Our Baboon....

I am referring to Bella our sweet little Bichon Frise who now looks like a Baboon thanks to her terrible allergies.

Bichon's are highly allergic dogs in general. It comes with the territory of being so pretty.

Bella has suffered for many years and has had many "2nd opinions", steriod, shots, antibiotics etc. She has never gone through a REAL food trial to determine if she has food allergies. Mainly because it requires discipline of her owner's which is lacking. I am a sucker for everything that has to do with Bella and she is spoiled...always has been.

Yesterday I hit my breaking point. Her bottom, inside of her legs, stomach and shoulders are raw. She has licked, scratched, licked, scratched until her skin has crusted over from bleeding. She has knotted up her fur by licking and it is falling off in what we call "Bella Balls" all over the house. Note: This dog isnt supposed to shed! I cant stand to watch her be so miserable even if we "think" it is seasonal.

FOOD TRIAL here we come. No more treats my little love bug. No more snacks from mom and dad. You are officially a dog and will only eat dog food and water. Tough life indeed.

Reasons why we are convinced she has food allergies. She has lost over 3 lbs in less than 1 year. She is eating 2 cups of food a day and a dog her size should only be eating 1 cup. This means she is not getting proper nutrients from her food and/or digesting her food properly to maintain her weight and this case gain weight from the excessive food she is eating.

Day 1 of the food trial has begun. I think I will sufer more than she will.

We are using Iams Veterinary Formula - Fish and Potato.

This will last 6 weeks so I will keep you posted....oh and she got a steriod shot to relieve the pain in the interim and stop the itching.