Why is my golden retriever puppy scratching with scabs after new food?

It sounds like Bebo may have some allergies or possibly fleas. Be sure that she is on appropriate flea medication for her age and size and point out her itchiness at her next puppy vaccination visit. Golden retrievers can be prone to multiple types of allergies and the sooner it gets under control the better. Other possibilities in a pod be doing played mange and ringworm so be sure to have the vet check it out. I hope she gets some relief soon thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

Poor Adah! I'm sorry that she's been itchy. If I'm understanding your question correctly, it sounds like you are concerned that some of the itching may be due to a food allergy. You're right that food allergies are a somewhat common cause of itching and skin issues in young dogs like Adah, so this is very possible. The best way to determine if this is the problem is to do a food trial with a prescription hypoallergenic diet such as Hills z/d or Purina HA - many of these diets are approved for use in growing puppies, so your vet can help advise you on which one would be the best choice for Adah. Switching to another over-the-counter diet may or may not help, since it depends on what ingredient(s) she's allergic to - this is why it's much more effective to do a prescription diet trial, since these foods are specially formulated to avoid causing any allergic response. If she responds well to the diet trial, you can choose to either keep her on the prescription diet long-term, or slowly begin introducing other foods to see what she can tolerate, with the goal of eventually getting her back on an over-the-counter diet.

First you have to rule out other things as well like fleas and secondary infection which can both be itchy. If there are any lesions under the skin there may be a secondary infection (common with allergy). For food allergy it can take time for symptoms to resolve (8+ weeks for some dogs) and those pets who are very itchy may need medications to stop the itch (itching can lead to secondary skin infection as well). So if your pup is very itchy you may want to talk to your family vet about meds to help with itch while going back to the old food. And treat for fleas just in case (even if you do not see any). I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. The lump may actually be something like a cyst. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Mina could have an environmental allergy causing this scratching. If it's been more than 48 hours since you gave her the flea meds, you can try giving her an oatmeal bath to see if that helps soothe her skin. If not, have her seen by a vet. Best of luck.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

It does sound like from your description that Crayon (love her name!) may be allergic to something in the food causing her skin reaction. I'm wondering if you are talking about Blue Buffalo dog food. I personally do not like that food, it's not that good quality, and they have problems with quality control because they don't own the factories that make their food. I recommend trying Orijen or Acana. They are much better quality than Blue Buffalo, and they own their own factories to make their food so the quality control is much better.