Hi all. I had Kasey at the derma vet yesterday for a check up. Some of you know we have been going to the derma vet for about a year and a half now. Kasey is 3 yrs old and started itching about 2 years ago. We did skin testing and found him to be allergic to 43 of the 75 allergens tested for. We tried allergy shots for over a year, but they really did not help, so we are in the process of trying other things to help him be more comfortable.
As we talked with the derma vet, she reviewed some important things to keep in mind when you have an itchy dog - so I thought I'd share them as a review for some, and as important info for those of you who have not heard it before!
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 a waste of money, both for food and environmental allergies - don't let your regular vet talk you into them, they are not an effective diagnostic tool. 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!)