Basenji Allergies

[Ed_Graves]

Hello Everyone

I have a 17 mo. old basenji who has allergies that cause his hairless underbelly to turn red and irritated. My vet advised me to give him human allergy medication but is ineffective. Does anyone have any advice on how to treat this allergy?

Thanks, Ed

[nobarkus]

Is it itchy and is he licking the area a lot? He may be allergic to something in the food your feeding him or he may have a yeast infection. How long has it been going on? Is he eating the same food the breeder had him eating? He could be allergic to something in the environment. Just giving him human drugs isn't the answer. You need to find the source. What food are you feeding?

[deschroedter]

There is a balm called funky dog, organic healing balm, I order from www.greengirlsmarket.com. It works on Kell's red tummy. he is very allergic to corn, but there is something else that kicks it off occassionally, so we keep balm on hand and it really does help after just a couple of days. Kell is also 17 months. We feed him Taste of the Wild, Salmon, for right now, he loves it and no grains of any sort in it. If his food has corn or other grains that could be a big problem for allergies.

[Ed_Graves]

I feed him natural balance diet. I switched his diet when it first started from science diet to natural balance. It has been going on for several months. I have been to the vet twice and they said they didn't think it was food related, and never mentioned a yeast infection, but they couldn't say what it was. Finding the source has proven difficult. Maybe I should switch his food again and try the suggested cream

[tanza]

Maybe you should try a different Vet, a specialist to determine what he is allergic to?

[listeme]

Simon (aged 15.5 months) gets a very irritated belly. After much trial and error, we figured out… he pees on his own belly sometimes.

Seriously. (Dogs are very wonderful and graceful and all that, but sometimes they are dopes.)

I'm not suggesting that is the problem here, just adding our goofy experience.

[Patty]

Could he be allergic to something in his outside environment. If there is any discomfort, I recommend Urtica.

[MDSPHOTO]

Which human allergy drug did you try?

[Buddys Pal]

Well, you asked, here is some more information for you. Do a search for yourself about coconut oil and its properties. It is used for anti-viral,fungal, bacterial. So if your B does have a yeast infection, I would reccomend this. One capsule, broken up over the food. You will find that dogs love the flavor. No harmful properties or toxic limits either. I took some myself and it helped a mild infection and stomach upset. You can pay for a quality capsule or I found a jar of it at Superstore(no names) next to the cooking lard on the shelf. You can use it yourself in lieu of oil-adds a nice flavor too! PS of course you would not add a whole tablespoon full on his food, too loose stools equals messy!

[Barklessdog]

We have the same problem with our tri. He is allergic to Wheat, Soy, just about everything. We feed him Blue Buffalo Allergen mix which is lamb & rice which seems to work the best for him(Most allergy mixes are Lamb & Rice). We found the so called Allergy food he use to eat had soy in it, he had problems with it. You have to read the labels of everything he eats.

We give him half a Benidril if he has an outbreak. Our vet said the spots are actually a staff infection. During an outbreak we put him on antibiotics, or but a little Neosporin on it (not too much they lick it).

Our dog is also allergic to grass. Bathing him once a week with oatmeal shampoo when he does not have a rash, then a medicated shampoo if he does have a rash. The medicated shampoo we put on him, then take him for a 15 minute walk ( In warm weather)- then rinse him after the walk.

This combination has pretty much eliminated the issue, also would get Diarrhea & bubbling stomach. No, he has firm stools no rash, doing great.

[doodle]

Hi Ed,

We had a similar problem with our bitch when she was about the same age. She was prescribed antibiotic ointments, shampoos and anti-histamine, etc but it didn't go away completely. We changed vets and they immediately suggested changing her diet. The redness died down and the hair grew back on her belly on the vet prescription diet. I've tried her on a number of different foods since and I think she is allergic to Chicken and/or grains. She's on Orijen food now and her coat and belly are great. Hope this helps.

[jmnyc]

Hello,
one of my B's have had lifelong allergy to corn and grains, and now suddenly chicken.
When he was a bit over a year old a vet gave him benadryl and steroids which turned him into an agressive and constantly urinating dog, so I stopped all medications. For a period I applied Animax when the blisters were too bad, but it only helps the topical issue, not the deeper reason for the allergy. Since then I have given him a table spoon of local honey with yogurt every morning, and The Honest Kitchen food (currently the Zeal version) and I havent seen one sign of the severe outbrakes he had before.
He is now 8 years old. Eventually he picks up something he finds under a bush on the walk which usually is a chicken part (afterall he is a Basenji) so then I use the Animax for a day or two, then it is gone.
I hope you find your way to help your B.
JM

[2baroos]

the Feed Store. Used on cows teats so it is safe. This time of year my Female seems to have some allergies when she walks on certain grasses and weeds. She has itchy feet and belly so a little Bag Balm works well.

[sharronhurlbut]

Did you try Benadryl and it didn't work for your b?

[subaruthie]

I'm going on year five of dealing with allergies in my B mix. First, find a vet that you feel really comfortable with. You need to be able to ask questions, and they need to be able to explain what's going on in a way you can understand!

There are all sorts of approaches to dealing with allergies in dogs (because they can't always tell us what's wrong, and they also react differently than we do to allergens). From my experience, the simplest things you can do to start are:

1. Find a vet you trust. This is the most important!
2. Use a simple, but very high quality, food. Your trusty vet and an experienced pet store employee (ask a manager!) can help you sort through this. There are also great threads on food here. Prescription food is also an option if food allergies are suspected, but a good quality food will help your dog's skin stay its healthiest if you are dealing with an environmental allergy.
3. If an environmental allergy (like grass, mold, etc…) or reaction to chemicals sprayed on your yard is suspected, wipe down your dog when you bring him in after walks. Pay special attention to the feet and belly.
4. Double check medicine names and dosages with your vet. Also check your flea prevention program with your vet, as flea saliva is a common allergen. If flea bites are causing a problem, you may need to change your flea prevention.

I hope this helps!
Ruth

[YodelDogs]

It sounds like a contact allergy to me. The dog's stomach is touching something it is allergic too.

Like Ruth said, grass or weeds that may (or may not) have chemicals on them.
The fabric of your couch or type of carpet you have
Cleaning products used to clean carpets or floors
Fabric softeners, dryer sheets, or laundry detergents used on the dog's bedding or other items the dog is frequently in contact with.
Topical flea products used on the dog
And the list goes on

I do not trust a vet who wants to hand out drugs and medications without attempting to find out the cause of the medical problem. I would recommend going to a holistic vet that will help you get to the root of the problem.