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Anyone do Allergy Shots?

Basenji Health Issues & Questions
  • Hello

    The vet has ordered shots to start my little boy on a desensitizing regimen for his many inhalant allergies (for food we are just modifying diet) especially his high sensitivity to house dust.

    I'm wondering if anyone has done this & whether it was effective & worth it. She says the shots will be daily for about a couple of weeks & then it would taper off to finally about 1x a month.

    Just a worried B parent ;)

  • Cooper started shots this spring to desensitize him to dust mites and storage mites. He's severely allergic to both (we cleaned out a closet and one room in preparation for our move, and he's still covered in hives a week later!).

    He did really well through his first ramp-up vial, but we're nowhere near maintenance level yet. We've had a few setbacks, but we're optimistic (my husband has been on allergy shots for half his life and they make life bearable!).

    Be sure AHEAD OF TIME to ask your vet what to do if/when you hit your dog's threshold before reaching maintenance. How to step back a level, whether to give antihistamines and/or steroids, or to use any topical treatments.

    So far, it's been relatively cheap (we're still on our first set of serum), and we think we've figured out Cooper's dosing schedule.

    Also, as with any new experience, use treats! Cooper now sits automatically when he sees a syringe. At my parents' house, he always gets a treat for sitting quietly while my dad injects insulin. Now, he knows he gets chicken chips during and after his shot! But it takes my husband holding the treat and me handling the shot.

    Hope this helps.

    I'd be interested in hearing about other B allergy stories. We supplement with omega fatty acids, use ProPlan sensitive skin and stomach, use the mildest shampoos and conditioners recommended by our groomer, use Benadryl, and are constantly trying to wean him from prednisone.

    Ruth

  • Thanks Ruth!! This is great stuff…We started treating with Benadryl then the vet increased his dosage hydroxyzine & added steroid shots & pills for a week. We weaned him off quickly. Until we start with shots he's still on high dosage of hydroxyzine.

    We're also feeding simple diet for skin & stomach allergies, using supplements of brewers yeast & omega fatty acids (No Flax b/c he's allergic to that too! :eek:) and 2x a week he's bathed with oatmeal shampoo for the itching.

    My little girl Topaz is starting to show signs of itching but she's not nearly as bad as C3PO. So I just give a pill of benadryl & spray her paws with hydrocortisone which helps.

  • Well Champ only had to get a cortizon shot the first time he developed allergies and now if we see him itching or biting his paws we give him a pill but honestly only had to do it twice (the pills). Good luck with your babies.

4/4

3 Jul 2007, 13:21

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    It might be a combination of food and seasonal allergies. The food/biscuits might be a slight problem but then added to the seasonal allergies, the allergies become major. Arnie has allergies and he rarely gets treats because of this and his kibble dog food is his treat. Does your dog also have a rash on his stomach area or the inner part of his rear legs? Arnie usually starts off with this and then if he is biting his feet I know the allergies are bad. He has not had this for a few years though! I would clean the area and this would help tremendously. Allergies are difficult to diagnose. The allergy season here in OH has been extended because of the crazy weather. If you have leaves on the ground that are/were wet, there could be mold, fungi, etc. on them and your dog is getting it on his paws. Jennifer
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    Basenji Health Issues & Questions 7 Jan 2010, 16:17
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    And you can search the forum for lots of information about shots and what is or is not needed. But as stated by renaultf1, rabies is a state required shot. Dogs get one as a puppy and then need another at 1 yr. After that it depends on your state, most are every 3yrs., but some (and some counties within a state) are every year
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    @eeeefarm: I believe Benin is in West Africa. Rabies is endemic in Africa. Yes, I thought you must live outside the U.S. We at The Rabies Challenge Fund believe that all healthy dogs and cats should be vaccinated against rabies.
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    @Vanessa: I was allergic to our basenji when he first came home. I would break out in a rash when he touched me. My eyes would water and become really itchy. Just wash your B and wipe him down a few days a week until you adjust. Also consider some allergy meds…Zyrtec works great and now you don't need a perscription. Agree, Zyrtec is a great drug for allergies, but can make some people very sleepy. There is a new prescription allergy treatment available called Xyzal that has shown equal symptom relief to Zyrtec in clinical trials, but has less sedation. However, I will warn you that it is very expensive!
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    Both my sons have allergies diagnosed by a professional allergist and do fine with Basenjis. We have just got our 3rd B two weeks ago and no sneezing, coughing, itchy eyes. I think for you that it MUST be something the dog is bringing in or perhaps your dog is one that performs one particular way and my family lucked out with 3 of the other way. Maybe someday they will have a test like the Fanconi that shows the DNA of this family tree has more dander and the DNA of that heritage has less dander to near none. I do agree with the smart person that has posted on this site the best idea I have ever heard: rub a t-shirt all over the possible family addition, sleep with the t-shirt, and THEN decide. I know it is too late for you but a good thing to repost for readers. Good luck with your situation.
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    thanks I will check.