Hello, I have a three year old choc. lab with skin allergies. We've been able to control her allergies by switching her dog food from Iams to Beneful healthy Radiance Blend (Purina brand) and we no longer give her dog treats but instead give her slices of apples which she loves. We also give her 25mg of benadryl every day. Kali(my lab) also has pretty consistant redness around her volvo (vagina) we use an ointment called Quadritop that we got from the vet on a daily basis or it flames up, she has the same problem with her paws. The area under her chin is also a huge source of irratation for her as shes is constantly rubbing it on her paws or floor for relief, I've recently started rubbing A&D ointment on it being very carful not to get it to close to her mouth, this has helped tremendously the area is no longer as hard and rough and she's not rubbing at it as much. Is it safe to use this on a daily basis since she's not able to lick it under her chin? We've taken her to several vets but never feel like we have discovered the source of the irritation and allergies or a good cure/remedy. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

My dog, Lucy, also suffers from skin irritation that sounds similar. Hers has a bit of an odor. We've been to countless vets and found they weren't much help. Although we haven't been able to find the exact cause for her skin problems, we've found lots of helpful remedies along the way.

So far, the best suggestion we received was switching her to the raw food diet. Her itchiness, redness and odor has cleared up miraculously since the switch. She's also on a light oral steroid prescribed by the vet.

The raw food deal was a bit annoying at first while we were figuring out what worked.. but once we did, it's been pretty easy. It can be a little time consuming.. but we've since taken to purchasing it at a local store.

She has the occasional flair-up, but when that happens I give her an oatmeal bath and that really helps until it clears up again.

ok here is your "radiance"

Ground yellow corn, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, whole wheat flour, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), salmon, brewers rice, soybean meal, sugar, sorbitol, tricalcium phosphate, soybean oil, animal digest, water, salt, phosphoric acid, potassium chloride, dicalcium phosphate, sorbic acid (a preservative), L-Lysine monohydrochloride, calcium carbonate, dried carrots, green beans, calcium propionate (a preservative), choline chloride, Vitamin E supplement, added color (Yellow 5, Red 40, Yellow 6, Blue 2), DL-Methionine, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, Vitamin A supplement, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin B-12 supplement, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, copper sulfate, biotin, garlic oil, thiamine hydrochloride, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), calcium iodate, sodium selenite.

understand that vets get no or very little training in school on nutrition & really don't want to admit these problems can be cured so easily. they want you to go through all sorts of tests etc.

now don't get me wrong, there are enviornmental allergens too, but most often it is the food causing the problem

Beneful is absolute garbage, anything Purina is absolutel garbage

corn, wheat & soy are major allergens. anything with soft pieces is very high in salt & sugar.

see the artificial preservatives & dyes - not good. brewers rice is a waste product from the brewing industry.

animal digest......!

here is some info about dog food for you. it's no wonder the poor dog is itching. a good rule is no food from the grocery store or WM. you can also google "natura" for info. good luck

Dog Feeding Info

Originally Posted by suebgone

ok here is your "radiance"

Ground yellow corn, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, whole wheat flour, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), salmon, brewers rice, soybean meal, sugar, sorbitol, tricalcium phosphate, soybean oil, animal digest, water, salt, phosphoric acid, potassium chloride, dicalcium phosphate, sorbic acid (a preservative), L-Lysine monohydrochloride, calcium carbonate, dried carrots, green beans, calcium propionate (a preservative), choline chloride, Vitamin E supplement, added color (Yellow 5, Red 40, Yellow 6, Blue 2), DL-Methionine, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, Vitamin A supplement, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin B-12 supplement, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, copper sulfate, biotin, garlic oil, thiamine hydrochloride, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), calcium iodate, sodium selenite.

understand that vets get no or very little training in school on nutrition & really don't want to admit these problems can be cured so easily. they want you to go through all sorts of tests etc.

now don't get me wrong, there are enviornmental allergens too, but most often it is the food causing the problem

Beneful is absolute garbage, anything Purina is absolutel garbage

corn, wheat & soy are major allergens. anything with soft pieces is very high in salt & sugar.

see the artificial preservatives & dyes - not good. brewers rice is a waste product from the brewing industry.

animal digest......!

here is some info about dog food for you. it's no wonder the poor dog is itching. a good rule is no food from the grocery store or WM. you can also google "natura" for info. good luck

Dog Feeding Info

That is exactly what I've come to discover. The right diet can make a world of difference in your dog from behavior to health! All those store-bought brands contain so many harmful preservatives.

[lil mutt]

allergies my arise due to the ingredients on the food you give your pet... consult your vet to find out what kind of dog food is suitable for your dog and the right medication for your dog's allergies.

lilmutt - consulting a vet about food is like going to a hairdresser for a broken ankle. 99% of vets know nothing about nutrition or what ingredients are allergens. they never had any training on it in school!


this is why it is so important for owners to learn these things themselves.

if they stop feeding the food that is causing the problems - there is seldom need for allergy meds

My dog had skin irritations so bad that she would chew herself raw and urinary tract infections that took forever to go away, but since I switched to Wellness dog food (fish and sweet potato) I haven't had anymore problems. I agree that benefull isn't what it's cracked up to be, I also had my dogs on that. You want to switch to a food with the least amount of ingredients, but healthy ingredients, not fillers like wheat gluten and corn meal. Good luck!

i would suggest trying a food like Wellness Core, Taste Of The Wild, or other grain free foods. eliminating your grains will be a huge relief on allergies right there. and most likely, you will see a great difference in your dogs overall health as well. please listen to the advice given to you by suebgone its a lot of what i was going to say not only about the food, but about asking a vet.

It sounds like your dog has allergies that is in the food. A good food for this is Eagle Pack. They have different kinds to remidy the problem. Check online to learn more about it.

Originally Posted by dodielawrence

Hello, I have a three year old choc. lab with skin allergies. We've been able to control her allergies by switching her dog food from Iams to Beneful healthy Radiance Blend (Purina brand) and we no longer give her dog treats but instead give her slices of apples which she loves. We also give her 25mg of benadryl every day. Kali(my lab) also has pretty consistant redness around her volvo (vagina) we use an ointment called Quadritop that we got from the vet on a daily basis or it flames up, she has the same problem with her paws. The area under her chin is also a huge source of irratation for her as shes is constantly rubbing it on her paws or floor for relief, I've recently started rubbing A&D ointment on it being very carful not to get it to close to her mouth, this has helped tremendously the area is no longer as hard and rough and she's not rubbing at it as much. Is it safe to use this on a daily basis since she's not able to lick it under her chin? We've taken her to several vets but never feel like we have discovered the source of the irritation and allergies or a good cure/remedy. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

skeeter, EP has both holistic & regular & what you said about different kinds to remedy would be ok if you specified the holistic. their grade food has corn & other undesirable stuff in it & can cause problems too

Some of allergies are because of the food that our dogs eat...so we need to observe the food the gave to our pet...we need to be a good observer to our pet...

Hi, did changing your dogs diet have the desired effect?

Sometimes home made recipes for your dog can be best in regard to what you feed them
245 Homemade Dog food recipes

I second the recommendation for Eagle Pack... their human quality foods have saved a lot of dogs from suffering from horribly uncomfortable allergies that many vets fail to diagnose.... Eagle Pack's Info on Skin Allergies

...and of course making sure that you are keeping your dog washed regularly (but not too often and you should be using a hypoallergenic shampoo). I use the Booster Bath and have found that it cuts way down on the time it takes to bathe the dogs, and is a lot easier on the back! Definitely the most effective way of home dog washing.

Whats with choc labs and allergies? My 7 year old choc/pit mix last year scratched herself bald and licked herself until she bled.