boxer pup skin issues or allergies?

Question
I have a 9 month old reverse brindle boxer pup.  She has been having symptoms that to me seem similar to human allergies.  Constant red eyes (in the inner corners, not entire eye), ear infections, shaking head frequently, scratching face, sneezing and she has had some puppy dandruff.  She has been taken to the vet a number of times and treated for all of these...but about a month after we finish the meds, these symptoms come back.  The vet is convinced that it is a puppy thing and not a long term allergy thing.  The latest development is after she plays at the dog park or at playcare she will develop these rather large scabs all up and down her neck on both sides which won't go away for about a week or so.  I'm sure it's due to the rough playing and how easily she can get scrapped up.  Last time this happened we took her to the vet and put her on antibiotics, because the vet said she had a skin infection.  The medication cleared up the problem, but after playing with dogs again, the scabs came back.  I don't want to keep bringing her to the vet every time this happens, and I don't want her to stop being a puppy and playing!  We have tried changing her diet which seemed to help with the dandruff - cut out all chicken products per our vets instructions.  We have even put her on GNC dog brand coat treatment treats which also helped.  But I'm trying to find a way to deal with the scabs at home without going to the vet once a week for meds.  Are there any holistic ways of taking care of allergies or skin issues?  She's still a baby and I don't want to keep relying on medication.  Any advice at all would be helpful!

Thank you!
Kate (Stella's mom)

Answer

Hi Kate,

Even though you've been to the vet a number of times, and it was thought Stella had a skin infection, because the sores have returned, it would probably be a good idea if your vet did a skin scrape test to rule out the possibility of microscopic skin mites.

You've said you've changed your puppy's diet, but did you do a food trial test using a food that had a novel source of protein or a true hypoallergenic food, and did you keep Stella on the diet for at least 12 weeks? If the answer is "no" to either of the above, then you haven't yet ruled out diet as the source of the itchy problem. If Stella really does have a food allergy then all you're doing is treating the symptom, and not the cause of the problem. The itch will keep coming back.

Feed the food trial diet for a period of up to 12 weeks (or longer) and monitor Stella's response. Symptoms should lessen if your dog is indeed food-allergic. Keep in mind that many grocery and pet store brands of dog food contain similar ingredients, you're going to have to read the packages. Simply cutting out Chicken, or switching to a Lamb-and-rice diet is not a way to rule out a food based allergy. Consequently, to carry out a valid diet trial, you may have to either buy a therapeutic diet from your veterinarian (which contains "exotic" ingredients such as rabbit, venison, and potato) or some of the newer "novel protein" diets that contain a totally and nutritionally sound newly formulated protein or prepare a home-cooked food for your dog. Some pet food manufacturers have developed new hypoallergenic diets. These include prescription foods you can get from your vet, such as: Hill's ZD diet, Purina's CNM HA and LA diets, and IVD's Vegetarian Diet. Some over the counter brands of dog food that might be acceptable are:

Any of the Wellness Simple Solutions formulas
Canidae Grain Free pureSEA, or pureLAND
Holistic Select Grain Free Adult & Puppy Health Salmon and Anchovy & Sardine
Fromm Four-Star Grain-Free Salmon Tunalini, or Grain-Free Surf & Turf
California Natural Venison Meal Formula, or Grain Free Kangaroo & Red Lentils Formula

To get conclusive results from the trial, your dog should eat nothing but the elimination diet and water. That means no treats, rawhide, or chewable medications.

If Stella's symptoms are resolved with the diet trial, you can assume something in her old diet was the problem. There is no cure for food allergies. Managing a food allergy means simply avoiding the food or ingredients your dog is sensitive to, and use medications that reduce itching as needed.

If Stella's problem is environmental, and not diet based, the problems might disappear with the change of seasons, just as a person's seasonal allergies usually get better after the first hard frost, and symptoms may return next spring or summer. Benadryl can help control your dog's itching, talk to your vet about the correct dose.

If nothing seems to help, or if you think your current veterinarian isn't connecting the dots, then it's time to have a veterinary dermatologist examine your dog. If your vet can't give you a referral, you might be able to locate one here:

https://www.acvd.org/locator/locator.asp


I hope I've been a help.
Best of luck,

Patti