# Skin problems - possible food allergy????



## JuliaPauline08 (May 26, 2012)

So I knew when I got a blue pit they had more skin problems than most other dogs, but recently my dog's belly has been red and scaly right around his genital area. Yesterday it wasn't super bad, probably about the size of a sand dollar. I checked it today and he now has red bumps all over with one big red spot about the size of a dollar bill. Attached is a photo... I know it isn't demodex because his vet tested for demodex. He suspects a food allergy but wasn't sure. Anyone have an opinion? I usually feed him Taste of the Wild but times are tough and I just had to switch to cheaper food.

Anyway... does it LOOK like a food allergy?


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## Papi_ (Aug 30, 2011)

Maybe a vet. would be a good idea? 
Mine had some similar problems (grain allergy) but from a picture it's a hard to say .

maybe someone else can clear it up for you .

Good Luck.

example(doesn't mean it's the same)


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## Blue_Nose_Bella (Jan 16, 2011)

My blue bitch had the same issues and the raw diet is the only thing that helped her do a complete 360. If you just switched to a cheaper food than that's not going to help his cause but obviously has made it worse . Feeding a raw diet isnt any more expensive than feeding a crap bag of kibble that is filled with nothing but junk, chemicals, corn, soy, and everything they don't need. You can buy some malseb shampoo from Amazon or 1-800-pet meds just Google it. its for skin infections like yeast and bacterial which it looks like he has. You may need an antibiotic so a trip to the vet maybe a good idea to just don't let them talk you into cortizone shots and every other thing because vets do.love money. cortisone is only a temporary fix and is more detrimental to a dogs health. Pm me if you need more advice and I'll be glad to point you in the right direction. I know times are tough but when your dog is suffering obvious skin issues due to allergies/diet then skimping on what could be the cause isn't going to make him better and in the long run as it gets worse you will just have vet bills on your hands that you obviously can't afford to accumulate. I'm a struggling single parent but my dog won't suffer a poor diet......I just make sacrifices  I've already been there so I know what to do and get results 
Here's a great link on getting started on RAW
http://preymodelraw.com/how-to-get-started/


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## ames (Jun 6, 2010)

You can also looking into it being slight case of mange. My boy had the same hair loss around his ears and bumps on his head. Changing him to grain free and putting him on Revolution really helped with his issues. Could be scarpotic mange not demodectic or may it have shown up in the scaping, sometimes it acts up and other times it's ok.

I would look into grain free, of not RAW as Bella suggested and try the revolution for a fee months to try and blast anything out of the system. It's for heartworm and fleas as well as parasites associted with mange.  

Since you should not change the kibbles too fast you can see if Benadryl might help to give some short term relief. Keep in mind it might help the problems not cure them. It's a long road to see what works best.

Also, blue dogs are not "prone" to more issues Than other dogs it's just that they are considered a "fad" color so are being overbred. If people stopped breeding for color and worried more about health of the dame and sire instead of just reproducing it would not be as prevalent.


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## Blue_Nose_Bella (Jan 16, 2011)

Also wanted to add that spot on flea and tick pesticides can add more fuel to the fire if a dog is already suffering from allergies and skin issues so beware of what you use. I personally don't use any of the spot on flea preventatives. My dog isn't a yard dog though as some people have dogs that are outside alot.


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## Joewilly (Mar 6, 2011)

has he been exposed to anything new , such as detergents..lysol type cleaners, bleach..etc? My male can't tolerate soaps w/ perfume, for example, so I wash his things w/ laundry soap that doesn't contain them...and use simple green on the floors ( it's supposedly hypoallergenic, but not good around pregnant women tho).
It looks painful...I'd take him to vet.


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## doosie (May 26, 2012)

juliapauline08 said:


> so i knew when i got a blue pit they had more skin problems than most other dogs, but recently my dog's belly has been red and scaly right around his genital area. Yesterday it wasn't super bad, probably about the size of a sand dollar. I checked it today and he now has red bumps all over with one big red spot about the size of a dollar bill. Attached is a photo... I know it isn't demodex because his vet tested for demodex. He suspects a food allergy but wasn't sure. Anyone have an opinion? I usually feed him taste of the wild but times are tough and i just had to switch to cheaper food.
> 
> Anyway... Does it look like a food allergy?


my 9month old blue is having same allergic reaction today to i believe something he picked up while outside using potty or something he has eaten? What could i do from home?


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## Odin`s_BlueDragon (Mar 11, 2012)

doosie said:


> my 9month old blue is having same allergic reaction today to i believe something he picked up while outside using potty or something he has eaten? What could i do from home?


i would start a new thread and ask, u'll get more responses that way.


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## KMdogs (Apr 22, 2011)

The rash really could be a number of things.. However with the bumps and random spots of fur loss it is possible that food allergies or seasonal allergies are the triggers..

You have two options if its food allergies.. Switch to a high quality kibble based feed, (TOTW ain't it) OR switch to 100% raw based feed.. Raw is more natural and almost ALWAYS reduces allergies centered around feed to nothing.. It is a bit pricey to get going however is cheaper in the long haul than feeding kibble providing you have a good butcher shop near you OR know avid hunters and can score some cheap or even free meat..

High quality kibble can set you back any where from $50 to $90 dollars depending on what you go with.. I don't have a whole lot of time at the moment however i can tell you some of the best feeds out there, rich in meat content, "biologically appropriate" and high quality... IE no outsourcing to cheap markets, no "cheats" to make their products look better than what it is and produced by companies of which ALL their products share high quality ingredients... There are VERY few.

Orijen and Acana are both owned by Champion and are THE best you can virtually get in terms of overall quality and consistency.. Orijen typically $70 - $90 per 29.7 pounds depending on formula and area, Acana slighly cheaper at $55 - $75 or so.. Another option is Natures Variety Instinct which also produces a great feed, again typically $50 - $70 per 26 pounds..

Of course, this is my opinion and everyone is going to have different opinions on what feed is best and whats not.. However, not everyone has studied nutrition for several years, been involved in distribution, sales, been to different factories, seen first hand how much marketing, mark ups, etc goes in and how some companies differ in HOW they make their feeds.. Not to mention all the "loop holes" that are legally allowed by "standards"..

While it is true, all dogs react different to feeds it boils down to two things.. 1. Genetics and 2. How long was the problem allowed to continue before you a real fix was attempted..

I can explain all this in further detail later on..


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## ::::COACH:::: (Apr 4, 2012)

KMdogs said:


> The rash really could be a number of things.. However with the bumps and random spots of fur loss it is possible that food allergies or seasonal allergies are the triggers..
> 
> You have two options if its food allergies.. Switch to a high quality kibble based feed, (TOTW ain't it) OR switch to 100% raw based feed.. Raw is more natural and almost ALWAYS reduces allergies centered around feed to nothing.. It is a bit pricey to get going however is cheaper in the long haul than feeding kibble providing you have a good butcher shop near you OR know avid hunters and can score some cheap or even free meat..
> 
> ...


"you must spread some reputation around before giving it to KMdogs." 
:goodpost:


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## JuliaPauline08 (May 26, 2012)

My statement about blues generally having more health problems stemmed from breeding purely for color, as opposed to having more important characteristics in the forefront of breeding programs.

Anyway, I'm in the process now of transitioning Romeo to an all-raw diet... slowly but surely... since two days ago when I started the transition I can already see a slight improvement in his skin. He saw the vet again today and even he noticed the improvement so it's not just wishful thinking lol! 

Thank you guys!


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