# Urine Crystals and Environmental Allergies



## cmarrie (Sep 17, 2014)

That's the bottom line on today's $200 vet visit.

I took Wrex in for the sores on all 4 of his paws today:

A few weeks ago, when the grass reemerged, Wrex started gnawing on his feet. I thought he was bored and started giving him rawhides regularly (this was when the whole family was down sick.) On Friday last week, I took him in to be groomed, and had his feet shaved for the first time. That's when I saw the tender red spots. I thought they were razor burn and treated with a Lidocaine/Hydrocortizone spray. By Sunday they were worse, and had started to bleed after playing ball outside with my son. I bathed Wrex and then treated the sores with antibiotic spray, dabbed them with Neosporin and put socks on for a while so he couldn't lick it off. He was quite restless and uncomfortable, so I ended up giving him about 10ml of benedryl soaked into some bread. It calmed him down enough so that he would snooze, but he was still alert and not a zombie.

Based on his feet and the fact that he rubs his face frequently and that the whites of his eyes have a red cast to them more often than not, the doc recommended a 2 week trial of allergy pills that target environmental allergies. I asked about testing and was told (especially since he's only 9 months old) that they recommend doing testing at the end of the season-November. It runs $300-$400. If these pills don't help, then we can go that route. If they do help, then we know what's wrong, and we can get him relief right now. I brought home the pills to start today. The doc also sent home antibiotics because he has open wounds on his feet.

While we were there, I mentioned that all of a sudden (around the same time as the foot chewing) Wrex has been wetting in his crate. It's random and infrequent, but out of character for him. I thought maybe I wasn't taking him out often enough but he can spend all 10 hours over night with no problem, but pee if he's in there for 2 hours while I cook dinner...even if he went out before hand. They did a urinalysis to check for an infection, which came back clean. However, they discovered that the PH of his urine is high. It registered 8, when it should be closer to 6. Also, there are crystals in his urine. They took him back for x-rays to be sure he hadn't formed any bladder stones yet. No stones, thank goodness. The doc said that the prescription diets that are recommended for this contain Chicken and/or glutens, both of which we've removed from his diet, so for now, I'm being encouraged to have him drink as much water as I can and reduce/eliminate beef products, as Beef is a high food allergen. That means no more rawhides, and no more beef jerky treats that he loves. Beef protein is a large component of the food he is currently eating (TOTW High Prairie Puppy), so I need to do some research and move him to something new. Maybe duck, maybe fish? I need to have another urinalysis done in a month to see if the condition has improved.

I do hate that my boy isn't feeling well. On the other hand, it's nice to know there's a cause for the uncharacteristic urinating other than me not taking him out enough. If anyone has experience with lowering urine PH, I'd love to hear about it! On the same note, if you have experience success or fail with Apoquel for environmental allergies, I'd love to hear about that too.


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## cmarrie (Sep 17, 2014)

Sorry, the one food the vet did recommend was Nature's Recipe Vegetarian formula. I feel weird giving meat-free food to a canine! But, perhaps it is for the best.


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## georgiapeach (Oct 9, 2009)

Your pup could have food allergies as well as environmental allergies with the foot chewing. My westie/maltese mix was a complete mess when I adopted her from a rescue - her ears and feet were fire engine red and sore.

Beef is a common allergen in many dogs, as well as chicken. You might want to change to TOTW Pacific Stream, which is fish based, and see if that helps. If there's no change, your dog may also be allergic to potatoes (Maddie is, as well). I have Maddie on a kibble with no grain, chicken, egg, potato, or alfalfa (because she also has a grass allergy) - Back to Basics Hi-Protein Pork. Acana has also come out with a similar Singles formula, Acana Pork and Butternut Squash, which I may try next. Acana also make a Lamb and Apple LID kibble, which many allergy dogs do well on, too.

Adult Dog Dry Food Pacific Stream Canine Formula - Taste of the Wild Pet Food

Pork & Butternut Squash | ACANA Pet Foods

Lamb & Okanagan Apple | ACANA Pet Foods 

For environmental allergies, I would bathe your dog weekly with a non-oatmeal based shampoo (if a dog is allergic to grains, oatmeal isn't a good choice). If the skin is really bad, you can get a medicated shampoo from your vet. 

You can also make up a batch of 1/2 organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar and 1/2 water, putting it in a covered container, deep enough to cover your dog's foot when you dunk it in the container. Keep it by the door and rinse your dog's feet in it every time he comes inside. Pat (don't rub) dry. A batch will usually last a day before becoming too dirty to use any more. ACV has antifungal and antibacterial properties, which can help correct/prevent yeast/infections. Don't use ACV full strength, as it can burn.


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## cmarrie (Sep 17, 2014)

Thank you, GeorgiaPeach! I'm headed off to the pet store for some new food now, so I can start switching him immediately. I really like the looks of that Acana, but I don't know that I can budget the cost just yet. The cost online is almost double TOTW! Of course, it is better food. I'll take a stroll through my store and see what I can find there.


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

Apoquel is the only thing that works for my mom's Pomeranian chihuahua mix Gracie, she has canine atopy or basically environmental allergies, that and weekly bathes to get rid of the allergens.


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## hopetocurl (Jan 8, 2014)

Poor Wrexy, we need him to get back to being sexy! Hope he gets better very soon!


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## georgiapeach (Oct 9, 2009)

cmarrie said:


> Thank you, GeorgiaPeach! I'm headed off to the pet store for some new food now, so I can start switching him immediately. I really like the looks of that Acana, but I don't know that I can budget the cost just yet. The cost online is almost double TOTW! Of course, it is better food. I'll take a stroll through my store and see what I can find there.


I'm currently slowly switching my boxer over to Acana right now, and supposedly, he'll be eating less of it compared to TOTW Pacific Stream which he's on now. He was eating 4 c. of TOTW daily (and just holding his weight), and he should only need 2.5 - 3 cups of Acana, with the added benefit of fewer and smaller poos. Jackson, age 8, needs to weigh 62-65 lb. to be at a good weight. The number of times he's pooing has almost decreased by half so far! The cost difference shrinks some when you factor this in. 

If you decide to switch to Acana, keep this in mind when slowly transitioning. I'm decreasing the total amount fed as I slowly transition b/c overfeeding can lead to loose poo. So far, I'm at a ratio of 1/3 TOTW and 2/3 Acana (3 c. total, divided between a.m. and p.m. feedings, and so far, so good. I'm planning on being totally transitioned by Friday (I started about a week ago).

Online, Chewy seems to have the best price.


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## cmarrie (Sep 17, 2014)

Well, my local store doesn't carry Arcana. I know I can order online, but I prefer to have something I can buy local if I'm in a pinch. I came home with Earthborn Holistic Ocean Fusion. I was going between that and the Merrick limited ingredient salmon. They are both single protein foods that come up very highly rated on DogFoodAdvisor.com. I had a terrific conversation with the store employee who uses both brands herself for her sensitive dog. Earthborn has a UPC program that if you turn in 12 UPC codes, you get a free bag. Also, Earthborn includes the compound DL-methionine, which is supposed to reduce the PH of urine.

Earthborn Holistic Ocean Fusion Natural Dry Dog Food, 6-lb bag

When I got back from the store, Wrex had gotten sick in his crate. The hard evidence was gone, naturally uke: But his paws and legs were crusty. I washed him up in the tub and fed him 1/2 normal food 1/2 new food and gave him his meds. Poor booger.

I couldn't find PH strips at Meijer or the pet store or Walgreens, so looks like I won't be keeping an eye on the PH myself. I was hoping to so that I could assess if the diet change was helping before we went back to the vet. I can order some online if I really want some.

I kind of hate that I'm changing his food at the same time I'm starting his allergy meds. I'm afraid it will skew my ability to see what is/isn't working. but his diet must change now to address the urine PH, and with the state of his feet, I don't feel like holding off on the allergy meds is a good idea either.


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## georgiapeach (Oct 9, 2009)

Sorry you couldn't find Acana. I assume that Rex is okay with grains? Earthborn Ocean Fusion has a few different ones in this formula. I'm giving Jackson a grain inclusive Acana formula, too, b/c it's cheaper than the grain free. So far, so good - fingers crossed. It's the first grain inclusive kibble I've ever given him.

I forgot to mention re: the lowering the pH level. I give Sunny, my toy poodle, a cranberry supplement made by Solid Gold, that I saw recommended on another dog forum. It's called Solid Gold Berry Balance, which has cranberries, blueberries, etc. in it. Cranberries are supposed to be good for urinary issues.

I also got some unsalted chicken broth (you could get vegetable or beef) and made ice cubes out of it in some old ice cube trays I have. After freezing them, I popped them out and put them in a freezer bag to keep in the freezer. This is a way to get your dog to consume more liquid. You can give them to him straight, or float a few in his water dish. It may be worth a try. I put one in Sunny's crate water dish whenever I go out. Of course, the other dogs have to have one, too... 

If Rex didn't start the foot chewing until the grass started greening up, I'd suspect environmental allergies more than food, and you're right - if you change too much at once, you won't know what's helping and what's not. You might want to give the allergy meds a few days without a food change to see if they help. I would shampoo him weekly to remove pollen. The ACV/water rinses I mentioned earlier may help his feet, too. You can also dab it (not rub it) on hot/itchy spots, too.

BTW, be careful giving rawhides. They're not digestible, and dogs may tear off large chunks of them and swallow them, potentially causing a blockage. As an alternative, I give my dogs a Kong smeared around the inside with peanut butter and frozen (not totally filled - too many calories and fat), to make them last longer. This is their special treat when they're left for more than an hour in their crates. You'd think I'd given them crack the way they go after them - lol!


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## cmarrie (Sep 17, 2014)

OMG! I linked to the wrong one. You totally had me second guessing myself, GeorgiaPeach, I had to go look at the package again. I bought this one: Earthborn Holistic GRAIN FREE COASTAL CATCH. Big difference!

Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch Grain-Free Natural Dry Dog Food, 28-lb bag

We took Wrex off chicken and grains at the same time last fall, so I don't really know which one makes him a naughty pacing spaz-oid. He doesn't seem to need them, so I figure, why rock the boat?

As for raw hides, We didn't buy them for a long time; they give him gas. But he was so restless and chewing up all of his toys, being cooped up all winter, so I caved. He needed something appropriate to chew and I have been giving him one each week. The vet said today no beef at all. So, rawhides are off the table for good. 

The meds made him sleepy this afternoon. Once he acclimates to them and he's not so sleepy, I'll have to figure something else out. He likes his antler, but he can't pick at it and tear it apart like a rawhide. I'll come up with something.


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## Poodlerunner (Jul 4, 2014)

cmarrie said:


> Thank you, GeorgiaPeach! I'm headed off to the pet store for some new food now, so I can start switching him immediately. I really like the looks of that Acana, but I don't know that I can budget the cost just yet. The cost online is almost double TOTW! Of course, it is better food. I'll take a stroll through my store and see what I can find there.


I had allergy dogs that were totally cured by the right food. Two of them with a fish based and one with a duck based food. Good luck to Wrex...the poor big sweet guy... those feet look so tender  

pr


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## cmarrie (Sep 17, 2014)

His feet are looking better, so that's a big plus. 

My gentle giant weighed 59lb at the vet today!


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

Sorry to hear that it is very likely allergies. Houston is a miserable climate for any creature with allergies and my last Scottie was allergic to everything. I was referred to a specialist, a veterinary dermatologist, and ponied up the $400 (14 years ago!) for testing. He was bathed weekly with Relief Shampoo and Relief Leave-in Conditioner, and we gave him weekly shots concocted by the vet, to desensitize him to the allergens. He was on a lamb and rice diet. After a year of the shots, no more problems. There might be better products now than the Relief brand and there are certainly many more food options. I don't recall fish based kibble, except for cats, for example. It's easy for a vet to call "environmental allergies" when it's on the feet, but without testing, I don't see how they can be accurate about food sensitivities.


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## cmarrie (Sep 17, 2014)

Mfmst--The internet just ate my perfectly worded and brilliant response. So frustrating....

In a nutshell: You are right that we can't confirm an allergy without proper testing. This is more akin to me saying, "I have symptom X, Y & Z every spring and fall. I take Zyrtec and feel so much better. I must have seasonal allergies."

With regard to the foods, the recommendation to remove beef, ect is about trying to normalize the urine PH. The prescription diets the vet would recommend all contain chicken and gluten. Both of which I don't feed Wrex. Not that I know he has an allergy, but based on behaviors I've observed, I like Chicken/Gluten-free Wrex better. I love potatoes, but they make me feel terrible, so I avoid them. I don't necessarily have an allergy. 

It's all just a great big guessing game without testing. The vet says the best time of year for that is in November, after Wrex has had a chance to be exposed to all the pollens and allergens. (He's still less than a year old, after all). In the mean time, if I can find him some relief by playing around with diet...all the better!


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## Poodlerunner (Jul 4, 2014)

cmarrie said:


> Of course, it is better food.


You need to feed him the best food. Poor Wrex. You must be going crazy with this too. An itchy dog in the house is the worst for everyone. 

A lady in my neighborhood has a Golden. The skin all over her head and face and around her eyes was was a bloody oozing mess. the owner was desperate. She switched vets, all kinds of tests and treatments later... I told her switch his food. Who would have thought she would actually do it? I see the dog months later and she looks 90 % better. I see her last week and the dog looks perfect. This is the second time I saw a food-change miracle. The dog is not on any meds, just fish kibble out of a bag. 

pr


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## Poodlerunner (Jul 4, 2014)

cmarrie said:


> His feet are looking better, so that's a big plus.
> 
> My gentle giant weighed 59lb at the vet today!


BIG BOY! My spoo weighs 38 pounds. I wonder how big Wrex is going to wind up. 

pr


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

Ha! Zyrtec was only by prescription back in the day. I had no choice in this climate, since Scotties, are notorious for allergies. If I could have found something for symptomatic relief, I would have jumped on it. The whole process was a pita. I nearly fainted the first time I gave the dog a shot. The scratch, scratch scratch, stop refrain is so nerve wracking, hot spots, ugh. Maybe there are other, better shampoos because that's key to treatment. We did foot baths too.

I hope you don't have to do the expensive testing and it can be managed.


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## Michelle (Nov 16, 2009)

Yuki has developed allergies too. I did get the allergy testing done (even though it isn't 100% accurate, and it is sooooo expensive) because I wanted to have a place to start. It came back that he was allergic to a few weeds/grasses and a certain type of tree. He is also allergic to beef, rice, sweet potato and barley. Since I have eliminated all of those things from his diet (which he was getting on a daily basis) he has been itching so much less and doesn't have any more red spots. I starting seeing a difference after about 2-3 weeks. I also cut out all dairy (since thats supposedly another common allergen) and it helped even more. For a couple weeks he was taking Zyrtec in the morning and benedryl at night. I started slowly weaning him off of it as I changed his diet to see if it was making a difference and he is now completely off of it. Almost no itching! His ears are still itchy but they are healthy and clean, no infection (I clean them every few days)...thats the only place he itches now instead of his face, neck and legs. We'll see how he does with the pollens this spring when it gets warm...hopefully he doesn't flare up!

I know the pain of having to take away all their favorite chews...the rawhides, bully sticks, cow hooves, horns etc. I got a great link from Molly's mom bestbullysticks.com and I ordered A TON of stuff from there last night. 

Hope he feels better soon!


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## cmarrie (Sep 17, 2014)

Wow allergic to sweet potato too? Makes it difficult to find foods and treats for sure. What did you order from Best Bully? I'm browsing and wondering about Salmon Skin Bones, Bison Cartilage and especially Venison Wrinkles. Please let me know if you find anything non beef that has the draw of a rawhide. He has an antler, which he likes sometimes, but it's not the same thing for him.


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## Michelle (Nov 16, 2009)

It is nearly impossible to find treats without sweet potatoes, rice and barley in them....it is such a pain in the butt. I spend more time reading labels in the store than actually shopping. 

Yuki's not crazy about his antler either...I couldn't find anything to replace his rawhide or hooves unfortunately. But I did order some buffalo wings (which they both LOVE), duck feet, turkey feet, chicken feet, lamb feet and a bag of the dried sardines (to give with dinner every night. I like them to have some fish in their diet since its good for their skin). The fish smells AWFUL so I don't know if you'd want a bone of it...it will make them and your carpet smell lol. They have a bag of dried salmon skins that they both love but they are a quick treats, not a chew and they love them...but the smell lingers in the air from even just a small 3 inch treat lol!

I was tempted to buy the kangaroo tendons but I'm going to try them next time.


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## cmarrie (Sep 17, 2014)

2 days of antibiotics and allergy meds...such an improvement!


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## Poodlerunner (Jul 4, 2014)

Wonderful... so glad sweet Wrex is feeling better. That's wonderful that the meds worked so fast. 

pr


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## mom2m (Dec 24, 2014)

So happy to see the big improvement in 2 days!


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

Poor Wrex. That is a dramatic improvement. He must be feeling SO much better.


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