Severe Seasonal Allergies & Treatment

[moosikins]

Does anyone have experience with their dog taking Prednisone? Cal has been having some severe allergy issues and she's so miserable.

 

It started out with mild itching and we thought she just had some mild allergies. The pollen count has been really high the last few weeks. Then we noticed that she was chewing on her back legs and paws and there was little spots of fur missing last Wednesday, so we scheduled a vet appointment for this past Monday. She threw up a few times during the week, but nothing majorly concerning.

Then on Friday she was really lethargic and had diarrhea but it was very gross looking (bright yellow with mucus) so we took her to emergency vet clinic #1 (our vet was booked solid and could not see her unless it was a medical emergency). They gave her fluids, a shot of pepcid, and a shot of Benydryl for the itchy feet. We were advised to give her 25 mg of Benydryl three times daily (she's 43 lb) to control the itching, a topical cleaner for her feet, and a topical steroid/antibiotic for her feet.

 

She did okay on Saturday and was pretty out of it because of the allergy med. Sleepy and grumpy. On Sunday evening we left for 4 hours and kept an eye on her via the camera and she appeared fine. However, when we got back in the late evening we noticed that her entire face was swollen - her eyes were so red and swollen and her snout was twice it's normal size and not it's normal shape. We rushed her to emergency vet #2 (open during the night...and charging 3x normal prices) and they gave her a steroid shot and a Benydryl shot. We were advised to up the Benydryl dose to 50 mg twice daily. By the time the vet saw her that night, her swelling had decreased significantly. She wasn't acting differently at any point, but we didn't want to risk her airway closing so it was worth the trip.

 

We saw her normal vet on Monday and she noted that the face swelling was unlikely to have been related to the allergies, but the itchy paws and chewing them was definitely seasonal allergies. She agreed that we should continue the Benydryl at a dose of 50 mg 2x daily and replaced the antibiotic/steroid spray with a soothing hydrocortisone lotion just in case the face swelling was related to the ingredients in the antibiotic. She also gave us Prednisone pills and gave us a schedule for dosage - 1/2 pill 2x daily for 5 days, 1/2 pill 1x daily for 5 days, 1/2 pill 2x a week, and then 1/2 pill as (if) needed.

 

I was really concerned about how much water she'd need to drink to avoid dehydration as a result of the Prednisone (I went back to work this week following maternity leave), so we decided to give 1/2 pill 1x daily in the evenings so we can give her as much water as she needs and still take her out as often as needed. Otherwise, she'd be trapped in the house for 8 hours with a full bladder. I'm trying to get home a few hours early this week so that she can go out early because I know she's still drinking more water than normal during the day too.

 

It seems like the Prednisone and Benydryl combo is working to relieve the itching and the lotion is making her paws look a little less red and inflammed. She's been really sleepy and crabby this week and on top of everything, our A/C is broken (I'm watching her glare at the repair guys via the camera. She's laying on our bed and alternating between growling at them and wagging her tail) so she's been hot and panting extra (the medicine makes her pant too).

 

I'm glad it's working, but I'm also really concerned about giving her such a strong medication and the Benydryl for such a long time and in high dosages. I know a smaller dose of either likely won't work and her paws will get sore again and possibly infected from continued chewing, but the side effects (panting especially) worry me so much. What have your experiences with this kind of thing been? How do you feel about Prednisone for your dog?

 

We're keeping a close eye on her via the camera when we can't be home and she sticks close to us when we are home. She alternates between being really crabby and growling when we try to pet her (seems to be after the Benydryl first kicks in and she's probably disoriented and sleepy so she gets defensive) and snuggling right on top of me (which she normally does not do when she's well...she is a leaner, but not a cuddler).

 

 

[gcv-border]

I don't have experience with canines and pred, but did want to ask if you have investigated food allergies? Do I remember that you had posted before about tweaking her diet to deal with food allergies?

[moosikins]

No, she's been eating Hills Science Diet since we got her as a pup. Although we are going to transition her to a grain-free food once she's well. We meant to do that last year (around this same time, if I recall correctly) but she had demodex mange and we were treating that.

 

We asked the vet about this being a food allergy, but she said that with the paws being so itchy and the way her skin looks, it appears to be a seasonal/contact allergy. We're limiting her time outside and rinsing off her paws and belly when she comes inside to avoid as much of the allergen as possible.

 

We're thinking Blue Buffalo Wilderness kibble once she's better. It's rated 5 stars on Dog Food Advisor, while her HSD food is only rated a surprisingly low 3 stars.

[GentleLake]

I had a dog with severe seasonal allergies but it was quite a few years ago and I know there are better meds available now.

 

That said, I had him tested to determine exactly what it was that he was allergic to and then did desensitization shots, just as I've done for my own allergies.

 

What I've been told by both the vet and my own allergist is that desensitization shots are very successful in about 1/3 of patients, moderately successful in another third and of little help in the final third. My dog fell in the middle third. We persisted for a number of years because it did keep his reactions below the threshold where he was chewing is forelegs bloody. It's been so long I don't remember how long we continued with them (probably about 5 years, which my allergist tells me is standard), but we were eventually able to discontinue them and he stayed at the same point, still itchy but not bloodying himself. It was a worthwhile compromise, IMO and I'd do it again. I ave the shots myself, which greatly minimized the expense.

 

As I said, there are better meds now. A dog sitting client has a pretty allergic dog. Her vet (also mine) just told her to stop using Benadryl on the boxer and go try Claratin. He said it was a better option. I think, though I can't swear to it, that he suggested Zyrtec as well. I'll check with her and find out.

 

So, I think it would be a good idea to discuss different meds if nothing else. Pred can be hard on the body when given for long periods, so while it can be a lifesaver when needed it's a good idea to look for alternatives when available.

 

But I'd also strongly recommend the testing and desensitization if you can swing it.

[GentleLake]

If it's seasonal allergies, they'll follow a pattern that's indicative of the allergen depending on what season it is. In my dog's case (unfortunately I answered on the other thread so now there are 2 going), his allergies stopped as soon as there was a killing frost. Dunno where you live so not sure if you'll get that relief or not.

 

As for Hill's, many vets have known for along time that it's not the greatest food. I have a longtime friend from back where I used to live who's a vet. She told me soon after I met her 34 years ago that it was crap food and she'd never sell it.

[Jumpin Boots]

If the allergy ends up sticking around you might ask your vet about Apoquel by Zoetis. They may not be able to get it, it is super popular and is still on limited allotment ordering and I believe only going to clinics that got in on ordering from the get go. But it is suppose to be a lot safer than Pred for long term use w/out all the side effects.

 

Best of luck; we had a dog that battle allergy flair ups, found that he did best when rotated through grain free foods, with never being on the same protein for more than 2-3 months; no one protein seemed to bother him, just if he was on any one for an extended amount of time.

[Maralynn]

Yup.

 

Kenzi has had two different rounds of prednisone so far this year. She gets wonky on it. But it does solve the itching. Her allergies are all environmental - developed last year and completely went away over the winter. Then popped back up in grass and pollen season.

 

Ask your vet about doses for different antihistamines and which ones you can try. Several OTC ones are fine for dogs and different ones may work better for different dogs. I currently give either benedryl or generic "Chlor-tabs" (can't remember the full name). Both help somewhat but she still needs pred if it gets bad. Kenzi just gets to the bad scratching stage - no excessive chewing on herself. If it gets worse next year then I'll look into allergy shots.

 

Sometimes diet changes can help mitigate some of the symptoms even with environmental allergies. Diet changes really made a difference with my first dog. But not with Kenzi.

[gcv-border]

I agree that if you are seeing seasonal itchiness (allergies) that treatment specific to the affected area will help, but it is my philosophy (and I am not pushing it nor attributing it to anyone else) that ANY type of allergy can be helped/diminished (not necessarily cured) by the appropriate diet. There is accumulating evidence in the literature that certain foods can activate the immune system to be more sensitive than normal. And grains seem to be one of the major culprits in sensitive individuals.

[Cass C]

A note on food allergies one part of Lyka's grain allergies causes her to literally chew sores on her feet. As a puppy she used to stick her whole foot in her mouth and chew (before we swapped foods to grain free).

[kingfisher7151]

I can't decide if I love prednisone more than I despise it. It can be a life saver, and might be very useful in cooling down her immune response to the allergies. Trooper is on long term pred, and I can't stand it. But I wouldn't be afraid to use it short term for miserable allergies.

 

Keeper was really struggling with allergies a month back or so. I shuffled him between Benadryl and the same Allergy Chlor pills that Maralynn mentioned. I'd be lying if I didn't say a couple times I gave him a teeny tiny dose of prednisone. I hate the drug, but I couldn't stand seeing him so miserable. Callie seems to be telling you pretty clearly that the Benadryl is making her miserable. I don't think I'd be willing to give a drug that made a dog just as miserable as the problem being treated.

 

I've heard some really good stuff about Apoquel. I also looked at the allergy desensitization shots. Neither looked horribly expensive, and they most likely are in Keeper's future given that allergies usually worsen with age.

 

With how bad Callie sounds, I think it might be worth doing the allergy testing. It could also be diet related, as someone mentioned. I also knew a dog with HORRIBLE allergy-like symptoms for years. Swollen face, chewing her feet raw, hair loss, the works. They did every bit of allergy testing and treatment available, only to finally find that she had mites several years later. So that might also be something worth testing.

[moosikins]

Thanks for all of these responses!!

 

We're really hoping that we can manage her allergies with a good diet, we just have to get her healthy enough to switch her food. We tried briefly last week but she was in the midst of the tummy trouble/lethargic/itchy-enough-to-eat-her-foot stage and it just seems like a bad idea to stress her out even more.

 

We're going to try again in a few weeks when she's feeling better. I really hope she won't needs meds to manage the symptoms in the future, especially now that we know what to look out for before it hits really hard like this. I'm a fan of natural remedies when possible, but I wouldn't be against allergy shots or annual antihistamines if it's really necessary.

 

I'm glad to hear that prednisone does work!

[moosikins]

I can't decide if I love prednisone more than I despise it. It can be a life saver, and might be very useful in cooling down her immune response to the allergies. Trooper is on long term pred, and I can't stand it. But I wouldn't be afraid to use it short term for miserable allergies.

 

Keeper was really struggling with allergies a month back or so. I shuffled him between Benadryl and the same Allergy Chlor pills that Maralynn mentioned. I'd be lying if I didn't say a couple times I gave him a teeny tiny dose of prednisone. I hate the drug, but I couldn't stand seeing him so miserable. Callie seems to be telling you pretty clearly that the Benadryl is making her miserable. I don't think I'd be willing to give a drug that made a dog just as miserable as the problem being treated.

 

I've heard some really good stuff about Apoquel. I also looked at the allergy desensitization shots. Neither looked horribly expensive, and they most likely are in Keeper's future given that allergies usually worsen with age.

 

With how bad Callie sounds, I think it might be worth doing the allergy testing. It could also be diet related, as someone mentioned. I also knew a dog with HORRIBLE allergy-like symptoms for years. Swollen face, chewing her feet raw, hair loss, the works. They did every bit of allergy testing and treatment available, only to finally find that she had mites several years later. So that might also be something worth testing.

 

I'm going to look into the different options you mentioned. The vet noted that we may go the allergen testing route if this happens again next year (before it gets so bad). Cal was tested for mites back when we dealt with the mange last year and she gets a monthly flea/mite/tick treatment...Wouldn't that prevent them?

 

I was most nervous about the side effects of the prednisone, but I'm glad that many people have used it safely for short periods of time. I'll try to figure out which of the dog-friendly antihistamines make her the least groggy.

[GentleLake]

I'm a fan of natural remedies when possible, but I wouldn't be against allergy shots...

 

Actually, I'd consider allergy desensitization shots to be a "natural remedy." They're made from very small amounts of the allergen so that the body can gradually desensitize to them. AFAIK, there's no "medicine" in the serum, though I don't know what the serum base is made from.

 

As far as food I've got a couple thoughts. Yes, I do think that better nutrition is always a good idea in dealing with any illness. It only makes sense that optimal nutrition will help the body to be able to mount the best defenses. But I don't believe that good food cures allergies. When there are drastic improvements with dietary changes I think it's probably more likely that there could be some concomitant food allergies or sensitivities at work, since allergic individuals are rarely allergic to only one thing. So improvement with dietary changes could be the result of eliminating other allergens or sensitivities.

[moosikins]

I had a dog with severe seasonal allergies but it was quite a few years ago and I know there are better meds available now.

 

That said, I had him tested to determine exactly what it was that he was allergic to and then did desensitization shots, just as I've done for my own allergies.

 

What I've been told by both the vet and my own allergist is that desensitization shots are very successful in about 1/3 of patients, moderately successful in another third and of little help in the final third. My dog fell in the middle third. We persisted for a number of years because it did keep his reactions below the threshold where he was chewing is forelegs bloody. It's been so long I don't remember how long we continued with them (probably about 5 years, which my allergist tells me is standard), but we were eventually able to discontinue them and he stayed at the same point, still itchy but not bloodying himself. It was a worthwhile compromise, IMO and I'd do it again. I ave the shots myself, which greatly minimized the expense.

 

As I said, there are better meds now. A dog sitting client has a pretty allergic dog. Her vet (also mine) just told her to stop using Benadryl on the boxer and go try Claratin. He said it was a better option. I think, though I can't swear to it, that he suggested Zyrtec as well. I'll check with her and find out.

 

So, I think it would be a good idea to discuss different meds if nothing else. Pred can be hard on the body when given for long periods, so while it can be a lifesaver when needed it's a good idea to look for alternatives when available.

 

But I'd also strongly recommend the testing and desensitization if you can swing it.

I think our vet said we'd do the allergy test next year if the allergies start to flare up again, but I will ask her if we can do the testing as soon as Cal's well. I've also gotten allergy testing done in the past (lo and behold, I'm allergic to roaches...thank you university housing for the exposure...) and I would like to do the same for my furbaby. I've never gotten allergy shots though, and in hindsight, I'm not sure why I thought that desensitization and allergy shots were different things (I guess I thought that allergy shots were medicine).

 

We're getting concerned with how much we're spending on Cal's appointments at the moment, but my husband and I are in agreement that it's worth it. She's too young for us not to exhaust every option in helping her through this and even if she was older, she's still a part of our family. She's just a really expensive beastie right now and she'll have to earn her keep by continuing to be really adorable and sweet.

 

I refused to look at the receipts when I signed them this weekend for the costs of the emergency vet visits. Thankfully our vet is really reasonable with charges in general and always looks for ways to avoid charging us for things.

[gcv-border]

We're really hoping that we can manage her allergies with a good diet, we just have to get her healthy enough to switch her food. We tried briefly last week but she was in the midst of the tummy trouble/lethargic/itchy-enough-to-eat-her-foot stage and it just seems like a bad idea to stress her out even more.

Playing the devil's advocate: Not sure I get your logic. If her current diet is part of the problem, why keep feeding it to her? She will just continue to be miserable. One has to consider if you are 'stressing her out even more' by keeping her on her current diet.

 

Sorry, but I have been reading too much lately about how much nutrition can cause symptoms attributed to certain diseases so my mind rapidly moves in that direction. Sometimes people (not dogs in the examples I have been reading about, but I don't see why the same theories can not be applied to dogs) will be treated for YEARS for certain disease states (allergies being one of them), when all it took to cure them was a diet change.

 

One never knows until you try. Consult a naturopathic vet or holistic vet or whatever they may be termed. You get the idea.

[moosikins]

Playing the devil's advocate: Not sure I get your logic. If her current diet is part of the problem, why keep feeding it to her? She will just continue to be miserable. One has to consider if you are 'stressing her out even more' by keeping her on her current diet.

 

Sorry, but I have been reading too much lately about how much nutrition can cause symptoms attributed to certain diseases so my mind rapidly moves in that direction. Sometimes people (not dogs in the examples I have been reading about, but I don't see why the same theories can not be applied to dogs) will be treated for YEARS for certain disease states (allergies being one of them), when all it took to cure them was a diet change.

 

One never knows until you try. Consult a naturopathic vet or holistic vet or whatever they may be termed. You get the idea.

We tried to switch her food last week when she first started gnawing on her paws and she had tummy trouble. Even though we tried the gradual approach, the combination of her rejecting the food after the initial bowl (she snarfed one bowl of 3/4 old and 1/4 new food before realizing something was different, I think) and the fact that her allergy symptoms got so much worse quickly made us think it wasn't a good idea to have so much going on at once. We tried to give her a tiny bit of the new kibble again over the weekend after she was done with her chicken and white rice diet and she absolutely refused to even look at it (she side-eyed the bowl like it was poisoned or something) and we opted to just give her a little bit of her usual kibble.

 

We discussed with the vet on Monday afternoon after our rough weekend and she agreed that new baby/household changes, itching like crazy, sore paws, Benydryl, hydrocortisone lotion, and Prednisone all at once is a lot for her to take in. Also, I just returned to work this week so she's alone again for up to 8 hours. It's a whole lot for her to deal with and changing up her food right now would be just another new thing she needs to adjust to.

 

Right now she's eating a little bit of kibble, a little bit of rice, and a little (a little more than a "little") bit of boiled chicken. I also add some Blue Wilderness Duck Stew to her kibble so she gets additional nutrition because she's not eating very much of anything (but what she does eat, she eats happily and willingly).

 

I'm afraid to make any big changes right now because she appears to be improving!

 

ETA: But I agree with you, I've read similar articles and we absolutely NEED to switch her food soon so that we can improve her overall health and see if we can lessen any future allergic response.

[Root Beer]

Unfortunately, I have experience with it.

 

Speedy ended up on Prednisone. And, to take the edge off the Prednisone, he was on Temeril P.

 

Worked great to clear up the allergies.

 

But he started eating everything in sight. I would take him off the meds, or greatly reduce them, and he would stop eating stuff, but the itching would come back. I would increase the meds and the itching would clear up but then he was back at eating strange things.

 

And that didn't end well.

 

I guess we had to do what we had to do. He was eating all the fur on his legs, and he was very, very uncomfortable with the itching. When he was younger, his allergies were well controlled with natural remedies and rinses. Later we went to Hydroxazine, but it got to the point where that didn't even help.

 

Personally, I would avoid Prednisone at almost all costs, but that's because I lost my heart-dog to it - indirectly, anyway.

 

If I had it to do over, I would try to find some kind of veterinary allergy specialist. I'm not sure if such a person exists, but I would have tried.

[gcv-border]

We tried to switch her food last week when she first started gnawing on her paws and she had tummy trouble. Even though we tried the gradual approach, the combination of her rejecting the food after the initial bowl (she snarfed one bowl of 3/4 old and 1/4 new food before realizing something was different, I think) and the fact that her allergy symptoms got so much worse quickly made us think it wasn't a good idea to have so much going on at once. We tried to give her a tiny bit of the new kibble again over the weekend after she was done with her chicken and white rice diet and she absolutely refused to even look at it (she side-eyed the bowl like it was poisoned or something) and we opted to just give her a little bit of her usual kibble.

 

We discussed with the vet on Monday afternoon after our rough weekend and she agreed that new baby/household changes, itching like crazy, sore paws, Benydryl, hydrocortisone lotion, and Prednisone all at once is a lot for her to take in. Also, I just returned to work this week so she's alone again for up to 8 hours. It's a whole lot for her to deal with and changing up her food right now would be just another new thing she needs to adjust to.

 

Right now she's eating a little bit of kibble, a little bit of rice, and a little (a little more than a "little") bit of boiled chicken. I also add some Blue Wilderness Duck Stew to her kibble so she gets additional nutrition because she's not eating very much of anything (but what she does eat, she eats happily and willingly).

 

I'm afraid to make any big changes right now because she appears to be improving!

 

ETA: But I agree with you, I've read similar articles and we absolutely NEED to switch her food soon so that we can improve her overall health and see if we can lessen any future allergic response.

[moosikins]

Thanks for all of the suggestions and comments, folks! I'll come back and post an update once there's anything new to share. I really hope the improvement continues because between the negative comments here regarding the prednisone and the research I've done, I'm not willing to let her take it for more than a week or two at most.

[gcv-border]

We tried to switch her food last week when she first started gnawing on her paws and she had tummy trouble. Even though we tried the gradual approach, the combination of her rejecting the food after the initial bowl (she snarfed one bowl of 3/4 old and 1/4 new food before realizing something was different, I think) and the fact that her allergy symptoms got so much worse quickly made us think it wasn't a good idea to have so much going on at once. We tried to give her a tiny bit of the new kibble again over the weekend after she was done with her chicken and white rice diet and she absolutely refused to even look at it (she side-eyed the bowl like it was poisoned or something) and we opted to just give her a little bit of her usual kibble.

 

We discussed with the vet on Monday afternoon after our rough weekend and she agreed that new baby/household changes, itching like crazy, sore paws, Benydryl, hydrocortisone lotion, and Prednisone all at once is a lot for her to take in. Also, I just returned to work this week so she's alone again for up to 8 hours. It's a whole lot for her to deal with and changing up her food right now would be just another new thing she needs to adjust to.

 

Right now she's eating a little bit of kibble, a little bit of rice, and a little (a little more than a "little") bit of boiled chicken. I also add some Blue Wilderness Duck Stew to her kibble so she gets additional nutrition because she's not eating very much of anything (but what she does eat, she eats happily and willingly).

 

I'm afraid to make any big changes right now because she appears to be improving!

 

ETA: But I agree with you, I've read similar articles and we absolutely NEED to switch her food soon so that we can improve her overall health and see if we can lessen any future allergic response.

Sorry for the double post.

If she is doing much better on the kibble, rice and boiled chicken, I am not sure I would try to get her back on the kibble alone. Ask your vet how long she can go on the blander diet you are currently using to stabilize her. Also, if you are worried about nutrition, I see nothing wrong with removing kibble altogether if she is doing better on rice, boiled chicken and canned food (BW Duck Stew?). Maybe she knows that eating kibble makes her tummy hurt?

 

Just musing. I love this detective work stuff - as long as it isn't MY dog.

 

Hoping for the best for Callie.

[Alfreda]

Hi- I don't know if this will be helpful to you and maybe others will correct me:
I had a BC with seasonally itchy skin- (feet chewing, armpits scratching and sides) He was diagnosed by vet dermatologist with ectopic allergies- (meaning seasonal, inhalant -like hay fever in people). I thought the vet told me that food allergies rarely cause itchy skin in dogs, but inhalant allergens do...?

 

Vet told me to give high doses of benadryl and fish oil, which I did. Vet also said it was likely to get worse with age. Instead, it actually declined and all but disappeared as he aged. (Ironically, recent research has apparently shown that Benedryl isn't very effective in dogs (?) but other anti-histamines are...?)

 

So maybe it wasn't the benedryl that I used seasonally. Maybe it was the daily high omega-3s does, which he had all his life... (I also rinsed the dust/pollen off him every day seasonally...around here it may have been ragweed....?)

 

My understanding about food allergies is that you'd be better off going with a limited ingredient food to eliminate possible culprits --NOT something as rich and problematic as Blue Buffalo (vets report LOTs of diarrhea dogs on that)- JME

[Maralynn]

A veterinary dermatologist would be the specialist where allergies are concerned.

 

Also, thing like rinsing her feet off/wiping her coat down when coming in from outside can cut down on the allergens that she carries around with her.

 

I'll echo the comment on Blue Buffalo. I've heard of enough issues with the food that I'd try something different personally.

[GentleLake]

I see nothing wrong with removing kibble altogether if she is doing better on rice, boiled chicken and canned food (BW Duck Stew?).

 

A diet of rice and boiled chicken is going to be nutritionally inadequate. For one thing, where's the calcium? And there'll be so much more missing.

 

Adding canned food's great, but to be nutritionally adequate it would have to be the bulk of her diet with the rice and chicken being a very small portion.

[gcv-border]

A diet of rice and boiled chicken is going to be nutritionally inadequate. For one thing, where's the calcium? And there'll be so much more missing.

 

Adding canned food's great, but to be nutritionally adequate it would have to be the bulk of her diet with the rice and chicken being a very small portion.

I wasn't recommending the rice and chicken diet as a lifetime diet. I see nothing wrong with the bland diet until Calllie improves/stabilizes - but since no one knows how long that will be, that is why I suggested that moosikins consult with her vet as to how long a dog would be OK on the blander diet. And yes, the idea was that the canned food would add 'nutrition' to the rice and chicken, and the amount of canned could be increased over time

 

I am also wondering about ulcers. (not for the skin issues, but because Callie turned away from her food). She is probably feeling really crappy and does not want to eat, but I have seen ulcers cause the same symptom in some animals.

[Blackdawgs]

I have much experience with allergies. The dog is now 14. I haven't given her systemic steroids since she was a puppy. I use a steroid spray (limited absorption) as needed.

 

Bottom line is that you need a board certified dermatologist.

 

One of the best things that you can do for these dogs is bath frequently (daily, at least, and plain water is fine).