Is Your Dog Hyperactive, Scratching A Lot And Unnecessarily Protective?

[jourdain2]

Just to say that our little dog, Tyke, showing all the signs in the title, started snapping at visitors. His scratching was driving all of us mad. It started end August so we put it down to fleas and gave the treatment and bath. No improvement and things worsened. Mentioned it to the Vet in Nov. when annual vaccinations were given and he checked little Tyke over - no fleas etc. , no mange or skin infection, so he gave a dose against a certain type of worm and told us to come back in a month if no improvement.

No improvement and so a food allergy was diagnosed and he is on low protein diet food. Within a week the scratching stopped, people he has never met visited today and he welcomed them with waggy tail. So, I thought I'd post this in case anyone else had this problem, think of a food allergy (He was on standard dog food.)

[Tilly2]

I'm glad you have that sorted, jourdain. Poor little thing.

[tonyav]

I wonder what suddenly caused the allergy, glad it's sorted though jourdain.

[woofgang]

allergies can just happen tony, in dogs and humans. I know someone who went to the Isle of Wight to see the wild lupins. He started the day without hay fever, went on the walk and by the time he had finished he had hay fever. My own dog developed an allergy aged two and it wasn't a mild one.

[RATTER15]

Is there such a thing as "standard" fog food?

[tonyav]

Yes, these things happen I suppose, woof.

[jourdain2]

Yes, woof, it just happened quite suddenly - no change to his diet at all. 'Standard' meant Pedigree dry food, Ratter - the vet reckons that it is probably one of the proteins in the mix. Thanks, all, for your interest. He's a much happier little dog now (apart from a 'treat' now being a little boiled rice instead of a biscuit!) and we are relieved of growing worry. Hope maybe that knowing this can happen may help someone else.

[ladybirder]

Little piece of chicken wouldn't hurt as a treat would it jourdain, nicer than rice, even for a dog;-)

[jourdain2]

Ssh! Don't tell anayone, ladybirder, but I have boiled some chicken and cut it up quite small so he has a rather nicer treat once or twice a day!

[woofgang]

my allergic boy is has fish and potato dogfood We are lucky in that we know that he is allergic to pork, duck and dairy, provided he doesn't have these, he can eat what he likes.

[jourdain2]

Thanks woofgang. Once I'm sure that whatever allergen it is is completely out of his system, I'll try very gradually introducing fish etc.. Tiny bits of chicken seem OK so far.