encorebilly

3 yr. old female has allergies which causes lots of discomfort.She is allergic to tree pollen,grass and weeds,grain storage mites and more.Have tried everything,no help.She has been tested syrum treatments no help she could not take the shots without sever reactions.tried several diff. foods over 3 yrs.Fish oil antihestimines,steriods external and pills,slight help for short period.
Dog is miserable and have no idea where to go from here,can't stand for her to suffer much longer.
Seen several vets that are knowlegable about the allergies no help.
Any other ideas,or should I consider putting her down?

RedAngel

Oh my goodness! Please do not consider putting her down! I'm probably no help here..but have you looked into natural remedies for her allergies? Not even sure if they have any for dogs..but they have them for people, so why not? It's worth looking into maybe...there has to be something out there to help her. So sorry she is so miserable..

Sam1491

At my work we use low level lasering, homeopathic medicine as well as steroids and antibiotics and medicated shampoos and sprays, and allergy vaccines and prescription diets, all dependent on what the dog needs.

Allergies are tricky, has her allergy vaccine ever been adjusted? If results aren't being seen then something is more than likely off with the dosage and combination, sometimes they work with the first combination of pollens and allergens and other times they need some fine tuning, every dog is different.

What foods has she been tried on?
how did they perform/which method did they use to do her allergy test?

Please don't put her down just for allergies, they can be very difficult yes, but time and patience generally tend to pay off!

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"The Red Devil Diva" & Her Shamelessly Obedient Human

DobieGal15

Board Certified Veterinary Dermatologist would be the first place if it were me. Allergies are very frustrating; just please be patient and continue to fight the fight with and for your kid

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DogsR4Life

Try feeding her RAW. I've heard nothing but good, especially with dogs that have allergies.

How severe are her symptoms? Are they mild like: runny eyes/nose, sneezing, rashes, itchy ears/? Or severe like: trouble breathing, breaking out in hives, facial swelling, vomiting, diarrhea?

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EmilyB

Having gone through severe allergies with my girl, I know how horrible it is to watch them.

I also saw three different vets, supposedly knowledgeable about allergies, and each time basically started over from scratch. I certainly didn't want her on steroids for a long period of time, and for a while we coasted on Atopica, which worked quite well but was very expensive.

I finally asked for a referral to a dermatologist who did skin testing and we went to allergy shots for roughly a year to build up her resistance. After this, she has had no problems. No more itchiness rated at an 11/10.

What a relief. I hope you can find a solution and no, that's not putting the dog down.

melbrod

Kip sees a dermatologist for his allergies--get shots, antihistamines, antibiotics from time to time--not with the problems you describe, but with somewhat incomplete results too. I do think you would be better off to consult with a dermatologist, if only to be sure you have done EVERYTHING that can be done for her, and be as comfortable as you can be with whatever decision you have to make.


Just a few things we do that you didn't mention:

A couple of topicals you could try, if you haven't already--Allerderm spot-on, Duoxo Chlorhexidine spray on, Douxo Calm Micro-emulsion spray on--I think they may all be prescription, but they certainly work with Kip (as a part of his treatment) to ease the itching and to bring more health to his skin. My vet said that they used to think the dog itches, and then scratches irritating the skin, and then itches more, and scratches more and so on--now I guess they are determining that the cracked and irritated skin comes first and if they can treat that, they have a head start on keeping the skin from getting in even worse shape. I'm not sure if these meds can be applied over open sores, however.

You should also use hypoallergenic baby wipes and wipe off her coat and feet whenever she comes in from outside or is in contact with things you know bother her. If you're feeding dry food, don't store it in containers unless you are practically sterilizing them in-between bags, because storage mites love the little crumbs of food that are left over in a container when you add a new bag. Just keep the food in the bag it comes in and throw it out when you go to a new one. If she has been getting antihistamines for the bacterial infections that are common with allergies, she should be tested for resistant bacterial like MRSA (stands for something like multiply resistant Staph Aureus). She may need special antibiotics that are aimed at the specific infection that she has, and may also need to take these antibiotics for a month or more to make sure they get rid of ALL the infection.

There are also a couple of mental health type drugs (doxepin is one) you could try if you feel she is ripping at her skin or opening lick sores in an obsessive way--some of those even have a little antihistamine action so you get more bang for your buck, so to speak.

Apparently different dogs respond to different antihistamines, and not at all to others. It is a matter of trial and error to find out which will work with your dog. If you are giving antihistamines, some of them can be given in combination with others too. The dosages for a doberman are roughly twice what is listed on the bottle for people--but you need to ask your doctor about all that if he hasn't told you already.

Allergy treatment is a big bother, and expensive, but I think you should be able to find something that you can afford that will give your dog enough relief. Good luck!!

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Bobbi1

Our Red male dobe has very similar problems. Vet recommended Vetri-Science Derma Strength Soft Chews and Vetri-Mega Probiotics and omg what a world of difference. He's doing so good now. Please give it a try.

kpal4978

I do not mean to hijack this thread, just a quick question... I notice most, if not all, of you have red dobes. Are allergies like this common only in reds, or do black dogs also have common allergy issues?

Rouleaux

Any dog can have allergies- some are seasonal depending on region. Some dogs are more sensitive (i.e. white dogs with brown feet or red irritated skin). I have heard that the dilutions are more prone to skin "issues" and sensitivity.

I would strongly consider, if you have not already done so, going straight to a dermatologist for a consult.

Have you talked to your vet?

I see that a few of the previous posts mentioned holistic methods, which are great, but have you spoken to your vet about Atopica? It is a bit pricey as stated above, but some companies do help their customers with rebates and such. I have even heard of potentially tapering down on the dose in some cases, after a while of use and desired effect. It is at worth a try.

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Rouleaux

Brown feet from chewing and red irritated skin from rubbing and scratching or sensitivity to topical products and shampoos.

Have you tried Hypoallergenic baths?

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Sam1491

Through work, I personally have seen more reds than blacks with allergies/skin issues (zits, demodex, etc..) but have been informed that over the years of seeing them (by my boss) that it really has never swung more one way than the other.

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"The Red Devil Diva" & Her Shamelessly Obedient Human

stryker2

Try a Raw diet.