My dog has itchy skin, red eyes, and ears. Is it a chicken allergy?

Poor guy. It sounds like Bruce has skin allergies. Allergic dermatitis can be caused by something in his food or the environment, or both. THe top food allergens are chicken, beef, turkey and lamb, so these protein sources should be avoided. Its best to go with novel proteins such as rabbit, duck, kangaroo, etc. Here is a website link that talks about skin allergies more in detail. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951973 I would then consider starting a food trial with him with prescription foods from your vet. However, since a food trial can take 2-3 months to show improvement its best to take him to your vet to start allergy medication (i.e. Apoquel, Cytopoint) to help calm his skin down immediately while we try to implement long term management treatments. My top hypoallergenic foods are Royal Canin Rabbit and Potato, Royal Canin ultamino and Hll's Z/D ultra. Best of luck with Bruce and his itchy skin and eyes! Take care.

This sounds like an environment or food allergy. The red is due to yeast proliferation from moistness in the hair. I would recommend a novel protein elimination diet for 40 days. Benadryl is a good anti-histamine but may not work as it only improves a certain type of allergy. Neosporin can be damaging to the kidneys so I would avoid using it. It also only contains antibiotics and so would not be helpful. Fish oils can also be very helpful at lowering inflammation in the body and improving skin and joint health.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lila. If she is turning red and itchy after a meal, an allergy or food hypersensitivity is possible. Typically the dog will also have skin lesions as well as vomiting and diarrhea if this is the case. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian to discuss her symptoms in greater detail. A prescription diet trial may be necessary. While chicken could be to blame, it could be any ingredient in her diet or another problem all together. I hope this information helps!

Poor gizmo! There are many possible reasons for scratching including food sensitivities, environmental allergies and parasites or infections. A full check up and allergy blood tests would be recommended, a hydrolyzed diet trial with royal canin anallergenic would be required to investigate fully any food related issues if no other causes are found

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to see and hear that Buddie is having problems. Of course food can be a reason but other things may be involved also. Allergies are very high this time of year. Late summer/early fall allergies due to weed pollens affect many people and pets. This is due to an inhaled allergy or breathing in the allergens. Other reasons could be due to an environmental irritant (not an allergy), bacterial infection around the eyes involving the eyelids, or some problem directly related to the eyes themselves. Any problems in this area causing eyes to be red, swollen, eyelid changes like you describe should be investigated as soon as possible. I would advise getting Buddie seen by your veterinarian so they can gather a detailed history including food/treat changes, etc and then they can do a complete examination, eventually focusing in on the eyes. Eye tests which may be performed include corneal stain to check for ulcers/scratches, tear production, and pressure measurements inside the eyes themselves. These will assess the health of the eyes and this is important since the eyes are very important sense organs and eye problems can deteriorate rather quickly. Once a diagnosis is made or suspected, your vet can discuss and implement a sound treatment plan. Good luck with Buddie. I hope he gets more comfortable soon.

It's definitely possible that Buddy is allergic to his food as one of the most common food allergies is to chicken. You may want to try a diet with single source or protein that is something Budddy has never had before (like venison or rabbit). An all canned food diet is also preferred and may help with a potential food allergy. One over the counter option is Natural Balance Limited ingredient diet. It would also be a good idea to have Buddy examined by a veterinarian to ensure he does not need medication to treat the itching or vomiting. There are many other causes of these signs so it's important to rule those out first. Your veterinarian can also prescribe a special diet that may work better (like Royal Canin Ultamino) if food allergies are truly at play. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Buddy's issues resolve quickly!

Legally, we are prohibited from telling you to give Shadow an antihistamine without having first performed a physical exam. What you can do is review the information at the link below then contact your veterinarian to discuss any treatment options. He or she may want to see Shadow to give a steroid injection if the scratching is severe. Place an e-collar (cone) on Shadow to prevent excessive licking or chewing. A small t-shirt or baby's onesie may also help to prevent trauma from scratching. https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/cat/benadryl https://www.petcoach.co/pet-medication/benadryl