Dog Skin Allergies...HELP! (allergic, terrier, bites, vet)

[cynthia007]

Hi!

My small jack russell/rat terrier mix dog has developed skin irritations under her arms, in her ears, and on her tummy. We took her to the vet who has given her two separate cortizone (?) injections that work fabulously, only to have the rash return again. We have changed her food to an "allergy free" type, and are not giving her any people food at all...or anything else, even rawhide bones. We also may start her on a daily allergy tablet. Any other ideas or suggestions? I feel so badly for her. When she starts itching again, it's almost like I'm getting itchy again!

Thanks,

Zoey's Mom

[TomSD]

Have you thought to change out her bedding, maybe try a new detergent? To try and narrow it down restrict her to one room that you've cleaned and removed as many possible allergy sources (rugs, towels, bedding, plants, etc) and see if it starts to clear.

Harper is going to be the same I think. He is lab/sharpei mix and apparently has a couple allergies. First it was the new area rugs I got. They broke him out in hives something fierce. Ended up getting him a shot to clear them up and they didn't come back after I pulled the rugs.

I've had other minor incidents so I know there are other sources but we're working on it.

[yukiko11]

I had a St Bernard who had terrible skin allergies. They were so bad we had to shave her which I would never do to a dog unless I absolutely had to. In addition to regular bathing, I was advised to stop using the sprinkle stuff you use on your carpets to cover up pet odors. That did the trick. I don't know all of the ingredients or what she was allergic to because I could not afford to persue it. If you use those products, you may want to try eliminating their use and vacuuming every day for a couple of weeks to be sure they are all gone. I exchanged the sprinkle for a product called Super CD which came in a small bottle and needed to be applied as one drop in each corner of the room to neutralize pet odors.
Hope this helps.

[Viralmd]

One thing you can do, especially in consultation with a veterinary allergist/immunologist, is a food elimination diet. Simply, this means NOT feeding one major food (wheat, corn, beef, lamb, chicken, etc.) and seeing what happens. MOST grocery store foods contain corn, which is NOT digested by dogs and can be related to allergies. But corn isn't the only potential problem: my parents' dog can't eat any beef products.

This means you have to read all your dog food labels carefully! You can start out with a duck/potato dog food and seeing how your dog does. If that's OK, you've found a solution (not your answer, but a solution!).

The alternative is asking for allergy testing from the allergist/immunologist.

[steelstress]

What WERE you feeding, and what are you feeding NOW? Which formulas? When did yo switch, and have you noticed a difference since then?

We really need more information.

[Mearth]

My vet thought my dog had a skin allergy to grass.

After the oral antihistamines seemed to make no difference, and consulting with my trainer, it seems the real culprit is regular bites from black flies.

Annoying yes, but not a true allergy.

[CoastalMaine]

I had an American Staffordshire Bull Terrier and he would break out in hives head to foot when he got into the stinging nettles in my backyard. He had to have prednisone shots and also had to be on Benadryl to keep him calmed down til they cleared up, usually within a day or two. Have you checked your yard for something that could be irritating him?

[LookinForMayberry]

We experienced a similar story with our female Lhasa, and after months of trying all the wrong stuff, we discovered she had a skin fungus. If we looked closely at her skin, we could actually see small black dots that we'd thought were just discolorations in her skin!

The vet didn't find this, it took the big bucks with the dermatologist. He gave us the preliminary diagnosis when he walked into the room, claiming he could smell it. (We could not, and she is bathed twice monthly.) Of course, he then proved his belief with an exam and testing.

It was worst in her ears and underarms.

Anyway, we had to give her Otomax in her ears, and bathe her every 2-3 days with Nizoral or tar shampoo -- ten minute soaks before rinsing. I think there were pills, too, but don't recall.

We had two recurrences, and since then only occasionally in her ears.

If it hasn't happened, have the vet perform a skin test by scraping the places she's itched. As I recall, it took a couple of days.

[cynthia007]

Thank you so much everyone, for good suggestions and thoughts. We have had her on a salmon/sweet potato based food. No corn or wheat. We also have been a stickler about her eating anything at all except her food. We mostly have wood floors with only two area rugs. I have used fe-breeze on the floor, but only occasionally and nothing else.

We live in Kentucky, and some people have suggested that the grass/mold/pollen problem that affects so many people may also be what is causing Zoey's allergies. I may end up just paying big bucks to see a vet/derm if it doesn't go away. I never even knew their were vet specialists for animals!

In any case, I appreciate every bit of time you took to respond. Thanks again.

[Viralmd]

By the way, one of my best friends, who is a vet, told me that MANY dogs develop allergies to fish. So you might want to re-think the diet you've got her on.