doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Chance for a Chessie?

I'm not sure what to think of this. I've got a chance to get a
3 yr. old male Chesapeake Bay Retriever. He's a beautiful dog,
with one exception. I was told that he has a sensitive skin
issue, and that he needs special food to stay healthy. Now the
shocker- I was told the food costs about $130.00 a bag. Needless
to say I almost fell over when I heard that. Has anybody ever
heard of this before? I've owned lots of dogs in my life, and I
can't say I've ever heard of this before. I'd love to get this
dog, but unless I can find a more cost friendly alternative for
his food, I can't justify this. Any thoughts on this? Ron

Ron, I just love all of these dogs. I would wish the dog would find a good home with someone who does the things the dog loves. Try the Google route and see if you can find another bit of info for feeding the dog. There must be something else that would work. Any veterinarians out there ?

I have a friend who owns a Golden that has skin problems and as he explains it it is caused by mites that are found in common dry dog food. He buys a special brand and drives about 15 miles to get it, but if it was $130. per bag he wouldn't be doing it. Not this friend! Check with the dogs owner for accurate info.

My dog has sensitive skin but it was remidied by adding a little fish oil to the food and it went away. I would ask if it is the mite problem as stated above. If it is not and just a dry skin issue which makes them very sensitive by the tail like mine, I would try the oil or a higher oil content food. There are foods out there that cost less than that that should take care of it. You could also ask your vet for alternative suggestions.

Ron, my Lab came down with a smelly skin condition last fall and he had scratched so much hair from his belly it looked like elephant skin. The vet suspected mites but none turned up from scrapings under the microscope. I added a cod liver oil capsule to Shur Gain Lifetime (Maple Leaf) Performance ($CAN43 18kg) and noted big improvement. I'm building a new doghouse on suspicion that any old wet wood may be home of bad microbes. I wouldn't take a chance on the good ole Chessie unless I had a handle on getting rid of the skin condition.

Vitamin E is also good for any creature's skin.

Hi all,

This may be my first post on this forum -- perhaps because this is the first topic on which I might know (at least a little) what I'm talking about

I'm a small animal vet. The Chessie in question most likely has a food allergy. Food allergy in dogs causes the same skin issues as environmental allergies and/or flea allergy: red, irritated, inflamed skin (especially feet, ears, abdomen) that is susceptible to secondary infections. Mites and Ringworm (a fungus) can cause similar signs, so skin scrapes and fungal cultures are often performed on dogs with itchy skin.

To the extent we know what can cause food allergy, the primary culprits are protein sources and glutens. As you might imagine, formulating a gluten-free, novel protein diet for a dog can get both esoteric and expensive. Duck, fish, soy, venison -- even kangaroo -- are commonly-used novel proteins. $130 per bag sounds really pricey, but I must say that most such foods are $50 to $75 for a large bag. A Chessie will go through a lot of food...

And, of course, if you are going to pay for such food, it makes no sense unless you avoid the offending ingredients in treats as well. That means no Milk Bones, rawhides, pizza crusts... basically nothing unless your vet says it's OK.

So food allergies are a pain! But not uncommon. In fact, skin allergy is the most common reason we see dogs in our clinic. I could write a treatise on the subject of doggie dermatitis -- perhaps I just did -- but many have already been written. It is not a reason to pass on the Chessie, but it is something to be aware of.

Omega-3 fatty acids and antihistamines can sometimes help with dogs' skin issues, but for a food allergy the best thing is avoidance of the offending allergens. And that means a hypoallergenic diet.

Now, how certain are you that this dog does in fact have a food allergy? They can be tough to diagnose, since their symptoms are identical (in dogs) to allergies caused by environmental factors such as pollens, dust mites etc. Unless this dog went through a well-planned food trial, there's no way to tell for certain. Something to discuss with your local vet, perhaps.

Good luck with the dog!

Oh, and love this forum.

Charles L.

I've rescued 2 Gordon Setters. Both came to us with Skin sensitivities and "required" a formulated or Rx diet. We have been successful in moving both dogs off of these diets and into Raw with little issue over 6-8 weeks and have seen all the food /skin issue go away. You can't smell any odors on these dogs either.

Harry -- you beat me to it! The BARF diet,(raw) really helps a lot of dogs. I'd still add the fish oil - really helped my lab's skin problems...

RH: Don't know where in Ontario you live, but home for me is about half way down to the Seaway from Ottawa.
SWMBO has a scurvy wee black cur with a SERIOUS food allergy problem (diagnosed by her vet daughter).
We buy locally Hill's Prescription Diet z/d - Ultra Allergen-Free in the 12.5 Kg bag. Price recently went up and wifie now pays "over $80.00" + 13% Gouge & Screw Tax.
Hope this helps.