It’s a dog’s life... which is unfortunate for Ruby the black Labrador.
That’s because the three-year-old is allergic to being a canine. She hates walkies, pet food, rolling around in the garden and turns her nose up at juicy bones.
Her owner Karen Stanfield, 27, has to home cook her three-year-old pet a vegetarian diet and make sure her house is always spotless so as to not upset Ruby’s delicate nose.
Daily walks mean avoiding long grass and a jump in a lake to wash off any stray blades that might cause her to sneeze and splutter and she even takes piriton to keep her ‘hayfever’ at bay.
Ruby’s unusual allergy problems emerged last year when she began suffering from constant stomach upsets and was constantly tired.
Unlike a normal 18-month-old Labrador puppy, she wouldn’t play or go for walks and lost weight despite eating all the food Karen gave her.
Karen, a dog trainer, was mystified, and tried everything from dog treats to coaxing her out on walks to try and get her back to her usual self.
It was only when her vet used the Avacta sensitest, a special blood test for allergies specifically designed for pets, that Karen found allergies were behind Ruby’s catalogue of problems.
She had to go on a strict vegetarian diet and every day Karen cooks food from scratch to make sure no allergens contaminate Ruby’s meal.
Karen hoovers her house in Edinburgh from top to bottom every day to make sure the dust mites that trigger Ruby’s allergies can’t thrive.
Now Ruby’s back to being a happy healthy dog, she’s even being used as a demonstration dog for Karen’s dog training business.
Karen said: “At first I thought she had an infection - she was always itchy, she had no energy and she struggled to go out for walks.
“She didn’t want to play and had a stomach upset solidly for three months. She only weighed 25 kilos but she lost 7 kilos.
“You could see all of her ribs - it was like I wasn’t feeding her even though I was trying desperately to keep her healthy.
“She looked like a neglected dog, as if she was starving, and I couldn’t find the cause.
“Even though I’m a positive reinforcement dog trainer I couldn’t work out why Ruby was so lethargic and unhappy.
“She was miserable and so was I.
“It wasn’t until Ruby’s vet did the sensitest that we realised it was allergies causing all her problems.
“She ate vegetarian food for a year and I’ve just started reintroducing turkey and pork back into her diet as she’s not allergic to those.
“People are always wondering what I feed my dog and when I explain they say: how can a dog be allergic to all the things that dogs normally love?”
That’s because the three-year-old is allergic to being a canine. She hates walkies, pet food, rolling around in the garden and turns her nose up at juicy bones.
Her owner Karen Stanfield, 27, has to home cook her three-year-old pet a vegetarian diet and make sure her house is always spotless so as to not upset Ruby’s delicate nose.
Daily walks mean avoiding long grass and a jump in a lake to wash off any stray blades that might cause her to sneeze and splutter and she even takes piriton to keep her ‘hayfever’ at bay.
Ruby’s unusual allergy problems emerged last year when she began suffering from constant stomach upsets and was constantly tired.
Unlike a normal 18-month-old Labrador puppy, she wouldn’t play or go for walks and lost weight despite eating all the food Karen gave her.
Karen, a dog trainer, was mystified, and tried everything from dog treats to coaxing her out on walks to try and get her back to her usual self.
It was only when her vet used the Avacta sensitest, a special blood test for allergies specifically designed for pets, that Karen found allergies were behind Ruby’s catalogue of problems.
She had to go on a strict vegetarian diet and every day Karen cooks food from scratch to make sure no allergens contaminate Ruby’s meal.
Karen hoovers her house in Edinburgh from top to bottom every day to make sure the dust mites that trigger Ruby’s allergies can’t thrive.
Now Ruby’s back to being a happy healthy dog, she’s even being used as a demonstration dog for Karen’s dog training business.
Karen said: “At first I thought she had an infection - she was always itchy, she had no energy and she struggled to go out for walks.
“She didn’t want to play and had a stomach upset solidly for three months. She only weighed 25 kilos but she lost 7 kilos.
“You could see all of her ribs - it was like I wasn’t feeding her even though I was trying desperately to keep her healthy.
“She looked like a neglected dog, as if she was starving, and I couldn’t find the cause.
“Even though I’m a positive reinforcement dog trainer I couldn’t work out why Ruby was so lethargic and unhappy.
“She was miserable and so was I.
“It wasn’t until Ruby’s vet did the sensitest that we realised it was allergies causing all her problems.
“She ate vegetarian food for a year and I’ve just started reintroducing turkey and pork back into her diet as she’s not allergic to those.
“People are always wondering what I feed my dog and when I explain they say: how can a dog be allergic to all the things that dogs normally love?”
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