[AuroraSky GSDmix]

I’m a new fur mom. I fell in love with and rescued a GSD with a little something extra (mix), after she had spent her first 8 months being abused and used as a “Chew toy” for a fighting dog. Aurora has been with us for 5 months now and its been a learning experience, so forgive me if what I ask sounds ignorant.
Aurora has had issues with her ears bothering her and significant shedding, then she Really started scratching A Lot and incessantly licking her front legs/paws.I placed her on Diamond whitefish and potato after speaking to a dog supply small business owner. I didn’t know her ear issue could also be caused from food allergies, until I started reading reviews while researching dog foods online. Anyway I don’t think she is any better with the fish/potato. Fromm Prairie Gold was suggested to me and I saw it comes in Large breed puppy, but I will be ordering it online and don’t know what to use in the interm (she has just finished her LG bag of food). EVO red meat, Taste of the Wild, Natural Balance LID……? Help. What about puppy vs adult.
Also, I have seen chicken meal, chicken fat, or chicken bone-something and eggs in almost everything. I learned the hard way that eggs make her really itch and I’m not sure if the rest of these chicken extras will be an issue.

[anonymously]

Her symptoms may or may not be food related.
Allergies tend to get worse with age. My dog does best on Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea (dry and canned) check Chewy . com.
Although her allergies are environmental. My dog may also have some food sensitivities.
Check the search engine here (type in allergies), you may find some tips:

Intradermal Skin Tests http://www.allergydogcentral.com/2011/06/30/dog-allergy-testing-and-allergy-shots/
“An intradermal skin test involves the injection of a small amount of antigen into your dog’s skin. This procedure is most often performed by a veterinary dermatologist or pet allergy specialist”.

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2011/09/integrating-myths-and-nonsense-with-standard-advice-for-allergic-pets/ (excerpt below)
Bottom Line
Allergies are a serious medical problem that causes a great deal of suffering for pets and their owners. Causes are complex and involve both genetic, developmental, and environmental factors, and symptoms tend to come and go unpredictably, which makes evaluating the effects of any particular intervention challenging. While there are many safe and effective therapies that can help manage allergy symptoms, there is no cure. Only complete avoidance of the antigens the individual is allergic to can eliminate symptoms entirely, and this is often not possible. No treatment that has any benefit is completely without risks, and the risks and benefits must always be carefully and rationally weighed.

[Pitlove]

Hi- Firstly, thank you for rescuing her and I hope the fighting dog was rescued as well and rehabilitated and given a chance at a home as most are not.

Since Aurora is still a puppy and was probably not fed a proper diet if she was being used as a bait dog, its critical now that she recieve proper nutrition. She is a large breed and large breeds, especially GSD’s, are predisposed to orthopedic and growth disorders that are devastating for both the dog and the pet parent. I would highly recommend keeping her on a large breed puppy food that has controlled levels of calcium and phosphorus til she is at LEAST a year old, if not older. However, I did switch my large breed to an adult food at a year and he is fine. GSD’s by breed standard are on the thinner side, so make sure she is not underweight, but at an ideal weight for her breed and age. Extra weight from overfeeding also contributes to these growth disorders.

A lot of her issues could be brought on from stress, especially if feeding her a protein that I highly doubt she was exposed to didn’t help. Also, and this may seem obvious, but make sure you check her really good for fleas. GSD’s have thick double coats and with the conditions she was likely in as a bait dog, I doubt she was on a flea preventative. Fromm is an excellent food, so I think thats a great choice. Both of the Taste of the Wild puppy formulas are safe for large breed puppies so I’d go with High Prairie since you have already tried a fish based formula that did not work. Also cleaning her ears regularly with an ear wash and removing the gunk with a cotton ball or gauze will help reduce any ear infections or yeast in the ears.

My vet told me that licking the paws is usually associated with an environmental allergy, so its possible that something she is being exposed to now outside is affecting her.

[Author]

Posts