Sudden Allergic Reaction To Food?

[Guest EaglesMom]

Quinn has been itching at his ears lately and this morning woke me up due to his constant scratching. Since I found a flea yesterday (on me, not on one of the dogs)I went ahead and front lined both of them and fed them their breakfast. I also put some salve on his ears when he has scratched them raw.

 

Within 15 minutes he was covered in welts/hives and pacing and panting. Thinking he was having a reaction to the front line, I washed it off. His face even swelled. I gave him 50 of benadryl and he fell asleep. I continued to give him 50 every six hours and he appeared to be getting better (face was still a bit swollen).

 

Within 15 minutes of feeding him his dinner, the hives, panting and pacing began again.

 

Has anyone else had this happen? I struggled when I first adopted him to find a food for his sensitive stomach and he as been eating this for about 4 years, SD sensitive stomach (the ingredients are awful, but it is the only thing that did not upset his tummy).

 

I feel so bad for him.

[KF_in_Georgia]

When he goes out to pee/poop, is there any chance he's sticking his face into something he's allergic to? There's lots of pollen out there as things bloom.

 

Can you change his food completely--immediately--for a meal or two to see what happens? I know about tiptoeing around digestive upsets, but maybe just give him a meal of potatoes and some plain protein that you know he can tolerate (chicken? beef?). That might be enough to protect his stomach while you see if there's something around the house (besides his food) that's giving him a problem. If he's fine on your home-made rations, that might indicate that he's developed a problem with the food. I'd suggest checking the food ingredients for changes, but manufacturers don't have to list changed ingredients right away. (Was this a new bag of food? If so, that may be your answer.)

Edited April 22, 2012 by KF_in_Georgia

[BauersMom]

What was in the salve you used? Some dogs are also very allergic to fleas (even a few of them...), though I haven't heard of swelling of the face with fleas.

[KF_in_Georgia]

See the link here, especially the second post. It could actually be a reaction to flea bites, esp. if there's something in the house (a dog bed) that might have picked up a couple of critters--so that Quinn is being bitten again and again.

Edited April 22, 2012 by KF_in_Georgia

[Guest EaglesMom]

It is almost the end of the bag of food, but I am taking him off of it immediately. I am going to cook him boiled hamburger and potatoes for his breakfast. I will wash all of the beds tonight just to be sure. We live in the woods and pollen is awful, but he has never had a problem before.

 

I have never seen anything like this before. The hives are gone again (after the dose of benadryl) but his skin is so raw underneath his armpits and parts of his belly. He is a cow dog with a lot of white so I can see his belly pretty well.

 

I am going to take him to the vet tomorrow just to be sure. I have some pred but I am afraid to give it to him without a doc's advice, but don't want him to suffer. This sucks feelng so helpless.

 

Thanks for the advice and suggestions, this is a new one for me.

[Guest Mom2Shiloh]

Surprisingly, even white potato and sweet potato in equal amounts for a meal or three.... won't hurt... the actual "potato diet' my vet uses is 3 parts white potato, 3 parts sweet potato, 1 part turnip-- steamed or boiled the rough mashed. Really good for giving the gut a rest and surprisingly, most dogs like it.

 

Face sounds like my Staghound, Callan, after-- I Think he gotten bitten or stung twice after dark by probably a black wasp. I had to take him to emergency vet the first time because I thought his throat would swell closed-- he looked like a bull terrier when he came in after 10 minutes outside, I could not even see his eyes. The second time i had a homeopathic preparation to give him along with Bendadryl... fortunately it wasn't as puffy and with the homeopathic meds plus the Benedryl started going down a bit within a half hour. Scary stuff.

 

Could be a bite, but I would think the way it's happening right after eating he has either become allergic to one of the ingredients or the company has changed the formula. Purina has a line of prescription diets also and I trust them a lot more than Hills.

[Guest EaglesMom]

I have both white and sweet, do I peel them first?

[Guest itsagreytlife]

This is weird--Selah just had a reaction too, but not on her face or belly. I don't think hers were hives, though, since the bumps were infected (yuck!). Yours sound more like a regular allergic reaction obviously to something in his food. I know how scary & frustrating this can be! Good luck with the vet and on finding out what is triggering this reaction in him. Hang in there!