Well it's been awhile since I posted. We have been trying different solutions to our GSD for his allergies. I finally started him on Honest Kitchen (Embark). He loves it and most of his itching has stop. But he has 2 plus healthy dumps a day which is ok but he is still chewing on the base of his tail on the top and the bottom of the tail. Do you think I should try a different protein based Honest Kitchen? Maybe the fish or chicken? Do you think this will help? Probably the only other thing to do after that is the raw diet. Thanks for the feedback.

Geri you just suspect a food allergy? Have you ever had your dog tested intradermally for inhalent allergies or flea hypersensitivity?

The two I mentioned usually are higher up on the list for allergies before a food allergy.

It sounds like your dog could possibly have a flea hypersensitivity from the location you describe him itching and biting, base of the tail, on the top and the bottom of the tail.
If your dog is flea bite hypersensitive, even one bite could send an allergic dog into a crazy itch/scratch cycle.

The only way you would know if your dog were allergic to a specific protein would be to start a lengthy food elimination trial. You would need to choose a novel protein source that the dog has never eaten and one simple carb never eaten before, and feed only that for approx, 2-3 weeks I believe.
There are many threads detailing how to do a food elimination here, just search the words and it should come up.

If you are unsure of what exactly your dog is allergic to, you might want to consider taking your dog into a DermVet for determining what the triggers are and the Derm Vet will help you decide how to go about it.

I have a dog with inhalent allergies. I did the intradermal skin test to find out what exactly she was allergic to.
The list is rather long, but at least now I know what I am dealing with in order to be able to help her.

There are a couple forum members who have dogs with flea hypersensitivity and they have to do everything they can to try to keep the dog free of even a single flea bite or the dog becomes miserable with that itch cycle.

Just food for thought about allergies. It is not to say that your dog might not have a food allergy(s) but it is just further down the list of possibilities.

Hi, Geri,

Ditto to Joyce, and also reinforcing that (a) that itch area is classic flea-itch body geography, and (b) the chances that a dog's itches are food allergies as opposed to the big #1, fleas, or the big #2, environmental/inhalant allergies, are less than 10%.

If you use "search" here for threads using allergy or allergies as your search terms, you can learn more about dogs' allergies than you ever dreamed possible.

But first, yes, my questions would be about flea management .... as Joyce says, it does not take a big visible infestation at all.

The fact that most of his itching has stopped is not very likely to be related to Embark, a very good food, which contains a common protein (turkey) that many or most dogs have eaten before and is not particularly likely to end food-allergic reactions. It's far more likely to be related to the season; it's now a bit past the worst flea season and quite late in the pollen/grasses season, most places.

I'd start with a good combing over a white sheet to check for flea pepper, then probably a de-flea-ing of the house (vacuum, discard bag outdoors, launder dog's bed or blanket, bathe dog, use flea prevention, etc.).

There's nowhere else bothering him? Paws, shins? Face-rubbing? No redness or debris in his ears?

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

; it's now a bit past the worst flea season and quite late in the pollen/grasses season, most places.

I thought it was- till my pointer started scratching herself raw! Found 3 fleas, which means there were MANY more. What a pain- and in November I thought we were safe.

Connie and Joyce are both MUCH more knowledgeable then I am, but it really does sound like a flea allergy/hypersensitivity with the area you are describing.

 Quote: Kelly Byrd

.... my pointer started scratching herself raw! Found 3 fleas, which means there were MANY more. What a pain- and in November I thought we were safe.

Not where you are and not where I am. Not yet!

Unfortunately, it looks to me like they more eagerly hitch a ride indoors at this time of year. (That is TOADALLY unscientific. ) I saw two indoors last week after having none on my dogs or in the house all summer and fall. So I bathed them both, applied the stuff, and vacuumed the house with an emptied vacuum (more power) and then wheeled it outside and emptied the dirt cup outdoors, straight into the outside trash barrel..

Thanks for the tips. He does rub his face a little and lick his paws a little. And he has one ear that does get red once in a while which I treat once a week I think the paw licking is enviroment. But its not as bad as it was when he was on different food. Thats why I thought I was getting somewhere with changing his food. He was itching real bad on his hips and sides and that has stoped.
Is there a best once a month flea treatment.?
We have tile floors and throw rugs that we wash all the time. So not sure what else we can do as far as the house.
I'll read the other threads on fleas and see what I can find. I would like to take him to a DermVet but they are so expensive.
I do want to do what's best for him. Thanks

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

 Quote: Kelly Byrd

.... my pointer started scratching herself raw! Found 3 fleas, which means there were MANY more. What a pain- and in November I thought we were safe.

Not where you are and not where I am. Not yet!

Unfortunately, it looks to me like they more eagerly hitch a ride indoors at this time of year. (That is TOADALLY unscientific. ) I saw two indoors last week after having none on my dogs or in the house all summer and fall. So I bathed them both, applied the stuff, and vacuumed the house with an emptied vacuum (more power) and then wheeled it outside and emptied the dirt cup outdoors, straight into the outside trash barrel..

Ditto!! I did exactly the same at my house last week. (cept I don't apply anything, I won't use topical pesticides in the house with 2 kids. We use Program and Capstar. Same effect though!)

I even went to the extreme of spraying anything 'non washable' with listerene. (leather dog couch, cat tree, dog crates) Stupid Fleas...

 Quote: geri gill

Thanks for the tips. He does rub his face a little and lick his paws a little. And he has one ear that does get red once in a while which I treat once a week I think the paw licking is enviroment. But its not as bad as it was when he was on different food. Thats why I thought I was getting somewhere with changing his food. He was itching real bad on his hips and sides and that has stoped.
Is there a best once a month flea treatment.?
We have tile floors and throw rugs that we wash all the time. So not sure what else we can do as far as the house.
I'll read the other threads on fleas and see what I can find. I would like to take him to a DermVet but they are so expensive.
I do want to do what's best for him. Thanks

"And he has one ear that does get red once in a while which I treat once a week"

Treat how?


"He does rub his face a little and lick his paws a little."

Rub his face on furniture or carpets? Does he have any paw inflammation? By "a little," you mean just normal infrequent stuff or frantic or dedicated licking/rubbing?

 Quote: Geri Gill

Connie,

Thanks for the tips. He does rub his face a little and lick his paws a little. And he has one ear that does get red once in a while which I treat once a week I think the paw licking is enviroment. But its not as bad as it was when he was on different food. Thats why I thought I was getting somewhere with changing his food. He was itching real bad on his hips and sides and that has stoped.
Is there a best once a month flea treatment.?
We have tile floors and throw rugs that we wash all the time. So not sure what else we can do as far as the house.
I'll read the other threads on fleas and see what I can find. I would like to take him to a DermVet but they are so expensive.
I do want to do what's best for him. Thanks

Geri, if your dog is doing these things in addition to the itching the tail area, you could have a dog that possibly has inhalant allergies and possibly a flea hypersensitivity as well.

I know that the Derm Vet is expensive, but if you can save up for the tests, then you can be conclusive in knowing what his allergens are and it will help so much to know.
Many of us have been where you are, and know how hard it is, but I highly recommend the Derm Vet.
But in the meantime, here are some more things that you can/should do that might help you for the time being.

There can be numerous inhalant allergens. Start to make a journal and write down the pollen counts as well as the types of pollens that are happening on that day. Just go to pollen.com and plug in your zip code. It can be very helpful for knowing if the pollen counts are high etc.
Also log diet given as well as how badly you think the itching and scratching is.
It will be valuable info that you will look back on and maybe even see a pattern. Also helpful info for the Derm vet should you eventually get in to see one.

Many dogs (mine included) have dust and dust mite allergies. If you make sure to dust and vacuum regularly, change furnace filters often, wash dogs bedding very frequently ( at least weekly) that can go along way to helping your dog feel better.

Another is bathing your dog more frequently, or at least rinsing paws or the whole body to rid the dog of the offending pollens etc. Also washing paws before coming into the house can go a long way in helping to keep your house free of pollens.
Find a very good mild dog shampoo and conditioner, as they won't be drying to the skin or coat.

I also use therapeutic doses of salmon oil because the anti-inflammatory effects are really helpful. I also find that giving Ester C is also helpful with allergies.

If you want to, you could try doing a short trial of an anti-histamine like Chlor-Trimeton( chlorpheniramine) to see if your dog responds to it. It is especially helpful if your dog is being bothered at night.

 Quote: Joyce Salazar

Many dogs (mine included) have dust and dust mite allergies. If you make sure to dust and vacuum regularly, change furnace filters often, wash dogs bedding very frequently ( at least weekly) that can go along way to helping your dog feel better.

Another is bathing your dog more frequently, or at least rinsing paws or the whole body to rid the dog of the offending pollens etc. Also washing paws before coming into the house can go a long way in helping to keep your house free of pollens.

I also use therapeutic doses of salmon oil because the anti-inflammatory effects are really helpful. I also find that giving Ester C is also helpful with allergies.

If you want to, you could try doing a short trial of an anti-histamine like Chlor-Trimeton( chlorpheniramine) to see if your dog responds to it. It is especially helpful if your dog is being bothered at night.

And/ or Hydroxyzine...

I forgot to mention fish oil, such as salmon oil, and shame on me, because it's really Step #1 for inflammation-related ailments, and atopy is one of the problems that will benefit from the long-chain Omega 3s in fish oil.

If you give us the dog's weight, we can give you a daily therapeutic dosage amount as well as a suggested size of Vitamin E (which the body uses in processing the PUFAs in oil supplements).

I also give extra probiotics to my allergic dog (in the form of unsweetened unflavored yogurt with live cultures ... the more cultures, in both type and number, the merrier; I use brands with as many strains as possible, such as Nancy's and Cascade.

And keeping a log, as Joyce says, that includes where the dog went (woods? field?) and how bad the itching was, what antihistamine he was given, what the weather was like, etc., etc., is going to be something you will be very happy you did.

BTW, are there any ragged edges on the ear flaps?