Hi everyone...
Can't seem to find the answer to my pups problem.
She is 10 months old, and i have been feeding raw for about 2 months now. The diet is more or less how I have learned it here in this site and in the forum and I do add the kelp and alfalfa, vit. c and e, salmon oil.
My puppy at times cant seem to sit still and itches alot and also chews on herself with her front teeth. She isnt chewing on herslef to the point of bleeding but clearly she is bothered. I have parted her fur and looked at her skin to see if I can see anything but nothing really that I can see. I do comb her regularly and at the moment she seems to be shedding ALOT. I dont know if her current shedding is due to the itching or if its just that time but here in the norht east its still real cold so the shedding wouldnt be because of a warm spell because we arent having one of those. Maybe someone can shed some light on this for me. Could it be she is alergic to soomething dietary and if so what would be a good thing to cut out to begin figuring out the cause.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
btw...its

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..... Maybe someone can shed some light on this for me. Could it be she is alergic to soomething dietary and if so what would be a good thing to cut out to begin figuring out the cause.....

Overview:

The two most common triggers for dogs' itchy skin are allergies and external parasites. Fleas can fall into both categories, btw, because the most common canine allergy is to fleas. I don't mean the usual itching at the site -- I mean a dog who's allergic to fleas can be itchy and miserable all over from one bite.

The second most common allergies (after fleas) are environmental, and then foods. (I've concluded from my own anecdotal experience that an excellent diet, such as you are feeding, can have a big effect on the reaction to environmental allergens, too.)

Is there any evidence at all that she has fleas (which would be pepper-like dots around her when you brush her, or, of course, seeing actual fleas)?

If you are sure she is not being bitten by fleas, then you could make a vet appointment (to check for the other external parasites and skin infections, and/or discuss allergies), and meanwhile, you could stop the kelp, alfalfa, and anything else besides the RMBs, meat, salmon oil, and Vitamins E and C. This is just what I would do if I had any suspicion at all of a possible food allergy (although, again, it's not the most likely suspect, statistically, with a dog who is not on commercial food). Then if the vet found that it was something else, I'd add those back in, and if there was still some mystery, I'd stay with those bare essentials for at least three weeks. Then, if the symptoms stopped, I'd slowly and gradually add back each item (one at a time), watching for reactions.

Since you are not seeing eruptions, rashes, etc., which you could compare to pictures of various types of pruritis, this is the best I can think to do.

The shedding may or may not be related. If the dog has infectious dermatitis (fungus, yeast, or bacterial skin infections), it could definitely be related, IMO.

While you wait for the vet visit, you could also be thinking about whether you have new carpeting or dog beds or shampoo or anything like that.

I'm not a health professional. I have owned several dogs with severe allergies and researched canine allergies pretty heavily.

Good luck! If you want URLs to itchy-skin sites, just let me know.

oops...the last sentence was supposed to say
btw...its not fleas
i have not seen any evidence of fleas and ive owned many an animal over the years and do know what they are and when one of my pets has them

 Quote:

oops...the last sentence was supposed to say
btw...its not fleas...i have not seen any evidence of fleas and ive owned many an animal over the years and do know what they are and when one of my pets has them

Oh....I wondered what was left off the bottom!

I have been thinking, and I realize that what you call shedding might be what I'd call hair loss. Not easy to differentiate online.............but that would lead into a whole 'nother area, where the hair loss was the major symptom. However, the vet will see that and look for thyroid problems, alopecia, Cushing's and other autoimmune conditions, etc., if appropriate.

I'm afraid the subject I have done the most canine research on is allergies (I mean besides nutrition), so that means I usually think "allergy" when I hear "itch."

On the other hand, aside from external parasites, that's statistically the most likely culprit.

P.S. Most external parasites are not visible in the way that fleas and ticks are. In fact, there a couple that are so hard to detect that treating for them is often the way they're diagnosed. I'm just adding that so you won't think "I haven't seen any parasites."

So...........the vet appointment would be step one.

I had a similar problem with my Akita a couple of years ago. No apparent external cause, EVO diet, healthy looking skin and coat, but she scratched and chewed a lot. Out of frustration I tried Head and Shoulders Shampoo. Bingo! I checked with the Vet and he had no problem with using it. I’ve been using it almost three years now.

Of course, this is just my personal experience…your mileage may very. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Pat

My male gsd tends to be "itchy" but when I gave him a 50/50 applecider vinegar and water rinse (let it dry on) he was 100% better. I also started adding a couple of tablespoons to their food 2x daily. It wouldnt' hurt to try it.

I want to give my pup the combo of H(2)O and Applecider Vineger in his food but do not know how much. It is a table spoon with 50-50 split or a cup or two tps?

Rashmi

Hats off to Connie. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

She has one of the best researched analyses. Even Vets can't say all of these in one shot.

Rashmi

I personally give one tsp. of ACV in each of my pups 3 meals per day without adding water- He doesn't mind it one bit! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

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I personally give one tsp. of ACV in each of my pups 3 meals per day without adding water- He doesn't mind it one bit! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I think Lisa's advice is good. I give my big dog a tablespoon and my small dog a teaspoon (per day). I just started doing this, but I feel that I should have done it long ago, after the reading about ACV I've done lately.

Thank you, Rashmi! Too bad my research is so lopsided (mainly food and allergies), but it came from necessity.