Can too much protein cause itching ?

[chipper]

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Hello all

we have a four month old Lurcher puppy who seems to be itching and scratching quite a lot, i have heard it said that too much protein can cause this ( fact or fiction?). She is fed a BARF diet ( mainly minced chicken or beef and green tripe ) which I presume to have quite a high protein content and was wondering if this could be the cause. We have a bag of uekaneba optistart so was wondering if it may be  good idea to feed her this for the next 3 or 4 days to see wether this makes a difference.

She was at the vets a fortnight ago for her worming and fleeing and we have also checked her regularly for fleas since then, we also bathed her a week or so ago using a puppy specific shampoo so I would imagine this wouldn't be the cause or could it simply be an allergic reaction?

any help, opinions or advice would be very much appreciated.

Many thanks 

Chipper

 

[gypsysmum2]

Our diet expert will be along shortly but raw food rarely causes allergies unless the dog has an allergy to a particular protein. This could be any of the many kinds of protein and only by excluding each one and waiting and then reintroducing it will you find out for certain. Dogs can be allergic to almost anything. There are harvest mites about at the moment. Dust mites can be a problem.

Scratching can be a sign of stress. Keep an eye out for when it occurs. Is she waiting for her dinner? Has she just been frustrated over something? Does she look puzzled? These are all stress signs and some dogs will scratch to try to relieve their symptoms.

 

[excuseme]

Hello,

Was your puppy scratching when you got her ? when did you notice the scratching / itching start ? What was your puppy eating before she came to you?

It is highly unlikely that your raw diet is the cause. There could be so many reasons, has she reacted to her vaccinations, worming or flea products.

Or maybe even the puppy shampoo, (has this washed out her natural oils and made her skin feel uncomfortable and itchy).

Unfortunately our vet is not always the best person to talk about diets with, at college they may get 1/2 day of tuition about feeding an here they are told that  a kibbled diet loaded with grains is the best for their dogs, so this is what they have to believe! 

You have made a good choice of diet, so please do not change in haste!

Have you considered looking for a holistic or raw feeding vet, who will be able to understand your reason for raw feeding and concerns.

Could I suggest that you either register with the "Honeys" website and order totally FREE of charge, their fantastic little book "Honey's Natural Feeding Handbook for Dogs", it is easy to read and understand and makes a lot of sense. There are no further  emails to sell you their products.    OR,     you can purchase this fantastic little book from AMAZON  for just  1p.                        Honey's also offer free expert telephone advice :01672 620 620.  

I am nothing to do with Honey's.  I just believe in their little book.

 

[chipper]

Hi all

Thankyou very much for your advice and apologies for the late reply, well it seems her itching problem has disappeared as quickly as it started and we think we may have found the answer. Both my wife and i walk her , sometimes separately, my wife tells me that her route had taken her across some football fields where the grass had been freshly cut and left in piles. Yes, you've guessed it, apparently the dog had been rolling around and burying herself in it so since my last post my wife has avoided the area. Dust mites?,pollen?, an allergy?, who knows but thankfully she is now back to normal.

Thanks once again 

Regards

Chipper

 

[excuseme]

Good to hear that the problem seems to be solved.    Updates are always welcome.

The farmers are also spraying a lot of their fields at the moment where this years crops have been taken from, in preparation for cultivation again.

Enjoy your pup !

 

[gypsysmum2]

Thanks for the update. We are all learning and every bit if feedback adds to the pool of knowledge.