Itchy doggy now has hot spots (Update post vet visit)

[Heather & Brinkley]

Brinkley has developed two hot spots since I last wrote about him being itchy. A few suggested he could have seasonal allergies, which I wouldn't doubt because it is certainly worse after he comes in from playing. He has a vet appointment on Monday. I have him on allergy meds, I just gave him his first dose of evening primrose and I sprayed the red spots with hydrocortisone anti-itch spray. I also wipe him down after he's been outside. Is there anything else I should do for the weekend to sustain him until his vet appointment in Monday? I've never seen him itch like this! the allergy meds helped at first and they are working to an extent but they certainly haven't stopped the itching all together. He's asleep right now and he hasn't gone for the red spots since I sprayed them. I hate seeing him like this!

This seems to be a repeated topic on here lately...I just want to make sure I'm doing everything I can until he sees the vet.
Thanks!

[Gail and Bailey]

I just read about PetzLife and it suggested ways of getting it in your dogs mouth and I just wondered how you use it with Calla..  It sounds like a wonderful product if it really does what it says it will. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

It isn't perfect but for Calla, who had lots of plaque it really has been wonderful. I use on both dogs every other night. They don't like it but we do it. I put the gel in a small, shallow container, the sort you'd pack some kind of cream in for a trip perhaps. Then I just put some on my finger and get as much of  all the tooth surfaces as I can. Sometimes I get gnawed a bit but the doodles won't bite me.

[F, Calla & Luca]

The EPO capsules themselves don't smell really.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree, I don't notice any odor to them at all.

[Shirley Ames]

How much EPO do you use and how often. Is this "human" meds or is there something special for animals

[F, Calla & Luca]

I give Calla three 500 mg EPO, which are human meds, and I order them from Puritan's Pride.com. That is as much as I think is recommended. Luca is smaller and doesn't really get itchy so he gets jut one.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Please see my response to this same question three spaces below.

[Kathy Brady]

My Tully is having the same problem. He is 3 and has never had any sort of allergy but in the last few weeks, he's itching and licking, especially his back legs and genital area. He's going to the vet tomorrow, but I'd like to know more about the Evening Primrose oil; where do you get it and how is it administered? Thanks!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Evening primrose oil is a human supplement, you can buy it most anywhere you would buy human vitamins and supplements. It's sold as softgels, like vitamin E. The standard dosage is 500 mg although you can also buy 1000 mg capsules. Most of us give anywhere from 1 to 3 capsules per day. Some dogs will just eat it if you put it in their bowls with their food, others will need it administered as a pill. Do not give EPO to any dog who has a history of seizure disorders, it has been shown to lower the seizure threshold in some dogs.

Also, it's important to understand that EPO is not a cure for anything. Evening primrose oil is the richest source of Gammalinoleic acid (GLA), an essential fatty acid which has been shown to reduce inflammation in both humans and dogs, and the therapeutic effects are enhanced when it is given with antihistamines. For dogs without underlying disease issues, it also helps dry skin and coat. But it won't cure allergies, and if there are already hot spots or infections, it won't do a thing for those. For dogs with severe allergies, it isn't enough, even with antihistamines.

Inhalant allergies in dogs most often show up between  one and three years of age. Allergies get worse as dogs get older, so a mild allergy that may not have been noticed when the dog was younger may become obvious when they get older.

[Kathy Brady]

Thanks for the quick response, Karen! Does the EPO have any prophylactic qualities; that is, will a regular regimen help stave off the allergic response?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Well, the primary benefit of the EPO is that it reduces inflammation when there is an allergic response. I have not seen anything indicating that it would directly help prevent the allergic response from happening. Itching from allergies is a histamine response, and the EPO does enhance the effects of the antihistamines taken with it, but that would again lessen the symptoms, not prevent the response.

When JD is flaring badly, neither EPO, Claritin, cortisone sprays, aor any other OTC treatment helps, and that's even with his continuous immunotherapy shots. He still needs help from some form of prescription steroids.

But in a dog with milder allergies, the antihistamine combined with the EPO and OTC topical sprays might keep the dog comofrtable enough that he would not scratch, bite, lick, etc., which is what causes the hot spots.

[F, Calla & Luca]

With Calla who may have some allergies, the EPO, which I give year round now, greatly lessens her scratching and some funny breathing. I don't give her any other medications.