Quote: lauren wells

Sorry to say Connie, that food allergy is a very common problem especially from wheat. All one needs to do is google "dog itching constantly" and talk to a number of vets to see how big of a problem food allergies are. ....

Common, yes, but nevertheless, food allergies make up only about 10% of canine allergies.

Unfortunately, many GP vets are not particularly up on allergies. Too many vets offer nothing but steroids and a food that they sell. Some even suggest blood tests to identify food allergies. Not only do the RAST and ELISA tests not identify food allergens -- but they are not even particularly accurate for inhalant/environmental allergies. The gold standard for inhalant/environmental allergen identification are the skin ("scratch") tests, and the only accurate method for ID-ing food allergies is the elimination diet.

All of this is common knowledge among derm vets and vets with a nutrition specialty, but GP vets really cannot be expected to keep up with such a wide-ranging specialty. It's a specialty for a reason. What would be good would be if more GP vets referred allergy patients to derm vets as soon as they get over their heads, rather than prescribing Pred (which does indeed make the dog feel better and can break a terrible itch cycle, but which is hardly ever, except in very rare instances, a suitable long-term daily med) and the food they sell in the waiting room.

Duck and potato is a formula meant to serve as an elimination diet. That is, it is "novel" to many dogs. (An elimination diet has to be a limited-ingredient diet of ingredients that the dog has never eaten, given for 2 to 3 months.) If the elimination diet is successful, then other ingredients can be added back to the diet, one at a time and very slowly, in a protocol called "challenging the system."

I urge owners of a dog with apparent atopy to see a derm vet.

You want to assess the source before taking everything Google returns as gospel (I mean all of us -- not just you).

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/70400.htm

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1587&aid=143

http://www.homevet.com/petcare/allergy.html#allergy


This is not to say that food allergies aren't common. As pointed out above, though, food allergies are far less common than flea hypersensitivity and atopy (inhalant/environmental).

Fish oil would be very very low on the list of allergens, if indeed a food allergy is the problem; as mentioned, the protein in the gelcaps is more likely to be the culprit than the oil is.

Of course it's possible, but it's not probable.

Connie I am wondering where your statistics come from? I am curious since so many dogs have problems with the food they eat.

How can you be so sure that food allergies do not manifest as itching? Please enlighten me as all the research I have done has pointed to food allergies. If everyone else is wrong I would like to know how....Of course I am careful of what info I take as gospel, especially since I am relying on many sources. As such, I do not take the opinion of one person like you as gospel as it seems you would like.

I like many others here are trying to figure this out so I can do what is best for my dog. I

Connie, isnt that what I wrote" That after fleas etc that food allergies are a culprit of itching??"""

 Quote: Lauren Wells

How can you be so sure that food allergies do not manifest as itching?...

They DO manifest as itching. I did not say otherwise.

There is a difference between food allergies and food intolerances. Food allergies are true allergies and present with itching and skin problems. Food intolerances can result in diarrhea or vomiting and do not create a typical allergic response.

A point that may confuse people is that the allergic response is an immune response. Excellent food (not, IMO, crap in a bag, or cereal/grain-based foods) is an immune system support. Excellent food is a good step toward strengthening the system against the reaction to allergy antibodies(IgE).

And again, of course, there ARE food allergies. They make up +-10% of dog allergies.

 Quote: lauren wells

.... Connie, isnt that what I wrote" That after fleas etc that food allergies are a culprit of itching??"""

You wrote: QUOTE: From what I have learned, and after ruling out fleas, mites etc--dry itchy skin is most often caused by a food allergy. END

The most likely allergy after fleas is not food; it's environmental/inhalant.

 Quote: Lauren Wells

I do not take the opinion of one person like you as gospel as it seems you would like.

Yes. MWAH HA HA!! World domination will be mine! Starting with dog allergies and quickly moving on to rocket science and space-traffic laws!

 Quote: Lauren Wells

Connie I am wondering where your statistics come from?

From the Merck Vet Manual, Drs. Foster and Smith, the allergy book (by Dr. S. Messonnier, DVM) that LB sells*, and every vet manual I own.

No need at all to take my word as gospel. Just pick up any book written by a derm vet, or any recent vet manual or textbook.

I've been studying canine allergies for years, but I'm always happy to provide
citations . Sometimes I neglect to include citations because I answer so many nutrition/allergy posts, so good for you to ask for them.

I agree 100% that many dogs have problems with crap-in-a-bag food. My point was made to correct the idea that food allergies were the next most common itchy-skin culprit after parasites.



*
http://leerburg.com/971.htm

 Quote: lauren wells

... food allergy is a very common problem especially from wheat.

Yes, wheat is one of the "most common" list, with beef, milk, chicken, wheat, eggs, corn, and soy.

from http://www.petshealth.com/dr_library/fooddogs.html
"Food allergies account for only about 5 to 10 percent of all allergic reactions in dogs and cats."

from "Hair and Skincoat Problems in the Dog," by Lowell Ackerman, D.V.M.
"Food allergies account for only about 10% of allergy problems in dogs."

from the VetMed newsletter, University of California at Davis, volume 12, No. 2,
Fall 2007
"Itchy Dog or Cat? It Could Be Food Allergy Dermatitis
Reaction to certain foods is the third most common allergy in dogs, after flea allergy dermatitis and atopic dermatitis (hypersensitivity reactions to mold, pollen, dust, mites or other allergens in the environment)", says Catherine Outerbridge, assistant professor of veterinary dermatology at U.C. Davis.


I do understand that it's a common misconception about food allergies being more common than atopy, and I'm afraid that it may come partly from commercial food companies that sell so-called prescription allergy foods and from others with a financial interest in these commercial foods..

OK good, thanks so much for all the info and clearing up misconceptions. Its all very confusing this subject at least so far to me. It is hard to know what to believe, who to trust. You have obviously spent lots of time in this subject... more than me- so I will give your thoughts my trust.

The salmon oil I give is called the Alaskan Bear treats, and I give her a glucosomine formula called K-9 liquid health. Not sure if there is anything in those formulas that could be making my dog scratch. Not sure if she is itching more because she is blowing her coat, if it is food related, what the issue is.

There are two stripes so to speak around her saddle where she has itched the fur off where her foot reaches. It is better than it was a week or so ago. I had stopped the supplements not knowing what to do.

My Vet tested for ear mites since the edges around the ends of her ears look raggedy. Nothing on the skin scrapes.

I am kind of at my wits end. I cant afford to take the dog to a specialist at this time. I would like to try other things first.

I'll keep looking through other threads of this nature to learn what I can.