Hello ! My 12 year old yellow lab, Elle, had bladder stone surgery in July. She had several very large stones removed. She has been doing very well since these stones were removed. Her vet put her on a prescription diet food, Hills Urinary Care c/d. She seems to have developed an allergic reaction to the food, upon further inspection into the ingredients, I find the first ingredient listed is whole grain corn ! Before her stones were detected she ate only grain free dry and wet food. Does anyone know of a dry and wet food the will support her bladder health and not contain corn ? I am going to discuss this with her vet this coming week, but thought I would put this out and see if anyone else has had this issue. Thanks, junebug623
My dog has colitis and had a reaction the food that the vets prescribed to help with this. I spoke to my vet I found out what type of foods specially helped his condition then found a good low fat food. He's fine with this none prescription food this but it did take a while to find one. I would speak to your vet there has to he some different brands with ingredients your dog can tolerate
What symptoms are you seeing that lead you to suggest it is an allergic reaction as cirn is not known as being an allergen in dogs; in the same way the majority of dogs are perfectly happy eating grain in their diet with no ill affect as they have spent several thousands of years evolving a digestive system that can provide all their nutrition through various sources.
She has been excessively licking her paws and scooting her “lady bits” on the carpet. Never had this reaction on a grain free diet.
That is very true, but it is worth bearing in mind that if you exclude something from your diet, you MAY actually lose the ability to handle it well in your body in the future. I think this happens to those people who exclude carbs or gluten, or sugar, even alcohol and caffeine from their diet - they become less tolerant if they do consume them in the future. Its a bit anecdotal, I can't quote any evidence for this. Just worth raising the point IF the OP's dog has not had any gluten/grain in her diet at all (though I am aware that food may be GF but are all the extras/treats?) then she just MIGHT have some difficulties now digesting them. jac
I’m not suspicious of her anal glands as there absolutely no odor, and the obsessive paw licking is just as intense as the scooting...
Sorry I don't do anecdotal, only evidence. I would be surprised if a body's digestive system loses all the enzymes it needs to deal with foods just because you haven't eaten them for a period of time when it has taken 1000s of years for them to develop.
As Jac says this sounds like anal glands and would not be related per se to a grain free diet. Best to have a chat with your vet
Hi @Junebug623, there are a few things happening here...firstly the symptoms...itchy paws and irritation around her vagina...have you had a look? ( I know poor old girl, the indignity.. ) Any evidence of redness or spots/heat /odour or discharge? Check her tummy area carefully too. It could be something evironmental which has triggered a more of dermatological reaction, or have you noticed any GI changes, bloating, wind, frothy or loose stools - this would also get me thinking more along the lines of diet than skin issues alone. Diet: this was changed in July? It seems fairly late to develop an intolerance to her food unless something has changed in her diet more recently. I would have expected some evidence a bit sooner, certainly within a few weeks of diet change. Another question, was the onset of symptoms sudden? Ie: in the last few days and associated with any other changes? Lack of energy increased wees..or any accidents. Any changes in behaviour that you have noticed? Just a few things to think about, however certainly I would give the vet a call and try and get in early next week, failing that ask your vet for suggestions for sensitive food to tide you over.
Well, course when you look at digestive systems there are far more complex than "losing all the enzymes" although I am not sure where that statement came from? I don't think @drjs@5 was referring to enzymes, but rather how immunological responses to diet can actually occur, and this can appear to be quite random at times.
Ouch! That is a shame, I thought that would help you in your behaviour training. "Anecdotes can lead to a hypothesis. Then the scientific method is used to test the hypothesis with as little bias as possible." I work in the swampland of anecdotes and use my brain to filter the good from the bad rather than disregard them all. I believe from little anecdotes, big ideas will grow. Anyway........ there is some good evidence for loss of gut enzymes in a fairly acute way in spite of 1000's of years of complex development. Take lactose intolerance for example - a common occurrence, particularly in young humans who have experienced a viral infection. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lactose-intolerance/basics/causes/con-20027906 My anecdotal experience counts for little, I do know, and we can't extrapolate a lactase deficiency to a protease deficiency particularly when you are talking about wheat and gluten enteropathy as you find in coeliac disease due to to complex interplay of autoimmune disorder. I do hope you get to the bottom of it with your vet @Junebug623 jac
My anecdote is that if I give up bread I become intolerant of it, but if I have - even a little - each day I’m fine. What does urinary care food have in it that other food doesn’t? Could you give this/these as a supplement instead and revert to your old food @Junebug623?
This makes sense too doesn’t it. Our bodies, and those of our dogs, don’t just produce set amounts of a given substance regardless of what else is going on. They produce enzymes and hormones, or whatever else is needed, in response to a challenge or change in status. When those hormones / enzymes are not needed production slows down. And we might reasonably expect it to take time for ‘production’ to catch up again when we give our bodies a 'surprise'
