Ok,
first some background
Tucker has a seasonal allergy that starts to bug him mid august to about mid September.
Any other time of the year he does not scratch at all...but once August roles around he gets itchy.
No fleas...he's on a flea preventative.
And the itching does not disturb his sleep and he doesn't scratch hard or long enough to cause any type of scratches on himself. it's mainly along his ribs that he scratches.
I give him chlorpheniramine and it helps alot with the itching.
when he rolls over for me to scratch his belly I noticed he has a few red spots. Not scratches, more little hives. maybe 3 or so.
I would like to try and help with these but don't want to put on any type of topical oitment...so i was wondering if anyone on here had some suggestions on what I could bathe him with to help bring his comfort level up even more.
has anyone had any good results with a certain kind of shampoo?

TD Dickensons witch hazel is really good for itchy spots. The generic stuff is not even close to the same quality IMO.

I am using Pramoxine Shampoo for Nico right now and it really seems to help for a couple of days.

Gold bond powder lightly dusted also seems to soothe her skin.

I really worry about him licking it off.

which is why i didn't want to us something topical.

maybe that's my best shot though?

The witch hazel won't hurt him unless he drank a whole bottle of it. It also dries really fast so there isn't much to lick off.

I don't think Gold bond would either, unless he consumed large amounts. Nico doesn't lick at it though, I think it might taste bad.

ok, i'll try the witch hazel!
thanks jenny

Because it dries so fast I usually soak a cotton pad and let it soak the hive or bite or rash or whatever for a minute or two.

I also warm it up a little by putting a shot glass full of it in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes.

She doesn't struggle so much if I'm not putting ice cold liquid on her!

Wendy,
Try the witch hazel to see if that works for Tucker, but I just wanted to mention this stuff as well:
http://www.vetericyn.com/

I have used this with great success on my female who has allergies too. I have her on shots now, but recently she had some open wounds from scrapping her foot ( she has some partial lameness in her foot from FCE) and this stuff was a miracle worker.
I sprayed it on several times a day and in no time her sores healed up really well. Now I just have to keep a boot on her to avoid further scrapes.

I also used this to heal a cracked pad on her foot as well you can use it almost anywhere and it won't sting or is non toxic if they lick it.
The only draw back is it is a bit spendy, like $33 for a 16 oz bottle. But so great to have on hand for any type of cut, scrape etc. You can even use this stuff near the mouth or eyes.
Just a great general first aid.
Wanted to add it works on bacteria as well as fungal infections so it really is ideal for most skin conditions.

Edited by Joyce Salazar (08/25/2010 03:41 PM)
Edit reason: added content.

 Quote: Wendy Lefebvre

Ok,
first some background
Tucker has a seasonal allergy that starts to bug him mid august to about mid September.
Any other time of the year he does not scratch at all...but once August roles around he gets itchy.
No fleas...he's on a flea preventative.
And the itching does not disturb his sleep and he doesn't scratch hard or long enough to cause any type of scratches on himself. it's mainly along his ribs that he scratches.
I give him chlorpheniramine and it helps alot with the itching.
when he rolls over for me to scratch his belly I noticed he has a few red spots. Not scratches, more little hives. maybe 3 or so.
I would like to try and help with these but don't want to put on any type of topical oitment...so i was wondering if anyone on here had some suggestions on what I could bathe him with to help bring his comfort level up even more.
has anyone had any good results with a certain kind of shampoo?

Wendy, it seems really strange that he would only have this for a few weeks. Are you positive he doesn't have even one flea? We were positive Kasey didn't either because he was also on preventatives, but one day I did see one or two dead ones when I bathed him. Even if they have flea treatments on, the flea can still bite before it dies and that can cause those red bumps. Just wouldn't rule that out!

We go to a derma vet for Kasey's environmental allergies and you can safely put just regular cortisone cream or spray on those bumps, or the witch hazel, without a problem - even if they lick it off, it won't hurt them.

 Quote: Lori Hall

Wendy, it seems really strange that he would only have this for a few weeks. Are you positive he doesn't have even one flea? We were positive Kasey didn't either because he was also on preventatives, but one day I did see one or two dead ones when I bathed him. Even if they have flea treatments on, the flea can still bite before it dies and that can cause those red bumps. Just wouldn't rule that out!

We go to a derma vet for Kasey's environmental allergies and you can safely put just regular cortisone cream or spray on those bumps, or the witch hazel, without a problem - even if they lick it off, it won't hurt them.

Hey Lori:
I would normally say yes it could be a flea....but i think it would be even more weird that fleas would only bite him in August & September for the last 3 years...lol

This itching comes at the exact same time each and every year.
August-September and does not go past September. He does not scratch at all (outside of the normal dog scratching) any other time of year.

I did speak to the Vet about it last year when we were there because I figured that if it was something seasonal it would be more prelevant in the spring when all the new plant life is starting up and seeding. He said (in Ontario) August to September is the prime time for Ragweed & Mold.
If it were fleas....and yes i do admit that there is a chance he could still get a flea when he's on the flea preventive it wouldn't just bother him from August to September. And that is the only time this happens...these 2 months. It's been happening for the last 3 years and the timing is the same each year.
Plus when he's on the Chlorphfldldi(i can't spellt it) the itching goes down to a bare minimum and he is much more comfortable

You are so lucky it is only during that limited amount of time! I wish we only had to deal with it for 2 months! Poor Kasey itches most of the year! But he was allergic to 43 things in the skin testing, so I guess it's only logical that he would itch all the time.