Boxer Skin allergies

Question
I am at a loss to help my Boxer and his skin condition. He is a year and almost 2 months. We received him when he was 8 weeks old and have raised him since. He has always had loose stool and he had severe food allergies until we changed his food and now he is on a fish and sweet potato diet. His stool is not completely hard, but the most solid we have ever seen. At the time of all this he has scratched himself in spots, starting under his chin and now working down to his feet where he bites and licks incisively. He is a reverse brindle with white patches and always has been pink in his white areas but on his feet it is really bad. The vet does not give us a definite answer but says to use Benadryl. I don't know, I just know that I have seen his feet white before... we used anti-itch cream on it but had to cone him and it didn't last long. Do you think it's his food? He has also had ear trouble too... he had yeast in it and one seems to keep bothering him. He seems healthy, happy, energetic but his feet are so red and when I touch them they generate their own heat. What can I do? If I need a better vet, can you suggest someone in the Concord area?

Answer
The sweet potato and fish diet is one of the best for sensitivities.


Get a new vet. Immediately.

He needs medicine to put in his ears for the yeast infection-- which he can spread to other area of his body when scratching. Especially opened areas.

A new vet can help this ASAP.

Also, he definitely has allergies, and not only food allergies, but environmental allergies.

Tell the new vet about his ears. Get yeast medicine and treat according to instructions.

Tell the new vet about his diet and stools being loose- the lifetime, chronic loose stool problem.

Show the new vet his feet and explain the biting them excessively. Get a skin scraping to have the new vet examine under the microscope to determine "what" it is-- and get medicines accordingly.

Usually, when there is an ear problem, the dog will lick and bite his feet.

Cure the ear problem, which will help, and cure the feet- which is probably yeast infection that he spread from his ears to his feet.

Keep up with it, as once they have yeast- it is easier to be chronic but as long as you are aware of it and keep it treated- it won't present problems.

Ask if the new vet is "Boxer savvy" as Boxers are known for allergies and a new vet should have a lot of Boxer patients.

You might call any Boxer rescues near you, Boxer breeders new you-- any Boxer owners- and ask what vets they use for their Boxers.

Let me know if I am right about him, please.