[lmarieaa]

My golden retriever has very severe skin allergies. He loses a lot of his hair, gets swollen itchy rashes all over his body, constantly has ear infections, itches almost all of the time. When we lived in Texas he had to have cortisone shots (suppressing the immune systems reaction to the allergies) and in mid summer, the shots would barely help and he would need daily medicated baths to soothe his itchy bumpy skin. The vet told me that the best way to relieve his allergies was to move out of Texas. Well, I am not in Texas anymore (Manhattan) and Prozak is in the beginnings of some allergy symptoms similar to what he would have in Texas (although they would be much worse by this time in TX).
He rubs his itchy face on everything, the wall, along the couch, pillows, and I have had to take him to the vet several times because he scratched his cornia and then rubbed his face so much that he developed and ulcer on his face next to his eye and needed antibiotics for it. Now he is breaking out all over his belly and on the insides of his legs. He will walk up to you and rub himself all over you (like a cat) to relieve his itching.
Hydrocortizone 2% Cream helps a tiny bit, but not much.
I am so sick of his allergies, and I am sure he is too! But there just seems to be NOTHING that will completely relieve them, if at all.
I thought his allergy issues would be releived here....but apparently not. Does anyone else in NYC with a dog with allergies know much about them?

I am in desperate need of advice. Anything OTC or perscription I may be able to give him. Or shampoos, or just something else!? Benadryl does not help.

 

[lmarieaa]

I forgot to add:
He eats 3 cups of Canidae per day. In the morning he gets 1/4 cup cooked oatmeal added to the food. Dinner he gets added 1 cup Chicken Breast (or) Wild Salmon (or) Beef Liver and a vegetable either sweet potatoes or broccoli florets. It depends on what I pick up at the store for the week.
I give him fish oil supplements, but ran out of them awhile ago and keep forgetting to pick some up. Are their any other nutritional supplements that might help with allergies?

 

[GeorgieGirl]

Well, first off switch him to a dog food Grain free dog food. Canidae does make them now. I would go for a salmon/fish one (or venison). If you go fish, then you won't need to add salmon oil to his food. Although, I'd switch off Canidae. While it is a decent food, they have changed over the years and while at one time they were one of the top foods, imo they no longer are. IMO, Canidea is not the correct "fit" for your dog. I like Natural Balance. They make a venison and sweet potato (the one my super sensitve aussie gets), as well as a duck and potato and a fish and potato. There also is Wellness Simple Solutions (venison and duck forumulas) that are their allergy formula but they have rice in them. Wellness also had grain free Core. I like these since they are not quite as high in protein as Innova's Evo line. There is also Diamond's Taste of The Wild which is a terrific product. They have a wild salmon formula. This very well maybe worth a try for you. My dogs don't like fish but I have heard that TOTW is very palatable across the board. I'd feed this, but can't get it locally here in Nashville unless I want to drive 30 mins!
For now, I'd cut out all of the "extras" you are adding to his food. While nothing that you add in screams "allergin" to me, he very well may be having a reaction to something you are adding.
Also, give him filtered water only.
Next, look at your household cleaning agents. Floor cleaners, dish soap, etc., along with any yard chemicals. He may be having a reaction to a product that you use. Laundry detergent is a big one for me and one of my Aussies. I use one that this hypo allgergenic and pet friendly. It's costly but works well. I also use hot water, lemon, vinigar, and baking soda to clean. It's very inexpensive and animal friendly.

This is the most important: Get him allergy tested by your vet. It is expesive, but well worth it in your dogs case. Once you do that, you will know excatly what he is allergic to. Then you can alter his food and environment to make him more comfortable. Your dog will benefit greatly from being allergy tested. From what you have described here in your post, this will be money well spent and invested in his over all health.

As far as adding supplements. I use a product called Nupro. My dogs love it, their coats gleem and I add a little water to make a gravy out if it and pour it over their food. It took me about three weeks to see a notiable difference but that is to be expected in supplementation. Our BC is prone to hot spots, but with this product he has no hot spots and his skin is much healthier.

If you have to bathe him, try an oatmeal based shampoo with no fragrence. Be very sparing in his baths. Over bathing causes skin to become dry.

Once you get his allergies under control from the inside, his skin and ears will greatly improve.
Anyway, I hope this helps you both out! Please let us know how he does and if you do get him allergy tested, please share his results. Im very curious to know what he is so allergic to.
Best of luck to you and him-please give him a hug and kiss!
GG

 

[lmarieaa]

Wow, Thank you! Does Natural Balance use human grade ingredients? I do not see it on the website.

 

[Sheltiemama]

I feel for you. We have done the allergy testing with our Sheltie and he still itches and we still have no known allergy. It's just crazy. He gets 1/2 of a 1.5 mg steroid pill every day. Some days he gets the whole pill. He can have as much as 3 pills but we generally keep it to one or less.

It's a maintenance dose. We've tried everything else. And I simply will not let him suffer with that horrendous itching. So he gets the low dose.

Good luck!

Jo

 

[GeorgieGirl]

I know the Natural Balance Eatables is. The regs on what constituded "human grade" changed for dog food. I checked my Wellness bag and Human Grade was not on that either and I know it used to be.

 

[Criosphynx]

I don't know if you know but canidae recently changed its formula and alot of dogs no longer do well on it. Most people are switching away from it.

I use wellness and its AWESOME. I have an ichie dog too. She still itched on NB but not on Wellness.

The allergy test often comes back that your dog is allergic to friggin' everything under the sun, personally I'd only test as a last resort.

Raw diet is also good for dogs with allergies. Its more effort tho.

 

[lmarieaa]

He has an appointment for his senior physical exam coming up (I cant believe he is going to be 6 in April!) and I am going to add a allergy test for that day.
I do not use any harsh cleaning chemicals in my home. I have birds, and birds are extremely sensitive to strong odors and aromas (it can even sometimes be fatal). I use diluted vinegar or Isopropyl Alcohol or an unscented gentle antibacterial soap to clean up. If it is absolutely necessary to use something like Lysol or bleach then I have my animals stay at a friends house for a few days.
Thanks for the info on Canidae! I did not know that they changed their formula! I am going to change his food. I would like to put him on a complete homemade diet but I do not have the funds to do that right now because of school. I am thinking of getting the Natural Balance Venision and Sweet Potatoe or the Wellness...I really don't know which one to choose.

 

[Criosphynx]

Is the skin dry or normal?

I saw you mention that you might have to bathe him alot.
The Natural balance DUCK and potatoe will really help give him more oil in the fur which you might need if you end up bathing him constantly again.

Every time you bathe him it strips out the oils and potentially makes it worse. Dry skin gets itchie too. Duck is a very oily meat and the dogs that eat it end up very shiny

 

[lmarieaa]

It is weird, when his allergies get really bad he develops like a thick smelly sticky film on his skin. He gets it just a day after his bath. Once he gets it the whole house smells like it. It seems that the more film that develops the itchier he gets. In order for him not to end up completely bald, he must be bathed in his prescription shampoo in order to calm the skin. The shampoo is pretty good. It calms the itchiness for about 5-6 hours, then he slowly becomes itchy again.
I think his skin is in the normal range.

 

[Criosphynx]

It is weird, when his allergies get really bad he develops like a thick smelly sticky film on his skin. He gets it just a day after his bath. Once he gets it the whole house smells like it. It seems that the more film that develops the itchier he gets. In order for him not to end up completely bald, he must be bathed in his prescription shampoo in order to calm the skin. The shampoo is pretty good. It calms the itchiness for about 5-6 hours, then he slowly becomes itchy again.
I think his skin is in the normal range.

Is it black? Shampoo with coal tar clears it up if it is.

Has he been tested for Demodectic mange?



poor guy

 

[lmarieaa]

Actually yes, he gets black on his belly and I always wondered what the heck it was. Are you referring to the Natures Specialties Coal Tar Shampoo?
Yes he was tested 3 weeks ago for mange, he did not have it.

 

[Criosphynx]

any brand works....

The sticky stuff is dander and oil...which once wet...gets infected...and smelly...and itchy. Its almost impossible to dry it completely. The coal tar disolves it.

Its almost a shame its not mange...easier to treat.

 

[dch]

What GeorgieGirl said!

Your poor guy is a mess! IMO, He has a major yeast infection. Here is a website with some great remedies: Dogs: Yeast Infection Remedies Questions

Another good website: Systemic Yeast Infection in Dogs | Allergies Malassezia Fungus Candida | GREATDANELADY.COM

I use a great shampoo for any and all skin conditions, it's called Micro Tek made by Equess. It's a great product. They also have a spray which is great too.

I would give him a bath with Dawn dish washing soap. Soap him up with this first, then use the Micro tek and leave the Micro tek to soak on him for 15 minutes. See how he is after this bath. If he starts to get itchy again, then use a sponge Apple Cider Vinegar all over him. You can also flush his ears with vinegar. Use the vinegar full strength.

Also get his thyroid tested. If his thyroid is low normal, put him on the thyroid medication anyway! This is important!

Don't over vaccinate. Plus if your using any flea treatments, stop!

Using steriods for long periods of time, will cause autoimmune problems too. Steriods will stop your dogs own immune system from working on it's own.

Yeast feeds on grains and sugars.

The best way to treat this is with the above and especially his diet. With all the money that your spending on all the different products and vet bills, it would be a very good idea to feed him an all raw diet. I know how expensive this is. But your dog would greatly improve and feel a whole lot better!

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

[lmarieaa]

Thanks for the info!!!!
Why stop using flea medications? My vet says that it is better for him to be on it because fleas will only make things a lot worse. I use Frontline.
He has been diagnosed with yeast infections in the past, and has gotten treated for them.

The vet he went to for years gave him the steroid shots about 7-8 times a year on a monthly basis. On a late weekend I needed an emergency vet visit and had to take him to a different vet (for an unrelated problem). When I told that vet he has so many of those injections he was very surprised and told me that he would not recommend more than 5 of those shots per year because of the serious damage they can cause to the liver and kidneys. So, he only gets the shots as a last resort. He has not had one since June 2008.

I changed his food to the grain free Canidae. I had a half a huge bag of his other food left, so I just donated it to the nearby animal shelter.
Its been about a week and his itching has subsided quite a bit already. Although I noticed his ears were very inflamed, but some ear medicine from the vet did the trick. And he is doing well right now.Very very low on the itching, and is in good spirits. I hope he stays this way for a good long time.
Would the supplement "platinum performance" help any? I used to give it to him as a pup and the only thing I remember about it was that it made his coat super shiney, but not anymore. Would that help any?

 

[dch]

Sorry for the long post, but..........

Your dog has been treated in the past for yeast infections, but he never really got rid of it. The proof of that is what he is going through now. Yeast never really goes away. All we can do is to be sure to keep their immune system healthy. It's also why you should get his thyroid tested. His skin problems are telling you that there is internal problems going on too. Once he is healthy on the inside it will show on the outside.

The skin is the largest organ of the body. When the skin shows signs of disease, there is a compromised immune system. Why add poisons on top of a compromised immune system? It just adds fuel to the fire!

Flea products are toxic! Read the labels of the flea products. Why do they say not to use on puppies and or kittens or cats, if they are (supposedly) safe? Why do they say not to inhale, wash your hands after applying etc, if they are (supposedly) safe??? IF your dog doesn't have fleas, why continue to use poisons??

IF your dog has fleas there are much safer ways of getting rid of the fleas that are totally safe and non toxic to humans, pets and the environment. I've made other posts on this website that explains how to get rid of fleas.

For so many years we have unintentionally been giving our dogs a toxic soup of products plus vaccines, that are detrimental to their health and well being.

Thankfully, times are changing for the better. We have more knowledge today than ever before. Few Vets have gotten on the bandwagon with good breeders in doing research for the betterment of our pets.

Your boy is showing all the classic problems that come with this toxic soup. Thankfully your on your way to getting him healthy and happy! :rockon:

Here are some good websites to read: http://www.apnm.org/publications/resources/fleachemfin.pdf
Another good website: Toxic medicine, flea and tick products are poisoning our pets
Another good website (I bought the book, good reading!) How Not to Kill Your Dog or Cat: Experts Unveil Truths and Lies About Feeding Pets Now


Go to this website to read more about what I use for my pets: Diatomaceous Earth - Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth Health Benefits

The only supplementation I would use for him right now would be Vitamin B complex, 50 mgs per day. (Make sure he eats first), and the FGDE.

Good luck with your boy and keep us updated on his progress!

 

[Mirta]

When my Dal girl had an allergy we were recommended lamb or chicken and rice diet. She did very well and the allergy is gone. Now she can eat anything. Hers was a case connected with emotional well-being - she started itching when a family member left home for some time.

 

[lmarieaa]

Hello everyone,
I just thought that I would post an update on my pup! He is doing really great! Better than he has been in all 6 years of his life. He has a wonderful thick shiny coat, and rarely get itchy. It is such a relief to see him so comfortable and happy, and he is steriod shot free!
He had his thyroid tested and it came back at 1.7, the vet said it was normal.
I have not put anymore frontline on him, but we are traveling back home to San Antonio in a few weeks and the fleas and ticks are so bad. They will crawl up your leg just after a few seconds of standing out in the yard. Are there any other ways to keep him safe from fleas and ticks without using the frontline or similar meds? When we moved to NYC, I did not use the frontline very often but started using it again (until recently) because he got tape worms and the vet told me to start using the flea preventative again.
I not only worry about the bugs back home but the Texas allergens as well. I guess I will have to see how that goes...
Thanks everyone! I really appreciate the help!

 

[close2prfct]

Talk to you vet about giving him benedryl dogs can take it but will need his weight for appropriate dosing. I've always used a generic form of the children's liquid. It's a good thing to keep on hand, once you know the dosage to give him you can start him on it at the onset of allergy season.

 

[joyce]

Alot of allergies come from food, and it takes alot of blood work to find out what they are allergic to. Try changing the food to Natural Recipes from pet smart and Just Because For Dogs Treats from the internet. You will know in about a week if it is from the food.