skin allergies, incotinence, and weight gain =(

2kids2weims · Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2008 9:01 am Post subject:

Cooper had some of the same rashes/yeast infections as others, plus he licked his feet and around his butt (not anal glads)constantly. He had antibiotics & prednisone. He also had food intolerances- we think to grain.

When we switched to raw & had omega 3 supplements/yogurt as part of that, alot of these problems cleared up. I have not cleaned his ears in a year b/c there is nothing in them. We have gone a year without a foot rash/yeast infection. (Raw started last April).

Once the drugs get you through the immediate problem, it might be worth it to look at omegas as others have mentioned, yogurt or even raw. It might not even be the main food, it could be something you are treating with. It might sound kind of odd to say look at the food when you see the connection between grass & the rash, but the grass pollen might just be the final straw in a sensitive dog.

weim2mom · Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 1:29 am Post subject:

iris · Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 11:06 am Post subject:

Guys, check this out!
I ended up buying the product and will let you know if his allergies improve!

http://www.weimaraneraddict.com/discussion/finally-having-success-with-my-wiem-s-many-allergies-vt9466.html

We had a really bad day today, he completely broke out into the worse hives/rash/bumps i have seen! I gave him a bath but i am thinking its the pesticides they sprayed around the apartment a couple of weeks ago.

anne · Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 5:24 pm Post subject:

You might want to consider going to a holistic vet. There are many that are trained traditionally but tend to look at the "whole picture" rather than every symptom.

Benedryl, prednisone, soothing cremes/shampoos, all have their place. They can break a cycle of chewing/scratching which can lead to infections and also of course for making a dog comfortable, but they merely take care of symptoms, NOT the source.

Allergy issues are basically immune system issues and therefore IMHO the issue needs to be looked at holistically. Improve the dogs health from the inside out. Indeed there may be ONE ingredient that the dog cannot tolerate, but I have often found that once the diet is good a dog that would react to an ingredient can tolerate it once he is fullly healthy. Weims are known for immune system problems and so there may be a genetic component to this. Let the breeder know what is going on.

Also with weight gain as an additional symptom, I would get his thyroid tested - FULL PANEL is the only one thta will tell you anything.

weimdogmom · Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 9:19 pm Post subject:

I agree about trying to find a holistic vet in your area for help with treating/dealing with allergies. Be prepared, though, with lots of questions.
Some work with Chinese herbs, some with western. Some may recommend acupuncture. They, too, will stress the importance of a good diet and supplements for skin and coat health.

Jazz did go to a holistic vet last year. The vet was trained in Chinese herbs. These came 'premixed'. I asked what was in them and didn't get a good answer, but was assured it was safe. (Apparently, the vet did not know the entire list of what was included - only what this particular type was meant to do) Jazz had a horrible reaction - she got even more itchy and diarrhea. So we stopped using it. (She was so pitiful, Allen doesn't want try it again--and that's the only time he's said that.) Perhaps Jazz's system is just unusually sensitive, maybe we tried to have her on too much it too quickly.

I don't doubt, though, that holistic treatment can be beneficial and possibly reduce or eliminate the needs for prednisone, antihistamines and such.

DenverDog9 · Young Weim Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 137

I just read this post and a lot of it reminds me of my girl Denver. We took her to the vet last week and he told us we need to take her to the dermatologist to get tested for allergies. She has really bad sores on her feet and she has dirty ears all the time. i know it is going to be expensive when we go so we are trying to figure out what it is before we go. I actually might think it is her treats. So I am not giving her those anymore to see if that helps. Its really hard because I dont like to walk or run with her because I know that her feet get really bad. So I am hoping for some suggestions. Thanks for listening.