[QUOTE=moonriverfarm;7436544]
I have an itchy chihuahua and despite changing to every high-end-allergy-free-all-grain-organic food on the market she still has periods of itchiness. I was told by my vet she could have a steroid shot three times a year or I could give her Zyrtec daily. I hated the thought of daily meds so i give her the Zyrtec whe she seems obsssed with scratching, and it has helped. Her allergies are far worse during flea season even though she is on topical flea and heartworm meds. I also bathe her weekly in a medicinal shampoo that cuts down on yeast.[/QUOTE]
Not sure if you’ve tried it, but have you tried potato, grain, chicken, beef, dairy free food? Essentially a good limited ingredient food? Most grain free foods still have potatoes and common proteins like chicken, beef, and fish, all of which are potential allergens.
Oh itchy dog, itchy dog, why does your itching keep me awake?
You scratch hard. You scratch softly. But it’s all too much to take.
So here we go. We have an allergy dog. She is the epitome of an allergy dog. She is our $35 Animal Control shelter dog adoption whose Vet bills total the price equivalent to an imported and titled German Shepherd, or, in COTH terms…a nice, tall packer!
I will break it down into various tidbits.
Let’s start with allergy testing and what she is allergic to, shall we?
Grass (various forms including, but not limited to, Bermuda and fescue)
Weeds (ragweed, primarily)
Dust mites (which also means down comforters or pillows cannot be around her since they harbor dust mites)
Cleaning chemicals (Scrubbing Bubbles will cause her to break out in hives)
Sulfur-based medicines (and medicine like Sulfodene Medicated 3-way ointment or shampoos)
Oatmeal shampoos (because it “feeds” yeast)
Chicken, turkey, duck, pork, salmon, whitefish, and trout
Grains…of any sort…even the “good grains that don’t cause intolerances”
Sweet potatoes
White potatoes
Tapioca pearls
Corn
ANY type of starch
Apples, bananas, and any other fruit that have a decent sugar content
Changed her food to a grain-free food (now on Earthborn Holistics which is…ok)
Tried doing raw for her, and it did not agree with her
Tried cooking food for her, but purchasing bison in a reasonable amount for her to eat is difficult financially - though maybe we should just invest in Ted Turner’s ranch?
All-natural cleaning (vinegar)
Removed down pillows and blankets from where she is allowed in the house
Wiped her down with hypoallergenic wipes
Wiped her down with warm spring water
Put clothes and booties on her
Prednisone shot, prednisone pills (which, of course, turns out housebroken gal into a pee pot )
Science Diet LID hydrolized protein diet (didn’t work)
Changed shampoo to something that was all-natural with a ketaconazole additive (after using it successfully for several months, it caused her to break out into hives and itch more)
Veterinary visits
Veterinary Dermatology visits
Added probiotics to her diet
Added organic, unfiltered, Apple Cider Vinegar with the Mother to her food
Added Coconut oil to her diet (though we cut back on that because yeast started dying off TOO quickly, causing her to itch)
Added Dinovite to her diet
Used Eqyss MicroTek shampoo and spray
What has worked (for now) and the medicine our Vet has suggested in the future:
She eats Earthborn Holistics (Prairie - Bison) It doesn’t have ANY remnants of chicken, etc. in it - not even hidden ingredients
She gets bathed in Dr. Bronner’s Miracle Soap (Eucalyptus)
Every day, she gets wiped down (several times a day) with a mix of warm water and organic apple cider vinegar
When she comes inside from pottying and playing, she gets a wipe down (we call her a “salad” until it dries )
She continues with probiotics
She only gets coconut oil once a week
We clean her ears every other week with Veterycin Ear Wash
The Vet has recommended a “last resort” medication to us whose name escapes me at the moment. It sort of acts like prednisone but isn’t prednisone. The number one side effect is GI issues (oh boy!) so the script is usually paired with an anti-emetic. Our Vet wants to put her on this at one dose and gradually decrease. Pro: It doesn’t have the same long-term effects as Prednisone. Con: GI issues.
I hope that the change in your dog’s food and alleviation of stress helps the OP’s dog because once you get on the slippery slope of allergies and food intolerances, it’s a hard climb back out of it.
From experience here, my dog needs to stay away from beef and chicken…lamb does not work well either. I had him on Fish and Sweet Potato for over 2 years. He started itching a few months ago and I thought yikes…switched him to a grain free fish protein…helped but still a little itch…tried duck and buffalo, good so far…but then realized that although he was on this expensive, great food… he was still getting Milk Bones and Snausages etc etc. Now I make his treats, grain free…No itchies at all.
Working drive - our white bull terrier has no barrier to his skin and gets ‘yeasty’.
The Ketaconzole shampoo did wonders.
He also gets grain-free food, omega 3 fish-oil, a barrier spray that is like show-sheen - we know that because if any overspray gets on the floor it is sliding hell.
We believe most allergies are environmental, not diet related.
He has no fleas, there are no carpets, his bed gets washed weekly, he sleeps 23 hours a day and this time of year is not out on grass…and so on.
Oh itchy dog, itchy dog, why does your itching keep me awake?
You scratch hard. You scratch softly. But it’s all too much to take.
So here we go. We have an allergy dog. She is the epitome of an allergy dog. She is our $35 Animal Control shelter dog adoption whose Vet bills total the price equivalent to an imported and titled German Shepherd, or, in COTH terms…a nice, tall packer!
I will break it down into various tidbits.
Let’s start with allergy testing and what she is allergic to, shall we?
Grass (various forms including, but not limited to, Bermuda and fescue)
Weeds (ragweed, primarily)
Dust mites (which also means down comforters or pillows cannot be around her since they harbor dust mites)
Cleaning chemicals (Scrubbing Bubbles will cause her to break out in hives)
Sulfur-based medicines (and medicine like Sulfodene Medicated 3-way ointment or shampoos)
Oatmeal shampoos (because it “feeds” yeast)
Chicken, turkey, duck, pork, salmon, whitefish, and trout
Grains…of any sort…even the “good grains that don’t cause intolerances”
Sweet potatoes
White potatoes
Tapioca pearls
Corn
ANY type of starch
Apples, bananas, and any other fruit that have a decent sugar content
Changed her food to a grain-free food (now on Earthborn Holistics which is…ok)
Tried doing raw for her, and it did not agree with her
Tried cooking food for her, but purchasing bison in a reasonable amount for her to eat is difficult financially - though maybe we should just invest in Ted Turner’s ranch?
All-natural cleaning (vinegar)
Removed down pillows and blankets from where she is allowed in the house
Wiped her down with hypoallergenic wipes
Wiped her down with warm spring water
Put clothes and booties on her
Prednisone shot, prednisone pills (which, of course, turns out housebroken gal into a pee pot )
Science Diet LID hydrolized protein diet (didn’t work)
Changed shampoo to something that was all-natural with a ketaconazole additive (after using it successfully for several months, it caused her to break out into hives and itch more)
Veterinary visits
Veterinary Dermatology visits
Added probiotics to her diet
Added organic, unfiltered, Apple Cider Vinegar with the Mother to her food
Added Coconut oil to her diet (though we cut back on that because yeast started dying off TOO quickly, causing her to itch)
Added Dinovite to her diet
Used Eqyss MicroTek shampoo and spray
What has worked (for now) and the medicine our Vet has suggested in the future:
She eats Earthborn Holistics (Prairie - Bison) It doesn’t have ANY remnants of chicken, etc. in it - not even hidden ingredients
She gets bathed in Dr. Bronner’s Miracle Soap (Eucalyptus)
Every day, she gets wiped down (several times a day) with a mix of warm water and organic apple cider vinegar
When she comes inside from pottying and playing, she gets a wipe down (we call her a “salad” until it dries )
She continues with probiotics
She only gets coconut oil once a week
We clean her ears every other week with Veterycin Ear Wash
The Vet has recommended a “last resort” medication to us whose name escapes me at the moment. It sort of acts like prednisone but isn’t prednisone. The number one side effect is GI issues (oh boy!) so the script is usually paired with an anti-emetic. Our Vet wants to put her on this at one dose and gradually decrease. Pro: It doesn’t have the same long-term effects as Prednisone. Con: GI issues.
I hope that the change in your dog’s food and alleviation of stress helps the OP’s dog because once you get on the slippery slope of allergies and food intolerances, it’s a hard climb back out of it.[/QUOTE]
You are not alone. I have a GSD that must be the twin to yours. When she was allergy tested she was allergic to everything including her owner(my daughter).
The dog came to live with me and thru out the yrs everything has been tried. Sometimes something will work for a short time and then stop working. So when her itchies and eating holes in herself are bad she’s on a sm amt of steriod and antibiotic. Usually on Orijen Fish but sometimes Blue Buffaflo Wildnerness salmon.
They ever tried feeding her kangaroo at one point. Didn’t due must good. It’s tough.
OP is the dobie a blue dobie? They traditionally have more skin issues. Definitely a good grain free dog food. What are you giving the dog for treats? Read the label.
Could be stress too. Some dogs have a difficult time with change.
Could be anything. It’s tough.
[QUOTE=WorkingDrive;7438319]
The Vet has recommended a “last resort” medication to us whose name escapes me at the moment. It sort of acts like prednisone but isn’t prednisone. The number one side effect is GI issues (oh boy!) so the script is usually paired with an anti-emetic. Our Vet wants to put her on this at one dose and gradually decrease. Pro: It doesn’t have the same long-term effects as Prednisone. Con: GI issues. [/QUOTE]
Do you mean Atopica? If so, it’s hardly a medication of last resort. I think it is far superior to prednisone in that it only effects the gi tract instead of being systemic. My ratty was on it for years and never had any gi issues. You just need to follow the guidelines of one hour before food or 2 hours after. The only caveat I have is that it is expensive if your dog has to take it daily like my girl did. In my case I moved the dog to a different state and knock on wood that has resolved her allergies for now. If they come back she’ll be back in Atopica for sure.
[QUOTE=Foxtrot’s;7438595]
Working drive - our white bull terrier has no barrier to his skin and gets ‘yeasty’.
The Ketaconzole shampoo did wonders.
He also gets grain-free food, omega 3 fish-oil, a barrier spray that is like show-sheen - we know that because if any overspray gets on the floor it is sliding hell.
We believe most allergies are environmental, not diet related.
He has no fleas, there are no carpets, his bed gets washed weekly, he sleeps 23 hours a day and this time of year is not out on grass…and so on.[/QUOTE]
Except our dog had an allergic reaction to the ketaconazole, hypoallergenic shampoo
She cannot have fish oil added to her diet because of an intolerance to it and actually causes her to itch/break out more
The Microtek Eqyss and the Zymox are both considered barrier sprays for itchy dogs, but the Zymox has a corn-based product in it…which causes her to itch
Also no fleas in our house (which was changed to all hardwood floors (or tile) and leather furniture for easy wipe down to prevent dust mites.)
It’s a terrier thing We just won the jackpot for allergies
[QUOTE=pezk;7438739]You are not alone. I have a GSD that must be the twin to yours. When she was allergy tested she was allergic to everything including her owner(my daughter).
The dog came to live with me and thru out the yrs everything has been tried. Sometimes something will work for a short time and then stop working. So when her itchies and eating holes in herself are bad she’s on a sm amt of steriod and antibiotic. Usually on Orijen Fish but sometimes Blue Buffaflo Wildnerness salmon.
They ever tried feeding her kangaroo at one point. Didn’t due must good. It’s tough.
OP is the dobie a blue dobie? They traditionally have more skin issues. Definitely a good grain free dog food. What are you giving the dog for treats? Read the label.
Could be stress too. Some dogs have a difficult time with change.
Could be anything. It’s tough.[/QUOTE]
This gal is a terrier. Our German Shepherd? His Vet bills comprise of annual check ups, an inexpensive $100 “why did you lick your bug bite raw?” visit, and his neuter. We did try the Kangaroo food as well with our itchy girl. It didn’t do anything, and I believe it also had potatoes or sweet potatoes in it.
I may have been misunderstood. I didn’t mean “last resort” in a bad way. Our Veterinarian and the Dermatologist wanted us to try various things first before settling on Atopica (yes, that was it, but the Dermatologist offers the generic version which is slightly less expensive) since when side effects on medication say “GI issues,” it means explosive diarrhea and vomiting for our dog. But it’s also a coin toss - she could be completely fine on it.
Right now we’re working on providing her with immediate relief for her most recent itch-fest go-round, and then we will be putting her on Atopica.
Check for fleas, and treat if needed. Some dogs are more sensitive to fleas than others, and will itch & chew like crazy while others don’t.
As others suggested, changing the diet for a better quality food (either a veterinary hypoallergenic food (often with hydrolyzed proteins) or an uncommon protein source food (duck, venison, salmon, etc) can help if fleas aren’t a problem.
If the licking/chewing doesn’t stop after that, check with your vet. Giving otc antihistamines will relieve your dog for a small amount of time, but will not fix the problem. They will check if there is a yeast/bacterial infection present, and will be able to give antibiotics and/or a corticosteroid regimen that will put the brakes on the crazy immune system thing going on.
One of my dogs is currently on long term daily dose of steroid-antihistamine combo and hypoallergenic food (hello wallet) and I’m contemplating a dermatologist appointment but I’m just afraid he’ll tell me the dog is allergic to grass, leaves, other dogs, humans…
My son tried a dermatologist/allergy specialist - spent hundreds to no avail.
Coconut oil? Why? You said it dried the yeast too fast? Never heard of using it, but I do have some!
We have a game cutter nearby and he gives us frozen ground moose/elk/deer, but it didn’t help more than the grain-free.
We did find that none of these things happen fast - takes several weeks - and currently he is good…not sure exactly what, but don’t dare make any changes.
I was just searching for something and ran across this post. Zyrtec completely transformed my dog’s life. For several months every year, primarily in August, my dog would have itchy body. She would become beet red and chew all of her own hair off. We called this period “pork chop butt.” I tried food and baths and benadryl, but nothing really made a difference. Most years, she’d get the steriod/prednisone shot in the summer when it got really bad. Then, I gave in and tried zyrtec. Starting in the spring, I’d give her two pills a day (sometimes 3 if it was really horrible). As long as I could keep up the regime, she’d keep her hair and be happy. Benadryl did nothing, but make her feel miserable and drugged. She’d still lose the hair.
I do advocate trying to find the source of the problem. You could try to change out chicken or rice for something else in the diet. Or you could get allergy testing done. But OTC allergy pills can make a huge difference in the quality of your dog’s life. Just like claratin does for me!
GSD, chronic ear infections, hot spots, itchy, paw chewing. Classic right? I took her the vet religiously for YEARS. One day a Vets light bulb went off and asked “Does she chew her paws?” YES! I had already tried the food changes, the ear cleaning, the fish oil. By now the poor dear was 10 years old so we put her on prednisone. For years I told myself I would never have done it sooner any way but in retrospect I would have this dog suffered for 10 years. I only realized how much when it all stopped after the prednisone. It did not kill her in the end wasn’t even a factor.
My girl licked her feet in the evening, and I just thought it was a habit. Then I tried a different brand of dog biscuit, and she stopped licking. I really felt awful that I never realized that the biscuits were a problem.
It’s so hard because there are so many variables. The right thing is always the last thing you try. Or the one you are sure is not a factor. I do the same thing for myself. It was years before I would try claratin. I was sure it would make me feel awful.
A friend has a dog who came down with giardia and a hot spot/pork chop under his neck at the same time. The giardia has cleared up, but the dog has been miserable for days now and the vets had nothing more to help except benadryl. I insisted on zyrtec this morning and the dog is perky and eating treats tonight.
My self-congratulatory post above was in February of this year - oh boy, we are back to square one again, despite a virtual pharmacy of treatments
sitting on my counter.
I have a question before running off to the vet — again:
What is Atopica (or the generic version)
Zyrtec - what dose for a 70 pound dog. Benadryl/Reactine did not work.
Is there a cortisone shot - the creams come in such tiny tubes and are expensive.
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