I’m not an expert on dog allergies, but I do know that some breeds, like West Highland White Terriers are prone to have skin issues. Dudley is my second Westie, a cheerful dog of keen intelligence and loyalty, and one that is as happy on a farm as in a suburban apartment, as long as he is with his master.
The problem is sometimes that most dog foods contain additives and other ingredients that can act as irritants in some dog digestive systems, resulting in itchy skin and major bouts with scratching.
In Dudley’s case, chicken bi-products, wheat, some meat proteins, and certain preservatives must be avoided in order to stave off the unpleasant experience of itching that leads to scratching and possible infection. I’ve discovered through trial and error and help from Dudley’s vet that Natural Balance sweet potato/white fish formula in dry and canned form is effective in protecting Duds from skin issues, even though he needs to take a Benadryl before bed each night to keep him comfortable. Dog treats often contain wheat, but there are a few that do not, such as Blue Buffalo and Zeke’s Chew Sticks.
Paying attention to the effects of your dog’s reactions to various foods makes a huge difference in his comfort level, making him a much happier pet. The extra money necessary for better quality food is well spent, because every dog should be a member of the family and deserving of as much love and affection as that family can give. JB
About John
About John
John Bolinger was born and raised in Northwest Indiana, where he attended Ball State University and Purdue University, receiving his BS and MA from those schools. Then he taught English and French for thirty-five years at Morton High School in Hammond, Indiana before moving to Colorado, where he resided for ten years before moving to Florida. Besides COME SEPTEMBER, Journey of a High School Teacher, John's other books are ALL MY LAZY RIVERS, an Indiana Childhood, and COME ON, FLUFFY, THIS AIN'T NO BALLET, a Novel on Coming of Age, all available on Amazon.com as paperbacks and Kindle books. Alternately funny and touching, COME SEPTEMBER, conveys the story of every high school teacher’s struggle to enlighten both himself and his pupils, encountering along the way, battles with colleagues, administrators, and parents through a parade of characters that include a freshman boy for whom the faculty code name is “Spawn of Satan,” to a senior girl whose water breaks during a pop-quiz over THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. Through social change and the relentless march of technology, the human element remains constant in the book’s personal, entertaining, and sympathetic portraits of faculty, students, parents, and others. The audience for this book will certainly include school teachers everywhere, teenagers, parents of teens, as well as anyone who appreciates that blend of humor and pathos with which the world of public education is drenched. The drive of the story is the narrator's struggle to become the best teacher he can be. The book is filled with advice for young teachers based upon experience of the writer, advice that will never be found in college methods classes.
Another of John's recent books is Mum's the Word: Secrets of a Family. It is the story of his alcoholic father and the family's efforts to deal with or hide the fact. Though a serious treatment of the horrors of alcoholism, the book also entertains in its descriptions of the father during his best times and the humor of the family's attempts to create a façade for the outside world. All John's books are available as paperbacks and Kindle readers on Amazon, and also as paperbacks at Barnes & Noble. John's sixth book is, Growing Old in America: Notes from a Codger was released on June 15, 2014. John’s most recent book is a novel titled Resisting Gravity, A Ghost Story, published the summer of 2018
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I’m not an expert on dog allergies, but I do know that some breeds, like West Highland White Terriers are prone to have skin issues. Dudley is my second Westie, a cheerful dog of keen intelligence and loyalty, and one that is as happy on a farm as in a suburban apartment, as long as he is with his master.
The problem is sometimes that most dog foods contain additives and other ingredients that can act as irritants in some dog digestive systems, resulting in itchy skin and major bouts with scratching.
In Dudley’s case, chicken bi-products, wheat, some meat proteins, and certain preservatives must be avoided in order to stave off the unpleasant experience of itching that leads to scratching and possible infection. I’ve discovered through trial and error and help from Dudley’s vet that Natural Balance sweet potato/white fish formula in dry and canned form is effective in protecting Duds from skin issues, even though he needs to take a Benadryl before bed each night to keep him comfortable. Dog treats often contain wheat, but there are a few that do not, such as Blue Buffalo and Zeke’s Chew Sticks.
Paying attention to the effects of your dog’s reactions to various foods makes a huge difference in his comfort level, making him a much happier pet. The extra money necessary for better quality food is well spent, because every dog should be a member of the family and deserving of as much love and affection as that family can give. JB