itchy itchy collie....not fleas...allergies?

[MummyElk]

help please
my collie has some sort of problem with her skin, she is scratching the bejesus out of her lower back and all the fur is coming off....(in a beautiful bald mohican )

Any thoughts on allergies? I don't think it's fleas or mange - she's had skin scrapings and nothing came up.

Could i change her diet? currently on winalot....

please help - she's pulling out CLUMPS of hair and there is only so much my dyson hoovering husband can take....

Try her on a cereal-free diet - Fish4Dogs is excellent and totally hypoallergenic.

I bet you a shiny penny it's a wheat allergy.

change to a more expensive dried dog food as these usually contain less allergens

ask vet for allergy testing

i would try changing food first

My mums dog had this ..the vet gave him a course of steroids and that seemed to clear it up

Cost has nothing to do with it, some 'premium' branded foods are full of shite too.

thats why i said 'usually'

It does seem like an allergy. Just found the following relating to Winalot Cans:

Ingredients
Meat and animal derivatives (min 14% meat), Fish and fish derivatives (cod 4%, plaice 4%), Cereals, Vegetable protein extracts, Minerals, Various sugars.

So no REAL food in their. Derivatives are pretty much the sweepings off the floor - beaks, feathers, that kind of thing. All that cereal packing it out won't be good.

Typical Analysis
Moisture 79. 00%
Protein 8. 00%
Fat content 4. 00%
Crude ash 4. 00%
Crude fibres 0. 50%

20% protein is about right for a DRY food, not sure how that equates in wet food, but this seems pretty low to me. I'd try switching to something like Burns or James Wellbeloved. Make the change gradually - it usually takes 6-8 weeks (ish) for changes to become apparent though.

Gah! THERE not their! What is wrong with me today?

My lab is allergic to house dust and house dust mite. Was diagnosed by referral to a skin specialist who did various tests. The diagnosis was very expensive but covered by insurance. Treatment is a good quality diet (skinners duck and rice suits him and is good value), cod liver oil tablets and steroids when he has a flare up. Ongoing treatment not covered in my insurance but steroids are very cheap.

We were told chappie was a good brand as it is fish based & no junk in it, the bonus is it is ridiculously cheap

thanks for this - appreciated. We have to be pretty careful with her and steroids because she has Addison's disease, but the steroid spray we have seems to calm it for a little bit..
Will try some different foods - she went off james wellbeloved - but i like the chappie idea too?!! cupcakes thank you for the research, YUCK to winalot then!!! yeurch

battery did you have to ask the vet for the referral?

Yes referred via the vet.

Our collie did this too. We got some medicated shampoo from the vets and gave him a few baths with this over a couple of weeks. We also changed his diet and now give him (and our other collie) Chappie (a mix of the tinned and dry). It's cheap, the skin problem went and also no more runny tummies!