 Barked: Thu Jan 20, '11 9:41am PST |
 | |  | | Thanks for resurrecting this thread, guys. They're both exhibiting the darkness on their stomachs and between their toes now. The area around Saki's lady parts has gotten particularly dark. The vet thinks it's a grass allergy because of the location of the skin darkening. The smell has gone, and they don't seem to be scratching as much, but it's winter and most of the grass is dead. The allergy meds were not helping at all, so I discontinued them after 2 months. No sense in giving them unnecessary meds, right? They no longer seem uncomfortable, and the only licking they do is the typical shiba grooming.
In terms of food, Saki and Watson are now raw-fed. They eat primarily beef and fish protein, as I was trying to rule out a chicken allergy. They do, occasionally, get a chicken thigh as a treat. Their organ meats are coming from a stockpile of deer guts my relatives have given us. Sometimes they get a frozen "meatball" of ground beef, beef liver, kidney, and pumpkin puree, if we're in a rush and need something quick. Yogurt, cottage cheese, and parmesan cheese are mixed in periodically, as well as a doggie multi-vitamin and probiotic brewers yeast supplement. All their treats are home-made and grain-free. I did try giving them red wine vinegar for a while, but they hated the smell.
I read Winnie's mom's blog, and I remember comparing their issues to Kona's. it's NOWHERE near as severe, and it doesn't really look the same. Neither of them has any hair loss. Their skin was pink when they were puppies, and now it's just started to darken. It doesn't look thickened or anything, more like they're dirty, even when they're not. It's almost like looking at "flea dirt," but neither of them has fleas.
It looks Kind of like this
but without as much redness or irritation, and it's less splotchy.
The picture above is not my dog. I'd post a picture of their actual bellies, but my camera was KIA at Disney World  |  |  | |  |
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