Food Allergies

[Elizabeth]

Does anyone know of specific food allergies present in the boerboel breed? In October Nala started loosing her voice, her bark became very hoarse. I immediately took her to the Vet, who suggested that he sedates her and look into her throat, to rule out any growths in her throat or on the vocal chords. To my relief, no growths were detected, but he said the vocal chords are very inflamed.  He prescribed an antibiotic for 10 days, in this period her bark got better, but not the normal deep loud Nala bark.

I contacted the vet again who suggested that it might be an allergy and prescribed cortozone tablets to see if that brings her bark back to normal.  The cortozone helped tremendously, but only for the period that she is on it.  Now her bark sometimes comes out normal and sometimes it is just a little whisper.  She is not an excessive barker, hence when she barks I want her to have her voice.

She still eats as usual, but I have noticed she prefers pellets that are wet - which I can understand as her throat must be hurting.  I spoke to the vet again yesterday and he says it sounds more and more like an allergy and he prescribed another series of cortozone, but a lighter dose.

I bought allergy specific dog food yesterday - manufacturer is Hills, in hope that it might be something as simple as her dog food, in order for me to change it.  My concern is that it is an ingredient in the dogfood that she is allergic to.

The Vet also stated maybe I should come to terms that it is an old dog and that old dogs sometimes lose their bark, I am not convinced that it is age. Any advise/experience will be appreciated. 

[Lisa Tiro]

Hi Elizabeth and welcome to the group! I have never heard of that but as far as allergies there have been many discussions on that on here. My boy is 15 months and I had a lot of issues with him eating pellets or dry dog food. I fed him the highest quality but he always ended up with the runs and he basically refused to eat it after a while. I took this as him saying this food sucks lol....and he is right. Imagine eating that crap for your whole life and nothing else. So after researching for about a year on raw feeding I just dove in and started feeding him Prey Model Raw. It is a natural diet with no additives and you know exactly what you are giving your dog. It consists of raw meat and raw meaty bones in the largest pieces not cut up. If the meat is not wild game or grass fed you will need to supplement with fish oil (Omega 3). My boy weighs between 100-120 pounds and I feed him 2-3 pounds of fresh meat and bones a day. The bone making up about 20-25% of the meal. It sounds complicated but honestly it is very easy and he has taken to it and thrived. I put him on it at 8 1/2 months old. If you have any questions Marco is quite helpful with links and all that and I could answer any questions that you might have as well if you are interested in going that route. Good luck with your boy!

~Lisa

[Marco]

Hello Elizabeth, welcome to the site!  I'm sorry to hear about Nala, and I hope your able to find the answer your looking for.  As Lisa mentioned there have beeen many discussions here on the topic.  You can look at them all by clicking the link here.  We also have a section of the site to help with diet which can be found here, and a health section here.  I hope this helps some in finding what your looking for.  Food seems to be the #1 problem from what I have seen most here on the site with owners having allergy issues.  You may also want to make sure Nala is not in contact in the house and outside with any harmful chemicals like pesticides or anything else.  Anymore questions please let us know, and keep us updated.

 

Search results on the site for allergies

Diet Info Page

Health Info Page

 

[Marco]

Also something I meant to ask are there any certain training collars being used with Nala by anyone over the last couple months?  Is she ever tied out where she could be causing trauma to the area of her throat?  Mean no disrespect in asking this but something that some may overlook.  Wish all the best.

[Elizabeth]

Thanks Marco & Lisa for your replies.   When I received Nala as a pup, she had mange, which I immediately started treatment for and ensured at all times that she was on the best possible dog food for dogs with skin allergies.  At first I fed her Eukenuba, but then changed to a Dogsense

(Essential amino acids to support important muscle and organ maintenance, gelatinized carbo’s for improved energy availability, provides a good balance of Ω6 and Ω3 fatty acids to help ensure healthy skin and shiny coat. Provides a good balance of digestive fibers to aid in the prevention of the uncomfortable effects of constipation, and adequate levels of vitamins and minerals that orchestrate the many important biochemical reactions inside the body to support a lusty vivid life.)

, a locally manufactured dry dog food containing:

Protein 21% (min)
Moisture 10% (max)
Oils and fats 6% (min)
Fibre 40% (max)
Ash 50% (max)
Ca:P ratio 1.1-1.6:1
Calcium 10% (min)
Phosphorous 8% (min)
Linoleic acid 20% (min)
Omega 6:3 ratio 5-10:1

After the meds were completed for her Mange and I switched to the above dog food, mange was something of the past.  I noticed in the other discussions that some of the dogs also had reactions to flee bites, which Nala also has, but she is bathed regularly and dipped, as she LOVES running in the mountain ( Lots of ticks & Flees there), but hardly ever have a skin reaction in the last couple of years - and this also tells me she is prone to allergies.

I don't only feed the dry dog food, for the last 2 years, she also as a mixed diet, where she received a bowl of white chicken meat & rice ( recommended by the vet) - and this she LOVES.  I tend not to feed bones to any of my dogs, I'm absolutely terrified of them getting stuck in their throats, as I have lost a dog like that.

The dog food that I have purchased for her now is called Hills Prescription diet, z/d, Ultra allergen free with the following ingredients:

Starch, Hydrolyzed Chicken Liver, Soybean Oil (preserved with BHA, propyl gallate and citric acid), Hydrolyzed Chicken, Powdered Cellulose, Lactic Acid, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Glyceryl Monostearate, Potassium Chloride, Iodized Salt, Choline Chloride, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), DL-Methionine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Taurine, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols & Citric Acid, Rosemary Extract, Beta-Carotene.

Nutritional Information

Nutrient	Dry Matter1 %
Protein	19.6
Fat	13.3
Carbohydrate (NFE)	59.5
Crude Fiber	2.9
Calcium	0.66
Phosphorus	0.54
Sodium	0.29
Potassium	0.67
Magnesium	0.055
Vitamin C	111 mg/kg
Vitamin E	611 IU/kg
Omega-3 Fatty Acids Total	0.53
Omega-6 Fatty Acids Total	4.40

After 3 cortozone tablets her bark has improved quite a bit, probably showing that the cortozone is working, supporting the fact that this is an allergy and not age.  I will most definitely go and read up on the raw feeding and I have also joined the Yahoo group on canine allergies.

Marco, no offence taken. She is never tied to any post.  She is a very obedient dog and well trained, no need to tie her.  Even when we go for walks she is free to run where she wants to run. You would think she is a pup when it is walk time, she start jumping up and down like a goat :)

Will keep you up to date on her progress and any allergies I can pinpoint.

[Lisa Tiro]

Hi Elizabeth,

You're welcome. I just wanted to say that mange is an immune system problem not an allergy problem. All dogs can have this mite but the immune system is supposed to fight it and usually it cures itself in time.

http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/mange-dogs-canine-scabies

My first BB had mange and I got an ointment from the vet but in time it would have gone away on it's own. We can all develop allergies at any time in our lives and your dog could be having ill effects from the starches in the food or anything else for that matter. I would rather not give meds and try a different food source. Dry dog food is sourced from all different things from many different places each time it is made. I am sure you are choosing the best dry food but unfortunately it is not a natural diet. I feel for you as far as being afraid of him choking on bones. I was too. But as long as the bones are not cooked and they are covered in meat he should do just fine. I only feed chicken bones and pork bones in a picnic roast, not ribs. Beef bones are too dense and should not be fed. They could crack a tooth on beef bones too. If it makes you feel better you could give him ground bones or give a calcium supplement and feed him just meat. There is a lot of support with those yahoo groups. I joined all of those and some facebook ones too. I don't know where you live but if there is wild game available like deer and you know a hunter you could be feeding your dog for free. I know it's scary and I know you want what's best for your dog as we all do. Just do some research on Prey Model Raw, not Barf and you'll be amazed at what you read and learn. I know I was and it's the best thing I ever did for my boy. Good luck!

~Lisa
Elizabeth said:

Thanks Marco & Lisa for your replies.   When I received Nala as a pup, she had mange, which I immediately started treatment for and ensured at all times that she was on the best possible dog food for dogs with skin allergies.  At first I fed her Eukenuba, but then changed to a Dogsense

(Essential amino acids to support important muscle and organ maintenance, gelatinized carbo’s for improved energy availability, provides a good balance of Ω6 and Ω3 fatty acids to help ensure healthy skin and shiny coat. Provides a good balance of digestive fibers to aid in the prevention of the uncomfortable effects of constipation, and adequate levels of vitamins and minerals that orchestrate the many important biochemical reactions inside the body to support a lusty vivid life.)

, a locally manufactured dry dog food containing:

Protein 21% (min)
Moisture 10% (max)
Oils and fats 6% (min)
Fibre 40% (max)
Ash 50% (max)
Ca:P ratio 1.1-1.6:1
Calcium 10% (min)
Phosphorous 8% (min)
Linoleic acid 20% (min)
Omega 6:3 ratio 5-10:1

After the meds were completed for her Mange and I switched to the above dog food, mange was something of the past.  I noticed in the other discussions that some of the dogs also had reactions to flee bites, which Nala also has, but she is bathed regularly and dipped, as she LOVES running in the mountain ( Lots of ticks & Flees there), but hardly ever have a skin reaction in the last couple of years - and this also tells me she is prone to allergies.

I don't only feed the dry dog food, for the last 2 years, she also as a mixed diet, where she received a bowl of white chicken meat & rice ( recommended by the vet) - and this she LOVES.  I tend not to feed bones to any of my dogs, I'm absolutely terrified of them getting stuck in their throats, as I have lost a dog like that.

The dog food that I have purchased for her now is called Hills Prescription diet, z/d, Ultra allergen free with the following ingredients:

Starch, Hydrolyzed Chicken Liver, Soybean Oil (preserved with BHA, propyl gallate and citric acid), Hydrolyzed Chicken, Powdered Cellulose, Lactic Acid, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Glyceryl Monostearate, Potassium Chloride, Iodized Salt, Choline Chloride, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), DL-Methionine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Taurine, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols & Citric Acid, Rosemary Extract, Beta-Carotene.

Nutritional Information

Nutrient	Dry Matter1 %
Protein	19.6
Fat	13.3
Carbohydrate (NFE)	59.5
Crude Fiber	2.9
Calcium	0.66
Phosphorus	0.54
Sodium	0.29
Potassium	0.67
Magnesium	0.055
Vitamin C	111 mg/kg
Vitamin E	611 IU/kg
Omega-3 Fatty Acids Total	0.53
Omega-6 Fatty Acids Total	4.40

After 3 cortozone tablets her bark has improved quite a bit, probably showing that the cortozone is working, supporting the fact that this is an allergy and not age.  I will most definitely go and read up on the raw feeding and I have also joined the Yahoo group on canine allergies.

Marco, no offence taken. She is never tied to any post.  She is a very obedient dog and well trained, no need to tie her.  Even when we go for walks she is free to run where she wants to run. You would think she is a pup when it is walk time, she start jumping up and down like a goat :)

Will keep you up to date on her progress and any allergies I can pinpoint.

[Sweet Pea]

Hi Elizabeth,

Sorry you are having these problems with your girl. I also have a BB with allergies, but not symptoms like yours. Switching to a raw diet helped him immensely. 

First let me say that the steroids helping doesn't necessarily indicate an allergy. Steroids are good at reducing inflammation wether it be from allergies, irritation, infection, etc. But long term use can produce bad side effects. I would consider consulting with a specialist. Most regular vets here in the US do the same thing as your vet did when they don't know the answer...antibiotics, steroids, prescription diet. 

How old is Nala? Does she bark excessively? That can cause a laryngitis in an older dog. Does she have any other allergy symptoms?

Please don't take offense to this, but that Hill's food is very poor quality--and I'm sure it was expensive as it is here. The first ingredient is starch. Dogs are carnivores and have no requirement for starches and grains--both of which cause inflammation. Other than not having real meat in the first few ingredients, what also concerns me is the BHA and propyl gallate. BHA is a carcinogen and propyl gallate may be also, but propyl gallate can cause allergic reactions. Check this out:  Dangers of Propyl Gallate. Veterinarian Dr. Karen Becker did an article on allergen free diets. You may find this helpful: The Problem With Allergen-Free Diets. 

Good luck with your girl and keep us posted.

[Lisa Tiro]

Elizabeth,

Kimberly is very knowledgeable and has done a lot of research on the subject. She helped me immensely when my dog was having aggression issues and after she passed she helped me choose a breeder to get my new pup. She also supported me when I decided to go raw and was so helpful. Thanks Kim!

~Lisa

[Elizabeth]

Hello Kimberly,

Thank you very much for your reply, and no offence taken, I'm here to learn from others, so I take all advice as very valuable. Both articles where very interesting and informative. Nala loves the Hills, which I actually find strange, as she usually does not take well to new food.  I have started feeding her white chicken meat in the evening as well.  She is a 9 year old girl, and I love her to pieces.  I totally agree on taking her to a specialist, as I seeked the advice of a second vet, which I will be returning to on Wednesday, just as a follow up and to make our appointment at the specialist.  Unfotunately the diagnosis of the second vet, confirmed a fear I had, this all could be signs of cancer of the sinuses.

Typically if it is an allergy, they will have a watery discharged from both nostrils, my girl only has it from one ( one of the signs of throat/sinus or facial cancer in dogs) and also as of Thursday evening, she had a little bit of a bloated tummy, another sign of cancer in dogs, as bodily fluids are being released into the body cavity.  The vet suggested to bring her in again on Wednesday, to see what the cortozone did and to discuss further steps and appointments at the specialist to check her throat with an endoscope.  The increase in appetite is due to the cortozone.  Another negative sign is the fact that she is losing weight, even though she still eats as much as she use to.

She is not an excessive barker, and I really miss her bark - she had such a recognisable bark. She is still as playful as usually, still loves going for walks and we keep her mostly inside because temperatures are soaring in South Africa at the moment.  I pray every day that it is not cancer, I lost a dog on the 3rd of October, and I do not want to lose Nala, I do not want to make the call again of putting a dog to sleep, but I do not want Nala to suffer, she is a "stylish" old lady.  I understand that she is aging, but I just  pray for the best.  I am willing to do everything humanly possible to find out what this is and how I can help her.  So please, keep the advice coming.

I REALLY APPRECIATE everyone's guidance and assistance.

And also a BIG THANK YOU from Nala.

[Marco]

You may also want to check out a few of the videos below if you have not already, and have the time.

 

The Quality of Pet Food ingredients

The Best and Worst Foods for Your Pet

 

Lisa also made mention of the Prey Model Diet, and here are some great guides on that worth taking the time to look at.  Both are very very helpful on getting started or just looking for info on the subject.

 

The Prey Model Diet

Prey Model

[rob hewitson]

One last thought

on the allergy issue

firstly ive lived with dogs for fifty years and never had a dog with an allergy

now i have a dog with an allergy that will surely eventually  kill her

and my vet says every second dog thru his door has an allergy

four cortosone tabs every second day cant be good long term and maybe it gets worse

i have to wonder    whats changed

global warming   cfc  food additives

or is it a boel thing

one vet thinks it is in the east cape south africa where i live

a bad gene ?

i must admit every second boel owner i meet spends thousands on skin issues
too many to be a coincidence


so my next question is

what  are top breeders doing about it

maybe they cant guarrentee an allergy free dog
but then  then id like an assurance that he hasnt had an allergic dog  in his kennell and hes done something about avoiding allergies in his blood line

are they doing this

i havent read anything on their cites about allergy genes

hips yes

temperament yes

surely its  possible to avoid allergy genes

theres nothing worse than  watching ones  loved one scratch herself raw




doesnt help us though

my vet feels weve done all we can short of expensive testing which would probably tell us to move from the coast or dig up our lawn

he believes wev eliminated the food allergy minefield

so we opted for giving her a short comfortable life

and pray for a miracle

enjoy your beautifull dogs

rob

[Lisa Tiro]

Elizabeth,

I'll say a prayer that Nala doesn't have cancer. Good luck at the vet and please keep us updated.

Rob,

I think that some of the allergies in dogs could be environmental because of all the chemicals that we have in our homes and our yards. But having several dogs myself raised in the same environment I feel that commercial pet foods are probably the biggest culprit. I feel like there is so much crap in them that can't be good for them. idk, jmho!

Elizabeth said:

Hello Kimberly,

Thank you very much for your reply, and no offence taken, I'm here to learn from others, so I take all advice as very valuable. Both articles where very interesting and informative. Nala loves the Hills, which I actually find strange, as she usually does not take well to new food.  I have started feeding her white chicken meat in the evening as well.  She is a 9 year old girl, and I love her to pieces.  I totally agree on taking her to a specialist, as I seeked the advice of a second vet, which I will be returning to on Wednesday, just as a follow up and to make our appointment at the specialist.  Unfotunately the diagnosis of the second vet, confirmed a fear I had, this all could be signs of cancer of the sinuses.

Typically if it is an allergy, they will have a watery discharged from both nostrils, my girl only has it from one ( one of the signs of throat/sinus or facial cancer in dogs) and also as of Thursday evening, she had a little bit of a bloated tummy, another sign of cancer in dogs, as bodily fluids are being released into the body cavity.  The vet suggested to bring her in again on Wednesday, to see what the cortozone did and to discuss further steps and appointments at the specialist to check her throat with an endoscope.  The increase in appetite is due to the cortozone.  Another negative sign is the fact that she is losing weight, even though she still eats as much as she use to.

She is not an excessive barker, and I really miss her bark - she had such a recognisable bark. She is still as playful as usually, still loves going for walks and we keep her mostly inside because temperatures are soaring in South Africa at the moment.  I pray every day that it is not cancer, I lost a dog on the 3rd of October, and I do not want to lose Nala, I do not want to make the call again of putting a dog to sleep, but I do not want Nala to suffer, she is a "stylish" old lady.  I understand that she is aging, but I just  pray for the best.  I am willing to do everything humanly possible to find out what this is and how I can help her.  So please, keep the advice coming.

I REALLY APPRECIATE everyone's guidance and assistance.

And also a BIG THANK YOU from Nala.

[Saskia Vermeulen]

Hi Elizabeth, my boy Chetser had bad aleergy problems when young, real bad dermatitis under his bottom jaw, and patches on his skin, the skin was also very red under his legs on is belly, inflamed between his toes, did a lot of research and put him on a natural raw diet, no dry food at all, seems he was allergic to the wheat by products in the dog food, also the protein if poor quality can do harm, all this was done with my vets knowlwdge and approval, his skin condition has totally improved, he is nearly 4 now but have just put him back on a dry food plus he gets beef mince (spoiled boy), bones, eggs, etc. Have finally found a very good dry food, Black Hawk Holistic, lamb/chicken and rice, no wheat products at all, human grade ingredients. Expensive but worth it. I dont think this brand of food is available outside of Australia though but you should be able to get a similar kibble, when I did all my research I did find quite a few but they werent available here. We do have Hills but its full of wheat products, good luck. :)