Food allergy or something else?

andreac

Just wondering about this.

I was in Kerry two weeks ago with Cooper and Viktor. Viktor developed a sore paw on the last days of the hols. Initially it looked like he stood on something or pulled the skin off one of the pads.

So when i got home i bathed it etc and put some powder on it. It was very itchy and sore and only healed up after nearly a week.

So, i thought it was something that hurt him, but now hes chewing at another paw, back one this time. Poor fella is very irritated by it and has chewed it so that it looks like he rubbed the skin of his pads again, but he must have done that to the other one too.

So it has me thinking, could it be the food thats causing it? I changed over a month ago, so hes on his second big bag now, possibly 3rd bag, not 100%.

Would it take that long for an allergy to come out in him or is it something thats in his system since kerry?

Ive taken him off the food for now, gave him scrambled eggs and rice and might get him some raw for a few days to see would it help.

I hate seeing him like that as hes quite irritated by it. Ive been treating it with hibiscrub and some tea tree cream (Equicreme) to ease the itchiness and gave him some metacam too to help the pain.

Any other ideas?

tk123

Poor Vikor! Have you given any antihistamines eg Piroton/Zirtek/Cetrine to see of it helps ease it at all? I've read it can take a few months for allergy to come out in them but on BARF. My friend's dog was really bad and it turned out it was mites - he had lesions all over his body from them and had the works done - biopsies, scrapings, bloods etc.

andreac

Ah no way. Ill get some Piriton later and see does that help. Im hoping by taking him off the food it will help. Ive never had issues like this in their paws, ive had lots of hot spots with them alright. Im hoping that it is just the food that has caused it or else god knows what it could be.

They dont get treats so they only ever have their food.

Thankfully i have had no issues with Cooper or Flo for a long time, but poor little Viktor isnt so lucky. Just seems a coincidence that i changed the food recently. I can deal with food related issues as they are usually easily solved by changing.

Im going to look into getting a fish based one in the range that Cooper and Flo are on as they are both in fantastic condition on it and have had no problems with it at all.

Not sure whether to keep him off this food (Clinivet), let his paw heal up and introduce again to see if thats whats causing it or just go and change anyway.

DBB

At this time of year, harvest mites are a definite possibility (I've been bitten by them myself, they're extraordinarily itchy), but I also wonder if he could have walked on something that has irritated his feet?

andreac

DBB wrote: »

At this time of year, harvest mites are a definite possibility (I've been bitten by them myself, they're extraordinarily itchy), but I also wonder if he could have walked on something that has irritated his feet?

Thats the thing DBB, the first one happened in Kerry, i noticed his sore paw on the Saturday 23rd. That one healed up late last week, but now another is very sore so if he stood on something, surely it wouldnt have happened up here again as im back home since the 23rd.

With mites, how are they treated? Im currently washing with Hibiscrub and putting some cream on it that has tea tree in it and it helped with the other one.

DBB

You'd expect to see the mites affecting all of his feet though... You'd expect the same with food too. So it's hard to know, your suspicions would have to be that both feet happen to have come into contact with something that has irritated them.
Having said that, I had more harvest mite bites on one leg than the other, so perhaps it just so happens that they've only climbed aboard the two affected legs?
Mites need to be treated pretty aggressively, and repeatedly throughout the season.
I have always used TacTic in a foot bath to get rid of the little feckers, but I'm not sure how widely available it is. Some of the spot-on treatments are licensed to kill them, but I don't find them much good if there is already a fair infestation. They may help minimise infestations, but I'm cynical about how good they are after the fact.. that's just my own experience though.
The best, I have found, is Prac-Tic, but I think it's not actually licensed for harvest mites!

I wonder is there a plant in bloom at the moment that's growing across the country that might be irritating him?

maggiepip

Andreac he wouldn't have just skinned the pad would he, from a slight skid or suddenly turning funny? Probably a bit too much of a coincidence to then go and do the other paw, but my Lab has done this a couple of times from suddenly stopping on concrete.

gozunda

One of the most common irritation agents on dogs paws at this time of the year are grass seeds.

See for example
http://www.marcthevet.com/2011/05/preparing-your-dog-for-summer-the-dreaded-grass-seed-2/

Or do a search for grass seed dog paw
And you will encounter plenty of information on this

andreac

I'm in two minds whether to bring him to the vets or take him off the food for a few days and just keep treating it like I have been doing as the other one dried up.
If it is the food the vet can't do much bar tell me to take him off it.

Thing is I can't put front line spray on it at the Mo as he chewed it and the skin is broken. So thinking maybe to take him off the food and see how he goes and when it heals I might get some spray then and treat him with it.

What you think?
Maggie I initially thought that with the first one but now that he's chewing a second one I don't think it's that.

Is there anything else I could treat him with that might ease the itchiness or should I go to the vet with it? Just thinking is there much more they could do for it that I not able to do myself.

maggiepip

Id keep doing what you doing for the moment, especially as the other one dried up and healed. I find a bit of sudocreme brilliant for small irritations, coconut oil is great too applied topically.

jimf

if it was food related andreac would you not expect lower body allergy as well or does it come in a form that effects the pads only

I remember years ago my father washing the greyhounds legs in bog water the theory I think was the healing property of the sulphur content

Inexile

could it be something he pick up on hols but has carried back with him?

Im thinking something like a reaction to a fertiliser or insect that is localised. I would give a bit longer before changing foods - is there a major difference in the foods or ingredients in the food that you changed?