We have a small 25 lb terrier, mostly jack russel. This summer she has been
suffering with what the vet thinks is allergies. She is always scratching
and chewing on her paws until they are raw. Her back is rough where she
scratches it on the cars. She has always had a problem with her anal glands.
We give her benedryl and it seems to relieve the scratching and chewing
symptoms. More recently, however, she really stinks, even after a bath and
drinks a lot of water. Could her anal glands be the problem? I have to have
the vet express them as I can't seem to get the hang of it. My wife thinks
she may be diabetic. She has had all her shots and did take heart guard and
frontline, but we switched to tri heart six months ago and have given her
the antiflea pill the last 2 months.

On Mon, 11 Oct 2010 08:54:41 -0500, "Ringer"
wrote:

We have a small 25 lb terrier, mostly jack russel. This summer she has been
suffering with what the vet thinks is allergies. She is always scratching
and chewing on her paws until they are raw. Her back is rough where she
scratches it on the cars. She has always had a problem with her anal glands.
We give her benedryl and it seems to relieve the scratching and chewing
symptoms. More recently, however, she really stinks, even after a bath and
drinks a lot of water. Could her anal glands be the problem? I have to have
the vet express them as I can't seem to get the hang of it. My wife thinks
she may be diabetic. She has had all her shots and did take heart guard and
frontline, but we switched to tri heart six months ago and have given her
the antiflea pill the last 2 months.

It sounds like she has food allergies.

"sighthounds & siberians" wrote
"Ringer" wrote:

We have a small 25 lb terrier, mostly jack russel. This summer she has
been
suffering with what the vet thinks is allergies. She is always scratching
and chewing on her paws until they are raw. Her back is rough where she
scratches it on the cars. She has always had a problem with her anal
glands.
We give her benedryl and it seems to relieve the scratching and chewing
symptoms. More recently, however, she really stinks, even after a bath and
drinks a lot of water. Could her anal glands be the problem? I have to
have
the vet express them as I can't seem to get the hang of it. My wife thinks
she may be diabetic. She has had all her shots and did take heart guard
and
frontline, but we switched to tri heart six months ago and have given her
the antiflea pill the last 2 months.

It sounds like she has food allergies.

Could well be!

Ringer, the water drinking probably isn't allergies but the rest really
sounds like it. Food is one of the things that could be amiss. I see you
also swapped to something called 'tri heart' at about the same time. I
don't know what 'tri heart' is for sure but sounds like a combo heartworm
and flea thing?

I gather this is 'recent' on a dog you have had for a few years? The tri
heart *may* be the issue (seems to have been added same time as the symptoms
so is suspect) but if it's food allergies they can develop over time.

Tell us what you feed her? Brand and such? Also the top 3 allergins for
dogs for food a corn, wheat, soy. Most 'average' dog foods (especially
dry) use these among the top 4-5 ingredients. Since most folks feed dogs
dry kibble, look at the bag and tell us the top 6 ingredients listed (same
order as on the bag) or if a common type, just the brand and type. For
example, I feed my pooches Blue Wilderness, grain free, and vary with the
salmon, duck, and chicken versions. I also use a few other brands of a good
sort for occasional variation.

I swapped food in an attempt to deal with an ear issue and it seems my
Cash-cun (Cash boy/pup) has wheat issues as taken off wheat containing
foods, he gets lots better.

You'll doubtless also get some links and things on how to raw feed and if
you can afford it and work with it, that may solve any allergin issues as
well *if* they are food based. I'll leave that to others to explain and
work on the kibble angle if that's what you need to use.

Lets say for example, your current kibble lists wheat and corn in the top 4
with wheat being before corn. Eliminate the easy one of wheat by finding a
brand without it of where it's way down in the list. The best is to go
grain free but that isn't always financially possible.

On Mon, 11 Oct 2010 11:53:25 -0400, "cshenk" wrote:

"sighthounds & siberians" wrote
"Ringer" wrote:

We have a small 25 lb terrier, mostly jack russel. This summer she has
been
suffering with what the vet thinks is allergies. She is always scratching
and chewing on her paws until they are raw. Her back is rough where she
scratches it on the cars. She has always had a problem with her anal
glands.
We give her benedryl and it seems to relieve the scratching and chewing
symptoms. More recently, however, she really stinks, even after a bath and
drinks a lot of water. Could her anal glands be the problem? I have to
have
the vet express them as I can't seem to get the hang of it. My wife thinks
she may be diabetic. She has had all her shots and did take heart guard
and
frontline, but we switched to tri heart six months ago and have given her
the antiflea pill the last 2 months.

It sounds like she has food allergies.

Could well be!

Ringer, the water drinking probably isn't allergies but the rest really
sounds like it. Food is one of the things that could be amiss. I see you
also swapped to something called 'tri heart' at about the same time. I
don't know what 'tri heart' is for sure but sounds like a combo heartworm
and flea thing?

I gather this is 'recent' on a dog you have had for a few years? The tri
heart *may* be the issue (seems to have been added same time as the symptoms
so is suspect) but if it's food allergies they can develop over time.

Tell us what you feed her? Brand and such? Also the top 3 allergins for
dogs for food a corn, wheat, soy. Most 'average' dog foods (especially
dry) use these among the top 4-5 ingredients. Since most folks feed dogs
dry kibble, look at the bag and tell us the top 6 ingredients listed (same
order as on the bag) or if a common type, just the brand and type. For
example, I feed my pooches Blue Wilderness, grain free, and vary with the
salmon, duck, and chicken versions. I also use a few other brands of a good
sort for occasional variation.

I swapped food in an attempt to deal with an ear issue and it seems my
Cash-cun (Cash boy/pup) has wheat issues as taken off wheat containing
foods, he gets lots better.

You'll doubtless also get some links and things on how to raw feed and if
you can afford it and work with it, that may solve any allergin issues as
well *if* they are food based. I'll leave that to others to explain and
work on the kibble angle if that's what you need to use.

Lets say for example, your current kibble lists wheat and corn in the top 4
with wheat being before corn. Eliminate the easy one of wheat by finding a
brand without it of where it's way down in the list. The best is to go
grain free but that isn't always financially possible.

It's also possible for a dog to be allergic or sensitive to animal
protein(s).

"sighthounds & siberians" wrote
"cshenk" wrote:

Tell us what you feed her? Brand and such? Also the top 3 allergins for
dogs for food a corn, wheat, soy. Most 'average' dog foods (especially
dry) use these among the top 4-5 ingredients. Since most folks feed dogs

It's also possible for a dog to be allergic or sensitive to animal
protein(s).

Correct and thanks! Should have mentioned that but it's less common from my
understanding?

On Oct 11, 1:02*pm, "cshenk" wrote:
"sighthounds & siberians" wrote

"cshenk" wrote:
Tell us what you feed her? *Brand and such? *Also the top 3 allergins for
dogs for food a corn, wheat, soy. *Most 'average' dog foods (especially
dry) use these among the top 4-5 ingredients. *Since most folks feed dogs
It's also possible for a dog to be allergic or sensitive to animal
protein(s).

Correct and thanks! *Should have mentioned that but it's less common from my
understanding?

It's true that wheat and corn are the most common food allergens for
dogs.

"sighthounds & siberians" wrote in message
...
On Oct 11, 1:02 pm, "cshenk" wrote:
"sighthounds & siberians" wrote

"cshenk" wrote:
Tell us what you feed her? Brand and such? Also the top 3 allergins for
dogs for food a corn, wheat, soy. Most 'average' dog foods
(especially
dry) use these among the top 4-5 ingredients. Since most folks feed dogs
It's also possible for a dog to be allergic or sensitive to animal
protein(s).

Correct and thanks! Should have mentioned that but it's less common from
my
understanding?

It's true that wheat and corn are the most common food allergens for
dogs.

The tri heart is a less expensive brand of heart guard. The flea pill was
something separate. Our dog is 9 years old. She use to eat kibbles then got
real picky. Currently we feed her little bites. it says it has whole grains.
The problem with food is that she goes down to grandmas and pigs out on
whatever they want to give her. Do they make a hyperallergenic food I can
try her on to see if it is a food allergy? The dog food says: whole grain
corn, meat and bone meal, corn gluten meal,soybean mealanimal fat and
chicken as the top 6.

"Ringer" wrote

The tri heart is a less expensive brand of heart guard. The flea pill was
something separate. Our dog is 9 years old.

Ok, my first suspect will be the 'new tri heart'. If in 9 years she didnt
react to a food, it's more likely I think that the new med started same time
as the reaction is at fault. Go back to the old heart guard for a bit and
see if it clears?

She use to eat kibbles then got real picky. Currently we feed her little
bites. it says it has whole grains.

Sorry, I may have confused you. 'kibbles' here just means any dry dog food,
not a specific brand.

If you mean the purina 'Little Bites' food here is the label.

Ingredients
Whole grain corn, meat and bone meal, corn gluten meal, soybean meal, animal
fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), chicken, whole
grain wheat, egg and chicken flavor, animal digest, brewers rice, salt,
L-Lysine monohydrochloride, potassium chloride, choline chloride, added
color (Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 2), Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, zinc
proteinate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, manganese proteinate,
niacin, Vitamin A supplement, calcium carbonate, brewers dried yeast, copper
sulfate, calcium pantothenate, copper proteinate, pyridoxine hydrochloride,
garlic oil, Vitamin B-12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate, Vitamin D-3
supplement, riboflavin supplement, calcium iodate, menadione sodium
bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), folic acid, biotin, sodium
selenite.
F-4120

You'll see the top 3 dry food type allergins are in the top 4 listed items.
'Whole grain' is good for people, not so much so for dogs. In this case
corn tops the list in 1st and 3rd place. I'd hazard a guess a corn free
food will work better if your dog is reacting to that. Food alleries for
dogs arent quite the same symptoms a human has. For them it is itchy skin
and everything else you describe except for excessive drinking. Also ear
yeast infections (which can have other causes).

The problem with food is that she goes down to grandmas and pigs out on
whatever they want to give her. Do they make a hyperallergenic food I can
try her on to see if it is a food allergy? The dog food says: whole grain
corn, meat and bone meal, corn gluten meal,soybean mealanimal fat and
chicken as the top 6.

There are many types. I don't know how fat your piggy bank is. I don't
want to suggest something you just can't afford as that is useless. It's
also useless to tell you a brand if you can't get it but I can *try*.

Here's one spot to check:

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

Little Bites is a level 1 on a scale that goes to 6.

Check out the Diamond Meal and Rice set. Thats a 3 star food pretty easy to
find in a lot of areas. Might be double your current feed but may not be.
Oddly sometimes it's *less* because folks don't know more and see the
non-flashy bag and think others are better. BTW, science diet and Iams are
overpriced 1 star items now. Maybe once they were good but they dummied
down. Save your pennies if you thought to upscale with them.

The Diamond meal set I gave, is corn free. It uses rice and some wheat but
looks a decent try if corn is the problem.

On Mon, 11 Oct 2010 17:12:12 -0500, "Ringer"
wrote:

The tri heart is a less expensive brand of heart guard. The flea pill was
something separate. Our dog is 9 years old. She use to eat kibbles then got
real picky. Currently we feed her little bites. it says it has whole grains.
The problem with food is that she goes down to grandmas and pigs out on
whatever they want to give her. Do they make a hyperallergenic food I can
try her on to see if it is a food allergy? The dog food says: whole grain
corn, meat and bone meal, corn gluten meal,soybean mealanimal fat and
chicken as the top 6.

Here's my suggestion: get her off the crappy food. Kibble containing
corn, nonspecific meat and bone meal, corn gluten meal and soybean is
not high quality food. Look for a food that contains no corn or wheat
and nothing generic like meat meal or bone meal. You want an animal
protein source to be the first or second ingredient, and you want to
know what animal that source is, such as chicken meal or lamb meal.
Here are some pretty good/good/very good dog foods, in no particular
order other than as I remember names: Evo, California Natural,
Innova, Wellness, Canidae, Diamond Naturals. Purina Pro Plan and
Chicken Soup for the Soul would be better than what you're feeding.
If you can buy it at the grocery store or at Walmart, it's not a good
food.

Yes, there are hypoallergenic foods, but those are going to be really
expensive. Try getting her onto a better food first.

On Mon, 11 Oct 2010 19:22:04 -0400, "cshenk" wrote:

"Ringer" wrote

The tri heart is a less expensive brand of heart guard. The flea pill was
something separate. Our dog is 9 years old.

Ok, my first suspect will be the 'new tri heart'. If in 9 years she didnt
react to a food, it's more likely I think that the new med started same time
as the reaction is at fault. Go back to the old heart guard for a bit and
see if it clears?

Actually, Carol, dogs develop allergies to foods after being on them
for years. That's why it's really better to vary dogs' diets somewhat
than to keep them on the same thing forever. Tri Heart is simply
generic ivermectin, as opposed to Heartgard which is name brand
ivermectin. It's possible, but very very unlikely, that the dog is
reacting to the generic when it tolerated the name brand.

She use to eat kibbles then got real picky. Currently we feed her little
bites. it says it has whole grains.

Sorry, I may have confused you. 'kibbles' here just means any dry dog food,
not a specific brand.

If you mean the purina 'Little Bites' food here is the label.

If that's what the dog is eating, he can probably read the label
himself. In any case, it's crappy food.

Check out the Diamond Meal and Rice set. Thats a 3 star food pretty easy to
find in a lot of areas. Might be double your current feed but may not be.
Oddly sometimes it's *less* because folks don't know more and see the
non-flashy bag and think others are better. BTW, science diet and Iams are
overpriced 1 star items now. Maybe once they were good but they dummied
down. Save your pennies if you thought to upscale with them.

The Diamond meal set I gave, is corn free. It uses rice and some wheat but
looks a decent try if corn is the problem.

Diamond has some decent foods. Better to go with something that
doesn't have wheat, too.