allergies/itchy dog

[MichaelMac]

I have an 8 year old miniature who has allergy issues. We have her on Instinct lamb kibble and also Little Cesar Lamb. She has a cytopoint 10mg injection from her vet every several months. Bailey gets regular grooming every 5 to six weeks and usually one bath in between the grooming. We are careful to use a gentle shampoo and rinse her very well. As she ages this seems to be worsening, lots of scratching. A secondary issue for this little one is her anal glands. We do express the glands when she seems to be having lots of problems but at times even if the glands have been recently expressed she seems to have an irritation that drives her crazy. Any suggestions for what we might be able to do for this little one? She is precious and we hate to see her uncomfortable. She is a typical schnauzer and rules the house, continually bossing around our to English Mastiffs. Thank you for any assistance with these questions.

[zeta1454]

Hello Michael and welcome to the Forum

Allergies in dogs can be very difficult to treat especially as it can be a challenge to work out what is causing the problem. We live in a world contaminated with many toxins and there are countless natural potential causes too. Have you had all relevant tests on Bailey to rule out any specific food sensitivity, yeast infection, etc.? Also have you checked with the groomers that they are not using any products that may be affecting her? Many of the anti-parasite treatments (flea / tick spot on brands especially) can cause skin sensitivity and irritation, if you do use any of these with Bailey?

The medication you mention can be effective for some dogs but does carry potential risks as it works by inhibiting the immune system so can lead to an increased risk of infection. It also has dermatitis listed as a potential side effect which of itself may cause discomfort that will lead to scratching. From the Cytopoint website:

“ Some of the most common side effects reported with both CYTOPOINT and placebo were dermatitis and bacterial skin infection.4”
https://www.cytopoint.ca/faqs.aspx

I would firstly be looking at the food Bailey has. Check the ingredients to see that they are all named meat with no derivatives, colourings, added substances of any kind*. A fresh raw diet can often be the best choice as long as it is balanced with regard to nutrition. Many companies sell prepared raw meals for dogs which meet the recommended guidelines for nutritional balance. The problem with any processed food is that the actual process itself changes the ingredients and can lead to health issues with dogs that can be digestive or skin problems. If you do want to keep to a processed food, do find one that is as little processed as possible and contains no additives of any kind- just meat and vegetables and preferably with no grains or high in legumes.

The anal gland issues are also more likely to be diet related. A quality fresh diet with adequate fibre should mean there is no need to have anal glands expressed manually.

I do feel for you as it is really distressing seeing one of your dogs troubled with this kind of issue but I would go down the ‘elimination’ route initially to be sure you know there are no potential triggers / causes in her diet, anti-parasitic treatments, environmental etc. and see if a change of diet or stopping the use of any unnecessary product helps.

Just to explain re the ingredients, this is from one of the Cesar range although may not be the one you feed Bailey but you can see the high number of added substances any one of which could trigger a reaction in a sensitive dog and, despite being listed as a ‘lamb’ meal actually contains chicken, beef and pork as well. It is vital to check ingredient lists on processed food carefully if you have a dog with any health issue:

*INGREDIENTS Lamb, Chicken Liver, Beef Lung, Chicken Broth, Water, Pork By-Products, Chicken Heart, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Carrageenan, Added Color, Potassium Chloride, Xanthan Gum, Magnesium Proteinate, Dried Yam, di-Methionine, Salt, Erythorbic Acid (Preservative), Natural Flavor, Guar Gum, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Monocalcium Phosphate, Sodium Nitrite (For Color Retention), Copper Sulfate, Thiamine
Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin D3

[MichaelMac]

Zeta,
At feeding this evening I looked at the labels and was overwhelmed. This evening I have been going through sites that offer a raw diet for her and wet foods that have "only lamb". I am only changing her wet food to confirm a change in her scratching at this time. Then work on dry that states differently in ingredients. Do you feel that is advisable?

I deeply appreciate you opening my mind to reading a label. Hope you do not mind yet, I must also admit I dropped by your page to look at your beautiful girls and boys. The miniature in the US and UK are different in looks. I have rescue English Mastiff and notice a difference in them also. I'm sure it would involve a great deal in discussion. With that in mind i will not ask question it was a simple observation. You do have a beautiful group around you home. If you feel as I. When the children left I had felt I must have a few more kids for the home.
Thank you again for taking time to reply and I deeply appreciate your knowledge in the breed. Good people as you and others on the forum assist the breed greatly!
Kindly,
Michael Koenning

[zeta1454]

Thank you Michael for your kind words. Our dogs are certainly very much “family” and greatly loved as such

Apologies for the late reply to your post too! Yes, it may be best to change the wet food first and see if that does help with the itching. It is better to have a food with less additives etc. in any event. You could then see whether it is necessary to change the dry food which is not a brand I am familiar with here in the U.K.

Best wishes and do feel free to ask any questions or discuss any issues regarding your schnauzer here.