# Allergic to tripe???



## Guest (Jul 21, 2012)

Firstly apologies to anyone who is sick to death of hearing about McKenzie's scratching 

I have a funny feeling she is allergic to tripe! Her scratching some days is worse than others which I find strange. On Thursday she had tripe and was scratching quite a lot, even waking me up during the night scratching. On Friday she just had a tiny bit at breakfast (maybe 30g). She was scratching a bit on Friday but not too much, and didn't scratch in the night. She now hasn't had any tripe for about 30hrs and today she hasn't scratched once and it's now 1.30pm! I'm not going to give her any tripe all weekend and see what happens.

Does this sound plausible? I know tripe isn't something that dogs generally are allergic to! The only problem is, I don't know what sort of tripe she has been eating as the packet just says 'Green Tripe'. If my plan works and she doesn't scratch all weekend, I'll go to the shop and ask. I guess if it's beef tripe and she's allergic to beef, then it makes sense that she's allergic to the tripe too.

I REALLY hope this is the answer.


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

Dont apologise It helps to voice your thoughts, thank goodness we've got PF to do it and with the help of others get to the bottom of tricky situations.

Sounds like you may have hit the nail on the head. I should imagine it's most likely to be beef tripe and the culprit. Especially if it ties in with her previous itchy's.  Far better to be able to address the cause rather than treat the symptoms.

I'll keep everything crossed for a scratch free weekend with Kenzie.


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## new westie owner (Apr 30, 2010)

We are here to help and listen  Bobby scratches but he always has usually after hes been asleep  could be worse as lots westies have skin conditions so hopefully you found cause of itching


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## SLB (Apr 25, 2011)

I'm sorry if you have, but have you thought of the possibility that it isn't her food at all causing her to scratch?

Just throwing that in there.. apologies if you have been through all that.


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## Guest (Jul 21, 2012)

Thanks M2H and NWO 



SLB said:


> I'm sorry if you have, but have you thought of the possibility that it isn't her food at all causing her to scratch?
> 
> Just throwing that in there.. apologies if you have been through all that.


Good question  I'll explain a bit more...

When I had her on raw a few months ago she started scratching. I had her on chicken, and the following week introduced tripe. I stopped and went back to Ziwipeak as I thought maybe she was allergic to chicken (as she had eaten it the most). However, at about the same time we had a flea problem, which muddled everything up a bit. When the fleas went away and she recovered from the bites, she was fine again.

I started her back on raw nearly 4 weeks ago, with chicken and tripe again. Again, she started scratching. I stopped the chicken, thinking again it was the problem and I know it's a fairly common allergen. She kept scratching.

I guess I'm focusing on a food allergy as the scratching coincides perfectly with re-starting raw, and since she was itchy the first time on raw (although I can't be absolutely sure it was the food the first time). I can't think of anything that changed at the same time as re-starting raw, no new laundry powders, no big changes in weather, and there are definitely no fleas!

But, if you have a suggestion of what else it could be I'd be happy to hear it! 

It's now 8pm and I've been with Kenzie all day and I've seen one scratch around her mouth (which I'm not counting as I know she has a little bit of pyoderma in her lip folds) and 3 little scratches of her tummy/side. This is definitely less than yesterday and MUCH less than Thursday when she had a full tripe meal.


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## SLB (Apr 25, 2011)

McKenzie said:


> Thanks M2H and NWO
> 
> Good question  I'll explain a bit more...
> 
> ...


Hmmm, There's no hair loss? Could it be an allergy of something else? Or an intolerance rather than an allergy?

I know when I first started feeding raw that Louie was scratching like mad. I asked about it and was told it was probably a detox stage. He stopped after a while of course. Perhaps the new food is just settling?

I've been looking through Dorwest supplements over the past couple of days.. could this help?
Doggy Detox Tablets - Dorwest


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## Guest (Jul 21, 2012)

SLB said:


> Hmmm, There's no hair loss? Could it be an allergy of something else? Or an intolerance rather than an allergy?
> 
> I know when I first started feeding raw that Louie was scratching like mad. I asked about it and was told it was probably a detox stage. He stopped after a while of course. Perhaps the new food is just settling?
> 
> ...


Nope no hair loss and her skin is absolutely fine, she's just itchy. It could be an allergy to something else, but it seems unlikely that she suddenly developed this new allergy at the exact time I started raw, and like I say nothing else has changed. It's winter so no pollen/grass problems etc.

I've done some research into the detox business, but haven't found anything that suggests that she should still be detoxing after a month.

Thanks for the Dorwest suggestion. I've had a few suggestions from other people too, but would rather get to the bottom of the problem rather than just treat it.

My plan of attack is see how she goes over the next few days with no tripe. If she continues like today and doesn't scratch, then I can assume it was the tripe causing the itching and avoid it (and related meat) in the future. I can double check by giving her tripe again and seeing if it re-starts the scratching. If she still keeps scratching even with no tripe, I'll give her a week or so longer and then pull the plug on raw and put her back on ZP because I know for a fact she does well on it. If she stops scratching I know it was something to do with the raw. If she keeps scratching then I can assume it's not related to food and look at other causes


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## SLB (Apr 25, 2011)

Another thought. Are you maybe going a bit quick? Introducing meats I mean. Perhaps stick with one for a couple of weeks then introduce the other. Sixstars menu guide/meal plan is excellent. I'm sure she'll send it to you if you ask  and don't already have it of course.


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## Guest (Jul 21, 2012)

Possible, I hadn't thought of that  She's been on her current diet for 2 weeks. I won't be adding anything new now until the itching is under control so we'll see if a bit more time makes a difference. I really appreciate you giving me ideas


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## GoldenShadow (Jun 15, 2009)

I don't really bother with introducing it all slowly but I do feel like in the initial stages you need to do raw only and not muddle with a bit of ZP here or there until she is well adjusted to raw. 

What areas is she scratching? My vets kept babbling on about food but the specialists said his kind of itching is classic environmental allergy.


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## Guest (Jul 21, 2012)

GoldenShadow said:


> I don't really bother with introducing it all slowly but I do feel like in the initial stages you need to do raw only and not muddle with a bit of ZP here or there until she is well adjusted to raw.
> 
> What areas is she scratching? My vets kept babbling on about food but the specialists said his kind of itching is classic environmental allergy.


She's only on raw, she hasn't been having any ZP or anything else, just turkey, tripe and wallaby 

She's kind of scratching everywhere, I guess more her side/stomach but a big around her neck/ears (she doesn't have an ear infection), and a bit of 'random' scratching.


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

Sounds like a good plan hopefully it is the tripe and that will be the end of Kenzie's scratching. I'll be waiting to hear updates with everything crossed you've sussed it.

If you cant get to the bottom of it, I'd be like you and revert to the food that works. I still dont know why Heidi cant have kibble but it ties in with her tum probs so I'm happy to drop it. 

Her scratching is def pollen orientated but she doesnt know and loves to run with her mates in the fields. It's hard to eliminate the cause so I have no choice but to treat the symptom. Thankfully it's only a few months a year.

Good luck with Kenzie


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## Lil Doglets (Oct 17, 2011)

I would just cut out tripe for a week or so and see if she improves, if she does then you could try bringing back chicken to see if she actually was allergic to that or if it was just the tripe.
If it's beef tripe you've been giving you could try some lamb tripe if you can get any (or vice versa) but it's not the end of the world if you can't feed any tripe


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## pogo (Jul 25, 2011)

I will say alot of dogs go through a detox stage for the first few months of raw and can scratch like hell, stink whatever and that is why alot people give up.

She may well have some intolerance or it could be a combination of things.


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## OllieBob (Nov 28, 2010)

The tripe will have remnants of cattle feed in it ie cereals, so it may well be the tripe.


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## GoldenShadow (Jun 15, 2009)

I was going to say with tripe as well it has everything in it, even grass. So its probably likely to be something in the contents of that or beef as you say.

I don't feed beef tripe, I feed (green) lamb tripe. Sometimes I give ox heart but I never give any beef otherwise and pork is a rarity too, for me at least its easy to feed this way I just do a diet of mostly chicken (and tripe to be fair).

Mine have been on raw over a year and I will chuck the odd kibble meal or ND meal in, but I think whilst getting used to it its good to go all out type thing. Now mine have a basis of raw they can deal with a couple days of this or that, but what with Rupert's issues I've had to spend ages monitoring and cutting out this and that and sticking to raw only was a massive do on the check list else it just mixes things up again with the odd meal of this or that too soon on (IMO, anyway)...


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## SLB (Apr 25, 2011)

McKenzie said:


> Possible, I hadn't thought of that  She's been on her current diet for 2 weeks. I won't be adding anything new now until the itching is under control so we'll see if a bit more time makes a difference. I really appreciate you giving me ideas


I consider all possibilities before giving most things up.

Hopefully you will have it sorted soon.


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## Dogsbody53 (Oct 10, 2011)

Why don't you just feed her on Ziwipeak, if she is ok on it?

Just a thought but my little dog scratches under her tummy when her Anal Glands are over full, this also leads to her biting her back & feet.


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## Guest (Jul 21, 2012)

Dogsbody53 said:


> Why don't you just feed her on Ziwipeak, if she is ok on it?
> 
> Just a thought but my little dog scratches under her tummy when her Anal Glands are over full, this also leads to her biting her back & feet.


Good question  I guess I believe that 'proper raw' is the best thing for her and I'd like to feed her that if at all possible 

Well it's still going well here - no scratching during the night and so far this morning just a little scratch of her lip fold pyoderma :thumbsup:


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