Perianal Fistulas and diet?

I have an 11year old german shepard with perianal fistulas. The vet has put him on medication and we have also kept him on Hills Science Food, which seems to have kept his problem at bay. I have tried to change his food to Eukanuba, but he immediatlly flares up. So it seems that the Hill's food helps his problem? Is it not possible to find out what he is allergic to, as the Hill's food is rather expensive?

  • Vetinfo

    By: Erika Raines El Segundo, CA

    Replied on 04/19/2011

    It is possible to perform an elimination diet to determine what he is allergic to, but this is a long process. In order to perform an elimination diet, you need to feed a very simple diet such as boiled chicken and rice or prescription z/d from Hill's for 6 to 8 weeks or until the allergic signs completely go away. At this point you can add food ingredients to his diet one at a time and observe for a return of the allergic symptoms. Skin testing can also be done to determine allergies which may be helpful, but you may need to have this performed by a veterinary dermatologist to accurately interpret the results of the test. Another thing to try would be to use a limited ingredient diet for 6 to 8 weeks to determine if the ingredients in that particular diet are going to be appropriate for your dog or not. Most prescription diet brands offer limited ingredient formulas, as well as Natural Balance, a brand available at many pet stores. There may be other brands offering limited ingredient diets in your area. These diets will have ingredient lists with one protein source and one carbohydrate source listed. It is best to avoid chicken, pork and beef as these are the most commonly problematic food allergens in dogs.

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    My dogs feet and skin get irritated and red after running in fields.His father's feet do the same,but worse. Is this an allergy that can be treated? The skin around the nose and belly also gets reddish in color.The more I run him the worse it gets.Thanks.

  • What is diabetes in dogs?

    thank you

  • Dog urinating frequently with stones. Emergency situation or can wait?

    Today our Yorkie started urinating in the home very often (every 5-10 minutes). We found what looks like small white stones (kidney stones?) in the urine and a small amount of blood. Should we take her to an emergency vet or will it be okay to wait until tomorrow to take her to our normal vet?

  • Dog nails peeling?

    I am the proud owner of a one year old Golden Retriever. I was recently trimming his nails when I found that they are peeling. I looked closer and saw that a few of his nails had a thin layer nail peeling from it. It causes him no pain and he allowed me to continue clipping his nails (it's not his favorite activity). Do you have any advice on how to solve this problem or what might be causing. A bit of background on him. He's a neuter pure bred golden retriever. He's very active, always running around the back yard and is fed one cup of Purina large dog food twice a day and the occasional raw hide bone.

  • Treatment for dog masticatory myopothy and atrophy?

    My friend's dog has been diagnosed with masticatory myopothy and atrophy. She is wondering about the quality of life.I see the treatment is cortisone. Is that the best treatment and what is the quality of life like for a dog with this?

  • Dog has Eosinophilic Myositis or maybe something else?

    My 2 1/2 year old mini is being treated for Eosinophilic Myositis with prednisone and clavamox in case of underlying infection (3rd day). No definite proof of myositis. Thorough exam of the mouth shows nothing abnormal. Blood results normal. Waiting for results from creatine kinase draw to help confirm. This is the start of the 3rd week of his mouth problem. What else might these symptoms reflect? What treatments could help?

  • Is the potato plant stalk toxic to dogs?

    My dog chewed some potato stalks. Is this anything to worry about?

  • Can dog fur condition indicate dehydration?

    My 9 year old Border Collie has an incontinence problem that has been growing worse over the last few weeks. We are giving her medicine to help control it, but it isn't as effective as it used to be. We think the incontinence is causing her to drink more water than usual, but I'm worried it's making her dehydrated. Is the condition of her fur any indication? I've noticed it's a lot drier than usual over the last few days.

  • What can I wash my dog with?

    Hello, I live on a remote caribbean island and have just rescued a dog here. What is best to give her a wash with as she is rather smelly. I don't have access here to dog shampoos just basics. Many thanks

  • Dog keeps losing weight

    My 2yr. old boxer wont keep weight on . One day I can see all her ribs so I get her to gain about 5 pounds and a week later I can see all her ribs again should I worry?

  • What to do about a dog bee sting?

    I have a 25lb cocker spaniel mix and I'm pretty sure he got stung by a bee on one of his hind paws last night. He was limping on it last night and is still doing so this morning. I looked and did not see a stinger there so I assume it fell out, but he is still experiencing discomfort. What should I do?

  • Safely removing dog ticks inside the ear canal?

    The ticks are down inside the ear canal. I cant reach them with the tweezers safely. How can I get them out?

  • Giant Shnoodle has lymphocyte count of 14.3. What options?

    My dog is 6 1/2 years old, in may 2009 he had a lymphocyte count of lymphocyte count of 5.6. In may of this year it had gone up to 17.1. The vet put him on doxycycline for 10 days and we retested his blood and it came back at 14.8. We gave him another 4 weeks of Doxycycline and his lymphocyte count is 14.3. He has no symptoms of anything, energy level is good, no weight loss or loss of appetite. My vet says a full leukemia diagnosis will cost $1600.00. Is there another option?

  • Dog paw injury: Severed tendons?

    My 2 year old springer suffered a bad cut under his paw on a large piece of broken glass on our beach. It was a v shaped cut and bled a great deal, He had 4 or 5 stitches and the wound is healing at long last.Since the cut we have noticed that one of his middle "toes" is sticking up at an unusual angle and is rather floppy , not at all like his other ones. Is there any chance that he could have severed nerves of tendons? it doesn't seem to stop him running around.

  • What is the best quick remedy for canine dehyration?

    I have a 6 month old Boxer that is being lethargic and shaking. The weather outside is approx 100 degrees. Any suggestions?

  • Cracked dog paw pad?

    My dog seems to get cracks in his paw pads or maybe on the sides of his pads. They're usually on his back feet. I clean them with peroxide and ointment afterwards. Is there anything else I should be doing?

  • Is it safe for dogs to eat ice cubes?

    Is it safe for my dog to eat ice cubes?

  • High TA levels - dog ultrasound needed?

    My ten year old lahso apso is diagnosed with very high levels ta concentration. Vet suspects cushins d or adrenal problem. Would like to perform an ultrasound. All her liver functions levels are high. What should we do? We do not to put her thru a lot of test and keep her comfortable. Thank you, Daniela N

  • My dog doesn't have bowel movements after anal gland cleaning?

    I got my dog groomed two days ago and with that he got his anal glands expressed. Since then he has not gone number 2 when usually he goes about 4 times by now. Is this normal after the expression? Should we take him to the vet or just wait it out?

  • Dog lead poisoning?

    I have a dog that was shot in the hip with a pellet gun about 5 years ago. He has recently started to lick that area like it may be bothering him and he is vomiting his food lately. Is it possible that he could have lead poisoning 5 years after the fact?

  • Potential complications for a dog that survived distemper?

    We are considering adopting a 15 month old rescue dog that survived distemper. She has tics and an occasional seizure (about every other month) which have improved over time. We think we can deal with that much to give her a nice home, but are concerned that she is at risk to develop further complications or problems. Should we be concerned with a distemper survivor dog developing further problems or her problems getting worse in the future?

  • Do dog neurological problems go away?

    My 3 year old female pitbull got spayed on a few days ago, and she ended up having internal bleeding. We took her into the emergency vet about 24 hours after her surgery. She has had 4 surgery in 3 days. We just got her home today, and the vet said that she has neurological problems from losing so much blood. The emergency clinic brought in a dog blood donor. She can't walk on her back legs, and if she does, she drags them and stands with her back knuckles bent. Will this go away?

  • Can I brush dogs teeth with baking soda?

    I have a puggle who has really bad breath! Can i use baking soda will it hurt him?

  • Are frogs harmful to dogs?

    My puggle was chasing a frog and ate it and had foam in his mouth...what should be done?

  • Old English Mastiff with first dog seizure

    I would like to start with a big thank you on this site- I have a 7 or 8 year old, Old English Mastiff, we are not sure on the age because he is a rescue dog. He is about 190pd's and is in good conditions - However this weekend at the lake he had his first seizure Saturday Night- We live in NV and was told by the vet is was related to the heat, stress and drinking the lake water which is high in mercury. Just wanted to see if you would agree with this?

  • Smelly dog despite bathing?

    6 month old male Great Dane has started smelling. He is bathed on a regular basis and powdered, but still smells. I am in Hyderabad, India where climate is hot. Monsoon is about to arrive. Could it be weather?

  • Perianal cysts on dogs?

    Hello, My 13 year old intact Shih Tzu just developed peri-anal cysts. I was wondering if there is anything else I can do besides neutering him. He has heart problems and because of his age and stress, I don't really want to put him through it. Also, if hormones decrease with age, why have they suddenly started to develop? Thank you

  • My puppy has strange out dog toes. Is this okay?

    Looking to by a puppy but the dog stands with his toes outward not straight. This is a golden retreveir.

  • Dog nail trimming tips?

    Have a chihuahua who is 12 years old. I have had always had problems cutting her nails. I have taken her to get them cut and no one will cut them because of how she acts. She poops all over, shakes and is aggressive. I have tried touching the paw, having someone else do it, give treats, and benadryl (which didn't work for her). I have talked to my vet in the past and he always sedates her (once a year). Help!

  • Home remedies for dog muscle spasms?

    Our Newfoundland has been on Steroids for the past 5 months treating some spine compression. We took him to a chiropractor last Monday and he was doing well. The chiro told us to wean him off of the Steroids slowly. He also gave us Vitamins to give him. Last night he didn't want to eat and today he is having muscle spasms throughout this body.

  • Do cat worms spread to dogs?

    One of our cats has vomitted a round worm and we are treating both. Should we also treat our dog?

  • Chapped dog lips

    My dog licks her lips all the time and is starting to get little red sores right below her nose. What can I do to stop the rash from getting worse or what can I do to help it get better?

  • Dog pneumonia versus distemper

    Three weeks ago I adopted a 2 year old male basset hound from the local shelter. Since then he's been coughing and has thick nasal discharge (yellowish). He's been in and out of the vet and been on a variety of antibiotics. My vet thinks it's pneumonia, but possibly distemper. If it is distemper, is it possible that it will not progress to the neurological stage and my dog will recover just fine? If it's pneumonia, why hasn't he responded to the antibiotics? How long can pneumoia last? Thankyou!

  • Dry dog nose?

    Dear Dr..... Recently, my dog has got dry nose and he's depressed, as well. The appetite is normal, but I'm worried about his health. What shall I do?

  • What happens when a dog cyst bursts?

    My L/H dachshund had a cyst on her tail for years. The vet said not to bother about it, as the surgery was expensive and it would likely come back. It never bothered her. Last weekend she started chewing on it, like she had a skin irritation. The cyst burst and drained. Now it's half gone and an open sore. It doesn't seem to be bothering her. The chewing has stopped. Will the cyst heal over? Should I bandage it? Can it get infected? Can it make my dog sick? What should I do?

  • Treatment for split dog nail?

    What should we do to treat split toe nail?

  • Dog with metallic odor

    My dog is a four year old pit bull and just recently she has been coming inside with this foul smelling metallic odor. Would you happen to know why or what is causing this?

  • Where is a dog anal gland and how do I express it?

    Where are the anal sacs on a dog and how do I express them myself?

  • Dog nail- part of inside soft tissue is exposed

    I noticed the inside of the soft tissue part of the nail is separated and exposed. Doesn't appear to be painful. Should I be worried? Anything I can do?

  • Will 16 tablets (10mg/tab) of human prednisone hurt my dog?

    My dog has gotten into my wife's prednisone approximately sixteen 10 mg/tabs. Will it harm him? We gave him 2 tbs of h2o2 to induce vomiting and Pepsin a/c afterwards.

  • Is garlic poisonous to dogs?

    My 10 month English Bulldog ate a garlic clove, and since I've read garlic is toxic for dogs I'm worried about him. What should I do?

  • See all questions in Health Care

Please do not use our site to attempt to diagnose or treat your pet. Your veterinarian is the best source of health advice for an individual pet.

Please do use our site to become better informed about the medical problems your pet may have. We will do our best to ensure that information presented is accurate and up-to-date. The most current information will be at the top of each page. Remember that veterinarians often disagree about the best treatments for pets. There are often several perfectly acceptable ways to treat the same condition. Just ask a lot of questions!

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