Being that it is already 90 degrees here in Phoenix, we are already in the swing of spring blossoms. Both my boys seem to have seasonal allergies that display as sneezing, scratching and eye goobers/discharge. I know its not food since this happens during this time of year and goes away into the fall and winter (although its always pretty warm so we have different blooms).

What do you use for seasonal allergies and what would you recommend? I have then on grain free fish based kibble along with salmon oil and vitamin e (thanks Connie). Not quite sure what else I should use. For myself I use claritin in morning and benadryl at night along with allergy shots. I have also had success with quercetin, vit c and bromelain mixture in the past with myslef. Would that be safe for the dogs? I would like to stay natural as it is not too bad for them, but would be willing to consider all options.


Thanks and you guys and girls are amazing and have been a big help!!

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Some people find Benedryl works on their dog's allergic symptoms, although it tends to be the least effective OTC medication.

I've used OTC Chlorpheniramine on my dog:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorpheniramine

However, I've had the best success with prescription Hydroxyzine that you get from the vet.

Connie usually recommends doing a 2 week trial with each medication so you can see how well it works, if at all. I don't know anything about the Vitamin C or bromelain mixture so I can't comment on that.

She and my derm vet recommend frequently wiping down legs, paws, and undercarriage during the allergy season to avoid having allergens tracked into the house. My derm vet strongly recommends that allergic dogs be bathed frequently, for the same reason.

Keeping windows closed as much as possible, vaccuming frequently, washing their bedding, and running an air machine with an allergen filter will also cut down on the allergen load your dog is exposed to inside the house.

Connie has been so helpful to me with allergy issues so I hope she'll see this and chime in. You also may want to take a look through the forum...allergies are a common problem.

I would also double-check the paws and ears for inflammation because dogs have most of their histamine receptors in the skin (whereas we have them mostly in the mucus membranes). Post back if you see red inside the ears or between the toes, or scratching anywhere.

I have very good results with hydroxyzine. Even hydroxyzine pamoate (cheaper by far), which does not have as good a track record as hydroxyzine succinate, relieves my allergic dog quite a bit.

However, only about 30% of allergic dogs are benefited by antihistamines. According to Tufts (2005), that percent rises if fish oil is given concurrently.

Even 30% is worth a shot, IMO. My goal is to avoid Pred. (I have used it to break a cycle or for a dog who must have it at certain times in order to have quality of life, such as uninterrupted sleep, but it is a last last last resort.)

 Quote: Sarah Morris

... She and my derm vet recommend frequently wiping down legs, paws, and undercarriage during the allergy season to avoid having allergens tracked into the house. My derm vet strongly recommends that allergic dogs be bathed frequently, for the same reason....

Yes. Even rinsing is better than nothing. As Dr. Messonnier (The Allergy Solution) contends, minimizing the tracking inside and the constant contact with the allergens way trumps what some may say is a skin-drying practice. (And in my experience, it's not, anyway.)

It isn't a contact allergy thing (and contact allergies are rare in dogs); it's the constant breathing in of the allergens because of having them on the fur, in the bedding, on the carpet, etc.

 Quote: Sarah Morris

However, I've had the best success with prescription Hydroxyzine that you get from the vet.

Connie usually recommends doing a 2 week trial with each medication so you can see how well it works, if at all. .

Yes. You can get a trial RX from the vet of hydroxyzine and chlorpheniramine and darn it, I cannot remember the third good-track-record antihistamine. It's not Benadryl, though.

Of course, who cares what the %s are if Benadryl happens to work on your dog.

I also add a lot of probiotics to the diet, after reading Gary Huffnagle (after Mike Armstrong on this board read him and recommended him).

Thanks. I will try giving them more baths and see what the vet says.

Connie, my goldendoodle does have red between his paws. They both also scratch on their jouls of their mouths right where the different levels of the lips meet. On the beaucerdoodle he has it bad where the hair grows in black there because it is always scabbed over. have you ever seen that before? Its mainly on one side and he is constantly scratching there. I try to keep the hair short there and have had some success with neosporin. I am not sure if its from staying wet after drinking or what but is weird. See the pic below and let me know what you think.

As a note, I also give them powdered probiotics and digestive enzymes with their meals.

Do you have a better picture (and a link is better than posting it here)?

Also, has the vet lifted and looked at any of the skin cells on the face area?

Do you smell anything in the toe area?

A note: Most GP vets do not know much about allergies. So-called prescription foods and Pred are often the extent of what they have to offer. (You already know that your guy has seasonal problems, but also, food in general is a very small percentage of canine allergies but is often the first thing a GP vet will sell you.)

I'm not trying to jump on GP vets at all, but I have learned that derm issues are a HUGE area and that derm is a specialty for a reason.

All good info from Sarah and Connie. I'll add my .02 from dealing with dog allergies for many years.

Check your zip code at http://www.pollen.com to get a forecast for allergy conditions. It'll help you plan ahead a little. I thought things were bad here in the San Diego area until I looked at Phoenix.

As others, I've found Hydroxyzine to be the most effective anti-histamine so far. In my case, Benadryl was worthless. I use prednisone on rare occasions in very small doses for severe flareups. I've also found applying Witch Hazel to areas where she's scratching seems to provide at least a few hours of relief.

While enzymes may help digestion (if that is something that's needed), I don't think they'll do anything for allergies, which are an immune system response. "Probiotics" is the name for literally hundreds of strains of good intestinal "bugs." With no independent oversight of production or manufacturers' claims, you can't really be sure that what you buy has it's claimed potency. You're relying on the integrity of the manufacturer. Only a few strains have been the subject of extensive testing and trial, and one of those is Lactobacillus GG (or Lacto GG). This has been a recommended choice for use for allergies, eczema, dermatitis is humans and, hopefully, dogs as well. I've settled on using the Culturelle brand that has 10 billion cells/serving. Look for something that has numbers in the "billions" not just millions. I tried other brands, blends and combinations, but I haven't seen any additional benefit.

I suggest trying different brands of a good plain yogurt and/or kefir (those that advertise about 6 or more "active" cultures) for up to a month at a time and keep a log of your observations. A couple times, I saw results in a few days, but I think it's more realistic to see some improvement over a period of weeks. My 65# GSD gets about 1 to 1-1/2 cups of yogurt and kefir (total) daily in 4 or more servings.

Allergies just continue to be an ongoing battle.

Mike