[choppersdad]

I have 3 year old boxer who has always had skin problems (hives).  Here the last six to eight months his skin hives have turned into dryed sores and his hair is shedding.  I have took him to the vet, were they give him a cortazone shot and antobotics (getting very expensive) and it clears up.  I just wanted to know if anyone else has had this problem and any suggestions.

 

[tootsie]

What are you feeding Chopper? A lot of skin issues have been food related. If you are feeding a chicken based food, duck may be a bit close in protein to the chicken, so you may want to try either a Lamb & Rice or perhaps the Venison or Fish....
California Naturals makes an excellent Lamb & Rice--I have used that with Buster and his coat was amazing on that. I also used the Natural Balance Duck & Potato and liked it for the most part, just had an issue with looser stools. Solid Gold also makes a great natural lamb kibble. Just keep in mind that if you do switch foods, watch the treats also.Many contain the same food ingredients. So, if you are eliminating chicken first, make sure no treats you give him have chicken in them.
Just some suggestions on what to try. Good Luck and keep us updated on Chopper's progress.

 

[mom2scoutandgunner]

Also check any material he comes in contact with.  Some boxers are allergic to nylon.  That could include his collar also.  We had a problem with that and switched to leather and it took care of the problem.

 

[choppersdad]

He has been eating Benefuls for the past two years and he has a metal choker collar.  As for nylon fabric,  I don't see anything around the house he could get in to.  the only thing I can think of is the carpet.  He is an inside dog.

 

[tootsie]

I just looked up the ingredients in beneful and the first few ingredients were corn, and wheat. Both of which can be extreme allergens. I would start him on a higher quality food that does not have any corn or wheat in it and see how he does.  Again, make sure treats don't have any wheat or corn and you should notice a difference after changing his food within 4-6 weeks.

 

[choppersdad]

What food do you recommend I live in Texas and I have never seen the California food you had mention.  I really hate to change him off his food, because we left him at a the kennel once, and when he got back from eating thier food, his tummy was pretty upset!

 

[tootsie]

Usually when you leave them at a kennel they will not usually eat and lose some weight while there. Just usually stress. When you change foods, do it gradually start with 1/3 new food for a few days, then increase to 1/2 new 1/2 old for a few more days until he is eating 100% of the new food. Usually this is done over a 2 week period, so that you are not just switching food cold turkey.
I would reccommend Natural Balance Potato and Duck or Venison and Brown Rice for him.  There are other flavors also, but the Natural Balance foods are wheat and corn free and are available at Petco or if you are closer to a Petsmart you could try Blue aka(blue buffalo) they also have premium foods without wheat and corn. The main thing is to stay away from the corn and wheat. I would start there to see if it is indeed a food allergy. Good Luck and keep us posted.  

 

[southerngirls]

I used Blue for Chloe and am in the process of switching savannah over. I have not had any issues with the food and am happy with the results as far as nutrition and how her coat looks. I would reccomend Blue if you are in texas (we are in Fort Worth).

 

[choppersdad]

Thanks a lot for the advice,  I will see if it helps.

 

[Erica]

I have a boxer who will be 2 years old in January.  He started having skin problems about 6 months ago and is eshibiting the same skin problems as your dog.  Benedryl helps a little.  WE have tried almost every food for him.  Now he is on Veterinarian's Formula (from Science Diet) Ultra Low Allergen food.  This is a prescription food, but is also able to be ordered on line.  It helps more than any other food we have tried.  If I constantly give him benedryl, the special food and treats and bath him using baby shampoo every week, it seems to help.  I have not found anything that completely cures him except high dosages of steriods, which is not healthy.  I have also taken him to about 8 different vets.  At this point, they all reccomend doing a blood allergy test which is extremely expensive.  The cheapest place I found to do this was Petsmart (only $450).