Dog has red paws and a blood shot eye

[Chris W]

My poor dog Penny from time to time will have red paws from licking them so much. She also has a bloodshot eye quite often. We changed her food to grain free and allergy free but her conditions remain. I am not sure if this is a food allergy or an environmental allergy. She has also suffered from yeast infections in the ears quite a bit.

My local vet has treated in the past but the conditions continue to come back. Do I need to have a blood test done fro Penny to determine allergies?

[Lyrical44]

This sounds alot like my dads dog Jasmine, I would reccommend going to the vet and having an allergy test done, that way the condition doesnt continue to get worse. Jasmine still has pink paws, but because we get her tests done, she has way fewer ear infections.

[kandy]

While allergy testing will give you faster & clearer answers to what Penny is allergic to - some vets discourage people from having the testing done due to cost.

If it is food related, you would see the symptoms more regularly than if it was a seasonal type of an allergy. Grain free doesn't really mean allergy free - and the foods that advertise themselves to be allergy free aren't going to be allergy free for every single dog. It depends on what the dog is allergic to. The allergy free foods normally stay away from common allergens like corn, wheat & soy - and often have a unique (and single) meat protein source like lamb rather than chicken (which is a common allergen). I would suggest that you compare the ingredient list from your old food, the grain free and the allergy free - just to see if they have any common ingredients. Many people find the ingredients their pet is allergic to through an elimination diet. This is where you would find a limited ingredient food (or make your own) and cut all other foods (no treats, etc). Once the allergy symptoms have been relieved, then gradually add things back into the dogs diet, keeping a close eye for any reactions.