Does your dog have allergies/hot spots... my dog was on science diet and I switched to Canidae.. experiences?

Question

I rescued my pit from the humane society last month. She was underfed/underweight due to neglect. The humane society had her on science diet. They told me her little bald patches were not mange (she was tested) due to alopecia or stress. They said after regular feeding on the food, we should see her hair come back (less stress, exercise, love, etc.)... well, I didnt see improvement and then someone at the petstore advised me it looked like she has hot spots.One of the girls at petsmart told me she had the same issue with her dogs... and recommended canidae. I figured it is possible the dog is allergic to wheat/by products, fillers and crap... so I am in the process of switching her to canidae from her science diet. I also restrict her treats to all natrual (mother hubbard, etc.) I want to knowhow others in the same situation and how your dog improved? other advice ideas for topical treatment? i bought some hot spot (tea tree oil spray) for her as well.. what else can i do, no drugs!

The dog did not/does not have fleas or any skin parasites. She had a skin scrape and was tested by the vet.

Answer 1

Call your vet.
It doesn't sound like the food. Pet Store people aren't doctors. You really should have your dog tested. It could be mange, even though they tested. It could be a fungal or bacterial infection. Unless you are a vet, it's a bad idea to go the "do-it-yourself" home remedy route. Especially when what she has could be easily diagnosed and treated. Pits are notorious for bad skin.

Thank-you for adopting your dog.

Answer 2

I think you should bring the dog to the vet because it can be any number of things. Most likely they will see if it's a dermatitis that is allergy related or asthma related. Some pets when they have asthma it comes out in there skin. Shots of steroids will help temporarily (3 months) with any itching that may cause your dog to itch or bite these areas. Otherwise it might be fleas, some animals are allergic to them, you might never even see them but they are there. Basicly bring the dog in and dont mess around with this diet and that diet, it probably has nothing to do with it.

Vet assistant for 2 yrs

Answer 3

I cant beleive this I have just done the same thing. My Goldens (Known for hot spots) are now on Canidae and I also only give them Old Mother Hubbard treats.
So far so good. One of my Goldens who always has had some kind of skin issue is so far clean and not sign of any kind of irritations. I'm keeping my finges crossed. I have a great vet and she always has given me the topical sprays to help with the start of hot spots so if I see one I just use it immediatly. Usually keeps it in check. It's called GentaSpray. It is through the vets office. I keep it on hand just in case. Never heard of Tea tree oil helping but I will look into it. I'm very hopeful that this spring and summer will be hot spot free!

Answer 4

It sounds like all these bald patches could have been a reaction to fleas. If a dog has fleas and is left untreated, it will cause the dog to constantly gnaw and scratch and you are left with these bald patches known as FAD (flea allergy dermatitis), you need to get the dog looked at by your vet or local animal centre to verify this. In the uk, if thats where you are, we have a spot on that you get from your vets, and apply the liquid to the skin just at the top of the shoulder blades. That will protect your dog from fleas for at least 6/8 weeks. I have a three year old Lhasa Apso who has a reaction to flea bites and was told at the time that it was a hot spot. It turned out she was allergic to the flea bite. Its abit like us humans getting bit by a gnat bite, you itch and itch it until it bleeds and then it goes all crusty, then you have to put anti histamine cream on it . Its a similar situation with an animal. It is true that certain foods can cause a reaction. I know that if my dog has too much Ceaser, she will have itch skin and start gnawing at herself. I feed my dog on Butchers Choice. I think by the way you are discribing the bald patches that it is most likely flea allery dermetitis. I hope your dog is soon feeling better.

Answer 5

i have had my boston terrier on canidae ever since she was 6mo old and she's now 3 1/2. i absolutely love the results of it! she always has a nice shiny coat, no itching, digging or gnawing at paws and no excessive licking (all signs of allergies).

i also noticed at HUGE improvement on her "waste". much different on a more premium food.

be careful switching her food and do it gradually. start out doing 75% of the SD and 25% of the canidae and do that for 2-3 days then increase it to 50/50 for a couple more days. then after about 1 1/2 wks change it to 75% canidae to 25% SD for a couple days and then do 100% canidae. that will allow the least amount of disruption.

allow about 1-2months before you start noticing a difference or improvement.

also too, according to another answer stating canidae was recalled, that is not true. according to canidae's website their food has not been recalled.

"Industry Recall Update for April 30, 2007"

In light of the unfortunate current pet food recall by other respectable pet food manufacturers, our phone lines and emails are tied up with concerned customers. We want you, our valued customer, to feel secure with the continued use of our products. CANIDAE® Pet Foods in no way is affected by the recall, nor are any of our products produced in any of the recalled production facilities.

It appears from the latest news within our industry that all recalls are from Glutens imported from China, a protein source that is extracted from Wheat or Rice. The wheat or rice is not the issue, but the glutens extracted, stored, and then imported from China. Again, CANIDAE does not use Glutens in any form, and we do not import any ingredients from China or overseas.

CANIDAE Pet Foods also does not produce cuts and gravies, pouches, and does not contain corn, wheat, soybeans, or Glutens in any of our products or formulations, and all ingredients are of US origin, meaning proudly raised and grown in the USA.

Our heartfelt concerns go out to all those affected by the recall.


CANIDAE Pet Foods

anyhow, best of luck to you and i hope this food works for your dog!

Answer 6

canidae was one of the last pet foods to be recalled. i had recently switched my boxers to it so i IMMEDIATELY took them off of manufactured pet food all together. i am tired of feeding them that crap that is mostly corn and wheat anyway when dogs eat real meat in the wild. my oldest boxer did have allergy issues with science diet when he was a puppy his face would get all red and itchy so i used biljac for years but there is a great book that you can read to guide you if you decide to switch to raw food which my dogs LOVE. rawreally isn't more expensive as long as you buy meat on sale.

http://www.amazon.com/Work-Wonders-Feed-Meaty-Bones/dp/0975717405/ref=sr_1_1/103-0704759-9510268?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177962712&sr=8-1

Answer 7

My dog is allergy free...and it's due to feeding her a good quality food. Science Diet is crap... I wouldn't feed it or Iams or Eukanuba. Canidae is very good quality...human grade ingredients and such. It's one of the top 5 kibbles.

I feed Nutro Natural Choice which is supposedly a good kibble for allergy plagued dogs. There are also some suppements such as Missing Link that you can add to their food to help as well.

Answer 8

Feeding a quality food like Artemis, Canidae, Wellness and Innova will definately help restore the proper nutrients -- also you can add a supplement to their food. We use a couple squirts of Salmon Oil and it really helps my nervous Chi with her coat.

I believe the name is Grizzly Salmon Oil. You can find it in finer pet stores.

Answer 9

Check out recipes for homemade dog food online. I feed ground turkey with brown rice and vegetables and eggs. 40%protien 30% starch and 30% vegs. You need to eliminate all possible irritants whether it be food or spray on bedding or laundry soap or flea collar????? A lot of times it's food.

Answer 10

I had exactly the same problem with science diet for my Lab/Rotty.
It has crept back up since I had to put him on Puppy Chow temporarily.
Ive been using Nutro with no problems at all though-his patches grew back immediatly. I never used anything on the patches though, I wanted to be certain that food was the only change when they cleared up.