Question:
I have two Pembroke Welsh Corgis -- an 8-year-old male and a 5-year-old female. Both are in good health, but the male has allergies. We've had him tested and give him an allergy shot every two weeks. The tests showed he has problems with grasses and fleas. I use Frontline Plus on both dogs, once a month. I have attached a label from the food bag from a local mill here in Texas. The shots seem to do the trick. I'm wondering if there is any other supplement I might use to help him. The next issue is that the female is an obsessed scavenger. On our walks, she cleans the gutters of all the dried worms. She will also run into our neighbor's flowerbeds and go straight for where cats have gone to the bathroom and load up on this stuff before I can catch her. She will then be sick as a dog. Her tummy seems not to get enough grass, so she consumes a lot of it, then either throws up or experiences diarrhea, which will be severe enough to turn bloody. Then we have to take her to the vet, and he gives us Flagyl tablets for 10 days until she calms down. Then, if I don't catch her in time, she'll repeat the process. Am I missing something in her diet? Is this normal? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
B.E., Grapevine, TX Jul 26, 2009
Answer:
The biweekly "allergy shot" is probably Prednisone. While giving your dog temporary relief, long-term treatment will ensure serious health problems, like Cushing's disease. Your dog's eagerness to scavenge may indicate both dogs' health is being compromised by their diets. Ask your veterinarian to provide good-quality probiotics, L-glutamine, aloe vera (liquid or gel), insulin and digestive enzymes that are often helpful in dealing with allergies and food hypersensitivity. You might want to rotate different dietary formulas every seven to 10 days. For a list of good dog foods (dry, canned, organic, raw freeze-dried and raw frozen), visit my Web site, www.twobitdog.com/DrFox.
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