I am at a loss now. Poor Pebbles is scratching all the time. So far the vet has had me change her food three times. Now the original dog food she was on, she liked, but her stools were at times mucussy. They changed her to duck and potatoe by Eucaneeba (sp), she liked it, but her allergies to me were worse, even though it was a hypoallegenic type food. So then we went to same brand but with fish. She ate it, but eventually would not touch it, her stools were fine on it, the food would go bad. I ended up throwing it out all the time. So then I went to the pet store to look for allernatives, no additives, all natural, and a protein source that she had not had. I found one brand that was great, she ate it a few times then, nothing. She would gobble down the food I started making her from scratch though. Her own food, I tried bisson, with new fresh potatoes, great, but it is hard to buy bisson here. I have tried different cuts of beef, but found more allergy reactions. Then I tried only grain fed beef, actually veal. More reactions. This is still with taking an allergy pill that was none steroidal, so without it, it would have been worse. Now I have tried extra lean ground chicken, with mashed potatoe and sweet potatoes and fresh carrots. Stools are fine with this, but she has turned her nose up to it, after only eating it three times. Aghhh!
She will eat fillet of sole, or haddock, with mashed fresh potatoes, and that seems to be okay. But again, she will eat a few times then won't.
My vet this morning gave me some of the steroidal pills to give her besides the other pills and then we have to go back once again for a check up, and her boosters are due anyway.
They were not too happy when I told them that I was home feeding her, and returned 10 cans of the fish mixture by eucaneba. They told me she will need a supplement, which I agree with, but not on the dog food part.
I was going to suggest that to them anyway. As it is hit and miss to figure out what they need. Now someone that was visiting the guys here told me that he went through similar problems with his dog and his vet told him he could give him all kinds of pills to help it but good old cod liver oil should be the first thing he should try. And it did, his dog no longer scratches or bites his feet and so forth. So I bought some today, to put on the food that she is turning her nose up too. Aghhhh
The dog food I have bought from the vets was not cheap either, and I would have to buy dry and canned, each time it came to about 65.00. So it was not cheap. I gave the dry dog food to my daughter for Nova, who will eat anything, and this morning returned the remaining cans. But with the dry dog food, I lose money everytime. I do not have oodles and oodles of money to keep doing this. Besides going to the vet for rechecks that come to 45.00 a visit. I still have about 5 cans of dog food and an unopened bag of dry to bring back to the pet value. The cans were 3.00 each, and the dry food was about 15.00, so still not cheap.
Then there is the contraversy about vets pushing the brands of dogfoods they carry, and no others are worthy of their stamp of approval. The the pet food stores telling me all the things that are wrong with that dog food. Who do you end up believing. Hence trying to make my own. I mean when we were kids, dogs got scraps from the tables, and rarely did you actually buy dog food, and our dogs did okay, right? But I am worried because Pebbles is getting up there in years, and she is my best bud.
The other thing that I have also done was buy the medicated shampoo from the vet, I think it is an 8 oz bottle and cost almost 18.00. Now my shampoo doesn't even come close to that, and then there is the soothing rinse made from oatmeal, also cost the same. I do notice that she feels better after a good shampoo though.
Right now the places she is worse is under where her tummy is, bottom of her tail, and the insides of her legs. All areas that touch the grass where she loves to lay down on. Sooooo, I and my vet agree that she has more allergies then just some food, and is allergic to allot of allergens in the air and on the ground. Can't get away from them. I am just wondering if its more from that then the food, and that she is just getting fussy when it comes to her food. She does not have all her teeth, she just had them cleaned last fall, and had a few pulled, and has lost some because of her age too. So the food has to be softer, or a mixture.
Has anyone had anything similar to happen to their pets? And what did you do?
Right now since I have had to put out close to 600.00 for my glasses and contacts, I just can't afford to keep going back to the vet every other week. I have spent about 3-400.00 since the spring just with visits and pills and food changes. I think it would be good for her if I made her dog food. When I make her food, I put one cup servings in freezer bags and freeze part of it to always keep it fresh. But I am still floundering around. The other thing is to have her allergy tested, but I cringe to think of how much that would cost. Has anyone did that with any of their animals.
Anyway, I am open to any suggestions.
Right now I am just frustrated and feel so bad for Pebbles.
Gentle hugs
Wendy
