Quick background - Missy is 11 y/o, eating either raw or grain free kibble (not mixing, but some days she gets one some days the other). She has had issues with inhalant allergies for several years now but they've been kept pretty much in check with a raw/grain free diet, fish oil (3-4 capsules/day 40# dog) and benedryl when the itching flares up.

Last week she started itching like crazy and I tried the usual routine - reapply spot on flea (it was time anyway) bathe her, and put her on 50 mg benedryl every 12 hrs. These all had little effect and by Saturday I saw a couple of oozing spots so I shaved them down to I could apply some lanacane (and it would actually reach the skin) and took her into the vet today. Came away with antibiotics for skin infection and prednisone to stop the itching.

Does this sound like a pretty typical protocal? I asked about using another antihistamine, but he said with the way she was still itching that bad on the benedryl, it was unlikely that another one would make much of a difference at this point. Is there anything else I can be doing to help get a handle on this? My poor dog is miserable

Oral Pred, right?

On a careful schedule, decreasing gradually?

The Pred will probably break the cycle, and then you will need to find out what it is. What allergens in your area went crazy in that time frame? And I'd start a strict rinsing thing, after laundering/vacuuming to remove pollen and other allergens, dumping the vacuum bag outside, bathing the dog, etc. You don't want the dog carrying in the allergen and then breathing it 24/7 from her fur, the carpet, her bed, etc.

Small item: I'd probably up the fish oil with a dog this affected.

I would give very good (plain live-culture unsweetened) yogurt between the antibiotic doses and after the protocol, as long as it's not a "no-dairy" antibiotic.

 Quote: Mara Jessup

My poor dog is miserable

Believe me, I know. Do everything you can to keep airborne allergens (and this one sounds very seasonal from suddenness and severity) away from her immediate space.

BTW, you can trial the better-dog-history antihistamines* (10 days or so) after the Pred breaks the horrible itch cycle. Ask the vet for 10 days' or 2 weeks' worth to see how each works. Keep up the fish oil and E.

All JMO, of course.



*like hydroxyzine and chlorpheniramine

Yes, oral pred on a decreasing schedule.

The allergies are grass related. We had plenty of moisture this spring/summer and the grass/weeds/etc have been growing like crazy and are very thick and healthy. It's been a really bad year here for people with allergies, too. I live out in the country and the dogs are outside a lot with me.

I'll start in on the vacuuming and keeping her rinsed off and bathing her frequently. What dose of fish oil would you go up to?

The antibiotic is cephalexin which I'm pretty sure is fine with dairy, but I'll double check.

And Thank You sooo much the help!!!!

cephalexin is fine with dairy.

Thanks Betty, I'll add the yogurt in then.

When we obtained Buster from the pound six years ago, he had the most horrible allergy issue. I've never been able to narrow it down to one thing. I know that a single flea bite can send him into a tizzy, but I'm positive that poor grade food is an issue as well. I've wondered if pollen could be a problem, so try to bathe him often as I understand this helps.

Benedryl does absolutely nothing for him. I'd be happy if it at least knocked him out sometimes. I heard or read somewhere that Benedryl does not have the same affect on dogs as it has on humans. Not sure if that is true or not.

He's getting fish oil every day, plus high grade grain free salmon kibble and raw. He still scratches, but it isn't as bad.

I'd say do more bathing, maybe with an Aveno oatmeal rinse, and up the fish oil.

My vet also told me that dogs can get into a habit of scratching and biting themselves, and breaking the habit isn't so easy. Maybe you could try a head cone for when the flair ups are the worst.

 Quote: Chris Kuck

... He's getting fish oil every day, plus high grade grain free salmon kibble and raw. He still scratches, but it isn't as bad.

I'd say do more bathing, maybe with an Aveno oatmeal rinse, and up the fish oil.

My vet also told me that dogs can get into a habit of scratching and biting themselves, and breaking the habit isn't so easy.

How much fish oil? At least a gram per ten pounds of dog, and I use more with an allergic dog ... JMO.

Please don't use any people shampoo or creme rinse (isn't Aveno for humans?) because it's a very different pH. It changes the normal pH of the dog's skin.

If the dog is biting/scratching only mildly, I'd use distraction coupled with a topical. I especially don't correct (because then the dog hides it).

There are some long and very detailed threads here of all the steps to try, posted by the allergy experts here, but I can't dig one up right now. I'll look later, though.

 Quote: Chris Kuck

When we obtained Buster from the pound six years ago, he had the most horrible allergy issue. I've never been able to narrow it down to one thing. I know that a single flea bite can send him into a tizzy, but I'm positive that poor grade food is an issue as well. I've wondered if pollen could be a problem, so try to bathe him often as I understand this helps.

I would also rinse his feet on the way in from fields, lawns, etc.

Yes, good food helps a lot, IMO.




PS
Benadryl is the least successful with dogs, but of course it doesn't matter much to the dog who is helped by it.

Only about a third of allergic dogs are helped by antihistamines, but the number is somewhat higher when fish oil is used concurrently.

Here's a link to one of the posts I typed up about allergies from all my appointments with the dermatology vet with Kasey.

I'll just add that, in answer to your first question Mara, yes, that protocol is what regular vets do for allergy dogs. They don't have a whole lot of options. When it's environmental allergies, and the dog is really itching bad, with broken skin, you really have to do the antibiotic/predinisone thing. Even the derma vet will do that at your first visit to get the cycle broke. They usually do add in an Rx antihistimine also, but the pred is fine alone and, and like Connie said, you can do an antihistimine trial after the current meds are finished.

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