Hi, I have a 3 year old yellow lab who won't stop biting his tail and scooting, he's been to the vets several times and each time he has steroids and/or anti-biotics, it seems like they're working, but it always comes back, he's even been prescribed special shampoo for allergic skin but nothing seems to be touching it. Sometimes he bites his tail so much that it bleeds, this ends up getting infected, and hence the need for more antibiotics! The vet also said it could be his food, we've now cut out ALL treats, the only thing my dog eats is Royal Canin Hypoallergenic dry food, he's been on this for 3 months now and no difference at all. Previous to this he had Royal Canin Labrador food as well as Dentastix, Joint chews, occasional dog biscuits and the odd bit of lean meat from the dinner table. He always seems to be ithcy, licking paws, scooting, and as said above, biting his tail excessively! Has anyone else experienced this and potentially found a cure??
I’ve just googled the Royal Canin Hypoallergenic food and it contains poultry liver as well as ‘animal fats’ ( without specifying which animal). As it’s not working I’d try him on a food which doesn’t contain chicken or any other poultry and which lists all ingredients exactly. Try choosing one based on fish or lamb. James Wellbeloved fish and rice is one example but there are other brands.
Have you tested for worms? Tapeworm eggs tend to lie around the anus. But if he’s itchy elsewhere then I agree to seek dermatologist vet opinion. You can’t keep giving antibiotics endlessly; you need to find out what’s causing the itching.
Thanks for suggesting this, I'm going to try this and see if it helps: - https://www.purina.co.uk/dog/proplan/products/sensitive-skin/large-robust-optiderma This one is based on Salmon and states it is good for sensitive skin. My Vet suggested the Royal Canin but they also supply it!
He's been to the vet a few times for it, they tend to comment on his anal glands and that he hasn't got worms, he's up to date with his worming tablets so hopefully it isn't that. I'm a bit concerned about the vet not picking up on the food which I'm giving him not really being a suitable alternative to a potential skin condition, I've spent quite a bit of money now on antibiotics which is all they seem to want to do!
I wouldn't choose that one. Again, it has pretty ropey ingredients, including "animal fat". What animal? If your dog is allergic to products from that animal, you will still have issues. Look for a food that only has specifically stated animal products.
Anal glands tend to fill up as an allergic response. If you can reduce the allergies, the anal glands will hopefully stop over-reacting.
Ok thanks, I've called the shop where I ordered it as I only placed the order last night, I've managed to change the order for the food recommended above by Joy: - https://www.wellbeloved.com/product/fish-rice-adult-dog/ Hopefully this will be better as it looks for natural
I agree - this food won’t enable you to rule out particular meats due to the unspecified animal fats. I’d say you need to read the list of actual ingredients, rather than relying on the manufacturer saying that it’s for sensitive skin. Simpson’s salmon and potato is another possibility. Or try feeding something other than kibble. I had my last dog on tinned tuna and brown rice for a number of years.
Thanks, that also looks a good one, I guess I've always trusted the well known popular brands to be the best... I'll try the first one you suggested and see how he gets on, I'm fairly convinced at the moment that it's related to his food, he has been scooting for a long long time and my vet doesn't seem to be making progress!
