Chin scratching and paw chewing

[thewizenedone]

Hello,

We are having a problem with our dog chewing her feet and scratching under her chin. Its definately not fleas. As to her feet there are no inter digital cysts. Vet suggested washing feet after walking on grass and washing her face after she eats. She has very little fur on her chin, and the skin seems quite rough which vet said is probably a reaction to licking, her feet. Otherwise she is very healthy good appetite- if poo was an olympic sport we would have our gold medal in the bag -however she scoots quite a bit, her anal glands were emptied at the vets recently, although they were not too bad according to vet. She is wormed at the correct frequency.

We are feeding Harringtons dry food. We tried lots of others but this is thr only one that made her poos more solid.

Any suggestions gratefully recieved.

TIA

[daisydotandgertie]

It does sound allergy based - and the masses of poo/anal gland problems point that way too.

Which Harringtons food are you feeding at the moment?

And which foods have you tried so far?

Have you tried giving her piriton? Did it help?

[thewizenedone]

Hello DD&G

Thanks for replying. We are using Harringtons either salmon and potato or lamb and rice, def improved the poo- although I have never known a dog poo as much . We have had her since feb this year, previous owner fed wagg, when we collected her said she was nibbling feet and that they had been feeding Asda own brand. I am interested in trying piriton, would I need to ask the vet re dosage? Sorry its been a while since my post had to go out.

Thanks again

[thewizenedone]

Sorry meant to add have also tried Beta which didnt improve. Someone suggested Chappie complete, but someone else said maybe cereal allergy?

[daisydotandgertie]

All the foods you've listed are very, very filler heavy. Most of them lead with wheat, maize or cereal as the most significant ingredient.

Cereals are a very common allergen, and are also responsible for a very high output of poo. The trouble with a high poo output is that it points to little of the food taken in being digested properly - therefore the dog is not receiving the benefits of the nutrition.

I would start by cutting out all cereals - so no wheat, maize, no corn etc. For a reasonably priced food which is easy to get hold of and fits the bill try this from Wainwrights, pets at home own brand.

It will take a few weeks to work through, but it is a better quality food than any he's been on before and is free of cereal which I expect will clear up his problems.

Using piriton would prove whether it is allergy based, but tbh, I feel there's little doubt it is allergy based, so the next step is to find a food which suits him. Piriton is a short term fix.

[daisydotandgertie]

Sorry, it should all say she, not he.

[thewizenedone]

Hi DD&G

Many thanks for your advice, I will certainly be buying the food you suggest, other than this she is in excellent condition, really glossy coat. Thanks again.