I have a 7 year old male, neutered Bulldog. He developed allergies about two years. He was prescribed Vanectyl P and he is given two pills a day (we think about 4mg in all) This is our problem, he`s not red or scratching anymore but his hair is thinning so that you can see his skin in some areas. He was eating IAMS Kangaroo and Oats we bought from the vet...we have just switched his food to Dick Van Patten`s Sweet Potato and Salmon..but the thinning was noticed while eating the IAMS food...could he be lacking in other vitamins or minerals...we have taken him to the vet twice and they are not giving us any definite answers...
It might be the food, Iams is NOT good food.
Sadly, most vets have no clue about nutrition. Dick Van Pattens is ok, is it all the way grain free? Anything is better than Iams! Get some vitamin c and also Salmon Oil. You can buy both at WalMart. I buy Norwegian Wild Salmon and also cranberry pills with vitamin c in them. I give them both daily i. The morning meal and ad a tablespoon of plain, fat-free yogurt to help them eat is as well as digest it all!
Best of luck, but you did the right thing getting them off the Iams feed.
Amy and Sophia
Thinning Hair
Yes, it's grain free... I also recently just bought..I have not started him on this yet....Pet Kelp. Skin and Coat Formula... (kelp and organic flax seeds) I will start him this week.. thank you for your help... I will buy the two items you suggested.. I will try anything... thanks again.
I think you can hold off to see if your supplement works.
You can also try Missing Link, or Platinum Performance Canine Plus formula. If your supplement has Omega 3 and 6, you might not need the salmon oil. Try it for a month and if you see improvement you will know you don't need anything else!
Amy and Sophia
Natural Balance is a good food...
we give our guys duck potato and one of them eats Fat Dog (he's a little overweight, but he's lost 5 pounds). Have them check his thyroid, and if it's low normal or low, see if they will put him on a low dose of thyroid meds.
Thank you both very much.
Thank you both very much.
Don't try all at once
1 supplement at a time for several weeks. You don't need all that stuff together in his diet.
I only use Salmon Oil, be sure it is wild salmon.
In the past I have used Missing Link with good results.
Kelp and Yogurt have been know to cause allergic reactions in some dogs so watch closely. Some dogs are lactose intolerant. If he is having digestive problems a good probiotic is all you need.
Senior blood panel
If you haven't had a blood panel done it would be a good idea at his age. I usually start senior blood panels around 7, annually or every other year.
The Wild Salmon Oil seems to
The Wild Salmon Oil seems to be the common denominator amongst all the advice. I am going to try it for sure...thanks for all your help. I like the idea about the blood testing as well. Thanks