The way forward and any changes

Hi Ayla, we’ve only got 15 days left of the moose-based elimination diet. Balou’s skin isn’t as oily as it was at the start and he smells less, but otherwise his condition is the same. His nose is running, he occasionally has a bit of moisture around his eyes, he’s scratching, licking his paws and flaking. In addition, he licks his armpits and groin a lot, so these areas are damp (which is new). Fur samples and a skin scraping have been taken, with no findings. I'm strongly considering having a blood test for environmental allergies now, even though it's recommended to test his food first. He regurgitates some of his food, his stools are still almost black, the consistency is not stable, and he has not put on weight. What do you recommend we do? Carry on and then test protein sources? Try a lighter diet? Test for environmental allergies first? His gut is clearly out of balance. He is an active and happy dog, so fortunately we haven’t noticed any major changes in that regard. Thank you so much for all your help so far!

• Hello! The good news is that you’ve noticed some changes. Although these aren’t the symptoms that bother him the most, it tells us that the diet has probably had a positive effect. At the same time, it’s important to be honest that the most prominent symptoms are still present: a runny nose, moisture around the eyes, itching, paw licking and flaking (in addition to him having started licking his armpits and groin more). If this had been a pure food allergy, I would often have expected a more marked improvement after almost 8 weeks on a strictly adhered-to elimination diet. Therefore, I think it makes sense to start thinking more broadly than just ‘which protein is he reacting to’. You still describe belching, loose stools, very dark stools and a lack of weight gain. When both skin and gas…