Connie, thanks for you reply and detailed information. I really appreciate your response and was hoping you would respond.

Regarding the RMBs, yes I use chicken necks and turkey necks.

The Dermatologist vet that I took Ellie to back in April 2009 did the skin scraping on the bumps and it came out normal. They also did the blood panel and that came out normal. The derm. vet suggested right off to do the elimination diet. I was not keen on the elimination diet because I was told how rare food allergies really are from my other dog friends. So, instead of doing the elimination diet, I bought some topical lotion and spray for equine skin issues that actually worked very well. But perhaps during that time when Ellie's skin appeared to be better was because I was feeding a bland diet with no supplements.

I am not sure why her skin got better between the end of May and August 2009. Her surgery was mid August 2009 and I looked at some photos from mid September 2009. That is when I noticed her skin was starting to get a little bad again. From May 2009-August 2009, Ellie was not confined to the house. We live in the mountains and actually would go hiking quite frequently during this time. The only time she was confined to the house from from mid August 2009 through the first of September 2009 and prior to this her skin was probably the best it had been in a long time.

Since mid September 2009 her skin had become worse and worse. After her surgery we did start going out and hiking again but this is also when I started feeding venison which the RAST test did show she was positive for an allergy to venison.

All the way through winter 2009 and 2010 (which I am told should be the least active time for allergies) her skin was still getting worse and worse. Her skin is really at its worse point now. I would not say that there is anything seasonal about her allergies. They are constant. I would think that if her skin was better in May 2009, then it should not be so bad now in 2010. Not sure what to pin point the issues to...

I took Ellie to her normal vet a couple weeks ago and he did the blood panel again along with the fungus test. Both came back fine. In the meantime he gave temaril-P which is supposed to help with the itching and redness. I used it for a couple days and stopped because I actually thought it was making her condition worse. That is when we went back to the normal vet and said hey, why not just try the RAST test. Does not hurt to try. At this point I would just like some kind of answer. The normal vet actually did say that the RAST test is not so successful at diagnosing food allergies so I was not expecting much anyway. The normal vet actually thought the allergy would be environmental.

Environmental allergies did show up positive in the RAST test as did some food items. The environmental allergies are not too significant things in our area. Not sure what the next step is...

Hi Amanda,

I know and feel your frustration with what you are going through. My female GSD has allergies too.

I would highly recommend you get the intradermal skin tests done, because they are pretty accurate and will show just what exactly the dog is allergic to in regards to environmental allergens. My girl was allergic to 28 of the allergens she was tested for. Once you know, it will help you figure out what you can do to either avoid them or how best to deal with them.

I know that it is expensive, but well worth the money to get a more definitive answer.
I started my girl on allergy shots and it is really helping out a lot. I also have a prescription for hydroxyzine pamoate which helps a lot when the allergies are at their worst. However, recently, she has not needed them. The shots seem to be doing a great job.
Also, I can't say enough about therapeutic doses of salmon oil.
You can ask your Dermvet for their recommendations for dosage, but I have found over time, it has greatly helped as a superior anti-inflammatory.

Lastly, I was just reading in your post that you think that the Honest Kitchen has helped your dog. But several of their formulas do contain Alfalfa. So, I am just wondering if that Rast test has possibly been a false positive?

I wish you all the best in figuring out your dilemma.
Good Luck!


Edited by Joyce Salazar (06/02/2010 10:54 AM)
Edit reason: spelling error

Connie--I'm very interested in your recommendation of alternative antihistamines. My Corgi is seasonally on Diphenhydramine with only limted success.

I'd love to try something else--do you happen to know the canine dosage for an OTC med like Chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton)?

Hi Tracy,

I know I am not Connie, but I have used Chlor-Trimeton and found it really helpful. Each tablet is 4 mgs and I was doing
2 tablets about twice a day for an 80 lb dog.
I was told by the Derm vet that I could have used 2 tabs up to three times in a day if needed. I found that the 2 tabs twice a day worked well. Morning and night time.
Hope this helps and maybe Connie has another suggestion for you too.

Thanks--that's helpful. Gives me an idea of appropriate dosage. My Corgi's about 25 pounds--so she'd need about a third of that dose, presumably.

 Quote: Joyce Salazar

.... I have used Chlor-Trimeton and found it really helpful.

Each tablet is 4 mgs and I was doing
2 tablets about twice a day for an 80 lb dog.
I was told by the Derm vet that I could have used 2 tabs up to three times in a day if needed. I found that the 2 tabs twice a day worked well. Morning and night time.
Hope this helps and maybe Connie has another suggestion for you too.

This was about what the vet told me. She said 2-8 mg (dog size) every 8-12 hours to start. She said we could go to three times a day if needed.

I had/have better success with hydroxyzine, BUT (big but) I upped the fish oil when I switched to it, so there is a big doubt in my head about it being unrelated to that. (You may have seen several mentions here of the 2006 Tufts study reporting that the benefits of antihistamines for allergic dogs are significantly greater when administered concurrently with fish oil.)

The sedating effect gradually phased out with each dog I've given antihistamines, so far. In the one I have now, they return each spring when he starts again but are pretty much gone after about ten days.

Some have continued to drink more water throughout the protocol (dry mouth).

Thank you for everyones kind suggestions. I will definitely consider the intradermal testing. Can anyone tell me if the elimination diet is required before doing the intradermal testing? The derm vet did recommend the elimination diet but I am not to keen on that first. I would rather just do the intradermal testing first if the elimination diet is not necessary first.

Does anyone know the approximate cost of the intradermal testing? I know it will vary depending on vet and location. I will give my derm vet a call tomorrow but just thought I would ask.

Thanks!

The intradermal test that I had done was around 40 allergens tested and cost $575. That also included 6 months of custom made serum along with the syringes, and needle disposal cartridge.
They said that it could be as high as $850 for even more allergens if the Vet suspects the need for more.

We did not have to do an elimination diet. The Dermvet didn't even mention it. I would start with the intradermal testing and see what you find, and then if you still suspect certain foods, then would I proceed with an elimination diet.

We also did a deep clean on our furnace where we took off the filter and deep cleaned the coils. We just bought a 25 year old house and this thing had never been cleaned. It was pretty bad.
My dog has allergies to dust mites as well as 4 different molds.
We also have the highest grade filter on it now too.

Really, everything you can think of, you can try to make changes with. Washing the dog bedding weekly, along with daily vacuuming and they even sell these extra filters that you can put inside your registers that trap more of the dust that doesn't get trapped in the furnace filter.

It will be such a relief to actually find out what the source is, and then go from there.
It was very interesting, I was right there when the Dr did the injections of the allergens.

I agree with Connie, that it is indeed so frustrating to watch your dog itch and be so uncomfortable and to see big changes once the desensitizing shots start and you get on a good antihistamine it is life changing for the dog and for us as well.

Keep us updated on what happens and your progress! I wish you all the best!