Allergies
I think it was almost two years ago that Scout started getting really itchy. He kept scratching his ears and biting his front paws. We took him to the vet and they said it was allergies, which we all assumed but wanted to get a professional opinion. They gave him a prednisone shot and sent us home with some wipes to use on his feet every time he came in from outside. They also suggested that we give him benadryl when he gets itchy. It worked for a while, but off and on we'd have to go to the vet again.
The allergies got much worse this fall, so the routine was repeated (but without the wipes - they don't use those anymore and say that just water and mild soap is fine). We all figured that it was seasonal allergies and he'd be better by winter. But he actually got worse, and our vet said that while seasonal allergies might be an issue, the problem is something in our house. A blanket, a toy, another pet, or any number of things.
Scout was biting his foot so much that he got a granuloma and they had to send us home with an antibiotic this time. It's amoxicillin, and I'm allergic to that so my mom has to give it to him every 12 hours for 45 days. At first he hated the pills, but after about two days he learned that the sooner he swallows the pill, the sooner he gets the treat. He swallows it right away now.
They also gave us some bitter apple no-chew wrap to put on his foot. That has been helping a lot. It's perfectly harmless but it tastes horrible. I tasted it because I was curious how well it would work...and yeah, I knew it would work. Scout will not put his mouth on that wrap.
I don't know what's in the house that he's allergic to, but I'm afraid that it might possibly be the cats. He have four cats, one of which is a male longhair cat, and I know those are generally the most problematic in terms of allergies. I'm not sure if it really is the cats or if it's something else, but we'll be bathing both Scout and the cats more often to reduce allergens. The cats are not going to like getting bathed, and whenever I bring Scout in the bathroom to bathe him, he sneaks off and hides in my parents' closet. For some reason Scout doesn't like water to be touching his belly. I wonder if it's because he's so short.
If you have any rememdies for allergies, I really need them right now.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Stephen and Picadilly on
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This might be a problem, my girlfriend has a boxer with severe allergy problems. Part of the problem was the food, it has something to do with some type of meat thats in it and is in actually a lot of food and treats. Also, the vet said its turning out that a lot of dogs are coming up being allergic to this type of meat, unfortunately I don't remember what the meat is or I would tell you.
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Permalink Reply by Sam Tsang on
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Hi Anneliese, most dogs are allergic to things that come in contact with their skin. Check the following:
Outside
Grass, pollen, fertilizers, pesticides, sprays. Winter salt, chemical deicer.
Inside
Carpet cleaner, floor cleaning solution, dust mites, mold, humidity too low, temperature too hot and dry.
Food
In reality - only less that 10% of dogs are allergic to what they eat. While it is quite possible. It is not usually the best place to start looking for solutions. The most common triggers are beef, dairy products, chicken, lamb, fish, chicken eggs, corn, wheat, and soy. (It's in everything) So unless you really know how to scientifically narrow down the ingredients and find the actual culprit, you are just guessing and brainwashed by the mob, do your own elimination diet and make an inform decision.
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Permalink Reply by Jane on
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From that exact article...
Food allergies account for about 10% of all the allergies seen in dogs. It is the third most common cause after flea bite allergies and atopy (inhalant allergies) Food allergies generally account for 20% of the causes of itching and scratching in dogs. Food allergies plus atopy account for another 20%.
I'm going to assume her dog is not flea ridden, and in the middle of winter I can't imagine he's inhaling too many pollen spores. Certainly it could be something inside the home, but changing to a grain free food or even just changing the protein source is a very easy thing to try.
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Permalink Reply by Einstein Batista on
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awesome reply, I was about to say the same thing but just about the food. I was about to add that you should try the product called pyobene. It's good if he has skin irritation. It flushes the skin of bacteria so your pup's skin can heal naturally.
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Also, can I quote this, put it on my blog and link it to mycorgi?
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Permalink Reply by John Wolff on
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Our highly suspect anecdote (in science, "anecdotal evidence" is an oxymoron):
Siri, as a pup, was chewing open sores in her skin above her butt. Lori did some reading and tried a raw-meat diet to avoid grains in commercial dog food. Presto. We've been doing the raw-food thing ever since (we get it from a Seattle company), although we've added a small amount of Wellness kibble, which does contain grain (barley I think). I've heard that corn is the most common grain allergen.
FWIW, I always just get in the tub/shower with the dogs. I stand up while holding them to shower off -- but THIS IS REALLY DANGEROUS IF YOU FALL!
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