Allergies - a problem in setters health?

[Michaela]

I get in touch with this theme by a setter friend of mine and I heard (only a rumour?) allergies can be a problem in this breed.

I have a lot of questions about it and like to get in exchange with you about this healthy problem.

Did you have a setter with an Allergie-problem or did you have any experiences with this?

It could be an Allergie on some food components or on things they get in contact with about skin.

Should breeders pay attention to this problem?

What about genetically things?

I only found 1 article about this: http://www.ashgi.org/articles/immune_rising_storm.htm#allergies

Would you breed with allergic studdogs/bitches?

Are there other things that can cause a predisposition for Allergies?

Or is that a nonrelevant problem?

I hope have a fruitable discussion on this plathform about it and to get more knowledge about this disease.

[Melinda Auld]

I know skin problems can be an issue in English Setters, but I've never met an Irish Setter with skin issues.

Some dogs can suffer from allergies (food or contact allergies - eg grass). But I don't think it's a problem particularly prevalent in Irish Setters. Out of my three dogs, both Irish are healthy, and it's the Labrador who is riddled with allergies and health problems. Not that I think Labs are an unhealthy breed, either. Sometimes, it's just bad luck.

One of my Irish is allergic to bee stings. Otherwise, they are both completely healthy - no skin issues, and no other allergies.

[Sue and Cash]

Our second irish setter which was about 16 years ago had bad allergies. He chewed bloody holes in himself from it and had chronic eye and ear infections. Cysts between two toes that eventually had to be operated on to stop it from coming back after draining it. I am 100% convinced it was from the quality of dog food back then. The vet never talked about chicken, corn, wheat etc. as possible causes and all the dog food was corn based with little to no meat in them. If this had happened today that poor dog would have been fine with a proper diet. He was such a lovely dog it breaks my heart that he suffered so. I have not had allergy issues with the last three dogs I have owned. But I don't feed corn or wheat either. And if i did have a problem with vet dermatologists around now, you can tests and eliminate the problem anyway.

[Jennifer Martin]

My old girl Jinty suffered from a number of allergies, wasp and bee stings, - the first time she was stung she had such a bad reaction, was very poorly and almost died, after that if she was stung she would come up in huge lumps almost the size of egg's but I was able to give her antihistamine and she would recover quickly. She also suffered from bouts of recurrent bacterial skin infections, these could have become prevalent because of her love of jumping in every puddle or bog she could find and of course a damp dog curled up and getting warm is the ideal bacterial breeding condition, steroid treatment was prescribed quite often for both the stings and skin infections and I can never be sure if this is what contributed to her developing 'Cushings' when she was eight.

[ursula wilby]

I have fed just about all brands of dog-food to my irish setters and no allergies...but I had problems with my pugs in that respect and also a friend of mine had to have her english setter put to sleep as she was allergic to grass...can hardly get much worse can it...

[Michaela]

Thanks for all answers! I hoped to get more answers - but maybe Allergies are not a problem of our breed? I'm wondering about because here and there I heard from food allergies (special: gluten or some kinds of proteins) as also allergies on Pollen or grass .. maybe it is only a problem of setters in middle europe?

[Cheryl Gorey]

I have owned 7 Irish over the years and my first girl, Rhuby had a flea allergy. Only one bite would send her in a scratching, chewing frenzy. That was easily fixed once we were able to maintain a flea free environment.

My old boy, Monty, who just passed away, had an allerigc reaction to chicken many years ago. I believe it had a profound affect due to the pet mince that I had been feeding him as it included the minced up bones, etc so hormones, etc in the chook compounded the problem. Chicken was one of his most favourite foods!! Once the allergy settled down, he was able to have a treat of some cooked (Roast) chicken meat and skin from time to time without any flare up of the allergy.

When Monty was at the vet for his allergy, my vet made a comment that being "red heads" they have a more sensitive skin! At the time I could relate to that, being a red head myself and the allergies that I encounter from weeds, grasses!!

But overall, I don't believe the Irish have many skin problems these days. I can recall more skin problems in dogs many years ago. I know German Shepherds in Australia seem to have a lot skin allergies and I knew of one bitch who was on cortisone her whole life from when she was very young and she lived till she was 13 years old. She had so many allergies, they couldn't exclude enough foods from her diet to remove the constant attack on her system.

[Sue and Cash]

Krista almost all of the premium and holistics foods don't add wheat anymore, even corn in some cases as well. Have you changed your dog's diet? Sometimes just on the tummy can be contact allergies. Where they lay and it touches the skin. Grass, the carpeting, laundry soap if they are on a bed. I know if I have a dog with allergies I will go straight to the vet dermatologists and have tests done. I won't mess around with the regular vet who basically offer steriods as an only alternative.

[ursula wilby]

Yes I do think there are cases that ARE owner-created.
I have not had this when it comes to allergie, but certainly when it comes to coats.

There are owners that will fall for any advertising, and as a result add all sorts of pills, vitamins etc. On top of this they will change food constantly.
Its not always true: The more expensive, the better and the more exotic ingredience, the better.