need help

[marcella smith-brewer]

 My puppy has been scratching and biting really bad to the point he is making his hair come out. I have taken him to many Dr. and they said he was to younge for a allergy test, and they can't seem to figure out whats the rest. I am spending alot of money but no results. My puppy and I are very miserable. Any suggestions?

[Rachel & Gatsby]

I don't know if this will help, but Gatsby used to scratch A LOT. It was strange. He didnt have fleas, but it wouldn't stop him from scratching. No hair ever fell out, but he'd scratch the same spot for what seemed like forever.

You may have already tried this, but my groomer/family friend suggested a shampoo with oatmeal in it. It's supposed to soothe the dry, itchy skin I think.

He still scratches, but it's much better.

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I also heard that itchiness can stem from a food allergy? Maybe it's that?

Good luck!

[marcella smith-brewer]

Thank You so much the Dr. recommeded oatmeal shampoo, but it didn't work. The food allegy, they are working on that now. But Thank You for your reply.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Itchiness can be a sign of allergies; but when it is due to allergies, in 9 out of 10 cases, the allergy is not to food but to allergens that are inhaled: dust mites, molds, pollens, etc.

[marcella smith-brewer]

Yes, my vet refered us to a dermatoligist after trying some different things. The dermatoligist says he may have allergies but is to young to do allergy testing so we are just working on the itching and biting, started on steroids today. this helped before by the vet but came back after discontinuance. So we'll see. thanks.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The steroids help because they suppress the immune system. The itching is caused by a histamine reaction on the part of the immune system; allergies are an immune system disease. When the dog is on steroids, the immune response is suppressed, and the itching is relieved. This is a temporary thing, and not a cure.
Perhaps once the symptoms are relieved, the specialist will discuss further treatment options with you.

[Adrianne Matzkin]

I am no expert!! but have questions.
Where does he scratch? What food is he on? How old is he?
Has the vet given him a steroid shot to help stop this itching to see if it comes back? or something to relieve the itching?

[Adrianne Matzkin]

guess the steroid shot is not a great thing for a puppy so forget I asked about that.
Could it possibly be a shampoo?
What are they working on with the food allergy? Is the vet having you buy food from them?

[marcella smith-brewer]

He scratches and bites his feet his face, all underneath is balding from biting nad scratching. He has had a steroid shot before his vet gavehim, it worked for about three weeks, than it came back. they also tried other things, they refered him to a dermatoligist. She said it may be allergies but he's to young to test, he is only 5 1/2 months old. they have changed his food twice. thank you

[marcella smith-brewer]

Your reply is above your response. I pushedthe wrong reply to this. sorry

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

I work in Pet Nutrition and get this problem often

if its a food allergy the common ones are wheat, corn, chicken and beef

Go with a grain free food, with the protein source as buffalo, venison, duck, lamb, or fish - look for Natural Balance Limited Ingredients diet (available in kibble, cans and chubbs) seem to work very well for lots of dogs (sorry the website is down for maintenance so cant provide a link)

If youd rather have a grain food, look for one with brown rice, quinoa, or oatmeal and these are less likely to be allergens and are more easily digestible

it can take up to a month for the allergen to get out his system, and he can have an upset stomach for a while if you do a sudden change rather than transitioning food over a 10 day period

vetericyn works well to reduce itching and to heal wounds caused by hot spots (my cats had a flea allergy, one chewed a 2 inch hole at the base of her tail, within 24 hours it went from red and weeping to scabbed over) http://www.vetericyn.com/benefits/canine.php

Bitter Apple, Bitter Yuk, or some similar bitter agent will help stop him from chewing and biting so he can heal

[marcella smith-brewer]

Thank you for the info.

[Adina P]

How old is your pup?
What type of doodle is he?
Where is he scratching and biting?
What has the vet tried so far? (any Benadryl or other antihistamine? Any omega-3 supplements? Was he checked for other skin conditions? Is he on flea preventives?)