sandy, that is a fascinating page! it is so interesting to see the different types! i'm familiar with a number of them, including the old american show type (we had dogs from the yoncalla line when i was a kid) as well as one from the 'Major Wolf' movie dog line. we also have had the british type, a wonderful dog that i would love to have again someday-if they are like our girl, they would be fantastic as service dogs. our experience with the byb GSD was a disaster, to say the least. we got this one bitch through a local GSD rescue group to replace the british GSD that had been our son's first service dog, and for the first few months she seemed fine, responding well to training, bonding to our son, and all. but at about a year old we noticed her beginning to show signs of fear and aggression that were totally at odds with her usual temperment, as if she was developing a split personality. we took her out of public work right away, and tried everything to solve her problem, but eventually had to put her to sleep when she got to the point of flashing into an attack on our minpin, who she loved, and lunging to try to bite one of the kids. these spells seemed to be totally out of the blue, and as much a shock to her as to us...she acted bewildered after one of them, and humiliated. after this disaster, i swore i would never get another young dog through a rescue, without knowing the owners and its history,etc.

about the allergy- we have already been through the period of trying out as many kinds of food for anja as we can afford, and found it made no difference, so the vet is pretty sure its not a food allergy, though she wants us to take anja to K-State vet school for comprehensive testing. unfortunately, that is totally out of the question, since the cost is out of sight for us. so, without being able to do this, the best we can do is give anja benadryl, and coat supplements....and pray.

its not working either.

Gail, did you get away from Chicken (very hard to find dog foods without it) or run a trial on the Z/D food for a few months to see if the allergies stopped.

Z/D is not what I would feed longterm but it gives you time to test out individual allergens. But you need for them to clear up on that first.

Also, how long did you give when you switched foods - it can take a good while for the change to take effect?

I have one allergic to chicken

 Quote: angelique cadogan

Nancy, glad for you. But reality is the "allergies" in shepherds is a huge problem..i guess your post gives me hope, i do love my shepherds..

I can't for the life of me picture you (Angelique) without GSDs surrounding you. Allergies and all

usually the food changes happen when we are either really broke (try supporting a family of 6, plus 5 dogs, on 2 SSI incomes and another income of about $19000...not fun), or when we happen catch up on bills and we get a breather, so i can get the dogs on better food. i don't remember brands, but i do remember we had them on a lamb one for at least a couple months, which i understand is supposed to be best for those with allergies

Ok, that could be the problem - I sure can't imagine living on that kind of budget - it is hard to find a food with one source of protein and lamb has become too common in dog food to be a solution plus most of the lamb dog food is polluted with chicken.

On a severe budget - you may want to try (don't him me forum people) Purine Pro Plan - Sensitive. It is salmon based, no chicken, no corn and possibly not a protein your dog has been exposed to. Yes, it has animal digest and menadione ... but it is more affordable than some of the other foods that don't

Diamond also makes a new line of single protein source dog foods but I don't know what it is off the top of my head. It has some other name.....

i'll look for that, thank you!

about diamond, i would have to call round-where we live,out here in the kansas boonies, its hard to find what is really common in cities, and buying food for so many at places like petsmrt is too expensive...i was shocked recently to see an item i had just bought there for sale in the walmart site for a quarter of the price!

i loathe being in the position to not be able to give anja the best of food and care, considering that without her help, i would be totally housebound. but with our budget, the humans in the family don't have what is considered normal daily things... but there is no doubt that no one under this roof is shorted love and attention, and that makes up for a great many lacks.

 Quote: Gail Nichols

i do remember we had them on a lamb one for at least a couple months, which i understand is supposed to be best for those with allergies

No. There was a time (maybe 20-30 years ago) when vets recommended lamb because it was novel to many dogs. But now, lamb is in so many foods that most dogs have eaten it.

Flea hypersensitivity is indeed the number 1 trigger for atopy. Second is inhalant/environmental. Third (and way behind) is a true food allergy.

However, I think I read that you tried steroids with no success? That would point toward food (still not necessarily).

I would make sure that there was no flea problem at all. One exposure will drive a dog with flea hypersensitivity crazy.

Then I would start the dog on fish oil (1000 mg a day per ten pounds of dog) and a Vitamin E gelcap with it.

Then I would start a strict elimination diet. Switching from one commercial food to another for a couple or a few weeks isn't an elimination diet.

It's giving NOTHING but a protein that the dog has never eaten, including training treats.

Yes, chicken is a common allergen (for dogs who actually have a food allergy), as are beef, soy, wheat, and corn. (Food allergies are allergies to a PROTEIN..... even if we don't think of it as a protein food, it's a protein in it that triggers the reaction.) Allergies develop over repeated exposure, and those ingredients are ubiquitous in commercial foods.

If there's no way to afford a strict raw diet of, say, rabbit or ostrich or another protein the dog has NEVER eaten, then my personal choice would be to start a regular raw diet. Fresh raw food often gives the dog's system enough of a boost to help defend against allergic reactions to grasses, dust, etc. And the fish oil is a great anti-inflammatory.

I would also do trials of antihistamines, starting with hydroxyzine and then chlorpheniramine, because they are the two most successful. Only about 30% of dogs get relief from antihistamines, but that's enough (IMO) to give it a shot.

Then I would launder his bedding and him, in case it's a grass/pollen thing (very common). You could check carefully for flea dirt when you take his blanket (or whatever) to wash it.

The grass/pollen thing isn't a contact allergy (almost never), but having the allergen on the dog and his bed means that he is breathing it all the time.

Oh, and about the expense of a raw diet: If you can find a good source of chicken backs and necks, a raw diet can be cheaper than commercial food, and a LOT cheaper than vet-waiting-room food. They can be the RMB part, and whatever is on sale can be the additional muscle meat. Liver (for the 5-10% organ meat) is very cheap.

Wait a minute. I just saw the word "them." You have two dogs with the same allergy symptoms?

 Quote: Nancy Jocoy

Also, how long did you give when you switched foods - it can take a good while for the change to take effect?

Very important point.

HI Sandy,
I know, my husband can't either, his heart belongs to the Shepherds too...
I wish we would find SOMETHING to cure these allergies. I did a 4 months trial of no chicken and it never changes his itching. I did red meat for 2 months, pork for 2 months and nothing changed!
At one point when I switched my male from kibble( his breeder)4 months after he was with me to raw.I saw a change but then it went back to the usual itch so i don't know what that was about. Oh well I had to put him back on steroids cause he chewed his feet so bad that he was bleeding all the time. He's fine with his meds..