allergies and ocd

[shelby842]

this girl does have allergies, but I do think she has more ocd than the allergies...anyone have any suggestions to what can be given her, don't want to drug her...thanks...

[mrrsteelers]

What sort of OCD? Allergies can be very uncomfortable. What's your vet say?

[targonrotts]

sounda a little vague...
what is she doing?
allergies or ocd?
describe more.

[shelby842]

sorry, i wasnt' very clear, she chews her feet..the vet said it could be food, well we have tried 5 different foods, and gave them a good try, not just a couple of weeks...the vet said the only way for sure was to do the allergy tests, which is expensive and sometimes it doesn't tell u everything...I lean more towards ocd, i am sure she does have some allergies also though...But she does more chewing during the day, very very little during the night, which leads me to think its more ocd than allergies..I have used benadryl, which didn't seem to do much...I don't want to do the predisone rx, I hate that...I have put socks on her, which stay all of 5 minutes..I try to distract her when she starts to chew..Has anyone had the allergy tests done??? As we may have to go that route..and i bet they come back as seasonal, re; ragweed, etc. If anyone has allergies, what do u use for them??If its seasonal, sure can't keep them in the house all the time..Oh, I also use shampoo and rinse that is esp. for allergies and yeast, that was highy recommended and it didnt' seem to help...Just looking for suggestions, but as I write this, I am thinking we are going to have to go the test route...

[Ayoka]

Originally Posted by shelby842

sorry, i wasnt' very clear, she chews her feet..the vet said it could be food, well we have tried 5 different foods, and gave them a good try, not just a couple of weeks...the vet said the only way for sure was to do the allergy tests, which is expensive and sometimes it doesn't tell u everything...I lean more towards ocd, i am sure she does have some allergies also though...But she does more chewing during the day, very very little during the night, which leads me to think its more ocd than allergies..I have used benadryl, which didn't seem to do much...I don't want to do the predisone rx, I hate that...I have put socks on her, which stay all of 5 minutes..I try to distract her when she starts to chew..Has anyone had the allergy tests done??? As we may have to go that route..and i bet they come back as seasonal, re; ragweed, etc. If anyone has allergies, what do u use for them??If its seasonal, sure can't keep them in the house all the time..Oh, I also use shampoo and rinse that is esp. for allergies and yeast, that was highy recommended and it didnt' seem to help...Just looking for suggestions, but as I write this, I am thinking we are going to have to go the test route...

Hmmm have you had a real good look at the ingredients of all of the foods...is there anything common among them? What foods were they?

I also wonder if she may be walking outside in grass with pesticides that could irritate?

[shelby842]

I never use any pesticides in the yard, mainly because of the animals, and I don't believe in them, but that is a good thought, if some that do use them...I have put her back on canidae....I had her on wellness fish, nupro something, can't remember now all the food she has been on...but that is also a good suggestion to check all the ingrediants in all the foods...I do have records of what I have used, so I will take a look..thanks

[tuckersmum]

I've started giving Tucker a little bit of locally produced honey to help with his inhalant allergies. He did get a couple doses of temaril-p a few months back that really broke the scratching cycle,( we only use it as a last resort) and now is doing a lot better. He is also on Sensible Choice Lamb meal & Rice with a couple tbls of plain non fat yogurt

[Sharon Marples]

Pred may be hard on them, but I personally think you should give it a try. At least you will know in a day or two if it is going to stop the chewing on her feet.

If it stops the chewing, then play with the doseage, dropping it lower every two or three days until she starts to chew again. Then keep it just at the doseage that will prevent the chewing. After a couple of weeks on that doseage, then try to lower it again.

We have done this very successfully in the past and have gotten to where we are giving only about 1/8 of the original doseage and only giving it every other day. It just takes a bit of time.

[targonrotts]

chewing on feet is usually due to a food allergy or fungal/bacterial foot infections.
i have used lotrimin powder on their feet, powder them twice a day, and walk them for a bit to get their minds off it. a few days later, the itch goes, and the chewing stops.
my 2 old males,RIP,had this habit in the summer of chewing the bottom of their feets, and this worked great on them.

[mrrsteelers]

I hate to disagree w/ your vet but it's cheaper to start perscription food and way eaiser. The food is hydrolyzed meaning the protiens are broken down so small, they won't trigger reactions. Those tests can go on forever ($$$).
I assume your vet checked for other causes too? Mange, or possible airbourne allergies, or plants in your yard.

[Ilovemypuppy]

What amount of vaccination has this dog had ? and are there ANY dairy products being fed..no matter how small an amount ?
First thing I would do is a liver cleanse (Milk Thistle at a health food store..adult dose and length of time)..then Moducare to strength the immune system...take away any source of grains..home cook if necessary.

[shelby842]

thanks for all the great suggestions, I am going to start with the powder and see what this does for her, then move on to the other ones...great great ideas, oh, what is the reason for honey????

[Cheekie]

My little girl Kenya was finally diagnosed with severe food allergies about three years ago. She had red ears, did the constant leg chewing but also vomitting and diarrhea. After all kinds of tests, biopsys, and exploratory procedures to rule out cancer and other causes my Vet put her on Prescription Diet Z/D Ultra Allergen Free food. What a difference! The food is a little expensive but worth every penny and you can only get it from a Vet with a Rx. Like previously posted the protein in the food is broken down so small that her body does not react negatively to it. I wish you a speedy resolution!

[shelby842]

sure sounds like you have finally got the right thing going for your little girl, KUDOOS for you, I hope I find the right thing soon for this girl...This morning I am trying the powder on the feel, as someone on here suggested...but I am using gold bond, I can't find the one she suggested, yet anyway here....thanks for the name of the food, I wonder if I can get it here in Canada, I have never heard of this food, but will sure try to find out...thanks, and so glad you finally got her on the right track....

[shelby842]

Cheekie;

do you give her any treats or anything else at all, or just her rx food..thanks