Duncan Update and Question

Well since seeing the Vet ( :y_the_best: ) and getting some medications for both body and eyes. I have not seen him scratch his eyes once he is acting very happy and has not been chewing on his skin or scratching his head or chin. He still was biting his foot this morning but I remember he has always done that when he is cleaning his nails. He is doing so much better it almost brings me to tears.

I have a question though, Kim said his coat is blown out and he will lose much of it. Do you think she was meaning the normal summer shed or more reaction from his allergy? I was so overwhelmed when I found he was going to be ok I failed to ask her. And is there any way to promote the regrowth of his hairs around his eyes where he scratched it off?

 

great news did the vet give him prednizone or cortizone, it will do immediate wonders to stop itching, but only masks the underlying problems. make sure you switch his food and I would get him on a fatty acid supplement to help with his skin. as for hair regrowth, I have it can take a year

I have been battling jakes skin problems fo ra few years and recently put him on a fatty acid supplement after I read the sites I posted below, Its been about 3 weeks and his coat is sooo baby soft. I got one that has biotin in it since he ahs issues with re-occuring hot spots


here is some great info to help with his skin


http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=234
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/artic ... 35&aid=591
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/artic ... 9&aid=1061

 

I just saw your other post and see he is on prednizone, please do change his food if you already havent, if he has no reaction after a month then something in the other food is the culprit,


here is some more readng too

and please check out nzymes.com website too you can order thru them online at nzymes.com

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/artic ... 394&aid=74

 

His food is back to Nutro as of last Friday. The feed store gave me a free bag after i told him what was going on. Also Nutro gives you a free bag after every 10 you buy and he had lost my count card.
I will check nzymes, but I do not posses a credit card so I hope they have other payment options.

Here is advice for anyone out there. If your feed store is out of your brand either look elsewhere or pay extra for a better brand never pay less for an substandard brand. And never accept corn as a dog food.

 

I am not sure which variety of Nutro you are feeding..but here is the ingredient list for Max and it has corn gluten in it..not to mention wheat flour and ground whole wheat as #2 and #3.....also a common allergen.

Ingredients
Chicken Meal, Wheat Flour, Ground Whole Wheat, Rice Bran, Poultry Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of natural Vitamin E), Corn Gluten Meal, Ground Rice, Lamb Meal, Natural Flavors, Yeast Culture, Calcium Carbonate, Monosodium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Dried Buttermilk, Dried Kelp, Dried Egg Product, Lecithin, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Oxide, Garlic, Ascorbic Acid (source of Vitamin C), Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Manganous Oxide, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of Vitamin B1), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin (source of Vitamin B2), Calcium Iodate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of Vitamin B6), Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of Vitamin K activity), Folic Acid, Copper Sulfate.
Nutro supports the safe, ethical and humane treatment of all animals, including those used by our suppliers who provide our ingredients.

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (minimum) 26.00%
Crude Fat (minimum) 16.00%
Crude Fiber (maximum) 4.00%
Moisture (maximum) 10.00%
Linoleic Acid (minimum) 3.50%
Ascorbic Acid (minimum)* 35.0 mg/kg
*Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles.

Canine Caviar, California Naturals, First Mate, Natural Balance and Natures Variety are some brands you might try. None have corn or wheat in them. Where I live..Canine Caviar is the best value. Choosing a single protein source food can help alot in figuring out whats okay and whats not. I have come to think feeding one protein source at a time and rotating that protein is a better way to feed. Also rotating brands so that they don't get the same ingredient list everytime will help make sure they are getting a balanced diet. Remember not all protein sources have all the amino acids your dog needs.

 

since you cant buy online I would first work on a fatty acid supplement to help the skin heal

something like this, I know they carry at petco or something similar at your pet store
http://www.naturvet.com/listingview.php?listingID=31

 

Well that's not good then.
I do feed them a Nutro , but I don't see the bag on the Nutro Products page. It is a green bag but not the same as the on they show. Lamb and Rice Mix.... Wait here it is. No corn like I thought. http://www.nutroproducts.com/ncdoglamb.asp Natural Choice Brand. Don't see wheat or flours either. No wonder his system went nuts on that other brand seeing as he hasn't had any of those products in him for over 2 years. Also I just took a look at the Diamond brands site and found Corn there and wheat, and wheat flours, on all 3 of the types I bought.
Premium, Low fat, and Lamb meal

http://www.diamondpetfood.com/formulas.html#

 

I saw that at the feed store I stopped at yesterday looking for Nzymes. He kinda poked fun at my question saying they all have the same stuff in them. Made me want to go somewhere else.

 

Thanks for the Links you guys. Will stop at the feed store after work and pick up a few things to help out the fur kids.

 

I'm not sure where you live, but you may find a better selection and a more helpful person with a better understanding of nutrition if you go to a grooming shop or small pet supply store. The staff at my feed store are not brimming with know how when it comes to that topic. Now..if i asked them about ducks or cows they would be very helpful! Diamond is a brand many breeders use, they have a kennel full of dogs to feed and price is important. The food label for your dog food looked ok...but there is a alot of rice in it, it's being used as a filler and carb. If your dog seems to be doing well on it and is not having allergy issues, I'd stick with it until he is well. If you don't mind my asking...how much do you pay for a bag of Nutro?

Some of the foods I listed above have fatty acids in them, probiotics and enzymes. You will feed less of them because they don't have all the filler. Less input = less output =) Hope your boy heals up quick.

 

Thats great advice....I almost 'blew a gasket' about a month ago....can anyone tell me where 'some people' working at feed stores get their license or sudden knowledge from in health care on pets!!!!
Im not knocking everyone that works in a feed store (or pet store) but who do they think they are.....my daughter about a month ago, (Im in Germany, shes in California with BJ....her dog that lived me until I left), BJ has seasonal allergies, she went to the feed store to get her a bag of Purina, she took the dog with her and the idiot behind the counter saw the dog scratching and asked what was wrong with her (shed lost some hair which was noticeable)...the idiot then talks my daughter into getting this 'other food' going on about how great it is, how much cheaper it was and how it would clear up ALL the allergy problems....of course my daughter didnt think to check with me....or even the vet I worked for (who is so good at giving her advice since I left) within an hour iof the first bowl full of food the dog had major diarrhea....my daughter didnt connect it to the food change (and shes had a loooong lecture since then)so she kept feeding it to her....almost a week later, she phoned me, the dog had lost about 8#, still had diarrhea (she has occasional diarrhea with the Benedryl so my D thought that was what caused it and took her off it), was vomiting and her allergies were 10 times worse, admittedly some of the fault lies with my daughter (she should have phoned me sooner) but she was under the impression that the woman at the food store knew what she was talking about.
Another time...not that long ago I had gone in to pick up some vaccines for a rescue that had been rehomed, I asked for a particular brand the woman offered me another brand saying it was better than the brand I wanted....so I asked her why it was better....her answer...."well because it just is" :shock:
And dont even get me started on treating cats with abscesses with Fish-a-cillin.....GRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!

Sorry, venting about my pet peeve is over now.

 

Looks like $34.00 is the average I have been paying for a 40 to 44 pound bag. They come in 40's I think but randomly ad 10% for free.

He is responding well to the return to Nutro and his medications.

 

The guy at my regular feed store never professes that he knows more about pet nutrition and has alway left it to me to research the brands myself. He does know which ones contain corn and which will produce less stool, and he has always been very helpfull during lean times with payment options for anything I need.
The other pet store though seems to think they know much about everything and I am actually very wary of them.

But Duncan is doing fantastic, still no face scratching and his eye swelling is GONE, he still has some eye discharge but that is easy to whipe away.
He is now very happy, asking for treats again, eating more, being playfull again, and even asking for his meds and eye drops by going to the table, sitting there and looking at the meds. He sits perfectly still as I put in his drops. His fur is holding and I have been brushing out the loose stuff, that just looks like winter coat, will set up a bath day for everyone this weekend.
Dowser hates all this and is pushing (dowsering) Duncan around. So I gave him some Visine AF and he got happy. Dowser has teary eyes too but nothing bad.

 

I work in a pet supply store(a small local one) that is more holistically minded, the preference leans towards natural alternatives, although we all agree sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do...like using Frontline or something along those lines. I love to learn about the best care for my pets and I don't mind passing on what I have read or what my personal experiences are...BUT I always make sure the person knows that it's just that, MY OPINION based on personal experience and research. I always urge them to research for themselves. I, on a weekly basis e-mail people links to sites where they can learn for themselves. I have a dog and a cat with severe allergies to certain things, along the path to finding what works for them I have learned some things the hard way..but I have learned and i am always open to learning more.
I love the shop where I work because it's not all about the sales, it's truely a community shop where it's all about the animal and it's well being. I have seen the owner on many occasions discourage a customer from buying something and sending them somewhere else because we didn't have what she thought would be best for the pet. Those people usually come back for something else, speak nicely to others about our shop and in the end our shop does well, the animal gets what it needed and the customer is thrilled with the info.


Mike...For about the same price (based on my area) you could find a food with less filler. Canine Caviar sells in our shop for $37.99 for a #40 "breeders bag". You can check out one of the formulas here....

http://www.caninecaviar.com/adultformul ... ngredients

At the top it has a chart that shows what health benefits each ingredient offers.

In our store thats the food that offers the best value, aside form Canidae, which I personally would not recommend for your dog as it has four different proteins and could be too much for your guy.

Please don't misunderstand, the food you are feeding is working for your dog and I am not downing it...just offering info about foods that may offer some of the things Honeybears is talking about without having to add a bunch to the bowl.

California Naturals is another brand you might look at.

Remember when pricing..that less input is required...less fillers means your dog won't need to eat as much of it to maintain good health and condition. Your feed store guy may be willing to order or start stocking another brand if you ask. Our store special orders for people all the time, we also will carry a new product if there seems to be enough interest. The supplier he orders from probably carries some of the brands I mentioned and it would be no big deal to order a bag for you with his regualr order. Just some ideas =)

Your dog will appreciate an oatmeal shampoo when bathing, it's very soothing for skin.

Oh...one last thing. There is a product called Calm Eyes, it is awesome. I have used it on myself, my horse and my dogs. It is inexpensive and works great for many issues. The same company also has an oil called Calm Coat that is great for skin irritaions, rashes, itchy spots, small wounds etc. It is also very afffordable.

 

Ooo good info. Looking at getting a big wash tub after work for the yard and heading to the feed store. It was closed yesterday after work. So I will see what goodies the kids get for the holiday weekend. Got my end of season bonus so it's time for some new toys for them, me and a good relaxing weekend off, now that I am not stressing out over Duncan's eyes now.

Anyone for Tarantula Tequila and Triple Black chasers? I am off for the weekend now and heading out for the shopping.