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Possible allergies?

Basenji Health Issues & Questions
  • J

    Can anyone recommend a good dog food and safe treats for allergies please? My boy has had a nasty neck rash for months now. He doesn’t wear a collar so it’s not that. Vet seemed concerned but stumped - gave him a shot of antibiotics and a chlorhexidine mousse I put on him once a day - hasn’t really improved after a few days. He’s been on the same brand of food since he was a puppy (Open Farm). Moved from puppy formula to Beef at like 8 months but had loose stool so went to Lamb which was much better and now also consider trying Pork but nothing seems to help with his neck irritation so thinking of abandoning this all together and trying something completely new. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

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  • eeeefarmE

    What other than food could be causing this? A collar is the obvious thing, but you say he doesn't wear one. What do you walk him on? Anything in the house like laundry detergent, fabric softener, sprays like Febrese, perfume or aftershave that you wear and cuddle him, put your thinking cap on....

    "In order to get along with a Basenji, you have to be at least half as smart as the dog!"

    J 1 Reply
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  • D

    The best thing is to get him tested. Could be all kinds of things. We had a dog who was allergic to cotton. We got rid of the cotton bedding and voila, a lot less itching and licking. When you say rash do you mean bumps or open lesions?

    I'm thinking contact dermatitis rather than a food allergy but I'm not a vet. Like eeefarm I'm going down the path of laundry detergents, new blankets, and lotions.

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  • J

    @eeeefarm said in Possible allergies?:

    What other than food could be causing this? A collar is the obvious thing, but you say he doesn't wear one. What do you walk him on? Anything in the house like laundry detergent, fabric softener, sprays like Febrese, perfume or aftershave that you wear and cuddle him, put your thinking cap on....

    I'm always petting my pups on and about the neck line. Just how I love them right before I kiss the top of their heads. I'm wondering if maybe... hand soaps or lotions? I'm hesitant to say what I'm feeding mine because it doesn't address @jmgatt96 pup's allergies. I'd be sending you kicking a can down a path hoping to hit a target without even knowing what the target is that we're aiming for. Tremendous waste of time and money. That, and... I'm no Vet.

    Kinda curious if it's dry flaky skin, red inflamed irritated skin, or something different?

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  • S

    Give him some benadryl three times a day in liver cheese.

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  • I

    could there be something stuck in his neck, Izzy got a rose thorn that scratched his neck and irritated it inside so he was scratching on the outside. Vet gave him some meds to get rid of the irritation inside and he quit scratching the outside.

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  • tanzaT

    @jmgatt96 - I would suggest you seek an opinion from a specialist.

    Pat Fragassi

    Tanza Basenjis

    www.tanzabasenjis.net

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  • F

    There are several different sensitivity tests that one can do at home. While some scientific literature doesn't think the testing is that great, my personal experience has been that it does help - and that addressing sensitivities indicated by testing has corrected many health issues, more than just a skin irritation.

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  • B

    Hi, Wondering if you found a solution to your boy’s neck rash? My boy 12 month old Basenji started about a month ago with same neck rash, vet says it might be mites, she plucked some hairs and looked on microscope and said it looks like demodex mites, prescribed Credelio and fish oil, but even though his coat seems better it didn’t do anything for the neck rash, has a lot of dandruff and now rash seems to be appearing in other parts of his body, although not as bad. I read that changing foods could help with this and someone recommended The brand Nutro but there’s so many options that I don’t even know where to start. If you have found any leads as to how to go about this rash I would greatly appreciate it.

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  • tanzaT

    @bowdyg - Here is a link for Demodex mites, https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/skin/c_multi_Demodicosis

    Pat Fragassi

    Tanza Basenjis

    www.tanzabasenjis.net

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  • wizardW

    Try switching to chicken or turkey based foods.
    Here's a link to an excellent evaluation of kibble brands:
    www.whole-dog-journal.com/food/whole-dog-journals-approved-dry-dog-food-list/
    I would also be careful what you put on your hands before cuddling with your dog; lotions, essential oils, etc. can cause allergies in dogs

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    V
    Do you live in the country in MN? My 4-year-old hound mix, Priss, has problems in the summer months starting about August. She will lick her feet until they are red and the fur is almost gone. I have tried all kinds of medications, shots, and changed her diet, but it is something environmental. I've even taken her to different vets to see if someone might have a solution. Most of the medications are steriods; they work for a week or so, then are ineffective. I won't use them anymore. Priss bloats up like a balloon! My vet thinks it is either a particular weed that grows this time of year or possibly a mite or small insect that is invisible to the naked eye. I wash her feet in vinegar and water when she comes in the house and have started using Willard Water, http://www.dr-willardswater.com, too. Sometimes, I use a diluted solution of tree tea oil to soothe the itching. Priss smells like a dirty sock from licking her feet when she is troubled by allergies. Also, she runs a low-grade fever, especially in the morning. I give her 1/2 a baby aspirin and wash her face with cool water.
  • L

    What works for allergies ?

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    BasenjimammaB
    I did have a Westie in the past that had severe allergies to….storagemites, which is in every dogfood that has been stored for a few weeks or more, i.e every food known to man, so he was on the raw diet, did great, he was also severly allergic to fleas, or the saliva from the fleas and to mold/mildew, which living in houston Tx there is a lot of. Poor guy was miserable, until we did the raw diet and decided to keep him inside all the time, when the other dogs went out to play he had to stay in..and it is funny he wanted to go out and the other dogs wanted to come in...figures. The few foods out there that are supposedly good for allergies according to my vet is grainfree ones, Dick Van Pattens sweet potatoe and duck, I believe was one of the ones he recommended. Try to keep the ingredients list as small as possible, cleaner food means less irritants. Just like our food, the less junk we eat the better we feel... Good Luck, I know how hard it is with a dog that clearly is bothered by something and you don't know how to help it. I do know that Petco and Petsmart here in Texas will take food back even though the bag has been opened, which is nice if you are having to try various/numerous different brands until you find what works. Basenjimamma
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