Best Allergy Treatment

[Ozzy - Courtney]

Good morning all!!

I believe my 5 month old doodle has allergies. She sneezes ALL the time and especially in the mornings when he's just waking up or in the middle of the night. He would even bite at his front paws and paw/rub his eyes. I took him to the vet and he prescribed this medication that safe for puppies and it treats allergies called Chlorpheniramine. He's to take it every 12 hours. The only problem with this is that since I've been giving it to him is that it make him sleepy and he has started to snore.

I'm wondering what other treatment options are out there? I would like to keep him off of medication as much as possible. I haven't taken him to the doggy dermatologist yet. The general vet thinks that he definitely has some environmental allergies. I would just like to know what worked with your doodles?

Thanks for all the help!!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I would strongly recommend that you do see a veterinary dermatologist. It's really the best way to get a solid treatment plan that will address the allergies, and since they get worse as a dog gets older, the sooner you start, the sooner you will find relief for your dog. Allergies cannot be cured, they are a disease of the immune system, and this is the time of year that they are the worst. 

My Jack had skin testing done by a veterinary dermatology specialist back in 2008. He has been on immunotherapy treatment (safest, drug free treatment) ever since, and has done beautifully. He does still sometyimes have very mild symptoms at this time of year (weed pollens) but never needs more than an antihistamine and a topical spray on his feet occasionally, and only Sept-Oct. If you can't do immunotherapy, the only alternative is some type of immuno-suppressant drug (prednisone, cyclosporine, apoquel, etc) and all of those carry the risk of major side effects, including an increased risk of cancer. 

Here's some info: http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/healthandmedicalissues/forum/topi...

And here's a link for the ACVD website to find a dermatology specialist: https://www.acvd.org/tools/locator/locator.asp?ids=16_Find_Dermatol...

[Ozzy - Courtney]

Thank you for all the helpful into. For some reason I was thinking that dogs are just like humans in the aspect of maybe he'll "grow out of it." Looks like I'm going to have to take him to a veterinary dermatologist. I'll have to do research to see if there is any in our area. I'll also have to do some research as to what immunotherapy treatment is. 

I'm glad to hear that Jack is doing so well using that form of treatment. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Immunotherapy involves skin scratch testing under sedation to determine what the exact allergens are, and the strength of the reactions to each one. (Blood testing can also be done, but it is notoriously unreliable and costs almost as much.) Then antigens are custom formulated for the individual dog based on the test results, and you do have to give the dog shots. The idea is to desensitize their immune systems to the allergens so that they will no longer respond with allergy symptoms. 

You can find a dermatologist using the ACVD link I gave above.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Clorpheneramine is a very sedating antihistamine. I would suggest you try a less sedating antihistamine as the nex step and if that doesn't work further consultation would be necessary. I use Allegra when my dog needs it but I know some folks use Claritin. You can find dosages, based on wight,on the web.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yes, Jack gets Claritin. But I know others whose dogs do better with Zyrtec or Chlor Trimeton. It seems that each dog is different in respect to which antihistamines work best for them.

[Ozzy - Courtney]

I've learned that it's very sedating. The vet didn't even warn that it may make him drowsy. I started to only give it to him at night because he would be going to sleep anyway. I'm going to head to the drug store when I get off of work to get him something else, we may try Zyrtec. The vet also suggested that if Clorpheneramine didn't work, the next step would be to get in injection every 6-8 weeks, which is something that I don't want. 

Thanks for your help! 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

If your vet is talking about steroid injections, you definitely do not want that. However, immunotherapy does involve injections on a regular basis, as I explained above. 
There are other things you can do to help alleviate the symptoms, as listed in the article I linked for you above. 

For temporary relief of inhalant allergies, here are some things that you can do:

Give Omega 3 fatty acid supplements. You want the Omega 3 fatty acids DHA & EPA, which are only found in fish. You can also give GLA in the form of evening primrose oil supplements. In both cases, use human softgel supplements. 

If you feed dry dog food, check the Omega 6:3 ratio. You want a ratio of 5:1 or less, the lower the better, and the Omega 3 content should come from fish.

Give antihistamines. Different antihistamines are more effective for different dogs. Typically, you want second generation antihistamines that do not cause drowsiness, like Claritin, Zyrtec, Atarax, etc. rather than Benadryl.

Use OTC anti-itch sprays on the affected areas. These are available at most pet supply stores.

Wipe the dog down every time he comes in from outside, paying particular attention to the feet. Brush the dog daily.

Keep the indoor areas where the dog spends the most time as clean and dust free as possible. Wash bedding weekly, wash food & water bowls daily. Vacuum as often as possible.

Keep dry foods in air-tight storage containers and don;t buy more than you can use in a month unless you can freeze it. 

If the feet are affected, you can soak them in tepid water with epsom salts. Be sure to dry thoroughly afterwards.

Bathe the dog often, weekly if possible, with a shampoo formulated for allergic dogs. (I like Douxo Calm). Do NOT use leave-in conditioners or other grooming products. Use a cool dryer setting or air-dry. 

As much as I hate doing it, keeping windows closed really helps with pollen allergies. Run the A/C in warm weather especially, the allergy symptoms are exacerbated by humidity. Use a furnace filter with a high allergen rating and change it monthly. 

Read more here: http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/some-basic-facts-about?gro...

[Ozzy - Courtney]

I can't thank you enough for this info. It has been so helpful. Just knowing that there are things I can do for him until I get him to the dermatologist is a relief for both us.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

500 mg evening primrose oil soft gels also help a lot, especially when used with antihistamines. 

[Ozzy - Courtney]

I did not know that those were safe for puppies/dogs. First time pet parent here, can you tell? LOL 

I'm making a trip to the drug store soon and I'll pick that up as well!