Itching out of control

[Niki & Jasper]

Hi everyone,

So Jasper is now 8 months old and has always been somewhat of an 'itchy' doodle I guess. but lately, it has been the worst I have seen. He is constantly itching, biting, and licking himself - wakes up several times in the night, stops while we're on a walk, etc. I have already taken him to the vet a couple times regarding this and have not really been that satisfied with the answer. The vet claims that it is a food allergy and I stop giving Jasper things such as cream cheese, yogurt, and peanut butter as it is probably one of those...

I live in Toronto and it is Winter here now and I am not sure how common environmental allergies are at this time. I vacuum and dust religiously, as it does get quite dusty here in the Winter, and I wash his bed and my sheets weekly. A few days ago I also bathed him with TropiClean OxyMed shampoo (I looked for Douxo but could not find it online anywhere that ships to Canada for a price cheaper than 2x the cost of the bottle), left it on for 10 minutes and then rinsed. It didn't have any effect on soothing him at all. I recently switched all his food and treats to grain free (about 3 weeks ago - Acana Pacifica), and I know it takes time but I havent even seen a slight improvement since doing this. He was previously on Acana puppy. For the past 2 months he has also been getting 1 500mg pill of EPO oil, and occasionally 1 10mg pill of Claritin - his coat has definitely improved since taking the EPO, but I have not noticed any change with the scratching. The Claritin also does not help as much as I thought/hoped. Should I increase the doses? Is Claritin something that I can give everyday? I brush him daily and wipe him down after spending time outside, but nothing seems to be helping. 

I am so frustrated, I just do not know what to do to help reduce the scratching. Over the past 2 weeks it is the worse I have ever seen - he has gotten to the point where chunks of his fur are falling out. On all other counts, he is healthy and I have not noticed any unusual behaviour or anything that should concern me.  I am taking him to another vet in a few days to see what they say, but I wanted to ask if anyone had any thoughts/ideas ANYTHING that may be helpful. It honestly breaks my heart to see my little guy so uncomfortable all the time. 

Thanks!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I'm sure that Karen will have lots of great information for you since she's gone through this with her Jack, but I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry to hear that poor Jasper is having to deal with this.  It certainly sounds like you've taken all the right steps.  You may need to see a Specialist but I'm sure Karen will have a much better sense of that.

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

From what I understand (and most of this I've learned from Karen!) itching is more likely to be an environmental allergy than a food allergy.  Food allergies tend to be associated with gastrointestinal issues.

You could try giving him Reactine (1/day) OR Benadryl (1/day to start, possibly 2/day... Luna was on 3/day for ragweed allergies but she is fully grown).  Claritin and Reactine didn't do anything for her - only Benadryl.  It made her a bit sleepy, but she still had her appetite and was playing normally.

I live in Ottawa (so fairly close!), and I've had bad seasonal allergies since the leaves have started falling, maybe Jasper and I have the same allergy ;)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Poor Jasper! It may be time to consult a dermatology specialist. Dust mites and storage mites, along with molds, are among the most common environmental allergens and they're around in winter.

It is extremely unlikely that Jasper is allergic to peanut butter or yogurt. If he is, he will be the first dog I have ever heard of who is.

The most common food allergens are beef, chicken, soy, wheat, and corn.

There is NO accurate test for food allergies. The blood and saliva tests are worthless. The only thing you can do is put the dog on a very restricted elimination diet for 8 to 12 weeks.

The vets always say it's a food allergy, and so far, not one DK dog who has gone through the food elimination trials has ever improved. When these same dogs are tested for inhalant allergies, they always come up positive to multiple allergens.  The fact is, your internist would refer you to an allergist if you had severe allergies, and your vet should do that too. No general practice doctor can be an expert in every disease or condition.

For the Claritin to have an effect, it has to be given every day. JD takes three 10 mg Claritin once a day when he's flaring.

You're doing everything right. You can wash his food and water bowls daily in hot water and soap, and keep his kibble sealed in air tight containers. Change your furnace filter every month.

But the EPO, Claritin, baths, cleaning, etc are usally not enough to reduce the itching from severe Atopy. They usually do need more help. Jasper is too young for skin testing, but I would consult a veterinary dermatology specialist and get him some more help.

[F, Calla & Luca]

How much does Jasper weigh. Calla is 60+ pounds and gets 3 of the 500 mg EPO a day. I find she scratches a lot more in the fall. Still, she does not sacratch anywhere near the amount I read about on DK. I am grateful for that.  I think it has to do with the heat going on. The drier air may be part of the problem. I have steam heat so it's not from furnace filters etc. But could it be dust? Probably no more dust is present in fall than the rest of the year. Leaf mold could be part of the problem. I would give the Claritin regularly, up the EPO and wait a bit before going to a dermatologist.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

This sounds like good advice to me.

[Lee Seidman]

We had a similar problem with Billy.  His scratching and itching led to hot spots which were painful and had potential to become infected.  We finally took him to a specialist who did a blood test and it showed he was allergic to certain plants etc. She formulated a serium and we give him 5 cc weekly.  We gave him an injection at home for nine months every seven days and now every ten days.  The shots do not bother him, he gladly goes up on the couch and I treat him while my wife gives him the injection.  End result is he has stopped itching, scratching and licking. He has not had a hotspot in almost a year now.  We are really pleased with the results.  Billy is three now, I hope he outgows the allergy shots but the vet said to keep him on them. So far so good. He is such a precious Doodle,  I am glad he has relief.

[Niki & Jasper]

Hmmm is this similar to giving steroids? I'm not exactly sure what a serium is? But glad to know that he finally has relief and that these shots worked for him!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

This is immunotherapy, oir desensitization, and the dog must be tested first. It is not steroids. The testing is done first to show what the allergens are, and then a "serum", or antigens is prepared that desensitizes the dog to the allergens over time. This is the preferred method of treating Atopy in dogs. However, you really need skin testing, as the blood tests have been shown to be inaccurate in determining the allergens in many cases. The testing tests for inhaled allergens such as pollens (it's not the plants themselves, it's the pollen from the plants), molds, mites, insects, etc.  The treatment is usually for the life of the dog. The success rate is around 70%. It has been very successful for JD.

We have a group here for dogs who have been diagnosed with Atopic Dermatitis. Most of them are on immunotherapy treatments. There is a lot of information there about testing and the immunotherapy treatments. Atopic Dermatitis Support Group

[Niki & Jasper]

Okay makes sense. I know Jasper is way too young for testing, so hopefully with the Claritin and everything else the itching subsides until he is old enough so I can get him tested then.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

My discussion on Jack's testing with detailed explanations:

http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/all-about-allergies

Jasper is too young for this, but it will help you understand the process and treatment.

[Niki & Jasper]

Thanks so much for all the great advice! Next time I am at the vet I'll specifically ask to be recommended to a specialist. I never really thought it was food allergies based on everything I've read here, but its so frustrating that that is the first conclusion the vet keeps reaching. Jasper weighs 30 pounds, and I'll try the Benadryl - the vet recommended breaking 1 25mg Benadryl pill and giving him half in the morning and half in the evening.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I would not switch to Benadryl. The Claritin has been shown to be much more affective in treating histamine responses in dogs, and Zyrtec is also more effective for some dogs. You just need to give it daily. Allergy specialists rarely if ever recommend Benadryl. This is an example of the vets not knowing the most effective treatments for allergies, because they are not allergy specialists.