# Puppy with Allergies



## jressler (Dec 1, 2010)

So it seems that Scout (11 wks old) has food allergies  . At first the vet thought her itchy skin was due to a bacterial skin infection, but when neither wipes nor antibiotics helped she said that it must be allergies. I was given a bag of "prescription" allergy food from the vet office which was Royal Canin brand (ugh! I don't want to keep her on this).

After about week on the vet food it doesn't seem to have helped much. She might be a little less itchy on her belly... but now her poor ear is looking awful. Her left ear is slightly swollen and full of brown gunk... I did my best to clean it out today and will call the vet first thing on Monday to get it checked out. On this new food her stools went from mostly firm to almost completely mush (not liquid but def not solid). I don't know what to do!

Does anyone have experience with a pup with allergies? How did you figure out which food was causing it?

I talked to a woman who works at a pet boutique who has shepherds. She told me that I should feed her a grain free kibble (I bought Canidae Bison and Lamb) and supplement that with raw. She said that this is very common in GSDs and that as pups they have sensitive digestive systems. So that is the plan for now... half of her food will be the kibble and the other half RMBs. Do you guys think this is a good route to go? I feel so bad for her and her poor ear! Thanks in advance for the help.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I think it is more of a skin issue (dermatitis or dandruff, just google for lots of links on both subjects) than a nutrition problem. 
Most pups don't develop allergies to food til at least 6 months of age. And parasites can cause havoc on the skin/coat condition, are you sure your pup is clear of worms? 
The glands aren't developed yet for proper skin care, so dry itchy skin is common until the adult coat comes in...then you start with the Omega supplements to aid the skin/coat.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

did the vet also do a skin scraping?? possibly mites?

I agree with Jane, I know puppies I've had sometimes are itchy, to the point of me thinking "gee is something wrong here?" but it's usually when they are blowing that puppy coat 2-3 times before the adult one comes in..


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## jressler (Dec 1, 2010)

Thanks for the info... she may still have worms. I know she is scheduled for her last deworming on the 24th along with her second set of shots. 

She did not do a skin scrape... I'll ask about that. When I googled for info about her ear I read that there are three possibilities: mites, yeast infection, and allergies. I kind of assumed it was allergies since the vet had previously mentioned them... but maybe it is mites. That gives me hope that perhaps she doesn't have food allergies after all.


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## BR870 (May 15, 2011)

As a puppy, food Allergies are a far more common cause of skin allergies and ear infections than environmental allergens. Most dogs with environmental allergies will not develop them until 1-3 years of age, whereas food allergies can develop as soon as feeding begins. GSDs are one of the breeds commonly affected by itchy skin from food allergies, as well as ear infections from it.

Also, it will take alot longer than 1 week to see an effect. The food trial needs atleast 6-8 weeks to allow the body to eliminate the allergens.

Also, food allergies is alot better than some of the other issues like environmental allergies. Food intake can be controlled. There is nothing you can do if its pollen, mold, dust mites, or even you that your dog is allergic too...


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

BR870, not denying what you write is truth, but do you have any links to back up the food allergies/pups theory? 
I was under the assumption that most young pups don't have a food allergy until they have been eating it for several months, then the body decides it is allergic to whatever.


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## BR870 (May 15, 2011)

onyx'girl said:


> BR870, not denying what you write is truth, but do you have any links to back up the food allergies/pups theory?
> I was under the assumption that most young pups don't have a food allergy until they have been eating it for several months, then the body decides it is allergic to whatever.


My vet was the main source, but I have seen the same thing mentioned several times on the net...

For example here

http://dogcarejourney.com/722/common-dog-food-allergies/http://

"Food allergies can appear in puppies as young as five months, and in seniors as old as twelve years."

and here

Food Allergies & Food Intolerance in Dogs

"Food allergies affect both males and females and neutered and intact animals equally. They can show up as early as five months and as late as 12 years of age, though the vast majority of cases occur between 2 and 6 years."

While it is typical to take longer, food allergies can develop quite young. German Shepherds as a breed are more predisposed to food allergies than to environmental allergies, though they can get both...

Its the Ear Infection that really makes me think allergy. The ear normal protects itself well. But the allergy lowers the ears defense and allows an infection to form. That on top of itching... Allergy


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I understand that around 6 months they may develop. But haven't heard that it happens after weaning and introduced to different proteins, or at 11 weeks, which is very young.


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## BR870 (May 15, 2011)

Yeah, 11 weeks is young. But as I noted in my edit, the itching and ear infections strongly point towards an allergy of some kind. Environmental allergies also tend to take awhile to develop. Most dogs with environmental allergies don't show signs until 1-3 years.

Either way, it sounds like an allergy to something, and not just blowing its coat. And food allergies are the easiest to diagnose through a food trial, so that is where they should start...


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## jressler (Dec 1, 2010)

Are they any foods you all would recommend?

I was in the process of switching her over to Blue Wilderness from Purina One LBP, which is what the breeder fed, when this all started. I took her to the vet a few days after bringing her home and that is when the skin problems were discovered... so they may have already been present when I brought her home (and so the Purina One would be the cause).

I was planning on giving the blue wilderness an 8 week trial to see if she gets better... but perhaps I should choose another food independent of what she was eating when I first brought her to the vet?

All the food options are so overwhelming! I want her on something grain free... but the vet is pushing Royal Canin pretty hard (some hypoallergenic hydrolyzed protein diet which costs $80/20lbs ). I'm not sure what to do... her stools are really soft (like pudding). I want her to get better... but I don't want to pay so much for her food... especially a food whose first ingredient is brewers rice and the only protein source is soy. 

Thanks for the help, I really appreciate it!


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## mahhi22 (Jul 14, 2009)

Here’s my puppy allergy story. When Rumi was a young puppy she had awful puppy pyoderma. At least that’s what the vet called it. She also had an ear infection but that cleared up pretty quick w the stuff from the vet. The PP were these HUGE red bumps all over her belly that looked like a horrible case of acne. Luckily they didn’t itch. But it didn’t respond to antibiotics or wipes. So the vet said it was most likely food allergies even though very young pups usually don’t have food allergies. Put her on the Royal Canin hypoallergenic food (I know what you mean about the ugh! factor) for 8 weeks & her belly cleared up. So vet deduces she most likely has some kind of food allergy & tells me it’s ok to start feeding her other foods & note if she reacts to anything. That had to be about 3 months ago. I’ve since been feeding her a single new food every few days to see if there’s a reaction. So far there’s been none. So it makes me wonder if she truly has food allergies. I’m tending to think that like human babies, those immature bodies are bombarded w/ environmental micro-organisms, vaccines & whatever that they’re trying to acclimate to it all & some of them have a more difficult time that others. Maybe Rumi’s skin would’ve cleared up on its own??? Who knows but she seems to be doing well now. Hopefully as your pup matures her immune & digestive system will get sorted out too. Good luck!


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## Zora (Apr 27, 2011)

I have a similar story to yours. My 10 week old puppy was very, very itchy and she also had brown gunk in her ears. The vet didn't think anything of her scratching and she had a yeast infection in her ears, which cleared up quick with the med. drops the vet gave. Her stools are consistantly soft, and often runny...she is now 20 weeks old. She has been checked twice for worms and other parasites and even treated for giardia, just in case... The vets final conclusion to her stool, was IBD. Now we are struggling to figure out a good food reward to use for training, as most everything gives her diahrrea. (as well as a different food, incase there is something in there that doesn't argree with her. Right now she eats California Natural Lamb/Rice) We were using Hills i/d canned dog food for rewards, but that is no longer enough to motivate her. As for her itching, she has lost her initial puppy fur and the itching has subsided with it.
I hope you find out the problem soon. I know it can be very frustrating.


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## jressler (Dec 1, 2010)

Quick Update: Even though the vet thinks the canidae isn't a "growth" enough food for puppies... I think that is what I will feed her for an 8 week trial run. She was pushing the royal canin but agreed that it would be an okay route to feed her the blue wilderness puppy food for 8 weeks and see how she does.

But it seems like the more blue wilderness I add to her blue/canidae mix (to transition her from the canidae) the worse and more loose her stools get. So, I think I'll just stick with the canidae... the bag says all life stages and it has similar kcal/kg to the puppy specific food.

I am thinking that she just has a sensitive stomach and not allergies. We will see in 8 weeks... but for the most part she is not itching anymore (though the more blue I add, the more her itching is starting to creep back). It's just the soft stool problem now. Hopefully canidae and a bit of yogurt or pumpkin will have her in tip top shape in the next few days/weeks!


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## Sulamk (Jan 30, 2011)

My Xara had loose stools on every food I tried her on culminating in mucus and blood stools. As a last resort put her on Royal Canin German shepherd junior 30 and no more problems! Remember in South Africa particularly where I live There is not the variety of foods you get! Raw is not an option here.


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