Allergy & Skin Issues
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Hi everyone
My little guy C3PO suffers from all kinds of allergies & in the spring he's reactive to most outside elements. We usually put him on a cycle of benadryl & if that doesn't cut it he goes on the heavy stuff steroids. Then it goes away & he's ok the rest of the summer.
This year it hasn't happened like this. He's still itching & turning red/pink all over even after we've weaned him off the steroids. I don't want to put him back on another cycle but he seems so miserable :(:( He's chewing on his paws licking his underside like crazy & scratching to the point where he's got scabs. I've tried the hydrocortisone sprays & baths but it's not really helping much at all.
Do any of you breeder vets have any experience with a dog that has allergies this bad?? Any suggestions??
Not everything is food related…but good to review what he is eating... have you had his thyroid checked? The full panel? In OJ older years, he broke out in horrible hives... his thyroid level was next to zero.. once on Soloxine they were completed gone in 24 hours... so make sure that you rule that out first.
And you might want to ask your Vet to a Specialist -
SO Monday afternoon I had to rush back home b/c the kids' nanny calls me to tell me C3 is whining & scratching like a maniac. When I get home I let him out into the yard & after he comes back in about 30 min or so later he starts breaking out in horrible hives! I called the vet asap & took him in. She gave him a shot of benadryl (if I had known I could've given hm this at home) but in the evening after the shot wore off he started whining & scratching again all night long. Poor guy did not get a WINK of sleep & neither did I for that matter. The next morning DH brought him back after his walk & hives again so I gave him the benadryl but it wasn't working SO back to the vet & he had to get some hydroxizine (sp?) & that finally helped but wiped him out & slept for most of the day. He had to go back on the steroids & antibiotics since he did a NUMBER on himself he scratched so bad he bruised his skin in some areas & scabs in others….uugghh it was awful!
I don't think it's the food since we changed his diet about a year ago when this stuff started poppin up. We now have to rotate foods so he doesn't become sensitive to a new food item. If that happens,I'll have to feed him AIR!! We had blood drawn on Tuesday to check his levels so we'll see what the results come back.
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Poor C3PO. I know food isn't the cure all, but wanted to see if that might be part of the reson..well it doesn't sound like it. I am glad you had his blood drawn so you might get an answer on his thyroid..
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Do let us know what you find out re your dog.
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it could also be a topical yeast infection. omar had a 24 hour case of huge hideous hives followed by months of itching and scratching. he ended up bald on his sides and neck in places. raw chewed paws. awful to watch him suffer.
we bathed him with malaseb - [rinsing VERY well] a few times a week. quite an effort with a water loathing dog. but it worked! you can go have a skin scratch test taken to see if it is yeast. very curable. but you have to be diligent.
people think we are pathetic to take him to a doggie dermatologist/allergist. that's what we have insurance for!! -
Let us know how he's doing…
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My other dog, the dachshund had the same on his neck and throat area, I was told it was a nylon sensitivity, changed to leather and it is gone..so it might be worth a while..is the harness rubbing him to much?
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I know it's been a couple of months but we did a full thyroid panel & thankfully it came back normal. As a result of his bad allergies he got a terrible ear infection & we put him on another steroid cycle :(
The vet doesn't want to keep him on this at all….so she suggested putting him on Atopica (Cyclosporine) which basically attacks immune cells & blocks symptom causing effects. I've done some research & some dogs do well after a month & then you can taper to a maintenance level to keep the dog comfortable.
Anyone use this drug??
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Hydroxizine AKA Atarax is a great drug for treating severe allergies, it is by far the best antihistamine for reducing itching. It does have a high amount of sedation as a side effect and is also marketed as a sleep aid. OTC Zyrtec is a good alternative since it is a metabolite of Atarax and has less sedation. You may want to find a vet that specializes in allergy treatment and have the dog skin tested to identify exactly what it is and isn't allergic to. You could consider allergen immunotherapy to reduce and potentially eliminate the allergies.
