Boxer has strong odor from vagina, and, constant red itchy paws

Question
QUESTION: First, the paws have been going on for months. When i had my dog fixed I had the vet look at her paws but got no help. I stopped using the swiffer, but she did have problems after i would use it. but, i haven't used it for months and she still has problems and licks and chews them continuously. i have read a ton of info on it but not sure what else to do.
Also, I bred my boxer last year and everything went well.  However, the pups preferred her back breasts for nursing and she got mastitis terrible, one breast exploded, ..i felt terrible and got her fixed. A.- i was told i should have waited to get her fixed to let the hormones go down more first, and B. she has had this horrible, very strong fishy disgusting overwhelming odor from her vagina and i can't seem to get to the bottom of it. Please help! thanks!
Kristen

ANSWER: Hi. What type of dog food do you have her on? Usually, a dog food allergy will cause problems with the feet. You may want to try a food that has no grains in it. I would try changing her food and see if that helps. It may take a few weeks to see much of a difference, but a grain free diet may be the way to go with this girl. Also, is there anything that you may use on your lawn, and chemicals?

As for her spay, a lot of dogs are spayed during a c-section, so I wouldn't think that she was spayed too early. I would most definitely get this girl to the vet over the smell. She could have some sort of infection, either in the vagina or maybe something to do with the bladder, she needs to be checked out and put on antibiotics. Good luck!

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QUESTION: One more thing, what kind of dog food has no grains in it? Sophie is on Purina One, chicken first ingredient. She was on Purina pro plan, but she was still eating excessive grass then too. We do get a grass service, supposedly only not good for dogs until an hour or so later, but, i guess they weren't planning on the dogs eating it!
she has an appt with the vet today. thanks so much!
kristen

ANSWER: There are a few dog foods out there that has no grain in it, some diamond dog foods. Pro Plan makes a food for sensitive skin and stomachs, you may want to try that one. Do you have a Tractor Supply or big pet food store near you? I'm not sure what is put on your lawn by the lawn service, but that very well could be your problem here. I would call them and ask what chemicals are used. She may have a severe reaction to it. Please let me know what your vet says, and also, please don't let your vet talk you into Science Diet, it's really not a great food, and I don't think it will be any better for your girl. When you go looking at dog food, read the label on it. All of the grain free foods that I know of will say grain free on the bag, but you want to read the label to make sure. I have a few good links about dog food if you're interested.

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QUESTION: I will try the pro plan special diet first, but why do ask about the big pet food store? what could i get there?  i called the lawn service and am waiting a response. my vet said to try her on benedryl first, 2-3 times a day and see how it helps since the pet food can get pricey. i did forget to mention her excessive eating of grass though. send me the links you mentioned for dog food. also, have you heard of the organic or holistic dog food, someone tried to get us on them but felt like it was kind of  a scam, now i don't know. Just two days ago, her ears got all red inside too. The benedryl is helping a tad, but i can't give it to her forever!

Answer
At the big pet food stores you may be able to get Eagle Pack. It's a really good food that many people try when their dogs have food allergies. A good food can be expensive at first. But once your dog has been on it for a little while, you're actually coming out cheaper than the cheap foods. The dog will eat less of it because it doesn't need as much of the good food as it would the cheap food, and it won't poop as much either. Benedryl may help some, but if she stays on the same food and it is indeed a food allergy, it's not going to help for long. Once she's taken off of it, the symptoms will return unless we find a food that agrees with her. The ear thing is another sign of food allergy. You may be looking at putting out a few bucks for the dog food, but it really is cheaper in the long run. I'm giving you a few sites to look at, I can't find all of them, but I'll keep looking and will send them when I find them. Oh, there is also a food call Taste Of The Wild. It's a natural food, a bit pricey but it's suppose to be a good one.

http://forums.worldmastiffforum.com/tool/post/acslinda/vpost?id=1638195   this is from a forum, but has a ton of great info about dog food from Mastiff people.
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/
http://www.mastiffshowsight.com/nutrition.htm