Weight loss & skin allergies
Submitted by Gorcoff on January 8, 2015 - 9:30pmLooking to see if there are recommendations for helping a bully lose weight. I have a 4 1/2 year old male who is on prednisone due to flare ups he gets. I limit and am conservative with giving him the prednisone but instead of skin allergies getting better they're getting worse. It's a double whammy cause the prednisone is a steroid and so he is ballooning too.
has anyone had success with treating allergies with something other than prednisone?
Are their suggestions for weight loss? I currently have him on earthborn holistic grain free dog food. Grizzly Salmon oil supplement. Coconut oil.
He is on two cups of food - one in morning - one at night and treats are frozen green beans.
Thank you for sharing your experiences in advance!
laurie
We have had success with...
Natural Balance Fat Dog food, it is basically grain free but has some oatmeal in it. Chester had to lose weight for TPLO surgery and he lost 11 pounds in a few months. It has 275 calorie per cup which was a big difference from his duck/potato which had almost 400. If you are feeding your guy the same amount as always though, it is probably the prednisone that is making him heavier, and not the food. Do you have any ideas as to what he is allergic to? Is it seasonal or does he suffer all the time?
He is a rescue so I have only
He is a rescue so I have only had him since July. I have yet to determine what causes a flare up as I have really worked on keeping everything the same since we have rescued him. Initial owner was an older couple with personal costly medical issues who were unable to financially afford him. He came to me overweight because they had a food bowl down constantly. I'm thinking it may be time to investigate various dermatologists and take him in for analysis. I thought it was perhaps related to our hot Florida weather. However, we have had a cold front come in (20 degrees) and he is flaring up again. I will look into the food recommended. Thank you for that!!!
You are welcome...
please come here any time you have questions or just to let us know how he's doing! I've had so many problems solved by posting on this forum!
Well-we had a break out and
Well-we had a break out and took him to vet today and he has a yeast flare up. Doc placed him on Ketoconazole (200mg) twice a day.
We also drew blood and are having a full work up done because doc think his thyroid is out of balance too. Which I'm not happy that he may have a bad thyroid but I am happy in the sense that it is something that can be managed and I truly believe that if that is what is going on will really help with his weight loss, energy level, and thinning hair. So in that sense I am happy because we will be able to restore the thyroid to appropriate levels and help my big love muffin (as I call him) get back on the right track!
i have been doing a lot of researching On yeast and what it is how it works and etc and in my research came across raw diet information. Which claims to be the cure all for yeast infections in dogs. When I asked my vet about the raw diet he was against it and said that he has never recommended the raw diet for any dog. Primary reason was salmonella which contradicts what raw diet websites are cleaning. Raw diet sites are saying that because a dogs digestive track is short, and because their stomach pH level is a pH 1 and highly acidic that is the reason why Salmonella is not a factor in the raw diet.
So I'm gonna start researching some other dry dog brands as well and continue to research the raw diet and see what additional information I can find on it. Just trying to do what is best for Brodie and helping him with the over production of yeast his body is producing.
Bloodwork won't be back until Wednesday with the full final report back on Thursday. And I've got a one-week follow-up on Saturday just to make sure that the antifungal medicine is working. At which time I'll pick up the thyroid medicine if that is what the blood work comes back showing. I'm so happy my aunt told me about the various forums that are out there for the different dog breeds. I have learned a lot going through and reading the different postings too. Will update here next Saturday after follow up with vet.
Raw diet.....
post the question about raw diet on the main forum, you will get plenty of good feedback on it. Most vets aren't going to tell you about raw because they just don't know enough about it to say one way or another. Raw would probably be your best bet if your dog has a lot allergy issues, even if you are feeding grain free. If you are not yet feeding a high quality grain-free feed, you need to find a good brand such as Taste of the Wild or Natural Balance, or my feed wich is Blue Buffalo. Grain free is all my girl can have, period.
Amy and Sophia
Thank for your input! He is
Thank for your input! He is already on a grain free diet and I currently use Earthborn Holistic. After a lot of research this weekend I have decided to forego the raw diet. However, I am moving to Acana Brand grain free dog food. Will have full bloodwork report tomorrow to determine whether thyroid is imbalanced. He is doing much much better now that the anti-fungal med is in his system. Now that I understand yeast and how it works I will be much more consciousness of the "scraps" from veggies and fruits (that dogs are allowed to have) he receives. It does not take much at all for his system to become out of balance I have discovered.
Be watchful of the protein level in your food.
it should not be higher than 25% protein or that can cause issues. I would look at the percent in the feed you are considering purchasing before you get a bag home and then see the amount is too high.
Amy and Sophia
THANK YOU for the heads up!
THANK YOU for the heads up! I will investigate!!
Medication
I know medication should not be the first line of defence but if already on prednisone, would your vet consider Atopica (cyclosporine?) Fewer side effects than prednisone and some do well on it long term. Mr. Higgins was on it every other day for his ears, for a few years and it made all the difference.