Allergies

[Cheri McDonald]

Well after three bags of expensive ZD allergy diet, Rob and Briar are both once again itching like crazy. So it can't be food allergies. Can dogs get spring allergies like people? They are not sneezing just red and itchy. I hate to have them get another allergy shot, but I also hate seeing them so miserable.

 

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[BigD]

I think they can as Buddy will get the red bumps on what seems to be a seasonal basis. No change in food, exercise, etc. And it seems to happen around the time the coats start to shed out - so I wonder if that has anything to do with it.

 

Have you recently fertilized the yard, sprayed for bugs on plants, in the house? Cleaned the floor and did not rinse with clean water? Washed beds, dog bowls, food bowls? Went swimming, or got a bath? Did any spring cleaning within a month or so of the redness coming in? If so - I bet that had something to do with it.

 

Where is the redness? My vet said that - tail side = fleas, paws, and chest/stomach is contact allergy, topside = food/diet. I dont' know if that's true, but there ya go.

 

Good luck! It's no fun.

 

Denise

[Cheri McDonald]

Thanks Denise:

 

It is chest and tummy on both of them. We have not sprayed anything in the yard because I won't allow it. No major cleaning that we don't normally do weekly and I'm a freak in the house when it come to chemicals too. We did go camping two weeks ago but we have been there before too. No baths for them, just a rinse with water when we got home from camping.

 

I just find it strange that it is both of them at the same time.

[BigD]

It may be from camping - maybe something was sprayed out there. OR the spring grass/flowers/pollen got to them. Had it been a while since the camping supplies came out? Maybe there was some mildew in the tent or something like that. Could have been some sort of animal that came through the place with something that set them off. Especially since it paws and stomach.

 

Do you have a good hypoallergenic shampoo for them? I've been fighting with this itchy thing for 2 years and found that a good, good shampoo (I use Solid Gold, sensitive skin) with a good hour long rinse helps A LOT to control it.

 

No allergy shots. But a teaspon of Benydryl when things are super bad helps. Also - exercise seems to keep Buddy's mind off of the itching. He gets tired and sleeps.

 

I'm thinking they got into something out at the camp and the rinse wasn't enough to get it off and now they may be scrathing/chewing out of habit....you know how they do that.

 

Good luck!

 

Hope some of this will help!

 

Denise

[emmetteabrakai]

Cheri,

Sounds like it is a contact allergy most likly. I grew up in orange co. Nohl Ranch near what is now Anaheim Hills. I don't know where you go camping but the scrubby underbrush out west could be a source of irritation. But it is curious that both of them are itching at the same time. I don't rememeber if you mentioned if they were related or not. The allergy shots they are giving to you are most likely pred injections or some other steroid. Good for the itch but bad in the long run. My Grayhound has sensitive skin, and when we go out in the tall grass she gets red and itchy. Plus she can't stand any thing landing on her or brushing her when we are out So if it is only on their tummmys and chest it would be where they were in contact with something. Are their feet bothered? It might be worth a call to a Canine Derm. Dr. There are lots in the OC area, maybe they could give you some pointers as to what to eliminate next or what in the environment could be setting them off etc. There is a Dr. here at work who has her dog on a kangaroo and potatoe diet.( comes in a bag no excursions to Australia needed darn ) And that is what finaly got him to stop itching. Something about completly new proteins in the diet. I am not suggesting you go the whole nine yards but it may be worth a few phone calls to see if you can get more info. The long range effects of injectiable steroids can be harmful if that is what the allergy shots are. Also are the dogs indoors? And did this start before you went camping or jsut after? If you can trace when it may have sarted, if they both started at the same time and all that stuff. And have they sprayed for Med Flys lately? it has been 10 years since I have lived in Ca. so I could be somewhat behind the times. Good luck itcy dogs can be such a source of frustration. I had a Doberman for 1o years who kept me on my toes to keep him from being bald.

Andrea D.

[diane allen]

Yep, sounds like contact allergy to me. I have one dog who would get red and slightly itchy (not awful) in the fall. We tend to think of spring as allergy time -- there are more plants blooming in spring, but I think fall plants are more allergy-causing to both dogs and humans!. I took this girl into the vet, rolled her over on her back, the vet rubbed the long hair on her tummy back and forth a few times - and sneezed himself! He too was allergic to fall pollen - and she had enough on her belly, after not being outside for close to a full day, to cause him an "ahhh-choo!"

 

I give a Benedryl or two when it gets bad, but she seems to have gotten better over the years (or maybe I'm trainable and have learned where NOT to go in fall).

 

Warnings about spraying are certainly worth considering, but it seems more likely that its just plant material. Hopefully it was something you'll only run into this once! A good bath should help.

 

diane

[Cheri McDonald]

Thanks for all the help everyone. It did start after camping. They are on a good diet and we washed with an oatmeal shampoo from the vet. Also I will try the Benadryl. NO MORE SHOTS! Things seem to be calming. Rob had some red bumps on his back calves. Used a little neosporan and it has cleared. Must have been something up in the Sierra's!

 

Thanks again.