Food Allergy?

kansas · 06-19-2007, 09:48 PM

Ok, I have a Papillon puppy that will be 17 weeks Fri. When I got him about 3 weeks ago his stools were sort of firm almost like tooth paste a little firmer, and his ears were sticking up like they do for this breed. Now in the past 2 weeks his ears are down and his stools have gradually turned to Diahrea. He is acting the same, Playful alert, eats drinks.

He is the same except for the ears and stools. So I took him to the Vet and he did a stool sample and that came back fine. He suggested that maybe it is a food allergy.Even though this is all he has ever ate He is eating what the Breeder has always fed him (Diamond Naturals Small Breed Puppy). It has chicken. So anyway I tell the breeder and she said that this isnt a food allergy ,this dog has always done well with this food. Soooo now what?

I took him to a VET got his advice and a heafty bill and still am a little stumped. He is current on all shots and wormers also. i would like to switch him to a better food that would make his stools harder anyway. They werent that firm when I got him. Now I have the Breeder upset with this and Im at a loss for words. Can they have an allergy after eating it well for 17 weeks? The vet didnt seem to sure about what it was , just guessing Any Suggestions?

Misskiwi67 · 06-19-2007, 09:58 PM

I suppose its possible, but thats not a normal presentation for food allergies. I would suspect bacterial overgrowth, stress, or something the puppy ate too... I certainly wouldn't go making any drastic changes, you're just as likely to make him worse than better.

Have you tried adding a teaspoon of un-flavored yogurt to his food? Did your vet offer metranidazole for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects? What food is your puppy eating now?

Ginny01OT · 06-19-2007, 10:04 PM

If the vet feels it could be allergy related then I would probably very, very slowly switch the food---you can try a lamb formula or a venison formula or a fish formula. Some of the better foods are: Nature's Variety, Innova, Timberwolf Organics, Canidae. My dog had allergies and he is on a raw diet along with some Timberwolf Organics Lamb and Apples but all the mentioned dog foods are good, you can check out their websites, I would just stay away from any foods with chicken (and beet pulp and brewers yeast) to see if that helps their condition. I don't know if this is the same for your breed but my sister has an American White GSD puppy whose ears also go up, well they were both up, then both were to the left, then both were to the right, she was told that the pups teething has some effect on the ears (this is what her vet said and there was a further explanation, I just don't remember it)----that could be a question for the vet--is the puppy's teething affecting the ears/stools?--and as Missikiwi said, could it be the stress associated with teething?

kansas · 06-19-2007, 10:20 PM

Yes Thank You, I asked about the teething and he didnt think it would cause the loose stools. But the ears maybe. I am just stumped by the fact that I havent changed anything with him and it has been gradually getting to this point. He doesnt seem stressed or depressed. And the Vet was very Vague with the Diagnosis really. He scratched his head and said it must be food allergies...lol

Unfortunately where Im located there really arent a lot of food choices, We have a Walmart that sells dog food and the Vet who sells mostly Science Diet and Diamond and they are mostly the Chicken based. I just dont know how a food allergy would just show up like this. Im stumped.....
(Diamond Naturals Small Breed Puppy).

Misskiwi67 · 06-19-2007, 10:39 PM

Dogs under one year of age that develop allergies almost always develop allergies to foods due to the repeated exposure needed to cause clinical signs. For the same reason, most seasonal allergies show up the second summer of life when animals are re-exposed to pollens and grasses. Both can show up later, but in a puppy that young, food allergy is plausible.

IF this is an allergic problem, its most likely a food allergy. I'm still not sure if thats entirely the cause though. There are so many other reasons for diarrhea in puppies that are much more likely. I would think a poor fecal sample even more likely than food allergies in a 17 week puppy.

I do agree with Ginny though... if you want to try switching foods, you need to get away from the chicken. Do some looking around and see what you can find, and try the yogurt thing in the meantime.

Ginny01OT · 06-20-2007, 07:48 AM

Timberwolf Organics has a lamb formula, venison formula, elk formula and fish formula, they are great foods. You can order it thru their website and if you order over $15.00 you get free shipping--well worth it and it is much better food than your dog is on right now. www.timberwolforganics.com