Here's my list of allergy info facts that came from my experience at our derma vet!

1. Most people, and many vets, assume that if their dog is itchy, they should change their food - the kibble companies have brainwashed us into thinking that food allergies are very common in dogs, and so you should switch to an 'allergy-free' kibble if your dog is itching. The truth is, less than 10% of dogs have food allergies! And some breeds less than that - for example, it's less than 3% in golden retrievers. But food is the one easy thing that a regular vet can do to try and help the owner of an itchy dog - plus they make money off the 'hypoallergenic' dog kibble they carry.

2. By far, the most common allergies in dogs are flea and environmental. If your dog is itching a lot, the most important first step you can take is to make absolutely sure they have ZERO fleas! I was one of those people who thought we didn't have any fleas because I was always checking Kasey and never saw any. Wrong! One day I found one flea and that was enough to drive him to distraction. We started using flea treatments (which I hate to do, but the cycle of itching, biting and chewing, which leads to open sores and infection, was worse for him). Keeping him flea free has helped, but he also has environmental allergies, which is the next most common thing to check for.

3. Environmental allergies can range from anything like mold, pollen, grasses, etc. to even people dander! Yup, Kasey is allergic to me! Usually only a derma vet is knowledgeable enough to be able to do the required skin testing and reading of those tests to determine what the dogs are allergic to. Blood tests are still mostly a waste of money. Skin testing IS more expensive (usually around $300 - $400), but it is very trustworthy.

4. If your dog is biting and scratching mostly on the back half of their body, fleas are highly suspected as the cause. If more the front half of the body, or the whole dog (especially paw chewing, ear infections/itching), suspect environmental and flea. Many dogs who have environmental allergies are also allergic to fleas.

I spent Kasey's second year of life going through a zillion different kibbles, home-cooked diets, and prescription dog foods - it was a big waste of money, time and anxiety trying to find the 'right' food. A year and a half ago we learned, from this site, how to feed raw and he has been healthier ever since. It didn't fix his allergies, but the derma vet believes the good nutrition has definitely kept his skin and coat in excellent condition in spite of his itching! I hope this info will help even one person who is struggling with the frustration and helpless feelings of having a dog that is constantly itchy! Going to the derma vet has taken all the guessing and responsibility off my shoulders, and that is worth the extra cost of a specialist!

(I would like to add that we would have ended up paying less in the long run if we would have gone to the derma vet first instead of trying all the other foods, drugs and trips to the regular vet!)

Thanks for your help connie

thanks for that post to lori,i wish i had posted about this years ago instead of thinking it was just the food.

 Quote: robert bruce

Thanks for your help connie

Post back after the white sheet test.

That will not be your only task. LOL

(I'm trying to inject a note of levity, but believe me when I say that all of us who have dealt with multiple allergic dogs feel your pain and frustration. Dog allergies are awful, with frustration for the owner and misery for the dog.)

Please make sure your breeder knows about this; there's a major heritable factor in the predisposition to form IgE antibodies. In fact, a genetic or hereditary predisposition to form IgE antibodies is the leading allergy risk factor.

Ihave done the white sheet test and i did find some specks of dirt,when i wet the tissue and lifted them they went a rusty red colour.I will inform the breeder of this and the vet.
thanks again robbie

Well, I suspect both flea saliva hypersensitivity and environmental allergies. And the yeast overgrowth in and of itself has to be cleared up (it often itches, too, besides spreading and causing many problems).

I feel pretty strongly that you will need a referral to a derm vet, but there are still many steps you can take while you wait for an appointment.

So ..... what flea prevention is he on, if any?


Also, we'll link you to a "how to" thread for a flea bath (no special shampoo even needed) and then we can talk about a topical (a shampoo and a leave-in) to try for the yeast. If it's one patch, it may be possible to clear it up without an azole antifungal oral med. (It may not, too. But it can help!)

And we'll tell you about mechanically keeping the allergens off the dog with wipes, baths, vacuuming, etc.

With all allergies, the very best weapon is always removing the allergen from the dog's environment. This is not always easy, but IMO it is always the first step (to go as far as you can in doing so).

When we talk about bathing, we're not implying that the allergies are likely contact allergies (they actually are not very likely). We're saying that having the dog's allergens on his coat and skin and in his bed, etc., means that he is breathing them in all the time. And you know how our histamine receptors are mainly in our mucus membranes? With dogs, they are mainly in the skin.


PS
You've already solved a chunk of the puzzle in one day, so kudos! (Flea bite hypersensitivity does indeed cause itching along the back and tailbone and rear legs, etc., but it also, like virtually all dog allergies, manifests in inflamed itchy paws.)

There is a possibility that an all-out attack on the fleas and topicals for the yeast will bring the dog's itchiness down to manageable levels. They may not, too, but there are still more steps, if inhalant allergies are still too bad, including specific antihistamines and fish oil (and vitamin E).

So far, so good!





I'm not a health professional.

hi
He is on advantix 8 months of the year to keep ticks off him.How do you go about giving him a flea bath and which leave in shampoo would i use for the yeast.I bought baby wipes for his paws and gave them a good wipe after his walk this afternoon.I wash his vet bed matting once a week at 60 degrees and hoover his bed and the bedroom.He was prescribed prednisolone and is still on 1 a day,he isnt scratching but thats the effects of the steroids.
thanks robbie

Hi Robert. You can use a shampoo for yeast such as this one http://www.1800petmeds.com/Malaseb+Shampoo-prod10667.html. Any shampoo bath will kill fleas because they essentially get drown, especially because you will have to leave this yeast shampoo on for 10 minutes after getting him all soaped up. Start applying the shampoo at the head so the fleas don't run from the back end of the dog to the head! If you lather him up good with the shampoo, let it sit 10 minutes and rince, you will get rid of the fleas. I would recommend using flea protection year round with an allergy dog.

But all that said, I would go to the vet and ask for a scraping to look for yeast, bacteria, parasites, before I bathe the dog. I would want to know if he has ANY yeast or bacteria between the toes, around the mouth, in the ears, and around the base of the tail. Many allergy dogs are VERY sensitive to yeast - my golden only needs a tiny bit of yeast for it to really drive him nuts. It's not an expensive test, and they can do it right in the office and tell you the results right away. If he does have yeast, I would then get the shampoo (which they have at the vet), and I also use this product to spray areas like between toes, base of tail http://www.amazon.com/Douxo-Chlorhexidine-Micro-Emulsion-Spray-6-8/dp/B00198XFNG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1358112581&sr=8-2&keywords=duoxo+chlorhexidine+pads. This company makes pre-medicated pads, shampoo and the spray. I've found it very effective for yeast.

Also, know that using steroid can actually make yeast worst, so it's important to know if there is yeast and treat that if he has it.

Are you using a fish oil and Vitamin E btw? I believe that the anti-inflammation properties of fish oil has made world of difference with Kasey. He is allergic to 43 of the 75 things in the skin test, and the derma vet is amazed at how good his skin looks considering how allergic he is. Even when he's very itchy, his skin is nice and pink and we hardly ever see rashes. We use liquid people fish oil that has high levels of 3's and 6's because we can use less than a therapuetic dose of dog fish oil. If you want more info on that, Connie can chime in too!

Like Connie, I feel your pain with these allergies. I thought it was always food too, but now after all we've been through, I know that it's not really an issue for Kasey and that frees me up foodwise - we do feed raw though, which also contributes to his good skin. Allergies are frustrating, but you can get things more under control with the help of this forum and a derma vet!

Lori is right about scraping first.

A good anti-fungal shampoo (even a topical) is going to change the results of the cytology. You want the vet's scraping to catch all the population, not what's left after a good bath.

I'd want the scrapings as described done asap. The more asap the better, because this dog needs the therapeutic bath, needs the removal of fleas.

Your GP vet is pretty obviously over her head here, but this is not her area and not what she's supposed to know. She's not a derm vet.

The thing is, you might have a wait for a derm appointment.

I'd probably call and get in at the GP vet and explain that the dog does have fleas (you proved that) and that you suspect yeast as well, and you know that you should not alter any yeast and/or bacteria population before a scraping, so would she please do it.

This is correct IME, too: "It's not an expensive test, and they can do it right in the office and tell you the results right away."

Of course I agree about the fish oil and E.

Any derm vet you see is going to put an atopic dog on fish oil.

thanks for the info and advice lori,i will take a trip to the vet tomorrow and find out about an appointment.He gets evening primrose oil on each meal,i didnt know steroids cause yeast its a vicious circle at the moment.
thanks robbie