I've had my 8 year old lab since he was a puppy. I switched him to raw in Feb and have had a lot of success. His arthritis has disappeared. Prior to this summer, he has never had allergies. In July he got a hot spot on the side of his face. My vet gave him a steroid shot and I applied Neosporin for a week. It soon went away. Since then he's twice gotten red spots on his foot pads that obviously irritate him a bit. The first time was on one paw and quickly healed. Two days ago I noticed that he got the same rash on three paws and it's bothered him a bit more. I'm planning on just using Neosporin again or some other anti-itch topical.

I've never dealt with anything like this before this summer so I have some questions:

1. What could be causing this? Yeast? Moisture? Food? I kind of doubt it's his diet.

2. Are there in topical creams ya'll could suggest?

3. Do ya'll think antihistamines are safe?

For what it's worth, our other dog isn't having this problem, so it's nothing contagious.

Thanks!

Well, allergies can be a vast subject as there can be many items that your dog could be allergic to, if it is in fact allergies that are causing your problems.

Are you seeing signs of the dog biting at his feet or other places?
There is a good book that covers all the primary bases with explanations:
http://leerburg.com/971.htm
I highly recommend getting acquainted and familiarized with as much info as you can.

Are you saying the dog has red spots on the "foot pads" or in between the toes? It could be a possible yeast if it is between the toes. Neosporin is for bacteria and will likely do nothing if this is in fact a yeast issue. Moisture can contribute to the problem.
A Vet would likely know immediately what this is, so I would recommend a visit to let the professional determine what it is and how to treat it.

There are many approaches to allergies. There are things you can do at home to help. This is assuming that you do get to the bottom of what is causing the issues.
If the dog is allergic to pollens, you can rinse the dogs feet and body off before coming back in the house.
You can and should wash the dogs bedding weekly.
You can vacuum daily, and keep the house cleared of dust.

But there is no easy answer to your questions until you can determine what is really going on here.

I have an allergic dog. I sought help from a Derm Vet to determine what specifically she was allergic to and did intradermal skin tests. It really is the gold standard for determining exact allergens. After trying many things from a holistic perspective, I eventually decided to try giving desensitizing shots.
But right now the pollens are really high, so I am having to also use a prescription antihistamine in conjunction with therapeutic doses of salmon oil to help her. It really works very well to use them in tandem together.
Then from there, I do what is necessary to help her be as comfortable and free from itching as possible, ie frequent baths to eliminate pollens on her body and keeping the house clean of dust since these are her allergens that trigger reactions.

I will say that from reading the many posts here from fellow forum members who have allergic dogs; that you can save money in the long run by getting in to see the Derm Vet first instead of later. Because it is such a specific and vast subject, it is best to get in to see the Vet that has the most knowledge.
Most GP Vets are not nearly as knowledgeable.

I personally read enough to know that I did not want my dog on a life of prednisone. That is one drug that in my opinion should be used with tremendous caution. A good Derm Vet also knows this.
It is used sparingly to break a bad cycle if really needed.

I am sorry if this post is a bit fragmented. I am a tangential thinker!
I hope this helps you. But check out the dozens of threads here on allergies, you will be amazed at all you can learn from those posts.

John, there isn't much I can add to Joyce's great reply.

Can you link us to a pic of the affected paw? I'm confused too about pads or "between toes."

Might be beneficial to have his paw pads shaved. Having that fur gone would help get some air circulation in there while they heal.

Thanks for help everyone. I did search a bit, but there were so many allergy topics that it became difficult to narrow anything down. I'll keep reading though. Joyce, I'll check out that book too.

Here's a pic I just took... http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/ss71/mrboziffer/IMG_0182.jpg They kind of look like the hot spot he had back in July. Actually, his paws are looking a bit better today. But you can see how the rash (or whatever it is) is right where the pad meets the rest of foot. It's also like that on his outside toes. He was chewing on them a little yesterday, but has not done so today.

Coincidentally, I already had a vet visit scheduled for this morning so I asked the vet about them. He mentioned that it's probably some yeast. He said that I could give him an antihistamine like Claritin or Zyrtec. I don't even take this stuff, so I'm not crazy about giving it to my dog. Anyway, the vet told me that if the hot spot and the previous foot rash went away quickly, then this probably will too. I suspect it will, but I just want to be proactive so I can reduce or eliminate it.

I also remember that when I took him in for the hot spot, the vet mentioned that a bunch of dogs were coming in with hot spots. If I remember correctly, he said that the high humidity and pollen was the culprit. It's still pretty hot here, so maybe that could be the cause.

I like the idea of a derm vet. I think I might look one up if this doesn't go away soon.

John, the foot looks so raw to me. The Vet didn't think much of it? Did he suggest any treatment at all for the foot pad?
The picture looks like part of the pad is gone. Is that from chewing and licking?

The antihistamines that I know work well in dogs are Chlor Trimeton, which is chlorpheniramine maleate, for over the counter. But there is the prescription Hydroxyzine pamoate, which is the one that I have my dog on.
I personally would not bother with either Zyrtec or Claritin.

These medications can be very effective in helping to curtail the intensity and frequency of itching and scratching etc.

If it is a secondary yeast infection, which can be brought on by the allergies, then treating with an antihistamine should help your dog not feel as itchy.
But you would still want to do something to rid the area of yeast, which can make the dog itch, lick and bite the area.

You can give the dog a foot bath with a specialty shampoo, which treats yeast. Then dry the feet really well and I would want to treat that with something that helped stop the yeast from growing.
I have used this with much success for many types of skin conditions including yeast and bacterial infections.
http://www.vetericyn.com/

 Quote:

Vetericyn Wound and Infection Treatment based on Microcyn® Technology

Vetericyn is based on FDA-cleared Microcyn Technology. Vetericyn is a family of animal wound and infection treatment products that are as safe as water, and designed to replicate the actions of the animal’s own immune system to heal wounds and fight infections. This antimicrobial wound treatment kills antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria as well as fungi, viruses and spores. Over two million human patients have been safely treated by Microcyn Technology worldwide. Safe as water, Microcyn has received five FDA 510(k) clearances for marketing in the United States. This revolutionary scientific advance kills MRSA, E. coli and staph on contact, yet is safe enough to use as an eye, ear and oral animal rinse. There are Microcyn-based formulations for both animals and humans. Our wound and infection treatment products are proudly made in the USA.

FWIW, if it were me, I would definitely want to seek the help of a Derm Vet. As Connie has said, there is a reason why they are specialists because there is so much to know about allergies/skin issues.

The vet told me to just keep an eye on it and continue to give him some anti-itch spray or to give him Claritin/Zyrtec. He didn't offer a steroid shot because he wanted to wait another a day or two to see if it clears up on it's own. He also knows I'm not crazy about shots, so maybe he didn't want to push it on me.

I am going to find a derm vet. After my last post I went to visit a groomer I know to ask her some questions. She gave me a bottle of Espree, which is a natural treatment for hot spots and rashes. She also knows of a derm vet that she has been using and is sending me their info. So I'll be making an appointment with them ASAP.

I'll get some of the Vetericyn too. That looks like pretty handy stuff. Thanks!

Espree shampoo?

I don't think that even has an antifungal, does it?

I would want to get that yeast (mentioned by the vet) treated sooner than later. I'm with Joyce on how inflamed that poor paw looks.

I'm so glad you're making a derm appointment.

This stuff is called Espree Hot Spot Foam. It's basically just anti-inflammatory and anti-itch relief. I'm hoping it just makes him feel better until I can talk to a derm vet.

I called my vet and asked him if he could recommend a derm vet. Instead, he feels like he can handle this himself. Unfortunately, after his office closed, I did some research and found some other threads on here about similar symptoms in other dogs. I found this article that Connie posted in '09... http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2144&aid=504. I wish I had read this prior to talking to my vet, because now I feel more educated about how allergy testing works. I could have asked better questions. But I can do so tomorrow.

I also found this article... http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2111&aid=137. Now I can think of a number of things that could have caused his allergies, but that's OK. At least now I know what to do different and what to look for.

I still would like to take him to a derm vet. I don't know if that intradermal test is absolutely necessary just yet, but it seems like a good idea. I feel like my vet is going to want to just give steroid shots, which is not what I want to do. But I'll have to wait and see.

At least Gus doesn't seem too bothered by all this. I've only caught him licking and nibbling his paws twice in the past couple of days. He seems to be getting around alright.