Question:
help, we have a 6 year old newfoundland, who seems to be into self harm! She is a family pet, not a show dog. and has cost us thousands! From a teeny pup she constantly chewed bit and scratched herself. Her ears, webbed paws and under her tail being the worse areas. She has had half an ear canal removed at one point. from head shaking, haematomas, wounds etc.
Her paws are almost bald. We have tried vets and their extensive range of products (our pet insurance will no longer cover us for all of Ebonys many aliments) we have tried natural remedies, including thornit. We have used hypersensitve products from shampoos to vitamins. and also a 6week period of only pork and potatoes (whilst we ate beans on toast) to find out what if anything causes these allergys to her skin. We feed ebony on Beta morning and tripe in the evening ( breeders recent suggest) no treats or leftovers currently. Oh and tablespoon of vegtable oil daily. We live in the countryside now after being townies and ebony seemed to improve for a few (cost free months) now its all started again, this evening her ear is almost ripped and is puffy, we have tried the cone plasticv collars for long periods, not easy with an 8 stone dog that could take you down in one fail swoop. if anyone has anything to suggest....................PLEASE PLEASE:

Answer:
Sorry to hear about your dog. I'm not versed in doggy problems, but there are several people here who are dog food experts and have had to deal with allergy problems relating to foods, so stick around and eventually they'll find your post and give you some good advice.

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thank you could seriously do with any help

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Did your vet ever put her on Vanectyl? It's for any kind of allergies. If she has seasonnal allergies, that's about the only thing you can give her. It's hard on their kidneys ( I give less than what the vet prescribes) but it's better than seing my dog with open wounds.

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i may be singing the old song but... if the vet has ruled out any medical disorders (thyroid, diabetes, etc) and environmental allergies, i'm betting a natural, raw, prey-model diet (no grains or veggies) would clear things up... it has worked wonders for many problematic dogs... from food allergies, to recurring UTI's, to ear infections, to colitis, etc. If you want information on the raw diet and have any questions, you can cruise onto the raw-feeding subsection of the food forum.

we love photos btw! and we love newfs!

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we havent heard or tried vanectyl, so thank you will try anything?? and yes the vets have ruled out all the usual common aliments you mentioned!
Originally Posted by Frenchy
Did your vet ever put her on Vanectyl? It's for any kind of allergies. If she has seasonnal allergies, that's about the only thing you can give her. It's hard on their kidneys ( I give less than what the vet prescribes) but it's better than seing my dog with open wounds.



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yes all the common ailments mentioned been ruled out, had some helpful advice from people so thank you. Am going to go into thr rew feeding section now thanks!!!!!! Originally Posted by technodoll
i may be singing the old song but... if the vet has ruled out any medical disorders (thyroid, diabetes, etc) and environmental allergies, i'm betting a natural, raw, prey-model diet (no grains or veggies) would clear things up... it has worked wonders for many problematic dogs... from food allergies, to recurring UTI's, to ear infections, to colitis, etc. If you want information on the raw diet and have any questions, you can cruise onto the raw-feeding subsection of the food forum.

we love photos btw! and we love newfs!



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Hello

My choc lab has allergies as well...He develops big sores on his tummy and scratches like there is no tomorrow..We tries the typical food exercise and that included trying chicken, beef, pork, lamb etc...What seemd to work was a vet food from Hills and it is a hypo allergenic food..Only contains Duck & Potato..Well it has worked very well..I also put a drop of flax seed oil in his food a couple of times a week..

Good Luck

Cindy


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Be carefull with Flax. Some dogs gets the itchies from it.

To rule out food, you need to do an elimination diet. Put the pup on a diet with a protein that they've never had before. no treats, just this food. After 3-4 weeks, you should start to see a change IF it is afood allergy. To me, this almost sounds enviromental.

Have they done a skin biopsy?

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Also, have you looked at any household products, carpet cleaners, etc?

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Great suggestions from everybody already.

I think at this point her diet needs to be as simple as possible and raw/homecooked may be the way to go to get that. I'd cut out grains completely- not even flax. If you want to supplement the food for her coat, salmon oil is better than veg oil, but even then, I'd hold off adding anything to her diet till she stabilizes.



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Originally Posted by Winston
What seemd to work was a vet food from Hills and it is a hypo allergenic food..Only contains Duck & Potato..Well it has worked very well..I also put a drop of flax seed oil in his food a couple of times a week..

Unfortunetly Hilss is not the best food, although it's great if it's working for your dog.

I would also recommend a homecooked or raw diet, but research it thoroughly before hand. Sometimes the allergy can be from one of the chemicals in kibble (presertives and such)

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This is a great group and I'm not playing any favorites, (edited by admin - should have been a pm to member) They might be able to add to your search by giving you some Breed Specific knowledge. They are a fine bunch and also have many Raw feeders. The more info the better in a tight corner!

I also feed Raw and suppliment Omega 3's for the skin or just feed Sardines....mmmmm like candy to my doggies.

Good luck
Angie J

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One of our dog's a few years ago had allergy testing; the final conclusion was the dog was obsessive compulsive! We trained her that it was 'bad' to chew her paws and eventually, it worked; with no change to her diet.
In regards to the ears, sometimes deep in the ear, the fine fur will form a blockage and promote yeast. If this is the case, you can extract it yourself, get a daily cleaning solution and this seems to help as well.
Hope this helps,
Calvins Dad

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