Anne Jones Webboard User Reg: 04-29-2004
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I only know that they often start around or after a year old....but I would suspect that they can start anytime. Connie, most likely will have a better answer to this question with all her allergy info that she has. If not the vet will surely tell you. Most vets use cortisone shots to treat allergy. You might want to take the dog to a holistic vet. They will use plant cortisones instead of regular cortisone. To me a better choice if it were to be an ongoing type of treatment.JMHO...Connie, any input here?
Connie Sutherland Moderator Reg: 07-13-2005
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Loc: North-Central coast of California
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......Anyway, this all started when he was about 7 months old. Can they start allergies that young?
Just in the last 20 years or so, the average age for canine allergies to become apparent has gotten lower and lower, to the point that 6-month-olds are often presenting with allergy symptoms.
However, there are definitely other skin-itch causes.
I'd recommend a trip to the vet, after reading this and looking at the pictures (which can be enlarged by clicking on them). I'd read some itchy-skin threads here, too. I'm saying this because many vets are not particularly "up" on allergies, and I'd hate for you to go and have a vet sell you one of the so-called "allergy foods" in the waiting room.
Again, though: Check out the web site and compare the pruritis you see with the pictures there. You may be dealing with something else entirely. (The itchy-front-paw thing I see in allergic dogs generally does involve the part between the toes.....)
Certainly this can be a sign of allergies, but please make sure you and your vet are certain of that diagnosis before beginning an allergy treatment regimen that may end up being permanent. Allergy is the default diagnosis for almost any skin problem, and anti-inflamatories can mask the symptoms of simpler problems. My dog has had three separate health problems that were diagnosed by two separate vets as allergies - all of which turned out to be simple, easily treatable, non-allergy problems.
Gentamycin contains a weak antibacterial component as well as acting as an anti-inflamatory. Your dog could have a bacterial or fungal infection on his paws that has become too severe for the antibacterial to work. I would investigate this as well.
This may sound like a dumb question, but does your dog pee on his feet? Sometimes at that age, a male is lifting his leg, but isn't perfectly coordinated doing so. If he is, then this obviously would act as an irritant and could lead to a fungal or bacterial infection.
YES!! He DOES pee on his feet!! I have a pen in my yard where he knows to go to the bathroom. It has a tree in the center but he never uses it. Instead he pees like a girl <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Only recently did he start lifing his leg but he only does this when I take him for our nightly walk. Even then he misses the telephone pole often and hits his front legs - it's very embarrassing <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
His bathroom pen is at a slight incline so if he stands in his preferred spot, the urine travels downhill pooling around his paw! I often looked at this and think, why the heck doesn't this bother him? And if it doesn't pool around his paw, it's because it's hitting his front leg instead! One of these scenarios happens 9 times out of 10 times.
Jeff, you're my hero! Now that I'm certain it's a fungal or bacterial infection, what do I ask for from the vet?
Don't be certain until your vet verifies the problem, but at the very least, you now have more information and a feasible hypothesis that will encourage your vet to look harder.
Glad to be of help! Please let us know how it turns out.
Connie Sutherland Moderator Reg: 07-13-2005
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Loc: North-Central coast of California
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Don't be certain until your vet verifies the problem, but at the very least, you now have more information and a feasible hypothesis that will encourage your vet to look harder.
Glad to be of help! Please let us know how it turns out.
Now forgive the dark cloud answer, but my sheltie's problem started out as licking and biting his paws. It wassn't til they took a biopsy of his foot did they find it was Hepatocutaneous syndrome. Here's a website about it. hepatocutaneous syndrome
The vet thought it was allergies at first too.
Again, sorry if I am a downer, and I hope it doesn't apply but its best to be informed, which I wasn't at all.
Hi Judy in terms of mites they live on the body can be transmitted from other dogs, also can be passed on from the mother, any change of enviroment/routine, can trigger an outbreak,it is not always easy to identify, stress in dogs, I thought my female couldn't have it better but even coming into season, can cause an outbreak, she sat chewing her feet,just like you described,so I had to go through, the elimination process, her bloods came up negative for food allergy's altho similiar symptoms, after a few good dippings she came right.So many things could cause it??? So a blood test in the end may be your best option.
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