So I am having an issue with meeko and allergies.. at least I think its allergies? He is constantlly licking/biting his paws and lower half of his body and if if pet his back he goes nuts. Ive tried hot spot treatment but he wont hold still long enough for me to get the stuff on his skin because his fur is so think. He doesnt shed much at all( and im not just saying that). Im afraid that he is going to itch his skin open. Is it a bad idea to get him NOT SHAVED but trimmed so I can reach the skin to use treat it..? If not how do I go about it?
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Meeko has been on a raw food diet since he was 9 weeks old he gets chicken and an egg. Never had problem before? Have not changed anything since we got him. Tried the Benadryl and it seemed to help but not sure how often to give it? Gave him a 25 Mg last night at 9 and he is beggining to really itch so is it every 12 hours??
10% may sound like a small amount, but food allergies are still the third most common allergy after flea bite allergies and atopy (inhalant) allergies. Has Meeko always been itchy? Does it come and go? Have you changed his food or treats lately, or used a different type of cleaning agent in your house, such as detergent to wash his bed, or something special to clean the carpets? If it's a constant itch I personally would try switching his food to a different protein source and something without corn, as long as he doesn't have too sensitive of a tummy. It might work, it might not, but it's easy enough to try. You could also try checking the pollen count in your area on weather.com when he seems really itchy to see if you can target what it might be.
I would try Benadryl first and that will tell you if it's allergies or something else. Like people, dogs are more likely to be allergic to environmental factors than food. For some reason that I am not sure of, people know that THEY itch and sneeze from pollen, grass, hay, certain fabrics, mold, dust etc etc. Yet when dogs itch the first thought is it's the food. You can try an elimination diet but you must be diligent about treats as well as food and it's not as easy as it sounds. Also contrary to popular opinion (sorry folks) corn is not a very common culprit of food allergies. "The most common allergens are beef, dairy, wheat, egg, chicken, lamb, soy, pork, rabbit, and fish. And, most dogs are usually allergic to more than one thing."
Food allergies also make up only 10% of all dog allergies, according to Web MD:
http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/caring-for-a-dog-that-has-food-all...
Here's another good source about general allergies. Dogs can be allergic to pollen, grass, fleas, mold, other pets etc.
My Foxy Bear was itchy all the time. Switching her to a fish based protein in her kibble did the trick. If I go back to another protein source she gets itchy again. If she has flare ups I put doggy lotion on her that contains hydrocortisone (have to make she she doesn't lick it off). Also Fixil used to nibble his paw raw, but it wasn't allergies. I think it was nervous energy because the only thing that stopped it was TONS of exercise. He was just getting out of his puppy stage at that time.
If he actually has a hot spot I think it is recommended to trim the fur so it can dry out easier, but if he's just itchy I wouldn't shave or trim him. I've also given my dogs benadryl before which seemed to help quite a bit. We've also used something called Genesis Spray (I think?) from the vet which was a topical spray that really stopped Luke from chewing on his feet.
I also would check into changing his food and in the mean time try the benadryl for the short term. I would not trim him. Good luck!
I have a 25lb border collie mix who has pretty bad allergies, and when he starts to itch, I give him 25 mgs of benadryl twice a day (as recommended by the vet). We have used steroids for many years, but our current vet recommened also using the benadryl so that we can cut down on the steroids. It has definitely helped. We also use aloe & oatmeal shampoo from the vet.
you might want to change his food.
Coby had ear infection due to food allergy, but everything got back to normal after i changed his food.
Have you tried Benadryl?
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