antihistamine and immune supporter, the benedryl will take the edge off the itchies.


I am definitly going to wait for the results before I start elimating foods. I have never given her vitamin C or benedryl, I do sometimes pour a lil veggie oil on her meals sometimes. Is it ok to just give her normal 1000mg vitamin C that a human would take? Or do I need to get special dog vitamin C? For some reason I was under the impression that benedryl just makes people really tired so they forget about the itching. My vet did give me some antihistamines but it doesn't seem like it helps at all. Thank you very much for the advice, I can't tell you how much I appreciate it!


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I would get a natural vitamin C....citrus bioflavanoids or rosehips human grade and start at 500 mg work up to 1000 or 1500mg daily over a weeks time. Instead of vegetable oil, organic coconut oil is really good or (2000mg)salmon oil with a 400iu gelcap of E daily.


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## DrDoom (Nov 7, 2007)

We have determined through testing that Bear has an environmental allergy. His skin condition starts as an itchiness, and because of his age once he's scratched and gnawed a little it becomes a bacterial infection very quickly. We do keep him on 1000mg of Vitamin C a day, as well as fish oil and Vitamin E, but the only thing that REALLY helps is steroids and antibiotics. His current regimen is Temaril D and cephalexin. Hopefully this will get him through the worst of the pollen season, and his itchiness will subside for a few months. In the fall we'll start back up, or a similar regimen. As long as he's not miserable, and the steroids are used sparingly to minimize the possible side effects, it has been the best treatment for Bear.


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