Author Topic: Allergy Again? (Read 5378 times)

Dianna · « **on:** Oct 25, 2009, 11:14:33 PM »

Angel has been scratching so much lately that she is losing her hair in spots. I spoke with the vet about it the other day and he said it could be the change in the weather and gave me some hydrocortisone cream to relieve the itching. I am wondering how I am supposed to keep her from licking it off...

Anyone have any suggestions to relieve the itching that doesn't involve something she may lick off? Benadryl, maybe?

Is there a natural remedy to help? I used apple cider vinegar on her "hot spot" that time and it worked to kill the fungus that caused it...

Tina · « **Reply #1 on:** Oct 25, 2009, 11:25:05 PM »

I had a foster dog that I cared for with a lot of itchy allergy problems. They finally found out it was a chicken allergy. When they fed her food that didn't contain any chicken or chicken by-products, she quit scratching. 10 years but it was getting worse as she aged. Just a thought. I read up and it turns out it isn't an unusual allergy for dogs.
Have you tried changing her diet at all?

Dianna · « **Reply #2 on:** Oct 25, 2009, 11:46:25 PM »

Thanks, Tina. I hadn't even thought about that since it is something she has been eating, but more of it...

She had a problem before with some kibble that we were feeding her at one time. It was resolved. I am wondering if she may have developed an allergy to her beef canned food now. Is beef a common allergy problem?

She eats a half can of Alpo (prime slices) every night for supper. We keep kibble down all the time for her. Recently we quit buying the chicken Alpo because she seems to prefer the beef and will eat it better. We were giving her chicken and beef, and now we are just giving her beef. Could that be the reason?

It is sad to see her scratching so much that she is losing her hair in spots...

I want to give her some Benadryl, but an not sure how much to give her. All I have is the liquid. Any clues to the dosage for liquid? I googled, but all I can find are the "pay by credit card" sites to get an answer...

barleychown · « **Reply #3 on:** Oct 26, 2009, 01:03:59 AM »

Benadryl is most often used to sedate dogs, not treat an allergy problem. I know it only takes one tiny pill to knock a great dane out.

The most common food allergies are corn and wheat, in any form. Read the ingredient list on the alpo...I would be that is where your problem lies.

Dianna · « **Reply #4 on:** Oct 26, 2009, 07:34:47 AM »

Thanks, Sarah, but I gave her 1/2 tsp of Benadryl last night. It calmed the itchies down and she slept really well.

I am using it to treat the itchies. I know it is an allergy to something that is causing the scratching. I have a friend that has to give her furbaby Benadryl regularly because of itching.

There is no way that I would give Angel a whole pill. I want her to wake up after she has been asleep for awhile...

When Angel first started having food allergies when she was a pup, I read labels all the time. The only thing that has changed in her diet is that she is getting straight beef at supper now, instead of every other night. This diet change has been about a month now, so it fits in with the scratching problem. The canned Alpo has some wheat gluten in it, both the chicken and the beef, in the same position on the list of ingredients. I cannot understand why the beef would make her itch and not the chicken...

I am assuming that the antibiotic that the vet had her on for about a month is not the problem since she is no longer taking it and is still scratching. I did bring her scratching up with him last week, and he seems to think that the weather change could be doing it. I am switching her back to chicken today, so if that doesn't help, she will be going back to the doctor

...

I have started swabbing her spots down with apple cider vinegar in case it is a fungul thing. It worked for the last hot spot she had. She smells like a pickled puppy...

Bonnie · « **Reply #5 on:** Oct 26, 2009, 09:12:46 AM »

Bunny had alergies really bad and the vet told me to give her benadryl, If I were you I would call the vet and see what he says.

Dianna · « **Reply #6 on:** Oct 26, 2009, 09:26:30 AM »

I forgot about Bunny and her allergies, Aunt Bonnie...

I will be calling the vet as soon as my phone charges up. I wanna know how much to give her until I get her started back on the chicken and get the beef out of her system...

Like Sarah said, allergies aren't usually treated by giving Benadryl. The allergy can't be treated until we know what it is. The itching can be treated with the Benadryl, though...

bayou girl · « **Reply #7 on:** Oct 26, 2009, 08:37:25 PM »

our vet had us give our pom baby benadryl. half a teaspoon full. for itching.

it could be the wheat, could be the beef. could be corn if there is corn in the kibble. corn is a major food allergy for a lot of dogs. i've had 2 with corn allergies.

Dianna · « **Reply #8 on:** Oct 26, 2009, 11:15:10 PM »

I've given Angel her medicine (1/2 tsp) and she is in her little bed next to me snoring away...

Corn really got to her when she was a baby puppy, Jennifer. Her kibble has corn in it now, but she does well with it now that she is a grown puppy.

I really think it is the beef...

Wrennie · « **Reply #9 on:** Oct 27, 2009, 10:05:41 AM »

I know of alot of dogs that have wheat allergies. You may want to try a rice based kibble. The gluten in the canned food could be affecting her. Is there a canned food without wheat gluten?

Dianna · « **Reply #10 on:** Nov 03, 2009, 05:28:46 PM »

I have changed my mind and think the corn has her biting her own butt with the allergies again.

The chicken I started serving her was ignored for the most part, but she kept scratching, even though I quit feeding her the beef.

She just ate more kibble.

Thinking it has got to be the kibble, while out today I went to the feed store and picked her up some high quality kibble (Natural Balance Allergy Formula) which is grain-free. It is made with venison, sweet potato, etc...

Now for the challenge to switch her off the kibble that she likes and onto the kibble that is better for her. She doesn't do change well. I hope that she will finally accept the new and quit her scratching. It hurts my heart to see her in such misery from itching all the time...

When I got home today, I tried to "treat" her with it, but she turned her little royal nose up at it and gave me one of those "who do you think you are fooling" looks...

Wish me luck, please!

Tina · « **Reply #11 on:** Nov 03, 2009, 07:42:41 PM »

If that is all you offer her, she will eat it eventually. I know you plan on mixing it but that won't tell you if the old is the problem until the switch is complete and it is out of her system.

Dianna · « **Reply #12 on:** Nov 03, 2009, 07:56:49 PM »

Tina, it is not a worry to just stop feeding her the other thinking that she might starve herself. I am worried that the change in diet, if not done gradually, will end up upsetting her tummy and I will have to chase her around with the steam cleaner.

I did enough of that until we started putting up the gate in our bedroom door at night to separate her from the rest of the house because we don't like to close the door...

She hasn't had an accident in our room yet!

barleychown · « **Reply #13 on:** Nov 03, 2009, 08:32:56 PM »

When we changed, Abby was a LOT reluctant, not just a bit.

We found that by just dusting her food with parmesan cheese, she would eat it all...both new AND old. My therory is that the cheese is so strong, both in smell AND taste, that they can't really tell the difference in food. We call them the "magic sprinkles".

Tina · « **Reply #14 on:** Nov 03, 2009, 09:08:01 PM »

What a great idea, Sarah.

Dianna · « **Reply #15 on:** Nov 03, 2009, 09:28:42 PM »

That is a fantastic idea if it works!

What if Angel doesn't like parmesan?

sunsoaker · « **Reply #16 on:** Nov 03, 2009, 10:31:02 PM »

I not yet met a dog that didn't like cheese.

johnnie · « **Reply #17 on:** Nov 04, 2009, 02:54:47 AM »

Can you get hydrocortisone as a spray there rather than cream it dries fairly quickly and does a good job at relieving the itching. I have some for Cassie for one of her ear flaps.
To be honest I don't think she would want to be ingesting the cream.

Dianna · « **Reply #18 on:** Nov 05, 2009, 10:37:32 PM »

Johnnie, I didn't know you could buy hydrocortisone as a spray. I will be looking for it...

Sarah, the parmesan cheese trick worked!

Of course I acted like I was eating the food first out of her bowl. That really made her want it...

Thank you all for your advice on my little itching baby. Hopefully, I will have something good to report about her not itching soon...

bayou girl · « **Reply #19 on:** Nov 05, 2009, 11:00:14 PM »

i hope so!

barleychown · « **Reply #20 on:** Nov 06, 2009, 10:01:02 AM »

I'm so glad the parmesan helped.

It's a well known trick in great dane circles...for being so big, they sure are finicky!

It can take up to 6 weeks for the allergens to finally stop causing symptoms. When I worked at the feed store we always told peolpe they would see some change in the first two weeks, but to finish the bag before making any decisions.

I will say that there are dogs who just never do start liking the venison based foods. In that case there are multiple other options.

Dianna · « **Reply #21 on:** Nov 06, 2009, 10:05:53 AM »

Finish the bag?

It will take Angel a month to get that five pound bag eaten.

For some reason she eats most of her kibble while I am in the bathtub or Jim is in the shower. She doesn't eat a whole lot. Of course she only weighs 10 pounds so she is a small dog...

I was itching right along with her last night as I had eaten stewed tomatoes for supper. I wish I weren't allergic to them...

barleychown · « **Reply #22 on:** Nov 06, 2009, 10:25:28 AM »

A month is about right.

Kricket, back when she was an only dog, use to wait until about 2am to eat kibble. It was like she was waiting until she was CERTAIN no better offer would come along.

Dianna · « **Reply #23 on:** Nov 06, 2009, 10:32:17 AM »

Funny how even furbabies have their own idiosyncrasies, isn't it?

barleychown · « **Reply #24 on:** Nov 06, 2009, 10:36:28 AM »

It is. Two of three of mine won't touch venison...even fresh.

They all will eat lamb, but it doesn't like them. It's crazy how many choices there are now days!

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Author Topic: Allergy Again? (Read 5378 times)

johnnie