Author Topic: Skin problem=food problem????  (Read 4079 times)

Offline Bella's mom

  • Leader of the Pack
  • **
  • Posts: 433
    • View Profile
Skin problem=food problem????
« on: June 23, 2006, 11:16:35 am »
I've posted a photo on another thread about Bella's skin problem.  She is losing her hair!!  No itching, no redness, it's just coming out like crazy. 
Well, I had been feeding her Solid Gold Wolf King for about a month or longer, and began adding Solid Gold Vitamins and minerals about 2 or 3weeks ago.  I first noticed the hair loss about a week or so ago.  Just a couple of spots, no big deal.  Now, she has multiple spots.  I have a vet appt on Monday, but in the mean time, has anyone had hair loss from Solid Gold???
I'm switching her food and adding fish oil (as suggested by Tina :)) to see if this helps.  It just seems too coincidental that this began shortly after switching to Solid Gold.  My next question: Does anyone feed Nature's Recipe Healthy Skin???  I've looked on previous threads - saw nothing.  I graded it according to a previous thread, it got 96.  The ingredients begin with: Venison meal, ground rice, oatmeal, pearled barley, chicken fat, pea protein, etc.etc.  Doesn't contain beef, corn, wheat, or artificial preservatives.
This is a long one, but can someone let me know if I'm doing the right thing?? :) ???
Tessie - Belladonna's and Mojo's Mom

Offline Kermit

  • Supreme Drooler
  • ****
  • Posts: 1784
    • View Profile
Re: Skin problem=food problem????
« Reply #1 on: June 23, 2006, 11:33:04 am »
First I'd like to say that I feel your pain. Connor has no hair on his underside or the inside of his legs. I assume the hair falling out was from feeding him Hill's Prescription Diet I/D food which contains ethoxyquin (barf :-X). Since that was the only kibble he could digest, I now prepare his every meal fresh and serve him chicken, beef, rice, oatmeal, and veggies. His hair hasn't grown back yet but it has stopped falling out.

It's crazy to think that Solid Gold could cause that reaction since it is such a great food, but you never know what your dog is going to react to. So it could definitely be some kind of food intolerance.

As for the Nature's Recipe, I used to feed it to Zoot when he was younger. He did great on it. His coat was always gorgeous and people would stop me and ask me what I fed him. The only reason I stopped buying it was because I moved to a town that didn't have a Petsmart.

I bet your vet will do a skin scraping to rule out mites/mange. Good luck and please keep us posted.
 :)

Offline Kermit

  • Supreme Drooler
  • ****
  • Posts: 1784
    • View Profile
Re: Skin problem=food problem????
« Reply #2 on: June 23, 2006, 11:38:37 am »
It's crazy to think that Solid Gold could cause that reaction since it is such a great food, but...



I hope this doesn't sound like I am calling you crazy. I'm not!!! I just re-read that and I realized I wrote it as if I was thinking out loud... sorry! You are not crazy! Maybe I am?? ;)

Offline Bella's mom

  • Leader of the Pack
  • **
  • Posts: 433
    • View Profile
Re: Skin problem=food problem????
« Reply #3 on: June 23, 2006, 11:49:03 am »
It's crazy to think that Solid Gold could cause that reaction since it is such a great food, but...


I hope this doesn't sound like I am calling you crazy. I'm not!!! I just re-read that and I realized I wrote it as if I was thinking out loud... sorry! You are not crazy! Maybe I am?? ;)
No, that's OK.  I thought it was crazy also, but it just seems too coincidental.
Bella had demodectic mange at 3-4mon, and went through treatment -was A OK.  I would be surprised if it's either that or sarcoptic mange.  The symptoms don't fit this time.  Demodex usually begins around the head (she also had to have steroids due to an ear infection a couple of months ago - vet said that if she had any mites, then they would really take over).  She has no hair loss around her head or mouth.  Sarcoptic mange is red, itchy, etc. (At least everything that I have read about it :))  That's not her either.  I guess that I will know for sure Monday.
Tessie - Belladonna's and Mojo's Mom

Offline Kermit

  • Supreme Drooler
  • ****
  • Posts: 1784
    • View Profile
Re: Skin problem=food problem????
« Reply #4 on: June 23, 2006, 11:53:50 am »
I just remembered this, my friend has a black Great Dane who is allergic to grass. They did every test in the universe and thousands of dollars later they discovered that Sully has a grass allergy that was causing hair loss. So they just don't leave him outside too long now and he is fine.
Just a thought!

Offline Bella's mom

  • Leader of the Pack
  • **
  • Posts: 433
    • View Profile
Re: Skin problem=food problem????
« Reply #5 on: June 23, 2006, 12:30:07 pm »
Thanks for everyone's opinions. :)  I just want to make sure that I am trying the right thing.  Ya'll make me feel better. :)
Tessie - Belladonna's and Mojo's Mom

Offline LuvmyMal

  • Paw-meister
  • **
  • Posts: 560
    • View Profile
Re: Skin problem=food problem????
« Reply #6 on: June 23, 2006, 07:21:36 pm »
We did not have good luck with Natures Recipe, but I did find out that Tonka had a problem with rice....how weird. We are now on a Duck and Potato Formula and I just switched Nala to it because all of a sudden one day she declined Nutro Ultra and would not eat for 2 days, so off to the vet to get checked out and she was A-ok. Who knows, the only problem with the duck food is it is not for specific breeds so you will have to sub. vitamins. It is Pinnacle Duck and Potato one carb, one protein and so far has worked for us and Tonka has IBD and has reacted wonderfully to it. We also cook one small red potato and add to the food for extra flavor.

Offline Bella's mom

  • Leader of the Pack
  • **
  • Posts: 433
    • View Profile
Re: Skin problem=food problem????
« Reply #7 on: June 26, 2006, 08:28:48 pm »
UPDATE!!! 
Took Bella to the vet today.  He immediately said that it is folliculitis.  Basically, the slight allergic reactions that she was having from who knows what (grass, mosquitos, etc) turned into an infection.  He said that the hair follicles become infected, scale over (dry flakiness), and then the hairs fall out at the root.  It leaves a very patchy appearance.  He said that he has a dog that does the same thing every two or three months.  Occasionally he has to use prednisone, but for now, we are only using antibiotics for two weeks.
I asked if this had anything to do with her food.  He said no, he did not think that.  Most food allergies leave dogs very, very itchy.  She hasn't itched hardly at all.
So, I guess that I was wrong about the Solid Gold.  Sorry, but it did seem too coincidental.
Tessie - Belladonna's and Mojo's Mom

Offline Kermit

  • Supreme Drooler
  • ****
  • Posts: 1784
    • View Profile
Re: Skin problem=food problem????
« Reply #8 on: June 26, 2006, 09:10:46 pm »
UPDATE!!! 
Took Bella to the vet today.  He immediately said that it is folliculitis. 

Thank goodness you know now! Sounds like you have a great vet. I hope Bella heals up real soon! :)