To Feed or Not to Feed: That Is the Question
Addressing Anxiety, Allergies, and More in High-Anxiety Dogs
Blue Moon, Bama, and Bill Murray
by Yusha Y. King
Estimated Read Time: 6 minutes
When the boys—Blue Moon, Bama, and Bill Murray, affectionately known as "The Blueberries"—found their way to us, each arrived separately and uniquely. Each was a high-anxiety rescue with a history we could only piece together. Their behaviors told stories their records couldn't.
Blue Moon was cautious, anxious, hypersensitive to sound and touch—like living with a reactive toddler who needed the world translated into manageable pieces. Bama had survived weeks of scavenging before rescue, his eating patterns shaped entirely by survival mode: hoarding, gulping, resource guarding. Bill Murray came to us labeled "aggressive," a rescue with deep trauma and a complicated sibling dynamic that demanded behavioral recovery work alongside physical care.
They were reactive, couldn't settle, licked paws obsessively, shed in clumps, barked at shadows, and scratched at their ears. Like many rescues, they didn't just need behavioral intervention. They needed us to see the whole picture: anxiety, allergies, and the invisible connections between their guts, their environments, and their nervous systems.
At Nooka's Niche Helping Paws (NNHP), we've learned that managing high-anxiety dogs requires more than training techniques. It demands a holistic approach that treats nutrition, environmental health, and physical care as behavioral interventions. This is their story—and the science behind what helps them heal.
The Science of Allergies in High-Anxiety Dogs
Allergies in dogs aren't just about itching. Research shows that chronic inflammation from allergies activates stress pathways in the brain, exacerbating anxiety and hypervigilance (Marsella & Girolomoni, 2009). For dogs like The Blueberries, environmental and dietary allergens created a feedback loop: inflammation → discomfort → anxiety → increased stress hormones → worsened inflammation.
For Blue Moon especially, the sensory overwhelm of constant itching compounded his already heightened anxiety. For Bama, physical discomfort triggered food-protective behaviors learned during his weeks on the street. For Bill Murray, irritation became one more source of volatility in a system already struggling to regulate.
Environmental Allergens
Dogs are exposed to the same environmental triggers as humans—pollen, dust mites, mold, and cleaning chemicals (It's Allergy Season for Dogs, Too, 2006). Studies indicate that atopic dermatitis (environmental allergies) affects up to 15% of the canine population and is strongly associated with anxiety-related behaviors (Pucheu-Haston et al., 2015).
DNA testing gave us a roadmap. Embark DNA results for Blue Moon (and Bill Murray are littermates) and Bama showed that Blue Moon had a 29.7% risk and Bama a 23.4% chance of developing environmental allergies—that's 1.4x and 1.1x more likely than the average dog, respectively. This data helped us identify and treat issues naturally when possible, and medically when required.
What we did for The Blueberries:
Installed HEPA air purifiers in common areas
Switched to fragrance-free, hypoallergenic cleaning products—no essential oils or air fresheners
Increased frequency of bedding washes and rotated towel textures and textiles to reduce irritant buildup
Adjusted outdoor experiences and exposure during high-pollen seasons, especially when spending holidays with family and friends
Ensured travel credentials and accommodations met their needs
Natural Allergens
Even "natural" doesn't mean "safe." Grasses, tree pollen, and seasonal blooms triggered skin reactions across the board. We tracked flare-ups and correlated them with environmental shifts, allowing us to adjust routines and needs proactively.
Blue Moon's reactions were immediate and visible—scratching, whining, restlessness. Bama's were subtler: increased scavenging behavior, pacing, food obsession. Bill Murray would become more reactive to triggers, his already-thin impulse control deteriorating further when his skin was inflamed.
Ear Cleaning: An Overlooked Cause of Anxiety
Their ears were monitored relentlessly. Not cleaned relentlessly monitored. What we didn't realize initially was that our well-intentioned cleaning routine would later prove both beneficial and, at times, counterproductive.
The Science Behind Ear Infections and Anxiety
Chronic otitis (ear infections) doesn't just cause pain, it activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the body's central stress response system (Epp & Hatfield, 2010). Ear inflammation becomes a constant stressor, keeping the nervous system on high alert.
Additionally, many commercial ear cleaners contain alcohol or harsh astringents that irritate already-inflamed tissue. The very act of cleaning, meant to help, could become a source of fear and physical discomfort, especially for Blue Moon, whose sensory sensitivity made even gentle handling feel invasive.
Natural Solutions for Ear Care
We pivoted to a gentler protocol:
Warm saline rinses instead of chemical cleaners
Coconut oil applications for antifungal and soothing properties (Ogbolu et al., 2007)
Reduced cleaning frequency to allow natural ear flora to rebalance
Vet-supervised probiotic ear drops to restore microbial health
Within three weeks, anxiety around ear care virtually disappeared, particularly for Blue Moon, who learned to tolerate and eventually trust the process.
Allergy Agents and Natural Remedies
Dietary Adjustments for Allergies
Food sensitivities are often hidden contributors to systemic inflammation. We transitioned to a hypoallergenic elimination diet, removing common triggers like corn, soy, wheat, and chicken (Mueller et al., 2016).
This was especially critical for Bama, whose scavenging history meant his gut health was already compromised. His survival-based eating patterns, gulping food, hoarding, hiding, guarding, made dietary changes challenging. We had to rebuild each relationship with food from the ground up.
Key dietary changes:
Protein rotation: Limited-ingredient proteins like beef, lamb, turkey, and salmon
Grains reintroduced: Identified grain need over long-term for heart health (veterinary recommended)
Omega-3 fatty acids: Added through sardines and fish oil to reduce inflammation and support skin barrier function (Bauer, 2011)
Low-glycemic carbohydrates: Sweet potato and lentils to stabilize blood sugar and reduce behavioral volatility
For Bill Murray, stabilizing his blood sugar through consistent, low-glycemic meals had a profound impact on his impulse control and aggression. For Blue Moon, the anti-inflammatory effects reduced his chronic discomfort. For Bama, predictable meal routines began to dissolve his food insecurity.
Natural Remedies for Skin Irritation
When flare-ups occurred, we used:
Oatmeal baths (colloidal oatmeal) to soothe inflamed skin and reduce itching (Reynertson et al., 2015)
Aloe vera gel (plant-based, veterinary grade, no additives) for localized relief
Shea butter for dry, cracked paw pads
These natural interventions reduced the need for antihistamines and steroids, which can have cognitive and behavioral side effects. When natural remedies weren't sufficient, particularly during harsh environmental adjustments or seasonal changes, Cytopoint (lokivetmab) helped provide comfort and relief (Gober et al., 2025).
Personal Experience: Managing The Blueberries' Allergies and Anxiety
The transformation didn't happen overnight, and the learnings continue. It requires consistency, observation, and a willingness to treat each body as part of their own behavior plan.
What worked:
Feeding smaller, frequent meals to prevent blood sugar crashes and food-guarding anxiety (critical for Bama)
Pairing meals with calm routines (same location, same time, quiet environment), Blue Moon thrived on predictability
Documenting changes in energy, focus, stool quality, and stress recovery guided Bill Murray’s path
Talking with experts in science, medicine, and rescue to reconnect and learning from: pet shop owners, bloggers, certified professionals, veterinarians and staff, fellow fur parents
Managing their dietary allergens improved more than their skin, it improved their entire demeanor. Each became more focused during training, less reactive to triggers, or significantly more at ease around people and other pups.
Blue Moon: His sensory sensitivities didn't disappear, but he learned to signal when he was overwhelmed instead of shutting down.
Bama: His scavenging behaviors are decreasing dramatically. He still hoards food. He’s learned that meals come consistently and that he is safe.
Bill Murray: His aggression stemmed partly from chronic discomfort. Reducing inflammation reduced his reactivity. Combined with trauma-informed behavioral work, he became a different dog, still intense, still high-energy, but with less feeling of danger.
Feeding and Allergies: A Holistic Approach
At NNHP, we follow a Regulation-First Nutrition Model. A regulated nervous system begins in the gut. We combine:
Predictable feeding schedules to reduce food insecurity behaviors
Anti-inflammatory foods to support immune and neurological health
Gut health stabilization through probiotics and whole-food add-ins
Research confirms that diet impacts not only physical health but emotional regulation. Nutritional interventions can reduce anxiety-related behaviors, improve focus, and enhance overall quality of life (Bray et al., 2020).
For The Blueberries, nutrition became the foundation upon which all other interventions rested.
· You can't train a dog out of anxiety if their body is in constant inflammation.
· You can't ask a scavenging dog to trust the food bowl if their gut is in distress.
· You can't expect an aggressive dog to regulate behavior if their nervous system is on fire.
Holistic Care for High-Anxiety Dogs
The Blueberries' journey taught us that behavioral issues are rarely "just behavioral." Anxiety, allergies, and environmental stressors are interconnected. By addressing physical health, through nutrition, ear care, and environmental modifications, we gave them the foundation they needed to regulate their nervous systems.
Key takeaways:
Chronic inflammation from allergies can worsen anxiety
Ear health directly impacts stress and emotional regulation
Nutrition is a behavioral intervention, not just a feeding decision
Natural remedies and environmental adjustments reduce reliance on pharmaceuticals—but medical intervention has its place when needed
Managing high-anxiety rescue dogs requires patience, science, and heart. Through trial and error, we've learned that small, intentional changes create profound shifts.
The Role of DNA in Dog Care: A Call to Action
At Helping Paws, we believe that bringing a dog home is not just an adoption, it's a long-term relationship. Honoring that relationship means knowing the dog as fully as possible.
DNA testing, when available, is one of the most powerful tools we have to do that. It reveals breed-specific health predispositions, potential allergens, and behavioral tendencies. For high-anxiety dogs like ours, DNA insights help us anticipate needs rather than react to crises.
DNA as a diagnostic and commitment tool:
Identifies genetic health risks (joint issues, skin conditions, metabolic sensitivities)
Guides nutrition and exercise plans based on breed predispositions
Informs training and meal approaches based on breed traits
Demonstrates dedication to the dog's long-term well-being
For Blue Moon and Bama, knowing their genetic predisposition to environmental allergies meant we could implement preventive measures before symptoms became severe. For all three dogs, understanding their breed mixes helped us anticipate behavioral tendencies and design interventions accordingly.
Join the Conversation
If you're fostering or adopting a dog with anxiety, consider how allergies, ear care, and feeding schedules might be impacting their overall well-being. Have you noticed behavioral changes with dietary or environmental adjustments?
We'd love to hear from you. Share your experiences in the comments below or reach out to us directly at Nooka's Niche Helping Paws: email dogs@forhervoice.com. Together, we can create healthier, happier lives for the dogs who depend on us.
References
Bauer, J. E. (2011). Therapeutic use of fish oils in companion animals. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 239(11), 1441-1451. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.239.11.1441
Bray, E. E., Sammel, M. D., Seyfarth, R. M., Serpell, J. A., & Cheney, D. L. (2020). Temperament and problem solving in a population of adolescent guide dogs. Animal Cognition, 23(5), 923-939. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-020-01398-6
Epp, T., & Hatfield, J. (2010). The role of the environment in canine atopic dermatitis. Veterinary Clinics: Small Animal Practice, 40(2), 183-188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvsm.2009.10.001
Gober, M., Amodie, D., Mellencamp, M., & Hillier, A. (2025). Long term use of lokivetmab (Cytopoint®) in atopic dogs. BMC Veterinary Research, 21(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-025-04645-8
It's Allergy Season for Dogs, Too. (2006). USA Today Magazine, 134(2731), 6.
Marsella, R., & Girolomoni, G. (2009). Canine models of atopic dermatitis: A useful tool with untapped potential. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 129(10), 2351-2357. https://doi.org/10.1038/jid.2009.98
Mueller, R. S., Olivry, T., & Prélaud, P. (2016). Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals (2): Common food allergen sources in dogs and cats. BMC Veterinary Research, 12(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-016-0633-8
Ogbolu, D. O., Oni, A. A., Daini, O. A., & Oloko, A. P. (2007). In vitro antimicrobial properties of coconut oil on Candida species in Ibadan, Nigeria. Journal of Medicinal Food, 10(2), 384-387. https://doi.org/10.1089/jmf.2006.1209
Pucheu-Haston, C. M., Bizikova, P., Marsella, R., Santoro, D., Nuttall, T., & Eisenschenk, M. N. (2015). Review: The role of antibodies, autoantigens and food allergens in canine atopic dermatitis. Veterinary Dermatology, 26(2), 115-e30. https://doi.org/10.1111/vde.12201
Reynertson, K. A., Garay, M., Nebus, J., Chon, S., Kaur, S., Mahmood, K., ... & Southall, M. D. (2015). Anti-inflammatory activities of colloidal oatmeal (Avena sativa) contribute to the effectiveness of oats in treatment of itch associated with dry, irritated skin. Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 14(1), 43-48.
