Sarah Morris wrote 03/27/2008 08:54 PM Time to visit the Derm Vet #187592 - 03/27/2008 08:54 PM
Sarah Morris Webboard User Reg: 08-29-2006 Posts: 2324 Loc: Central Coast, California Offline	True's itching and biting has worsened over the last month and his once-beautiful coat has become dull, greasy, and flaky. Hydroxyzine seems to help alleviate the worst of the symptoms but he's managed to get a minor bacterial skin infection from all the scratching. So now he's taking an antibiotic for that. My poor dude...this really sucks I took him to see the vet this afternoon and thankfully she did not push a blood test, but instead referred me to the derm vet for an interdermal skin test. I'll make the appointment tomorrow morning but may have to wait a week or so to get in. I don't know what to expect from a derm vet, having never seen one before. Is there anything I should ask or be aware of going in? For people who have gone this route with the skin tests is it something that truly helped? Do dogs have weird reactions to getting stuck with so many allergens all at once? I'd appreciate any advice, experience, or thoughts about this. This is new territory for me. Thanks in advance True
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Polly Gregor wrote 03/30/2008 12:16 PM Re: Time to visit the Derm Vet [Re: Sarah Morris ] #187941 - 03/30/2008 12:16 PM
Polly Gregor Webboard User Reg: 12-02-2005 Posts: 341 Loc: NYC Offline	My dog has seasonal allergies. He will lick or chew his legs/paws raw. I started to wash his paws in cool water every morning, pat dry and powder them with corn starch or baby powder, and am giving benedryl morning and night. I put some bacitracin or Equss paw creme on the sores a few times. I also put a cone on him if I away for the day. More recently, I have gently massaged his fur against the grain on the feet and legs and removed dead skin as the sores heal. This has improved his feet a great deal over the last two weeks, most of his raw spots are healed, and he has a lot more fun chasing his ball/etc. The skin between his pads is a normal color now, not hot pink any more. I assume that I can stop using the cone soon. Without this treatment, I know from past experience that he would end up with very bad open sores. I do feel like his personal beauty assistant, but it is working. He aslo gets fish oil in his food, of course.
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Judy Troiano wrote 03/30/2008 12:38 PM Re: Time to visit the Derm Vet [Re: Polly Gregor ] #187943 - 03/30/2008 12:38 PM
Judy Troiano Webboard User Reg: 09-22-2005 Posts: 979 Loc: New Jersey Offline	Quote: Polly Gregor My dog has seasonal allergies. I started to wash his paws in cool water every morning, pat dry and powder them with corn starch or baby powder, and am giving benedryl morning and night. I put some bacitracin or Equss paw creme on the sores a few times. Hi Polly! Hey, that's interesting what you said about the powder/corn starch. I think I'll try that.  Quote: Plly Gregor I do feel like his personal beauty assistant Yep, me too!
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Sarah Morris wrote 03/30/2008 12:49 PM Re: Time to visit the Derm Vet [Re: Polly Gregor ] #187945 - 03/30/2008 12:49 PM
Sarah Morris Webboard User Reg: 08-29-2006 Posts: 2324 Loc: Central Coast, California Offline	We've been all over the map with this so I'm glad we're finally going to start investigating it with the specialist. First identifying any environmental/inhalent allergies then probably doing any elimination diet for food allergies. I've suspected in the past there is a food component to this but it's pretty hard to ignore that every September and March he starts itching and biting. I did pull him off all poultry for 2 months with no real improvement. I don't think the rabies vaccine he had in January helped matters...he erupted in an itching fit quite badly a few days after. We've so far dodged ear infections and hot spots. I'm wiping him down, cleaning his bedding, and brushing him often to remove the flaky stuff. I totally get the part about "personal beauty assistant" True
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Sandy Moore wrote 03/30/2008 12:56 PM Re: Time to visit the Derm Vet [Re: Sarah Morris ] #187946 - 03/30/2008 12:56 PM
Sandy Moore Webboard User Reg: 07-25-2006 Posts: 2665 Loc: AZ Offline	Sarah, just a thought. Are you giving alfalfa, powdered or otherwise? Several months ago Lear was having an itching problem and Connie posted it might be alfalfa. I stopped putting the powder in his food and he stopped itching. I've noticed some kibble brands put alfalfa in their kibble as well, just an FYI for people.
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Sarah Morris wrote 03/30/2008 01:04 PM Re: Time to visit the Derm Vet [Re: Sandy Moore ] #187949 - 03/30/2008 01:04 PM
Sarah Morris Webboard User Reg: 08-29-2006 Posts: 2324 Loc: Central Coast, California Offline	I give it a few times a week along with kelp. Hmmm...easy to omit and see if anything happens. True
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Sandy Moore wrote 03/30/2008 01:20 PM Re: Time to visit the Derm Vet [Re: Sarah Morris ] #187951 - 03/30/2008 01:20 PM
Sandy Moore Webboard User Reg: 07-25-2006 Posts: 2665 Loc: AZ Offline	I was doing the same thing, giving it with the kelp. I no longer give it. I did try about a month ago to give it again, to see if his reaction to it had changed, since it was several months since I had last given it. Sure enough, he started itching again after 1 or 2 doses so I stopped giving it again and he's fine (again). Now that you mention it, I did notice that shortly after he started itching that his fur had tiny white flecks in it, which also stopped when the alfalfa stopped. I had forgotten about that.
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Connie Sutherland wrote 03/30/2008 01:22 PM Re: Time to visit the Derm Vet [Re: Sarah Morris ] #187953 - 03/30/2008 01:22 PM
Connie Sutherland Moderator Reg: 07-13-2005 Posts: 31571 Loc: North-Central coast of California Offline	Quote: Sarah Morris ... First identifying any environmental/inhalent allergies then probably doing any elimination diet for food allergies. I've suspected in the past there is a food component to this but it's pretty hard to ignore that every September and March he starts itching and biting. I did pull him off all poultry for 2 months with no real improvement. Skin tests (as opposed to blood tests)= good Did you start with a scraping for yeast?
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Sarah Morris wrote 03/30/2008 01:26 PM Re: Time to visit the Derm Vet [Re: Connie Sutherland ] #187954 - 03/30/2008 01:26 PM
Sarah Morris Webboard User Reg: 08-29-2006 Posts: 2324 Loc: Central Coast, California Offline	We are going to do the skin tests. Scraping showed bacteria, no yeast. I don't know what kind of bacteria. True
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Connie Sutherland wrote 03/30/2008 01:29 PM Re: Time to visit the Derm Vet [Re: Sarah Morris ] #187956 - 03/30/2008 01:29 PM
Connie Sutherland Moderator Reg: 07-13-2005 Posts: 31571 Loc: North-Central coast of California Offline	Quote: sarah morris ...referred me to the derm vet for an interdermal skin test. I'll make the appointment tomorrow morning but may have to wait a week or so to get in. ... I don't know what to expect from a derm vet, having never seen one before. I'd appreciate any advice, experience, or thoughts about this. This is new territory for me. Thanks in advance After the skin tests, the allergens that are identified are made into a desensitizing injectable specifically for your dog. I have done this twice (two different dogs) and seen at least partial relief in both.... one was 90% relieved by the end of the desensitizing injection protocol, and one was at least half relieved. In each case, I felt that the process had absolutely been worth the time and money. However, it's not universal that the desensitizing injections "work." Still, you will get the gold standard (to date) in identification of the dog's allergens. This can often mean that you know certain places not to take the dog, and what weeks of the year to keep the dog inside and keep the windows closed ... or what to eliminate in your own home. Removing the allergen is, of course, the best route, insofar as it can be done, and you will end up knowing which ones to try to eliminate.
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