Posted on 09/11/2010 1:25:26 PM PDT by JoeProBono
1st off, surely you got a list of things she tested allergic to (atopic dermatitis, as opposed to food allergy). There are some 66 things they test for and my vet always gave me copies of these sheets with all the items and their ratings. So I’d imagine if there are only a few, you can look up the plants on line yourself. Not all the tests are weeds, BTW. And they also include insects, etc.
Belly and genital/anal area is VERY common for allergies, as well as ears and feet. You might also have her infected - that is the big issue with allergies. She basically can hurt herself scratching, and thus let in infections, which further itch and continue the cycle.
My dog is food allergic (she is vegetarian as a result), very much so, and has allergies to TONS of things that are mostly outdoor-oriented. She has been this way since DAY ONE (not the standard showed-up-by-2yr).
Tara has been through food trials, and tons of antihistamines and antibiotics (for infections) and Atopica and serum dosages for elephants. Right now she (8yo now) gets steroids along with Cypro, vegetarian meals only, serum shots weekly and medicated baths weekly. We ensure AMAP she doesn’t get wet in rain, wipe her off if wet, have her wear coats against the wet, etc.
Make sure your baths are MEDICATED as recommended by a vet, not standard shampoos or even “oatmeal” which is OK, but not always helpful for allergic dogs.
More later if you have more questions - I need to go to bed!
She gets a fungus type infection between her toes but I have a cream that takes care of that. A little on the back of the legs mostly up around her rectum and underneath her tail. It is a soapless shampoo from the vet, very mild. I bathe her often because she stinks if I don;t. The ears are better I am able to control that with an otic flush and ear cream. it is the belly, vaginal area and rectal area that she scrubs on the grass and of course that makes it worse. But it itches her or she wouldn’t be scrubbing it on the grass. It is maddening!
You mentioned some weed that you couldn’t eradicate because you didn’t know what it looked like, do you recall thename of it.
Being at least somewhat centered aroud the rectal and vaginal area sendsme back to wondering about internal matters. has anyone ever suggested a probiotic? Something’s lurking around in memory about that and external manifestations, fungal, bacterial and yeast infections.
I’ll see if there’s anything in my bookmarks, bit I’m fading, worked 12 hours today, after midnighton the east coast.
I’ll post another reply in the morning, good night.
I am getting a little weary myself, thank you so much for your kind replies.
You're unfamiliar with probiotics, which actually can be beneficial with external skin eruptions, rashes and allergies. What a probiotic does is reestablish beneficial bacteria in the gut. Live culture yogurt does this, there are pills and powders formulated specifically for dogs available at any of the larger pet store chains for minimal expense.
Here's a link to a site selling their own, rather pricey formulation but it's got some good top-line information:
Run the keywords probiotic, skin and allergies through your search engine of choice and you'll get more useful information than you can read in a day.
I've used the basic probiotic pills from Petsmart, inexpensive and very helpful with aged, ill or stressed out dogs. I recommend it highly regardless of whether it actually ends up helping your Cookie's unfortunate condition.
Another thing that could be very helpful would be Omega 3 fatty acids. Numerous benefits above and beyond skin and coat issues. Hit the search engine with omega 3, skin and allergies again for a wealth of info. I haven't had much luck with the gelcaps, mine respond better to liquid. I've purchased a very pure Omega 3 from a website called “Ask Dr. Ariel” that is naturally lemon flavored and very mild, dispensed with a mouth syringe. They actually beg for it now, a little skittish at first lol. Joint pain and such is another condition that omegas, specifically 3, can be helpful for.
I'm tempted to think there's some separation anxiety with Cookie for some reason. May be tough to tell, Jacks are go-go-go wide open and energetic anyway, but if so you may want to seek out an holistic vet for advice.
Laugh if you want but acupuncture has helped several of my dogs and isn't nearly as expensive as a visit to a conventional vet.
There are a few herbal solutions for calming a dog down, “Animal Rescue” is the one I've used with noticeable effect, even tried it myself. No explanation for the why, placebo effect or what, but it even helped me, no recognizable “science” behind it though. Pretty cheap, worth a try.
The odor suggests a secondary infection of some kind, so a gentle antimicrobial of some sort, especially re-hydrating with oils might be in order.
As far as immune function overall, having a weepy, itchy rash for so long has to have knocked her for a loop. It could go toward needing immune support, in which case there are numerous fairly inexpensive products that can help. I use pills with brewer's yeast and garlic, the dogs love them and think they're treats, and it keeps fleas down to a bare minimum on its own. Garlic in dogs is somewhat controversial. Do a search and you'll see everything from people who view it as a panacea for anything that ails a dog, to people who say it's related to onion and will eventually cause renal failure. I've got a 17 year old lab and she's had them for over half her life, and a large male lab who lived to nearly 15, so I'm doubtful of the more severe claims based upon personal experience.
On the other hand, there could be autoimmune issues, as many allergies often are due to an excessive immune response to foreign matter, whether inhaled or external on the skin. So-called “immune modulators” are around for dogs that could be helpful, primarily medicinal mushrooms in pill form, cordyceps, etcetera. I've used this with the male lab I mentioned, he developed cancer in the last two years of his life, and this was helpful. Brand I used was from Aloha Medicinals, named K-9 Immunity with Transfer Factor. Sort of pricey. It's available from other sources for a lower price, maybe not as well researched and documented.
Some people get carried away with all the alternatives to traditional veterinary medicine, and start advocating avoidance of it. This is wrong and harmful to a dog, imho. There's a role for both. Jump on your favorite search engine and find out what can be of benefit, don't just take my word for it. Make an informed decision for Cookie, you're her advocate here.
So, there are a lot of unexplored avenues that could provide some relief.
My brother is a vet and he sent me to the dermatologist. That didn't help so he sent me to another vet who prescribed the Temeral P. That worked great for a while. Now I am at my wits ends and hesitate to ask my brother again for help. Thanks again, I'll go to Petsmart.
We had a similar issue with my dog. Vet couldn’t figure it out. We ended up through our own research eliminating beef and beef products. Within 2 days, the symptoms disappeared.
Good luck!
Thanks, I have allergies myself and a lot of what I have discovered has been through trial an error.
The Omega 3 liquid I use is available here:
http://askariel.com/product_details.asp?ItemID=omegas
It’s not exactly cheap, there are far cheaper alternatives that may work as well, but a bottle lasts a long time and the dogs have done well with it.
Went and looked at the label of the herbal solution for anxiety in dogs, my mistake, it’s actually called “Rescue Remedy.” Widely available, should cost less than $15.00 for a bottle. There’s a more elaborate one that’s well regarded called “Calm Down” too.
I saw the most unbelievable thing while at Petsmart. There is a doggie rescue event going on and I watched the woman in charge trying to get a family with 4 children under 10 to take a dog home and try it. The dog was an adult pitt cross or maybe all pitt. Poor dog was thin as a rail, obviously hasn't been cared for, didn't see any scars. One of their little girls about 4 was afraid of the dog and I heard the father say she had been attacked by their last dog. The mother was really wanting the dog, the kids didn't and the father was non committal.
I know this is going to bring the pitt lovers out of the woodwork to attack me but I think it looked like a really bad idea.
There are too many people who don’t understand animals and “want” them for all the wrong reasons. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, such a rescued dog is going to have issues to overcome, putting her in the hands of people who not only have no idea but apparently don’t care ... well, hope for the best. Some say any home is better than none. If it’s all the dog has ever known and the alternative is death, I’d be prone to agree with a few qualifications regarding severe neglect and/or abuse.
Keep us posted on Cookie’s progress. Speaking of hope, I’m hoping this turns out to be an answer to her problems.
There are several out there. There’s a difference between “bedtime tonics” to encourage sleep and those intended for anxiety disorders though.
Did you click the link? It is dog humor.
Oh, duh. You got me, old Saturday Night Live skit. I vaguely remember it, puppy uppers and doggie downers, lol.
Please, please note that indeed, belly and anal area is VERY common for allergies (atopic as well as food).
Most common areas: anal, feet, ears - and belly.
My dog focuses on those, but itches all over. She is “intractable”, just about - the worst case my derm ever knew, as he says. She is beautiful despite all this, but very itchy and hard to contain. She has food as well as multiple atopic problems. Of course, she is so bad that likely few things work for her that may for “normal” allergic dogs, but she has been through the wringer (including suffering intestinal problems because of the Atopica medicine she had in elephant doses) as few ever are.
Also note, that often things that might help you will not be visible for months (such as food changes). Be patient; you can’t expect instant change. Additionally - allergies can change. They can switch, or add, or intensify - or lessen. Sometimes this is why things work for a while but not permanently.
Also, my dog was checked for thyroid problems. You might ask if they have checked her thyroid levels.
As you probably read, I have changed her food and started her on probiotics and omega 3 as well. I know it might take some time before any improvement shows up.
I changed food several months ago to one of the grocery store brands that was easy for me to get and that may be the reason she has gotten so bad of late.
Thank you again for your kind reply.
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