Originally Posted by orangedog

I have seen first hand with many, many clients dogs that simply removing the corn, wheat and/or soy from their diet eliminates the itching, excessive shedding, ear infections and hot spots! Yes, it is also very true that dogs can and many are allergic to various proteins but show me how cheep filler grains are good for dogs!!?

Dogs require certain nutrients, not specific foods. Dogs can, and some do, thrive on a vegetarian diet. Soy, corn, and wheat all contain protein, which is a nutrient dogs require. In fact, wheat, corn, and rice gluten is nothing but protein. They also contain essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. Again, nutrients that dogs need. In addition, they contain fiber, which helps them to evacuate their anal sacs naturally.

Fillers are non-nutrient substances added to foods, such as cellulose or peanut hulls. They are usually added to help maintain weight, because they make the dog feel full without adding additional calories. Soy, corn, and wheat are not fillers.

[lulusmom]

I am certainly not a certificed nutritionist....just a mom of many, many furbabies over the years. Corn, soy and wheat may be okay for some dogs but I suspect that most don't tolerate it well. I've dealt with my share of allergies from grains to environmental factors that required daily shots. I have a Maltese at present that suffered with GI issues for five years.

I never lived with a dog that burped, farted and had the runs so much. He was at the vet about once a month. We tried single protein, one by one but nada. I have a second Maltese that didn't suffer to the same extent but he chewed his feet constantly and both had brown feet and faces. Both made a remarkable turn about after I switched them to a commercially prepared organic, hormone & antibiotic free raw chicken diet with no grain whatsoever. The stomach problems are now a thing of the past...no one burps.,no constant licking of the lips from indigestion, no rumbling stomachs, and no more room clearing gas. Both have also lost weight and are much more active and happy. The difference is amazing. It's been 9 months and their coats are much nicer as well. I also have two Pomeranians with Cushing's disease and this food works perfect as cushdogs should have low fat, high protein diets. I wish I knew then what I know now as I could have saved my dogs a lot of pain and suffering, not to mention the huge dent in my pocketbook.

I work in rescue and they pretty much rely on food donations. The stuff they get is not high quality and most are high in cheap fillers and low in protein. As a result, diarrhea runs rampant in most shelters Granted that a dog will get the runs if you abruptly change his diet but these dog take for forever to adjust and some never have a firm bowel movement. I adopted two shelter rescues and I never thought either would ever had a firm poop. Well guess what. I put them on the raw food diet too and within two days their poop was firm and they only pooped a third as much. It's highly unlikely that anybody will change my mind because I've seen an incredible transformation in all my dogs since going grainless.

I would definately take him to the vet since this has been going on for so long. If you don't, you might end up w/a much bigger problem as far as hot spots, skin infections...etc. Also, you really shouldn't use BOTH a flea collar and topical treatments at the same time. It could be very bad for you dog to use that many chemicals at once.

[lil mutt]

Allergy can also cause excessive dog scratching. Try giving your pet variety of dog food to see which makes your pet scratch less or have your pet checked by a vet to see what your pet is allergic from.

Originally Posted by vmitchell9

My german shepard will not stop scratching. I cheeked for fleas and found none. I also put a flea collar on him and the flea drops down his back. It has been at least 2 weeks. He went to the groomers about a month ago and they didnt say anything about fleas. I do have a few cats that have fleas and they have recieved baths and they seem ok. Any help as I cant stant him having to scrtaching and not being able to relax???? Thank you, Vicki

did your groomer say anything about inflamed or irritated or dry skin? I have a dog that on occasion goes through scratching binges. it makes me crazy, and I'm sure it's no fun for him either. You may need to take him to the vet to see if he has allergies. I had to take my dog to a special allergy vet and have him put on shots and special food for awhile. He's much better now. it's expensive, but, it's worth it, and it may not be as bad as my dog. have you changed shampoo you use on him or his food lately?

I read your post and I think u go to a good vet.

I do agree that it's a good idea to see vet to be sure there aren't any underlying medical conditions or fleas/mange that you may have missed.

My first instinct would be to look at the food you're feeding.

As for the question of allergies and whether or not they're caused by grains in food. You will likely get as many different opinions as you get responses. Many, like lulusmom, have had nothing but positive results from removing grains from the diet. For them, the results speak for themselves.

As for the question of whether or not to feed grains. Here's some food for thought ...

Pet food companies won't come right out and tell you why they use grain in their food rather than meat, but the reason is pretty obvious if you think about it. Grain only costs a fraction of the price of meat and it's much easier to store and the bottom line is that pet food companies are in business to make money.

Grain is a cheap source of protein, but it's not necessarily THE BEST source of protein. Protein in grain does not contain all the essential amino acids (building blocks of protein) that dogs require. Meat, on the other hand, does. (though cooking, especially at high temperatures, will destroy some essential amino acids)

Only limited studies have been done to determine the ABSOLUTE MINIMUM amounts of any given essential amino acid. This means how much must be present in the food to PREVENT identifiable health problems in dogs as a result of dietary deficiency. NO ONE, not even pet food manufacturers, knows exactly how much of each of the essential amino acids is required for OPTIMAL health.

If you look at the ingredients in your pet food, things like L-tryptophan and L-lysine are SYNTHETIC versions of essential amino acids that would otherwise be lacking in the food.

More troublesome to me than the question of whether or not grains are a good source of protein, is the fact that the CHEAP grains used in petfood are often not deemed safe for human consumption. This is because of the presence of toxic moulds. For some reason it is considered acceptable to feed them to animals. (want a good scare, do some research into storage mites, moulds and toxins found in grains) These grain borne toxins in and of themsleves could also be a source of allergies for your dogs.

All this being said, I am not totally against feeding dogs grains if they tolerate them ... provided they're human grade and (preferrably) whole grains.

I don't feel that grains should form the bulk of any dog's diet, nor do I agree with the use of low quality mill-run grain cast-offs. Personally, I don't feed my dog grains as a regular part of his diet, but I don't hesitate to give him small amounts of leftover bread, rice, potato or pasta (corn, however shoots right through him).

In the end, you will have to make up your own mind about what you feed. Every dog is an individual, so you will have to get to know what works for yours. Please, do some independent research and don't rely solely on what pet food manufacturers tell you. As the saying goes ... buyer beware.

Good luck with your itchy dog.

:???:

Have you tried apple cider vinegar? I know people who say its really effective. Mix equal parts ACV and water and spray on the coat. I agree with trying a grain-free diet if you don't already do so. Hope things are better!

your groomers must have not been so accurate with the fleas. there must have been some fleas. or perhaps, you should change the dog's shampoo.

Maybe he got allergies or just play somewhere and got that sick.. I recommend you to ask for a help to the doggy experts..

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