Ekko Canyon

Embrace Your Dog's Individuality

Allergies

Dogs can have food or environmental allergies.  Often, they have both to some degree.  Classic signs of allergies are constant yeast infection in the ears, excessive licking of paws, hair loss, scratching, and loose formed stool.  So how do you know which one you're dealing with?  I suggest a combination of allergy testing and a process of elimination.  It’s going to require some work, but will be well worth it in the long run.

Environmental Allergies

Indoor

A dog can have both indoor and outdoor allergies.  Having your dog tested by a veterinarian is probably the easiest way to figure out what your dog is allergic to, but for some people this can be a bit too pricey.  You can also figure this out on your own, to some extent, by completing a process of elimination.  The first thing you want to note is whether the scratching, ear infections, etc. tends to be seasonal or if it gets worse during a particular season.  If so, there is a good chance you dog has environmental allergies.

· Clean your dog's bedding, blankets, etc. with a perfume and dye free detergent. ALL Free and Clear is just one brand you can use.

· STOP using carpet deodorizers and clean your carpets with a vinegar and water solution.

· Use a vinegar and water solution when cleaning floors.

· Wipe your dogs paws when coming in from outside with baby wipes (hypoallergenic).

· Vacuum more frequently (at least 2x a week).

Outdoor

· Create an Excel file on your computer. If you're not that computer savvy, buy a Day Planner notebook. OR use your calendar on your computer system.

· If using an Excel spreadsheet, create separate columns for Date, Pollen Count, Mold Count, Reaction Level.

· Track the pollen and mold counts in your area every day for 2 weeks. You should be able to get this data from your local news weather station website. If not, contact them, or the national weather service directly.

· Rate your dog's reaction level on a scale of 1-5 or 1-10, with the higher number being the largest reaction. You determine what is in each level. For example, level 10 could be bloody red paws and non-stop scratching.

· After 2 weeks, you should see a trend with high pollen/mold counts and high reaction levels. If you don't see a trend, your dog probably doesn't have these allergies.

Food Allergies

This can be a bit trickier and will take some more work. In the end, however, it is well worth it!

 

A dog can be allergic to anything as far as food goes. They can even be allergic to a specific form of a nutrient. You can easily drive yourself crazy changing from one brand of dog food to another. Because commercial dog foods contain more than one ingredient, you will never know which of the ingredients your dog is having the reaction from.

 

The best thing to do in this case is an elimination diet, and a home-prepared one at that! You could do a raw fed home-prepared diet, or a cooked one. I opted for cooked because of Ekko's health issues. Most of the advice below is based off the information at www.monicasegal.com If you don't feel comfortable doing the elimination diet on your own, Monica Segal is available for services, and is someone I highly recommend. I am forever grateful, as her information helped me stabilize Ekko. With the method below, I was able to figure out that Ekko is allergic to pork, alfalfa, and sunflower oil.

 

· First, create either an Excel spreadsheet or buy a Day Planner. You want to log the date you started an ingredient, and the date you note a new reaction level for your dog.

· Choose one protein and one carbohydrate that your dog has never been exposed to before.

· Feed only these two items for at least 4 weeks.

· Once your dog's system has calmed down, start to add a calcium supplement. Now, feed only these 3 ingredients for at least 2 weeks and note reactions.

· Now, add a multi-vitamin for the next 2 weeks, and note reactions.

· Now, add a multi-mineral for the next 2 weeks and note reactions (your dog at this point is now eating a combo of one protein, one carbohydrate, calcium, a multi-vitamin, and a multi-mineral).

· If your dog has made it this far, you are now ready to try different food ingredients. It's important to add the calcium and vitamins and minerals first before trying different food items. You don't want your dog to go too long without all the nutrients his/her body needs.

· Pick a dog food that you would like to feed and note the ingredients.

· Choose ONE of those ingredients and now add it to your current home-prepared diet. Feed this for at least 2 weeks and note reactions.

· Continue to add each ingredient listed on the food bag ONE AT A TIME. This will allow you to note which of the ingredients your dog is reacting to so you can avoid that ingredient in another dog food.

· If your dog reacts to an ingredient, remove that ingredient and wait until your dog's system has calmed down (stopped reacting) before adding the next ingredient.  It can take anywhere from 2-8 weeks for your dog’s system to calm down.