Dogs allergies?

[slleipnir]

Do you dogs have allergies? How do you deal with it??

I think Zeke has some bad allergies, but I have NO idea what to do. I've taken him to the vet many times and nothing is working.

He has diarrhea a lot, especially if he is running. He has spots on his nose, almost like pimples, he gets runny/pusy nose every now and then, he constantly chews his feet to the point there are sores on them, and he has a big red spot on the inside of his back leg...either a rash or from licking too much.

That seems like an awful lot of stuff to me. I have tried just about every food I can find. Right now he is on Medi-cal hypoallergenic food which costs a fortune. He's been on it for almost 3 months, and still no change.

So, what do I do? I want to take him to the AVC (atlantic vet collage) but my usual vet is a different one. The AVC don't like taking people that go to a different vet. Plus, what do I say if they fix it and I take him back for a check up? Don't worry about his allergies, the other, better vet took care of it.

I'm thinking of switching vets, but my current vet has years of info on my dogs medical history. Often they will look back and say "oh, this happen at this time, we used this to treat it"

When Jo was small, she was very sick. Vomiting all the time for a long time. My vet told me it was puppy flu and did nothing. However, it didn't go away. I took her to the AVC and whatever they did, fixed her up. People actually drive from different places hours and hours away just because the AVC is very good.

So what should I do? My vet now is very kind, and very good with my pets...she just doesn't seem to be able to fix them??

[Glacier]

Sleet has allergies and we think Earle might too. The only thing that works for Sleet's is steriods. She used to go on Prednisone, but it made her way too cranky. So now when the itching gets out of control, she gets a shot of depro-medrol. Chemically it's almost the exact same drug as Prednisone, but for whatever reason, it has fewer side effects for Sleet. She stays her sweet self on it. The itching stops within the hour on either drug.

Earle licks to the point he causes wounds on his paws. Right now, and so far the only treatment that's helped, is a long term course of anti-biotics, up to three months of daily Cephalexan. Plus a new kibble. Earle's a vegetarian! He eats the Medi-Cal veggie formula. My vet prefers it over their allergy formula for allergic dogs. As a bonus, it helps Earle loose weight which he also needs to do.

Has Zeke's thyroid ever been tested? Poor coat, skin problems can all be hypothryoid symptoms. I'd do the full panel, not just a t-4 test. Earle is hypothryoid, but has a normal T-4 level. The full panel costs more, but it tells you more too.

I'd take him to a different vet. Just like with your own health, you have the right to a second opinion. We only have one clinic here that I would trust, but even within that clinic, I've asked to talk to a different doc about things. I don't really care if my main vet gets his feelings hurt. If I think one of the other docs can handle something better, I'm taking my pet to them. If I want a specialist consult, I'll pay the extra for them to make a phone call to Saskatoon(no specialists here, but they use the vet school at the UofS for consults and sometimes ship animals there for advanced treatment).

My vet opened this clinic about 18 months ago. The clinic he worked at before was still open(since closed) and we could have stayed there. I walked in, asked for my file and walked out with it five minutes later. It's your file, you paid for it, your entitled to that information and you can take it wherever you want. If you don't trust your vet, why keep going to her? Get your file and find one you do trust.

[Cincy'sMom]

Cincy is allergic to dust mites. She gets pimples on her belly and ches at the fur on her legs. She has been doing much better since we started giving her autoimmune shots about 2 years ago. Winters are still rough with the furnace on, so we add a hint of prednisone (5mg/day) when the itches get really bad.

We actaully switched vets becuase ours wasn't helping Cincy. They tested her thyroid only becuase we suggested it and wanted to do months of food testing when we kept explaining her allergies were much worse in the winter, and she ate the same food year round.

Is your vet able to do any allergy testing?

[Kater]

I'm sorry to hear about Zeke's allergies. Allergies are so hard. :(
One idea I had...it sounds like you have tried lots of diets to address possible food allergies. However, I would try to address the possibility of environmental allergies as well. You could try frequent bathing, and see if that makes a positive difference. In theory it reduces the contact time environmental allergens have with the skin. By frequent I mean like 2-3x per week. However, you must make sure to use a separate doggie conditioner (not shampoo conditioner combo) because otherwise the frequent bathing will over dry his skin. It is a simple step that may make a positive difference, but won't harm him in any way. I think it's worth a try!
However, if he has active sores on his feet or legs, then you probably want a medicated shampoo to spot treat those areas. DVM pharmaceuticals (http://www.dvmpharmaceuticals.com/home.html) makes a great line of medicated products. However, you will need to have your vet to look at his sores to determine what shampoo would be appropriate for Zeke's case.
Good luck to you and Zeke!! {{HUGS}}

[slleipnir]

I'm taking him to a different vet this Thursday. Appearintly there is a dermatologist in this week. I'm not sure how that will help Zeke at all, but they suggested I see her...I hope they can figure out what is wrong!

[sanford8916]

What did you find out about Zeke's allergies? Lou Lou is having similar problems.