Shibas allergies(update)
hey everyone. thanks for the comments so far. i'm reading all of them. sorry if i dont reply.
today i was planning on taking shiba to a dermatologist but my mother refused to take her... i'm so upset right now and i dont think i'm going to talk to her for a while(i know thats not right but i can get really emotional((remember i'm only 17)) :c). the real reason i got shiba was not only for my birthday but because my cat(that wasn't really mine but he was like a brother to me) had got hit by a car at the time and i was going through depression. and now i'm starting to feel the same way. i hate seeing shiba suffer and i hate it when people yell at her when its not her fault that she's scratching. i feel like this skin test really is her only hope. my parents refuse to give her up but they act as if they hate her...i just dont understand anymore.
Since she'll have to wait for the skin test i'll try the other things you've recommended. I hope to try and have her food switched soon but i'm still not sure which. wellness and blue buffalo are sounding good. i just hate giving her the food shes eating now. i feel like i'm giving her poison.
a lot of you have mentioned the benedryl. a vet prescribed her some once before and today we have the benedryl original from the store. i dont think i'm giving her enough because one pill doesnt even make her drowsy. It doesnt do much either so i dont give it to her that often but that may be because shes not getting enough. i dont know...any ideas?
sorry for being so bothersome...it just pains me to see shiba like this.
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Most of you have heard of shibas case already and i thank you all for your help so far. i've been doing some research lately and found a few things that i wanted to ask about.
first of all i found out that the food shiba is eating (pro plan) is crapola. i plan on changing her food and i found a list of these:
Canidae
Solid Gold
Nutro
Natural Choice
Evo
Innova
Blue Buffalo
Taste of the Wild
have any of you had any luck with any of these? which do you prefer and which arent extremely expensive.
yesterday i found a youtube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKfg8xPyYeU) of a vet recommending Ascenta nutra sea fish oil and it sounds like a great idea. has anyone tried this before? he also recommends nutri-c complex.
I've also been researching skin tests on dogs and i really wanted shiba to have one but my mom refuses to pay another 300 dollars for her especially if it doesnt work(like all the other times) but i've been reading and basically does it really matter if shiba gets a test or not? i mean if it turns out shes allergic to grass what can i do? grass is everywhere. i'm sure there will be a lot of other things shes allergic to including fleas but do i really need to have her tested?
and my last question is about shibas face. her mouth bothers her a lot and i'm thinking this may be because of her food. its really red and flaky and she rubs it against everything. shiba also scratches at her eye a lot too but a vet gave me a cream for it. but about her mouth, is there anything i can put on it? i bought benedryl cream for her rear but i don't think i should put that around her face. i also have some baby aloe and vitamin e cream that i was wondering if i could use on her.
sorry about the wall of text but i just want my shiba back :/ i'd really like to take her to a corgi meet here in florida but because of her allergies i cant really take her anywhere. i cant even play with her anymore because shell just go to bite her rear. not only that but she has anger issues now and if you try to stop her from biting or scratching she'll growl and nip at you. shes also very stressed out...all day long she just rolls around on her back until she gets tired.
i'd like as much feedback as possible... i'll give anything you throw at me a try. there has to be something for poor shiba :c
today i was planning on taking shiba to a dermatologist but my mother refused to take her... i'm so upset right now and i dont think i'm going to talk to her for a while(i know thats not right but i can get really emotional((remember i'm only 17)) :c). the real reason i got shiba was not only for my birthday but because my cat(that wasn't really mine but he was like a brother to me) had got hit by a car at the time and i was going through depression. and now i'm starting to feel the same way. i hate seeing shiba suffer and i hate it when people yell at her when its not her fault that she's scratching. i feel like this skin test really is her only hope. my parents refuse to give her up but they act as if they hate her...i just dont understand anymore.
Since she'll have to wait for the skin test i'll try the other things you've recommended. I hope to try and have her food switched soon but i'm still not sure which. wellness and blue buffalo are sounding good. i just hate giving her the food shes eating now. i feel like i'm giving her poison.
a lot of you have mentioned the benedryl. a vet prescribed her some once before and today we have the benedryl original from the store. i dont think i'm giving her enough because one pill doesnt even make her drowsy. It doesnt do much either so i dont give it to her that often but that may be because shes not getting enough. i dont know...any ideas?
sorry for being so bothersome...it just pains me to see shiba like this.
----------------------------------------------------
Most of you have heard of shibas case already and i thank you all for your help so far. i've been doing some research lately and found a few things that i wanted to ask about.
first of all i found out that the food shiba is eating (pro plan) is crapola. i plan on changing her food and i found a list of these:
Canidae
Solid Gold
Nutro
Natural Choice
Evo
Innova
Blue Buffalo
Taste of the Wild
have any of you had any luck with any of these? which do you prefer and which arent extremely expensive.
yesterday i found a youtube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKfg8xPyYeU) of a vet recommending Ascenta nutra sea fish oil and it sounds like a great idea. has anyone tried this before? he also recommends nutri-c complex.
I've also been researching skin tests on dogs and i really wanted shiba to have one but my mom refuses to pay another 300 dollars for her especially if it doesnt work(like all the other times) but i've been reading and basically does it really matter if shiba gets a test or not? i mean if it turns out shes allergic to grass what can i do? grass is everywhere. i'm sure there will be a lot of other things shes allergic to including fleas but do i really need to have her tested?
and my last question is about shibas face. her mouth bothers her a lot and i'm thinking this may be because of her food. its really red and flaky and she rubs it against everything. shiba also scratches at her eye a lot too but a vet gave me a cream for it. but about her mouth, is there anything i can put on it? i bought benedryl cream for her rear but i don't think i should put that around her face. i also have some baby aloe and vitamin e cream that i was wondering if i could use on her.
sorry about the wall of text but i just want my shiba back :/ i'd really like to take her to a corgi meet here in florida but because of her allergies i cant really take her anywhere. i cant even play with her anymore because shell just go to bite her rear. not only that but she has anger issues now and if you try to stop her from biting or scratching she'll growl and nip at you. shes also very stressed out...all day long she just rolls around on her back until she gets tired.
i'd like as much feedback as possible... i'll give anything you throw at me a try. there has to be something for poor shiba :c
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Megan and Penelope on
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You may also look into Halo Spot's Stew dry food...its all natural we alternate that with Blue Buffalo for Penelope. She loves either! And does well on both.
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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on
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I can not assess how bad your pup's allergies are but I will say that my dog Sparty's were so bad that it would have been cruel not to either have him tested or go to rescue or be put down! It sounds to me like you may be over your head with this. I do not judge your mom for not wanting to spend more money but really you can not leave the dog in misery. It is illegal. You should contact a rescue group or your Humane Society for ideas. They might be able to help with a vet that would agree to a lesser fee or something. If all else fails it might be so much better for your Shiba to go to a home that can help her. It is the very hard part of the responsibility of pet ownership to do what is best for her not what is best for you. Sorry this has been such a nightmare for you but do the best for Shiba.
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Permalink Reply by Goat on
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i love shiba and my parents do too. its just they dont want to have to spend a fortune for something that wont work. my mom is having a tough time believing that a skin test will do anything since all of the other visits failed.
but if you've seen results with sparty and can explain to me what it is exactly the vets do and how they treat the dog then that'd be great. we don't want to give up and it wouldnt be fair to put her to sleep if a skin test really is the solution.
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I do not doubt for a minute that you love Shiba! You would not be going to all the trouble and expense to care for her if you did not. When I took Sparty in, they said they had about an 80% success rate with lessening the allergies effects. The doctor shaves the dog's side and injects multiple substances that are frequently the problem. Then they watch to see a reaction. This is done under anasthetic which is probably why it is so expensive. They then take that information and develop a serum that can be injected. Over time this method helps the dog's immune system get used to the things they are allergic to. This is the same method they use with people. My daughter went through it when she was in high school. I only suggested it because it sounded like Shiba's problem was more than a food allergy. Sparty went from a dog that tore his skin and bled from itching to a normal happy corgi in a matter of months. Occasionally he still needs prednisone but it is not more than once a year. If you consult with a doctor that does this they should be able to tell you if they think they can help and what the estimated cost would be. It has been 6 or 8 years since we did this with Sparty and he is doing very well. Good Luck!
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thank you so much. i've convinced my mom that getting a skin test for shiba is the best bet and i told her about your case. i found a dermatologist in the area but i think the price will be the same as everywhere else. i know she wont be happy with the price but what else can we do? i was thinking about taking her in tomorrow but it seems there are a lot of things you cant do prior to the test. i put benedryl cream on her yesterday and it says topical medications shouldn't be applied 2-3 days prior so i wonder if its still ok to bring her in.
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You're welcome! I know I had to have Sparty off the prednisone well before they would do the testing which was difficult. I sure hope it goes really well for you. It is hard to describe how sad it is to see that frantic itching! Let us know how it goes.
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Permalink Reply by E on
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Changing her diet to a quality dog food is a good step. Just getting her on a grain-free diet should help. Check out www.dogfoodanalysis for ratings on the foods you have listed. I have used Canidae, Eaglepack, Wellness Core and am currently using Wellness Super5Mix. I would have gotten another bag of Wellnes Core (Original formula) but my petstore was out of it. I'll probably swing by another store to get a bag of Wellness Core and mix it with the Super5Mix since it Wellness Core has a higher protein content. I like these because it has Omega 3's and lycopene and other healthy ingredients. Petco carries the Wellness brand. For the others, go to their respective websites to find local suppliers.
A lot of dogs have flea allergies. If she's not on a flea treatment already, try putting her on Comfortis, which is a monthly flea prevention pill that kills the fleas and their eggs . I think there are natural topicals that you can use on her mouth but I can't remember what they are. I think tea tree oil is one but I'm not sure. Always be careful with any medication that she might ingest since it may not be dog-friendly (even if it's human friendly).
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Permalink Reply by Karen Dadisman on
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My daughter has 4 rather large dogs, all mixed breeds and 3 of them have allergies. She has had pretty good luck giving them Benedryl either pills or liquid. She says her vet says it's just fine. Check with your vet for the dosage and see if this helps. One of her dogs also got a shot at the vet's for her hot spot which is probably what your girl has by her tail. Hot spots are itches that get out of control because the dog licks and scratches them until they are sore and worse.
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By the way Sparty is highly allergic to grass, fleas, dandelions, thistle, house dust and many other everyday things that you really can not avoid. His monthly allergy shots which we give have given him total relief. As far as food there is a web site that evaluates food but mainly you do want the first ingredients to be meat.It might be in the FAQ. They list in order of weight in the food I think.I give ours Innova.
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for the allergy shots, do you have to bring sparty to the vet every time or do they supply you with the shots?
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We have the serum and give him a shot once a month. It is pretty easy because it is just under the skin. As big of a baby as Sparty is he does pretty good with it so it must not hurt.
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Permalink Reply by Cindi on
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I'd take Nutro Natural Choice off your list. They are manufactured by Mars and they have had about a half-dozen recalls in the past 3 1/2 years. If your doggie's got break out around her mouth, I'd say it's more than likely a food allergy. First, try switching her to an allergy formula. Every different person on here has an opinion on that one. I can say since I switched to Natural Balance allergy formula, our incidences of allergy breakout have been very very minimal. You can add benedryl to your dog's every day regimen. And, you can use just plain old fish oil capsules from Wal-Mart. Works just as well with ours and it's much less expensive.
Another thing you might try and we've done it at home. Get some lavender, camomille, tea tree and peppermint oils. Put just a couple of drops of each in a spray bottle with water and shake it well. Spray it on Shiba in the areas she itches. You can use a flat brush to brush it in. The lavender and camomille cut inflammation, tea tree helps itching and peppermint helps itching and cuts infection. It may give her some relief and make working with her more comfortable.
Best of luck.
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