Doodle Allergies

[Jane Cramer]

Do any of your doodles have allergies?  Mine does.  I got him because I am extremely allergic to dogs. 

 

He gets red paws and excessively licks at them.

 

The vet thinks it could be environmental or food related.  He has been on single source proteins for a while so I am not sure.

 

Let me know.

 

Thanks,

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jane, we have a lot of dogs here with allergies, and there is a ton of information here about allergies in dogs. If you do a search of the forum, you will find a lot of information. The Health and Medical group also has a lot of information on allergies in our dogs, and the Food Group has info on food allergies.
The most common kind is environmental allergies, also known as Atopic Dermatitis, or Atopy. It is genetic and runs in Labrador Retrievers, among other breeds. We have a support group for people whose doodles have been diagnosed with Atopy, too.
Good luck with your pup.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Jane I am so sorry to hear about little Griffey. I can't give you any better advise than Karen did. I know there is already a lot of helpful info here on DK about this topic. Good luck and I hope you are able to get him some relief soon!

[Frances Pendrous (Horan)]

Hi Jane.....Oh yes, I feel your pain. Frankie girl is 18months now and she started with those darn allergies about 3 months ago. It started with runny eyes and then it went went on to the constant "paw licking" until her feet were red raw. She has always been on a the same, wheat free diet, and because she occasionally gets yeasty ears, we stay away from anything that may bring that on. Anyway, we thought the paw licking thing was possibly due to fertilizer from the grass, or the new bark we laid down etc. etc. until in the end we took her to her vet who told us it was just "seasonal allergies. Great...so it was a steroid shot that immediately stopped all the licking and runny eyes. He also gave us steroid tabs to start in two weeks when the shot wore off. Of course, it did and now she is on 1 tablet every-other day until she stops with the paw licking thing. Being a nurse, I was horrified that my young dog was going to have to live on steroids, but apparently, it is not the same for animals to be on them as it is humans. I strongly advise you to take your boy in as that paw licking thing can bring about an infection and it really is an easy fix. Good luck.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Frances, please request to join the Atopic Dermatitis Support Group. Your doodle does not have to live on steroids. All of us in the group have doodles who have been diagnosed with seasonal/inhalant/environmental allergies (also called Atopy or Atopic Dermatitis) and our dogs are in the care of veterinary dermatology/immunology specialists and most are on immunotherapy treatments. Steroids cause liver and kidney damage when used for extended periods of time, and can also cause a form of Cushing's disease. Long-term steroid use will definitely shorten your dog's life. It is very important if you have a dog who experiences symptoms from atopy more than 4 months of the year to seek out a specialist. Atopy usually starts out being seasonal but can become worse as a dog ages, so it's important to get a treatment plan going early.

[Frances Pendrous (Horan)]

Thank you Karen for the sound advice. My vet told me that long term steroid use on dogs is not like it is in humans etc. etc. but I am favoring your advice as I know what any form of drugs do to kidneys and liver. Anyway, I wondered what vet you use for Jack's treatments??? As obviously, my one believe in drugs over the more natural approach...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

You need to find a board-certified veterinary dermatology specialist. Here is a link to the ACVD Website. You usually need a referral from your regular vet to get an appointment.
I cannot believe a veterinarian would tell you that long-term steroiud use in dogs is not like it is in humans. But some general practice vets truly are not educated in this, I guess, just as our primary care doctors are not experts in dermatology, either.
Here is an article with an overview of Atopy in dogs and the treatment options: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2082&aid=137
Of particular interest is this section:
Long-term use has the risk of creating more permanent and severe damage. Some high dose, long-term side effects include increased incidence of infections, poor hair coat and skin, immunosuppression, diabetes mellitus, adrenal suppression, and liver problems. The potential problems can be severe, however, it must be stressed that these side effects are dose dependent. Despite the potential side effects, steroids can be used effectively and safely, if a careful dosage schedule is followed. Still, because of the availability of safer yet effective therapies, steroid use is reserved until all other treatment options have been exhausted