I have a slightly under 5 pound male Yorkie with microdysplasia and allergies. The vet recently put him on a course of antibiotics for an infection from scratching his nose constantly and now he continues on Hydroxizine. I feed him Party Animal organic soft food, sometimes Chicken Soup for the Puppy Lovers Soul (Puppy Formula ) with the Chicken Soup for the Puppy Lovers Soul kibble. Sometimes I add a small amount of ZiwiPeak air dried lamb recipe. He seems to paw scratch his nose frequently and sometimes chews on his back paw. Also, he’s always chewing on a bone or something. Any suggestions you can make for proper food and possibly some holistic medicine for allergies would be greatly appreciated. He wears a polartec coat (could that be responsible for some of the allergies?)
When the microdysplasia was diagnosed, I asked the specialist if he should be kept on a low protein diet. He said that they haven’t found that that makes any difference. However I do try and pick food with a lower protein content. At any rate, what ever suggestions you can make would be appreciated.
Hello,
Thank you for your inquiry to Holistic Pet Info. One thing to consider when you have a small dog that has issues with his mouth is teeth problems. Many of these dogs do not have enough room in the dental arcade to maintain healthy teeth. I highly suggest having a full dental x-ray done to check the roots and bone health of the jaw. Often scratching at the nose has to do with pain or discomfort in the mouth.
Secondly, allergies are often very specific to the protein and carbohydrate in the diet. Chicken and beef are the two most allergenic proteins and corn, white rice, wheat and soy the top allergenic carbohydrates. Even when offering a diet that is organic and preservative and food dye free, if it contains an allergenic food your dog will still have an allergic reaction. The diets you are offering are all excellent but you may want to try alternative proteins and carbohydrates that are novel (foods that he has never been exposed to before). Two supplements that may help with skin and immune health are Gastriplex and Ultimate Skin and Coat. They both decrease inflammation and support digestion. If you suspect the polartec coat as a skin irritant, discontinue its use for at least 2 months to observe any improvement with the allergies. Best of luck.
Sincerely,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA
Followup
Dr Smith:
Thank you so much for you response. I have been thinking for a while that his scratching has to do with mouth discomfort. He has about three extra baby teeth that need to come out. He is constantly chewing on things. He’s not really destructive, but his mouth has to be in constant motion.(the vet thought it was allergies and it may be , but I suspected possibly the teeth I will have a dental x-tray done. I was going to have him fixed and the teeth done at the same time. He’s just about a year old and is developed enough to have it done now. I had his liver tested( I believe it’s called Portal Scintography)to make certain he could handle the anesthesia.
I certainly will try those supplements. Once again, thank you so much for the information and your graciousness.