My Dog Has a Food Allergy

Question
I have a 6 month old male Jack Russell Terrier named Biscuit. My sisters like to give him treats all day long, despite me telling them not to. This is especially difficult when I am out of the house and they are free to spoil him. They think that giving him treats all day long is akin to giving him quality of life. Also, they recently switched his dog food brand to Alpo (Purina).  Anyway, he recently developed a skin allergy. I took him to the vet and the vet says it's probably because of all the treats he's giving. His bag of Alpo dog food finished and so I switched it up to this brand called Nature's Recipe, which is supposed to be made of Lamb and Rice and good for doggy intolerances. However, he's still quite red around his belly and has spots and scabs there too. My sisters' have stopped feeding him treats for now, but I'm worried that this problem will persist. After getting a jab and taking his antibiotics and antihistamins, he was doing better and the redness went away. But then my sister went and fed him treats again and then he got red. I have confiscated all the treats but his belly is still red and spotty and he does scratch there pretty often still.
Please advice. Thanks very much!!

Answer
I need a little time to answer your question and I will try. If your family will not stop the treats then the dog is going to suffer in a big way down the line. if they will not listen to you, then maybe it's best to remove the dog?? I hate it when families slowly kill dogs under the guise of love. It isn't love..it is THEIR NEED TO FEEL NEEDED--this is why they do this. It's awful, extremely harmful and is making your pooches liver work way too hard. If you cannot stop them (why are THEY switching his food if he's YOUR DOG?)THEN it's unfair to keep the dog around them. They obvioulsy do not know the first thing about nutrition or caring for a dog. And Alpo is one of the very WORST foods on the market. No wonder your dog has allergies. Most commercial dog food CAUSE ALLERGIES--if only people would research how to feed their dogs..so many issues could be avoided. So it isn't all the treats (which he does not need) but it is WHAT YOU ARE FEEDING THIS POOR DOG.

There are many things going wroong with the care of this pooch but I guess people are buying into the commercials and not doing their own research. Believe me, if you knew what you were feeding this dog, you would be horrified. Lamb is horrid for dogs and NOT GOOD FOR INTOLERANCES...don't know where you heard that.

Why is on antibiotics and antihistamines? This will make things worses as soon as you stop them and again, you are stressing this dogs liver. You need to learn about nutrition and feed this dog RAW OR HOMECOOKED WITH PROBIOTICS AND DIGESTIVE ENZYMES ADDED. Dogs with allergies need a novel protein diet..something they have never tasted before and NO TREATS OF ANY KIND. Thhis is a complicated thing and I'd like you to look up, "novel or single protein diets for dogs with allergies"--google until you find the information. You will be stunned at what you will read about feeding and supplementing your dogs diet. If you want more info from me, then write me at:
DazzlinDaawg@aol.com and I will do my best to help you.

But NOTHING YOU DO WILL DO ANY GOOD AT ALL IF YOUR FAMILY IS SO IGNORANT OF THE FACTS THAT THEY RUIN THINGS BY TOSSING THE DOGS ANY FOOD THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN THE SINGLE PROTEIN DIET. The moment, the very second they give the dog anything BUT THE DIET, it is ruined and you have to start over.

Owning a dog takes effort, knowledge and a meeting of the minds. Please speak to them and please, please educate yourself. Get your dogs OFF MEDS or you are going to find that he will NEVER SHAKE THE ALLERGIES....this is diet controlled and not a commercial diet either although if you are strapped or simply don't have time, I can recommend the best of the worst for you LOL.

Please let me know..you must do something different...your dog is only 6 mos. old and has all these issues already? HOnestly, this is because of what you have fed him since a pup. The allergies, I believe, were caused by poor nutrition and Alpo and Beneful (the two favorites of people who love the commercials but know nothing about feeding)are the two worst food on the market. Self-education is the only way to help your dog. I'm here is you need or want me. Susan