 Re: Itchin' on Chicken
[Re: Connie Sutherland ]
#157381 - 10/07/2007 12:15 PM |
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I'd rinse him off, then clean his crate and blanket before he gets back in, and vacuum really thoroughly.
The I would keep baby wipes by the door and keep the pollen from traveling back to his carpet and bed on his feet and legs and undercarriage to be breathed 24/7.
I would do trials of the three most successful antihistamines (so far) for canine atopy: Chlorpheniramine, hydroxyine and clemastine.
I also keep topical stuff around (like "Relief" spray).
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Re: Itchin' on Chicken
[Re: Connie Sutherland ]
#157388 - 10/07/2007 01:29 PM |
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Sarah and Eric, halfway through typing something about elimination diets (and the uselessness of dropping one ingredient for a few days if you suspect real food allergies), I decided to post something about real elimination diets (the ONLY way to diagnose a food allergy, since RAST, ELISA, and intradermal tests are not accurate on food allergens).
I'll make a thread about elimination diets.
BTW, I mention this often, but here's another place for it. This book:
http://www.leerburg.com/971.htm
is very good.
It's not brand-new, but this guy really gets it. He offers all the allergy steps, and the reasons for them.
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Re: Itchin' on Chicken
[Re: Connie Sutherland ]
#157411 - 10/07/2007 06:03 PM |
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Connie,
As always, thank you for your insights.
Always looking for training avenues close to home. Any suggestions? |
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Re: Itchin' on Chicken
[Re: Eric Eschmann ]
#157412 - 10/07/2007 06:06 PM |
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Hey, any time, Eric.
Canine nutrition and allergies are my two big research interests. It would be much less gratifying if I didn't get a chance to use the info I work to get. 
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Re: Itchin' on Chicken
[Re: Connie Sutherland ]
#157467 - 10/08/2007 09:32 AM |
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Thanks so much for your help, Connie! 
Crate is cleaned, dog is being wiped off, and we'll stick with the antihistamines for a bit and see if that ends up helping or not.
I'll let you know if changing the protein makes any difference.
True
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Re: Itchin' on Chicken
[Re: Sarah Morris ]
#157808 - 10/10/2007 05:57 PM |
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Well, it's been 4-5 days that I've had True off all chicken and he's still itching and nibbling at his forelegs. His skin is not broken or red but his hair is really thinning out where he's nibbling on himself.
The OTC antihistamine hasn't really helped much.
Connie asked if anything in the yard has changed and there is one thing new: acorns. We have a gazillion acorns in the yard and I know he's been chewing on them. No idea if that would cause him to itch.
I've also noticed in the past day his eyes are a little runnier than normal. His lower lids roll out(ectropian) so he always has a little bit of goop but yesterday and today there is slightly more than usual. Maybe airborne/environmental stuff is really at the heart of all this, as was mentioned earlier?
In any case, I think it's time to see the vet. Spent part of the day calling around to find one that won't give me a hard time about raw feeding...I found one, but I may have to wait until next week to get in. This whole thing is a major bummer. 
True
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Re: Itchin' on Chicken
[Re: Sarah Morris ]
#157810 - 10/10/2007 06:02 PM |
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Well, it's been 4-5 days that I've had True off all chicken and he's still itching and nibbling at his forelegs. His skin is not broken or red but his hair is really thinning out where he's nibbling on himself.
The OTC antihistamine hasn't really helped much.
Connie asked if anything in the yard has changed and there is one thing new: acorns. We have a gazillion acorns in the yard and I know he's been chewing on them. No idea if that would cause him to itch.
I've also noticed in the past day his eyes are a little runnier than normal. His lower lids roll out(ectropian) so he always has a little bit of goop but yesterday and today there is slightly more than usual. Maybe airborne/environmental stuff is really at the heart of all this, as was mentioned earlier?
In any case, I think it's time to see the vet. Spent part of the day calling around to find one that won't give me a hard time about raw feeding...I found one, but I may have to wait until next week to get in. This whole thing is a major bummer.
Are you doing all this (from above)?
QUOTE: I'd rinse him off, then clean his crate and blanket before he gets back in, and vacuum really thoroughly.
The I would keep baby wipes by the door and keep the pollen from traveling back to his carpet and bed on his feet and legs and undercarriage to be breathed 24/7.
I would do trials of the three most successful antihistamines (so far) for canine atopy: Chlorpheniramine, hydroxyine and clemastine.
I also keep topical stuff around (like "Relief" spray). END
And yes, environmental-inhalant allergies are by far the most common (after fleas). However, a few days is not an elimination diet.
What OTC drug did you use, in what dosage, and for how long?
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Re: Itchin' on Chicken
[Re: Connie Sutherland ]
#157814 - 10/10/2007 06:12 PM |
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I've been cleaning house/crate and wiping him down after he's been outside. He's beginning to hate me and the baby wipes.
He has been taking 4mg chlorpheniramine every 12 hours for 4 days.
True
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Re: Itchin' on Chicken
[Re: Sarah Morris ]
#157816 - 10/10/2007 06:17 PM |
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OK, I would give it ten days to two weeks before trying the next one.
I have had more luck with hydroxyzine, but it's absolutely individual how dogs react to them.
Also, they work best (said Tufts in 2005) in conjunction with fish oil (and E).
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Re: Itchin' on Chicken
[Re: Connie Sutherland ]
#157817 - 10/10/2007 06:18 PM |
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It's true that many dogs have no benefit from antihistamines, but in this dog's case, where you saw some small benefit, I would definitely try them all and try to get a break for him so he can heal.
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