[acard101]

Hey guys,
This is my first post here so bear with me if I forget to include some information. I have a 4 year old American Staffordshire. I've had her since she was 3 years old and she has always had lots of skin problems and hair loss, at around 2 I did an allergy exam..the results were multiple pages but I try to avoid the level 3 allergens the most and to do my best with the rest. Even then I have a hard time finding foods or any treats to give her, the most difficult part is she is allergic to tocophenols..I had her on blue buffalo, switched to taste of the wild, and now I'm feeding her "perfomatrin ultra limited duck and potato", which is grain and gluten free. She has been pretty good on the food, her vet also ordered a medicated shampoo of ketoconazole and chloroxylenol which is supposed to be antimicrobial and I'm supposed to bathe her with it 3 times a week. Recently while I had her at my parents, they mixed in some wet food without realizing lamb (allergen) was the main ingredient after that she flared up with hives and started losing her hair on both sides of her back. It's been 4 days, and 3 days on benadryl and nothing has gotten better. I will be taking her to the vet tomorrow, for the regular antibiotic or antihistamine shot...but I'm so tired of just fixing the current problem and want her to get better long term and have so nice hair growth. Even without allergies she loses so much hair. I vacuum every two days in my 1 bedroom apartment and its insane the amount of hair that she loses. Wanted to know if anyone had any food recommendations or natural remedies. I also recently ordered natural salmon oil hoping for hair growth..but unfortunately 1 of the only 2 ingredients is tocophenol so I haven't given it to her. I wanted to include pictures, but I'm not sure how to do it without using a URL.

 

[EckoMac]

Host the pic on a photo sharing site like IMGUR then copy the forum link and paste it directly into the post.

Local bee pollen, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar with the mother, and a holistic vet will help you build your pups immune system.

Duoxo products are also fantastic for helping to build up the phytosingosine layer to fight agains topical and environmental allergens.

 

[Betty_the_boss]

My dog is highly allergic also. Most of his allergies are environmental, although he is sensitive to a few proteins and I avoid them. He has been on sublingual allergy meds since he was 1 and is now 12. I feed him Honest Kitchen grain free beef, fish or turkey, and rotate the proteins. I mix in frozen raw patties from Primal ( turkey and sardine, venison, or rabbit), Answers (beef or turkey) or Tucker (salmon and pumpkin). Read the ingredients on line to see what works for your dog.

I found that I did better using Dermoscent Essential 8 on his coat than medicated shampoos, but I tried those as well. It’s made by Bayer and is topical. I haven’t given him a real bath in at least 3 years but I do wipe him down regularly with a washcloth and a very mild diluted shampoo.

It took some work and experimentation to get his skin and coat healthy so stay with it and check in from time to time.

 

[lovemy_pitB00]

Heimrich was an amazing reverse brindle Am Staff that lived to be 17. I only fed him Beneful dry dog food.Occasionally I would give him wet food as a treat. He didn't have allergies. Maybe you can try it too. Beneful Grain Free is a great choice .I sure do miss my boy...

 

[ReelDog]

Hi acard101,

What a complicated PIA to have a dog allergic to Vitamin E! Fish naturally contains some Vitamin E (tocopherol) but the form usually used as a preservative are mixed tocophenols derived from soy. Soy is an issue in dog food for a number of reasons but it could be some residual soy protein has made it way into the mix. Have you had a second opinion confirming the allergy?

Have you tried FreshPet or similar refrigerated or frozen diets? These don't need tocophenols as a preservative and can be found readily. They cost more than typical commercial foods but are much cheaper than emergency visits to your vet. I use a rotational "everything" diet for my girl. But when her hormone levels cause hair loss and skin irritation we switch to a FreshPet rotation. It has done wonders. Be aware that these are high protein diets which are not appropriate for all dogs.
(I confess--I cheat because I'm cheap. I buy the largest rolls I can find, esp if on sale. I cut them into portions and freeze immediately, only defrosting a few days worth at a time. The packaging says to keep refrigerated and not to freeze but I only do it for the short term with no noticeable change in quality. I also mix with a little kibble.)

Alternatively, with a raw diet so you can control everything that goes into your dog.
>> It's important to do your homework if you take the raw food route to make sure all necessary vitamins and minerals are included. There are supplement/premixes specifically made for raw feeding which are dry or freeze-dried so no additional preservatives needed.

Complete freeze-dried (usually "raw") diets are also tocopherol free. They are often made by the same companies producing the premixes for raw. Some of the most familiar are Sojo's, Dr. Harvey's, Gramdma Lucy, Honest Kitchen, Instinct... These companies also make "Toppers" which I cut into smaller pcs and moisten slightly the night before to use as high value treats. Much less messy than actual meat in my pockets, LOL.

Best of luck getting your girl healthy and lovely.