Probable allergies

[Tammy & Gracie]

In reading previous posts I am now pretty assured that Gracie is suffering allergy symptoms. She is chewing on the side of her paws, both, but particularily the right. The hair is discolored kinda reddish but I find no injury, no sores, scratches, bumps, bruises, etc to explain this occurance. She has done this enough that the hair on the bottom portion of her legs is even short. I plan to begin treating her with benedryl, maybe a 25 mg pill 2xs daily and watch for improvement. I also would like to start her on the fish oils that are discussed. What is the dosage for the supplements and is my benedry dosage good for starting? Gracie is 15 months and 30 pounds. She is already on a no grain high quality food. She is also real active and gets real dirty, having baths probably a little too often.

[Wendy and Eddie]

One of my dogs ended up being allergic to beef. He was doing the same chewing thing, but as long as I limit how much beef he has--in his food, treats, chews, etc-he's fine.

[AndySharon BoomerShaynaMariner]

Take a look at this link for dosage:

http://www.diamondpaws.com/health/drugs.htm

Per this reference the correct dosage is: 1/2mg per lb. every 8 hours

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Tammy, if this continues to occur on a seasonal basis, you are going to have to have Gracie tested to find out what she is allergic to. The things you can do to help her are determined by what the specific allergens may be, and we don't know that. For now, to help make her comfortable, you can use benadryl and EFA's but I can't tell you the dosages. Dogs need much bigger amounts of antihistamines than people do. You absolutely must make sure that her feet are kept very dry at all times, the dampness aggravates the itching more than anything else. Humidity is very hard on allergic dogs. Try brushing & combing her to remove dirt from her fur rather than bathing. Dogs don't sweat, so her skin doesn't need to be washed often, no matter how active she is. Jack takes Claritin (it doesn't cause drowsiness like benadryl does) and he gets 3 10 mg tablets at once, once a day, but he weighs 80 lbs. He takes 1-3 500 mg evening primrose oil capsules daily; fish oil would be fine, too, but this works best for him. But from what you are telling us about the erythema (redness) and hair loss, she may need steroids (cortisone) to get this under control, and that requires a vet visit.
Because we know that Jack is allergic to storage and dust mites, there are steps we take with his bedding, food storage, and food bowls. The outdoor allergens are another story, lol. But he is on immunotherapy allergy shots because he has a very severe case. The antihistamines & EFA's help alleviate itching & therefore skin damge or infections, and mild allergies can be controlled with these, along with steroids for bad flare-ups. But this gets worse as dogs get older, so it's important to get a handle on it early. Hope this is of some help.

[Tammy & Gracie]

Karen & Jack, Are you using human supplements (evening primrose oil) or ones formulated for dogs? Do you spread the capsule over food or give like a pill? We went to the groomer today and the stains are even worse than I knew. Monday, we have an appointment with the vet for certain diagnosis. So far the benedryl is helping but not entirely. How is Jack doing now?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yes, just buy the evening primrose oil capsules in any store that sells human vitamins & supplements; I get it at the grocery store. Just give it whole as a pill. There is solid research showing that the use of EFA's in combination with antihistamines boosts the effectiveness.
Jack is doing very well, thank you for asking. I really need to post an update; he had his first check-up with the specialist since he started his treatment in January, and she is very pleased with his progress. The treatment can take up to 18 months to show full effect, but our first test will be in August, when the ragweed season hits. Last year, he ended up at the emergency vet, so I am hoping this year will go better. Unfortunately, this cannot be cured, but it can be treated. Jack also has the most severe form. Good luck at the vet, and please keep us updated.

[Tammy & Gracie]

By the way, thanks for studying and making sense of all the stuff out there for the rest of us!!!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Tammy, I would do anything to save one doodle parent from going through what I did when I started asking questions about this in some forums. I had to do the research for Jack's sake, but I share it gladly. Having a dog with allergies is no fun, and we are all in this together. Hoping Gracie gets relief soon!

[Tammy & Gracie]

Okay, it is confirmed that Gracie is suffering from allergies. The vet suggested that it is probably a food allergy since she is so young and is chewing on her feet and paws only. The other choice was that she could be psychotic and this chewing is a ocd type thing! (yeah, she may be crazy!). Anyway, he wants her on a RX diet of venison and potatoes, She currently is on a no-grain evo. Apparently if this is correct, she will clear up after about 2 months on the food. I will also treat with anithistimines as needed for awhile. My question is that he was very adament that she receive absolutely nothing else for the 2 months!!! Gracie is about to begin advanced agility and we need treats. He said the only treats she could have were bits of her kibble. I would like her treats to be a little special. Those of you who are fighting allergies might know of some special treats, maybe a venison jerky or something like that with no additives. Any ideas?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Tammy, when Jack's allergies got bad, my vet recognized that he is not an allergy specialist, and referred me to a doctor who is. Your regular doctor refers you to specialists, and the vets should be doing that too.
Dogs do only chew on their feet & paws when allergies start, no matter what kind of allergy it is. It is a symptom of all allergies, food and inhalant both. The "only other choice" is that Gracie has an inhalant allergy, which is the most common and therefore the most likely explanation. Food is the problem in only 10-15% of these cases, and it usually takes a full year of eating a particular food for the dog to develop an allergy to it. I hate to go against anyone's vet's advice, but I have been dealing with helping others with this for a long time and have researched it up the butt, and usually the vets are wrong when they start putting dogs on these kinds of diets. If you have to buy the food from the vet, (Hills Rx diet) I would be especially skeptical. The most common food allergens for dogs are corn, wheat, beef, chicken, and soy. The no-grain Evo already has no corn, wheat or soy. So it is ridiculous for you to go to an Rx food when all you have to do is go to a no-grain premium food that uses an alternative protein source, such as duck, venison, or salmon, whatever protein source is not in the Evo. It's really a shame that we don't know to speak up to the vets with these questions, because when you do, you find that they have no answer, as you are more educated on these issues than they are. They only know what the Hills' or Purina sales reps tell them..."If you have a patient with allergies, recommend this".
If you are going to follow the vet's food elimination plan, you can give Gracie any treat that contains only ingredients that are in the food. Look at the label and that will help you to choose.

[Tammy & Gracie]

I would prefer purchasing a food other than the one recommended at the vet's office. Her current Evo is Poultry. I think I will try another protein first, also, that may make my search for acceptable treats a little easier. She has only been on the Evo for a few months, certainly not anywhere near a year. But if I remember correctly the food before also had poultry as it's main protein. Is there a reason that in your post there is no mention of lamb? I thought that was a usually safe meat.....I'll read up on your next reference.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Lamb was always the "go to" protein source for allergic dogs, but has become so common in dog foods and treats that it is no longer used much for that purpose, as it is assumed that the dog has already eaten lamb. If that's not the case, it's fine. Just make sure that whatever food you choose has none of the top 5 allergy sources, and of course, you must do the same with treats.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Two very good references about food allergies and inhalant allergies:

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/food_allergies.html

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/inhalant_allergies.html