Many food issues need help!

[Dylpops]

Hi I have 5 year old mixed breed. His good weight is 20-21kg but he suffers many food problems which cause weight loss, itchy, chewing paws, chewing tummy, soft poop, hard poop and every colour variation of poop.. And generally an unhappy little lad.
What he can't manage is a repetitive diet, mixed protein, too much wheat, too much grain, too much spud, peas, maize. Not great on poultry as a protein source and fish as an alternative isn't great either, nor is beef, boar, rabbit, reindeer, goat, lamb, pork - I think you get my drift!!
We thought we had finally gotten to the bottom of the issue when we went to single source protein and did a weekly menu that avoided the same food being repeated. He managed to get back to a good weight, stopped loosing hair, no chewing or licking. It took 6 months.
However out of nowhere we have an unhappy lad again, weight dropped, chewing, licking etc. I am now at a loss and the vet hasn't been that helpful saying just cut out the food that makes him ill - he can't live on fresh air as most things do make him ill. I've tried raw and tripe which actually made him lose weight and he also started eating his poop. I've tried alternative protein such as ostrich or kangaroo but can't feed on repeat as he gets ill after he has had it for too long. It makes me so upset that I can't keep him stable and happy. Am I missing something? Is there some illness that does this? Any suggestions PLEASE!!!!
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[lewie0205]

Have you had the allergy blood tests done? I know they are pricey but it sounds to me as if it would be money well spent. I own a dog with allergies. Whilst undergoing tests ruling out yeast infections etc... before having the allergy test done, I was told to try a single source diet, limited ingredients etc... I duly did this but still no change and I convinced myself he was allergic to rice and brewers yeast. Turns out he wasn’t! The blood tests showed he was allergic to beef pork lamb turkey, maize, storage mites and house dust mites! I can manage the food side of his allergies no problem but dust mites are everywhere, even in the cleanest of houses so I do the best I can. He still gets ill on occasion - bad skin, ear infections, anal gland issues, hot spots, runny bums etc.. but I’ve accepted that I can’t cure him, I can just look after him as best I can. I guess what I am saying is, the allergies may not be all down your dogs food and treats, there may be environmental ones too that will cause similar reactions  and rather than waste money trying every food brand on the planet (been there, done that) , stick to a limited ingredient food and get the test done. I hope you figure it out, I know just how stressful a time this is for you

[Dylpops]

My vet doesn't hold much faith in blood testing and  should have said before we blamed food we did a whole host of environmental problem testing at home. Cleaned all the dog bedding with non bio and extra rinse etc,. Its never the same time of year he has issues so ruled out pollen, all flooring is hard floors kept clean ( no change in cleaning products) he is up to date on flea and worm treatments ( and timing of those doesn't tie in for this recent move back to chewing, itchy etc)  normal people keep a diary as a journal I have one that I record everything about Dylan so I can track if any problems or easily pin point triggers. Its not like I have a back up food that I can put him on then re introduce others again to find a culprit as he can't have same food repeated....

[lewie0205]

It’s a shame your vet doesn’t hold out much hope for the blood tests. I’d still be in the dark about my dog &  getting stressed about it all as I’d never have guessed storage mites (found in grains and kibble) would have been in the list of things to avoid. For us, the blood tests were money well spent...we had insurance that covered it. In the long run I guess we’ve saved money as we’ve had less vet bills and not so much wasted dog food. Maybe you can speak to your vet again or see a different one at the practice to see if they have any alternative suggestions if they don’t think a blood test will help.

[Dottie]

Dylpops - the problems that your dog is having appear to be quite complex.  I can only think of two things: referral to a specialist veterinary surgeon and/or home cooking.  The latter would need some thought and preparation. The home cooking section contains has some information and links.  I only know of two companies who sell freshly prepared food - Butternut Box and Different Dog. There was We Cook for Dogs but their website is still down and I don't know when they will be back in production.

[Spanielowner]

Hi, I’m going a bit off track as you’ve tried other things. Does your dog eat kibble or tinned meat or trays of meat. What type of bowls do they have?
Do you live near farmers fields?

My thinking is if your dog goes quite a long time appearing to get better then maybe it is environmental and it’s something random like the container the food comes in, food bowl, pesticides outside, something on the ground etc.
Is it possible it is stress related? Does something happen like fireworks, stressful activity etc before a bout of chewing etc.