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hairloss in my black lab

My 5 year old black lab has lost all of his hair from his lower upper back his back legs, belly,chest, left ear and around both eyes... he's always itching,biting and chewing himself. I have taken him to several vets i have him on a special hypoallergic dog food. i'm affaird i may have to put him down if i don't find some sort of answers. cause he looks and i'm sure feels horriable. PLEASE HELP!!!! thank you
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1666434 tn?1325262350
You so got that right, I feel horrible knowing that I was giving all of our pets an alternative food before and what it must do to their insides.  I actually found out about Taste of the Wild on an old pet group I used to belong to and I tried the recommendation and I am hooked.  They even have some canned food too which I used to never give to our animals, but now I do on occasion as a treat, because I know what is in it.
Helpful - 0
462827 tn?1333168952
"Taste of the Wild" is an excellent food!!! Sure makes a difference doesn't it? I wish everyone could figure out to do NO Corn, Wheat, Soy, By-products, Chemical Preservatives, etc.     Good going...........Karla
Helpful - 0
1666434 tn?1325262350
So sorry for the delay in response I am still learning my way around here :)

The food that we switched to and I love is called the Taste of the Wild....even switched our cats over to it and the bowel movements have been less runny and less smelly.  Plus our dog has actually gained muscle mass on him that he never had.  I feel like I was depriving him of nutrition :( when we were feeding him corn based food before.  It is only a few dollars more and you can get it at a tractor supply store.  They even eat less because they are actually satisfied when they eat.
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462827 tn?1333168952
I'm changing my mind on this one...Sorry!  You've taken him to several Vets and no one has done a skin scraping? I find that hard to believe!

ALthough the hair loss from the rear back is consistant with Flea Allergy, the face, ears & eyes are NOT....I think he has Sarcoptic Mange and this needs to be ruled out....It causes intense itching with no relief....Don't panic...It's fixable!

Call your Vet or a New Vet IMO, and make an appointment to have this done....Sometimes, the mite does not show up on the scrape because they are buried in the skin...A good Vet will recognize this and try treatment anyway....Again, I'd rule this out....

Your Advantage is a good choice of Flea Control and does not soak in the tissues like other topical products...This should be working....If you see any fleas, DO NOT use a flea & Tick Shampoo along with your other treatment...It's too dangerous! Instead, use Dawn Diswashing Liquid (The Blue One) to bathe him in...It kills fleas immediately! It would be best to follow with an Oatmeal/Aloe Shampoo (Purchase at a Pet Store), to soothe his skin & help with the itching....Bless his heart!!!!

Upgrade his food and start adding Omega 3 Oils to his meals...You want Omega 3 "FISH OIL"...Can purchase at any pharmacy or Health food store....Get the Human One.....He needs 1000mg. twice a day....You can cut the capsule open and squeeze it on his meals...Wonderful for skin, heart, joints, and inflammation.....He'll like it....

Rule out Mange FIRST with a skin scrape....Then start healing his skin .....Good luck and please come back with updates....I've been thinking about him all day.......Karla

P.S. Mange treatment use to be dipping about 3 times over 6 weeks.....I don't know if that still holds true, but it does work.....Once the Mites are under control, he will still itch till his skin gets better...You'll notice a difference soon....You can also purchase the Chemical Dips and do it yourself......
Helpful - 0
974371 tn?1424653129
Well, though I've never had a major flea infestation here (knock wood), I did have good results with the topical Advantage but that new oral med wasn't out then.  And, yes, you have to treat all the animals, house, yards, bedding, etc.
Helpful - 0
462827 tn?1333168952
From "Dogfood Advisor.Com"  Their review of this food:

Purina Veterinary Diets HA dog food receives the Advisor’s LOWEST rating of one star.

Purina claims its Veterinary Diets HA hypoallergenic dry dog food “provides complete and balanced nutrition for the growth of puppies and maintenance of the adult dog”.1

This statement implies the product meets AAFCO nutrient profiles for both growth and maintenance.


Purina Veterinary Diets HA
Dry Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

  
Ingredients: Starch, hydrolyzed soy protein isolate, vegetable oil, calcium phosphate, partially hydrogenated canola oil preserved with TBHQ, powdered cellulose, corn oil, potassium chloride, vegetable gums (gum arabic, guar gum), choline chloride, DL-Methionine, salt, magnesium oxide, lecithin, taurine, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, Vitamin E supplement, manganese sulfate, niacin, calcium carbonate, Vitamin A supplement, copper sulfate, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin supplement, garlic oil, Vitamin B-12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), sodium selenite

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.4%


The first ingredient in this dog food is simply labeled starch. The starch listed here is a carbohydrate of anonymous origin. Is this potato starch, wheat starch or what? Without more information, it’s impossible to judge the quality of this ingredient.

The second ingredient is hydrolyzed soy protein isolate. Soy protein isolate is a highly refined form of soy bean protein with a protein content of about 90%.

In this case, the soy protein has been hydrolyzed which means it has been broken down into its individual amino acid components.

Hydrolyzed proteins are valued for their inherently hypoallergenic properties.

The third ingredient is vegetable oil… a generic oil of unknown origin. The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in any oil is nutritionally critical and can vary significantly (depending on the source).

Without knowing more, it’s impossible to judge the quality of any item vaguely described as simply “vegetable oil”.

The fourth item is calcium phosphate… a nutritional supplement used as a source of both calcium and phosphorous.

The fifth ingredient is partially hydrogenated canola oil… also known as canola margarine. Hydrogenated oils are (at least in humans) considered a source of unhealthy trans fats.

What’s worse, this fat has also been preserved with TBHQ… a suspected cancer-causing agent.

The sixth ingredient is powdered cellulose… a non-digestible plant fiber usually made from cotton or sawdust. Cellulose is sometimes added to dilute the number of calories per serving and to give the feeling of fullness when it is eaten.

Except for the usual benefits of fiber, powdered cellulose provides no nutritional value to a dog.

The seventh ingredient is corn oil. Corn oil is high in omega-6 fatty acids and can unfavorably affect the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio in this dog food.

From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.

But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.

With four notable exceptions…

First, we find no mention of probiotics… friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing.

Next, we note the minerals here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Non-chelated minerals are usually associated with lower quality dog foods.

Thirdly, garlic oil may be a controversial item. We say “may be” here because we are not certain of the oil’s chemical relationship to raw garlic itself.

Although the majority of experts favor the ingredient for its numerous health benefits, garlic (in rare cases) has been linked to Heinz body anemia in dogs.2

However, the limited professional literature we surveyed provided no definitive warnings regarding the use of garlic… especially in small amounts (as it is here).

And lastly, Purina Veterinary Diets HA also contains menadione… a controversial form of vitamin K linked to liver toxicity, allergies and the abnormal break-down of red blood cells.

Purina Veterinary Diets HA Dog Food
The Bottom Line

Even though this is a prescription product, we continue to limit our judgment to the estimated meat content of the recipe as well as the apparent quality of its ingredients. And nothing else.

Our ratings have nothing to do with the accuracy of claims made by the manufacturer as to this product’s ability to effectively treat or cure a specific health condition.

So, to find out whether or not this dog food is appropriate for your particular pet, you must consult your veterinarian.

With that understanding…

Judging by its ingredients alone, Purina Veterinary Diets HA looks to be a below-average dry dog food.

But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 20%, a fat level of 9% and estimated carbohydrates of about 63%.

Low protein. Low fat. And very high carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.

In addition, when you consider the plant-based protein-boosting effect of the soy protein isolate, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing zero meat.

Now, please understand, we do recognize the need for providing an effective hypoallergenic dog food. However, we also respect a dog’s natural carnivorous bias.

For this reason, we feel this meatless prescription recipe takes that nutritional goal to a unreasonable extreme.

What’s more, the inclusion of the two controversial preservatives, menadione and TBHQ, makes this product even less desirable for long term use.

Bottom line?

Purina Veterinary Diets HA is a meatless starch-based dry dog food using soy protein as a substitute for animal protein… thus earning the brand one star.

Not recommended.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please upgrade his food.....He CANNOT live on this and IMO, it's probably making him worse.....Dogs need Meat Protein to survive...This product has none!   This food is one of the lowest of the lows......Doesn't matter where you bought it.....It's still CRAP!   Sorry!!!
Karla

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
The food he is on is purina hypoallergic dog food they only sell it at vet hospitals. I use to feed him blue buffalo mainly lamb and potatoe. I have done benadryl but didn't see any change on his itching and chewing and it made him very sleepy. His bedding is my bedding so it's clean. No vet has done a skin scrap on him. But  after reading all of the feed back I do believe it's fleas. I have been an idiot cause I treat my animals with advantage I only treat my 2 dogs and totally ignore the cat who is a in/outside cat. Thank you for all of the feed back I hopefully will soon see my handsome boy get his fur back.
Helpful - 0
462827 tn?1333168952
What's the NAME of the food your feeding? What was he eating before this one? Name?

Hairloss from the waist back is usually a flea allergy problem....What have you tried for Flea control? This is important along with better nutrition to boost his immune system to fight the allergies......

Have any of your Vets given any medication at all? What are they? Have you tried Benedryl to get him some relief?

Can you add anymore information to your original post? It would help....Thanks, Karla
Helpful - 0
462827 tn?1333168952
Well obviously, the "Special Hypoallergic Dogfood" is NOT doing the trick....Nor will any Grocery store or Discount Center Food....If this is all he's ever eaten, you need to get this guy some better nutrition.......

Your dog needs to be on a total Grain-Free kibble diet w/ added whole fresh foods up to 50% of his meals....Here are some resources to look for higher quality foods:

Dogfood Analysis.com
Dogfood Scoop.com
Dogfood Advisor.com
411 for Dogs.com
Petfood Ratings.net
Dogfood Chat.com

For Flea & Tick Control-----Comfortis is my favorite...Kills fleas in 30 minutes which helps a Flea Allergy Dog tremendously!!!!

Don't depend on your Vet for any nutrition advice......It's not in the bag, so to speak!    Karla


Helpful - 0
974371 tn?1424653129
Sorry to hear you are dealing with this. Skin conditions can be some of the most difficult to deal with.
It sounds like it may be a flea allergy. There is a newer oral medication out called Comfortis.  I have not personally used this but my son gives it to his dog with good results and no more fleas!!!  You might ask your Vet about that.  I've used *Advantage* topical on dogs and cats for years with good results.  You might try bathing the dog in an oatmeal based shampoo and give a vinegar rinse (let that sit for a few minutes before you rinse it off).  This might actually help the skin and the itching.
Not sure what food you are feeding but assume it is grain free.  You might try one of the Natural Balance foods like fish and sweet potato and try staying from meat for a while.  Of course, it will take time before you may see results.
I assume one of these Vets did skin scrapings?
Oh, you might also want to make sure you dog isn't laying on synthetic materials. Try to keep the dog (bedding) to an all cotton material.
Good luck and do keep us posted.  Hope this can be resolved.
Helpful - 0
462827 tn?1333168952
PLease read another thread posted below yours (About 16 down), titled: "Chihuahua Hair Loss"...It was posted on April 16.......My answers to that one may help you......Karla
Helpful - 0
1666434 tn?1325262350
Our dog is part lab too and depending on what area we live in he has this happen to him because of the fleas and mosquitos.  I took him to one vet that finally gave us a decent answer that I was able to confirm with other pet owners.  Some pets are allergic to flea saliva and the itching is so intense, the only way they can cope with it is to bite the hair off or excessively lick themselves until the hair falls off---- I was initially told it was called "hot spots" but once I found out about the flea saliva I started buying better flea treatments for him and he has not done it since.  We now use K9 Advantix II for him and that has been working excellent.  Hot Spot creams and liquids only irritated him.  So please don't put the dog down until you try this.  It might be good to bathe him first too.  Keep us updated, this is so common but some vets don't seem to recognize it-- if this is what it is for you.  ***fingers crossed****
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