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He gets two 20-40 minute off-lead walks every day, plus one short one, occasionally two. We play some drive, grip, focus games every morning, and fetch. For the evening walk, he walks with our older dog and I encourage them to play. For this reason, I think it is more likely to be allergies......

I think you are right. Obviously, I was preaching to the choir. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Yes, it DOES make sense to wash off his paws when he comes in. I found that out this past spring, and have no idea why I hadn't thought of it before with my dog who has grass allergies. I use unscented hypoallergenic baby wipes (giant cheaper package), but I'm sure that water will work fine too.

I have a friend whos dog is allergic to grass or something on grass, so has a similiar situation to yours (only both front feet seem to be afflicted). Frequently just using over the counter Benedryl helps some. Wiping off the feet would definitely help, bet baby wipes (no alcohol so won't dry and crack the skin) would work well.

Polly, sorry to hear you have this "headache" too. I am still trying to fix my dog's itchy paws. We are on a third round of spray, antihistamine, antibiotic and shampoo. Gunnar has yeast on his paws. All 4 paws are affected and it seems that more than anything, the shampoo is what stops him from scratching them.

Connie, another vet told me he'd put Gunnar on Prednisone for a week to rule out food allergy or confirm it (I forget which). My vet says Prednisone would not necessarily confirm this and that it's dangerous. What is your opinion? I know you're not a health expert <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> , but I'd like to hear your opinion.

Judy

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.....Connie, another vet told me he'd put Gunnar on Prednisone for a week to rule out food allergy or confirm it (I forget which). My vet says Prednisone would not necessarily confirm this and that it's dangerous. What is your opinion? I know you're not a health expert <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> , but I'd like to hear your opinion.

Judy

Wow.

Predsisone is likely to help, period. How can it confirm or rule our a certain type of allergy (food) ?

Steroids (like Pred) do indeed give relief in this kind of inflammation (many kinds of inflammation, in fact), and are indeed dangerous for the long term and can have unpleasant side effects even in the short term.

It's something a lot of vets and owners have resorted to to break a cycle and get some relief to the dog while methods for elminating the allergens are started (like an elimination diet, etc.). I have, but for the shortest possible time. Sometimes the shortest possible time is longer than ideal. It can be a balancing act.

I can't think how it can possibly rule out or confim a tyype of allergy.

JMO.

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......We are on a third round of spray, antihistamine, antibiotic and shampoo. Gunnar has yeast on his paws. All 4 paws are affected and it seems that more than anything, the shampoo is what stops him from scratching them........

Is he on a grain-free diet, too, with yeast infections?

If I understood your post correctly, the vet said it would rule out or confirm food allergy in general, not any particular food, just that it is/or isn't a food issue. Jeez, what a cumbersome sentence. I hope it makes sense.

Gunnar gets raw for the most part (beef), some cooked chicken (he won't eat it raw), cooked beef liver, veggies mixed in at every meal. The only time he gets dry dog food is if I've somehow run out of everything else - almost never happens though so say once every 4 or 5 months he gets this Wolf product dry dog food and I don't know if there is any grain in it.

And finally, he gets treats constantly in the day because he's so cute and sweet I can't help myself <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> .

Polly, sorry if I jacked your thread here. It seems like we have the same problem and I hope Connie's input is helping you too.

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If I understood your post correctly, the vet said it would rule out or confirm food allergy in general, not any particular food, just that it is/or isn't a food issue. Jeez, what a cumbersome sentence. I hope it makes sense.

Gunnar gets raw for the most part (beef), some cooked chicken (he won't eat it raw), cooked beef liver, veggies mixed in at every meal. The only time he gets dry dog food is if I've somehow run out of everything else - almost never happens though so say once every 4 or 5 months he gets this Wolf product dry dog food and I don't know if there is any grain in it.

And finally, he gets treats constantly in the day because he's so cute and sweet I can't help myself <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> .

Polly, sorry if I jacked your thread here. It seems like we have the same problem and I hope Connie's input is helping you too.

Treats can definitely be a big source of grains in the diet. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Especially to a dog who is so cute that he gets them all day...... <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Grains and yeast -- the connection is just as strong as it sounds. I would be reading labels carefully before feeding treats or kibble.

If I had this dog, I would eliminate all treats with wheat (any grain, but most have wheat) and replace them with an all-meat treat like dried chicken breast strips, freeze-dried liver, any pieces of his normal diet, baked or dehydrated, or any of the many no-grain treats you can find online or make. I would do this because he seems to be indicating a grain sensitivity with the yeast overgrowth he gets.

I would also add salmon oil and Vitamin E to his diet immediately (both anti-inflammation agents, they work together).

I understood the idea that Pred would rule out or confirm food issues in general.

Steroids will probably help, period. They help with inflammation and the itch cycle, no matter what causes it. How it could rule out or confirm the source (like food) is beyond me.

Thanks Connie.

Will do what you said about wheat, salmon oil and Vit. E. If I eliminate wheat as of tomorrow (sorry, I gave him a wheat treat this morning), how long will it take to see a difference?

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.......Will do what you said about wheat, salmon oil and Vit. E. If I eliminate wheat as of tomorrow (sorry, I gave him a wheat treat this morning), how long will it take to see a difference?

Well, I would keep intervening in the present infection with whatever is working best (shampoo, antihistamine, etc.).

What I would hope would be for the elimination of grains and the addition of anti-inflammation foods like the Omega 3 EFAs and Vitamin E to help prevent another flare-up. Omega 3s and antihistamines together can help with the flare-up, too, but I use all effective avenues.

Also, this site gives a nice succinct overview of skin yeast (and the breed is irrelevant here, except for susceptibility):
http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/health/malessezia.htm

And this one shows you the role of yeast in the big picture of atomic dermatitis.
http://www.dogpro.org/index.php?pageID=50

You'll see that eliminating grains is one part of a big picture, which, with yeast, includes treating the symptoms as well as the causes, because the symptoms can lead to more and more problems. That is, the itch symptom, if untreated (topically, with diet, and with the appropriate meds, if necessary) can cause such terrible scratching that the skin is broken and entree is given to bacteria, causing a mixed infection that requires even more treatment (like antibiotics).

There is nothing simple about allergies. Here's a quote from that link:
QUOTE:
Therapies:
Many prescription drugs are available to treat the symptoms of Atopic Dermatitis. No drug or combination of drugs will "cure" this condition. Most pet owners who work closely with their veterinarian health care provider, both allopathic and holistic, are able to use a combination of therapies to provide a much high quality life for their pet.

Essential Fatty Acids + Antihistamines:
Essential fatty acids are now widely used for many types of skin conditions. They are safe, have very few side effects and will help improve about 25% of allergic dogs.
Antihistamines fell out of favor years ago for treatment of Atopic Dermatitis. They were widely dismissed as useless until recently when new studies showed considerable benefits.

The human antihistamines chlorpheniramine, hydroxyine and clemastine have all been shown in tests to be beneficial.

Antihistamines are now known to potentiate the effect of essential fatty acids. This means that the antihistamines work in synergy with them and using combination therapy works better than using either alone.

Although this combination may not completely control the allergic signs, it certainly can significantly reduce the amount of prednisone that is needed. END

But read the whole page; it's a very good and very current overview, IMHO.

Rusty is getting a short curse of Prednasone, which I am tapering off over a few days. Both front paws are affected, one much more inflamed then the other, back pads OK, he has also chewed on his flank recently. He eats Candidae, supplemented with a tablespoon or so of Wellness whitefish and sweet potato, Nupro Joint Supplement, Grizzly salmon oil and/or fish oil capsules, plus some meals of raw chicken, raw beef bones. The canned food and fish oils are needed to keep his coat soft, he gets dry skin easily. With this diet, he is very soft. The only treats are Merrick lamb lung, and some beef chews.

I never bathe him with shampoo, but he loves to jump in the shower to cool off after being outside, so I will have no trouble washing his paws every morning. Could pesticides on the grass cause this?

Judy, you did not hijack the thread, I am very interested in other's experiences with these skin problems.