Laura Cribbins Female Santa Clara, CA United States: Share on Facebook MySpace Tweet

Laura Cribbins's Friends

Laura Cribbins's Groups

Laura Cribbins has not received any gifts yet

What Type of Doodle(s) do you have? What are their names? Tell us about your doodle(s) or any other pets you have!: Labradoodle - Small female named Piko 4 yrs old

Why did you choose a doodle rather than another breed or mix?: My husband's allergies

What are Your Favorite Things to Do With Your Doodles?: Go on adventures, play with the disc and the ball

At 4:15pm on January 10, 2016, Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle said…: Actually, your vet is more informed about antihistamine use to treat allergies in dogs than most. You do sometimes have to try several to find which one works best for your particular dog. Many GP vets have never heard of using any antihistamine other than Benadryl.

But I do think a specialist would be the best thing, because your vet cannot diagnose Atopy; it can only be diagnosed through skin testing, which can only be done by a dermatology specialist. And unless you want to just keep him on immunosuppressant drugs for the rest of his life, you can't treat it until you know what it is, and what his exact allergens are.

At 8:30am on January 10, 2016, Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle said…: Hi Laura, I have approved your membership in the Atopic Dermatitis Group, even though it is really intended as a support group for dogs who have already been diagnosed. You have to know what you are treating before you can treat it. I would strongly urge you to consult a veterinary dermatologist; general practice vets are not experts in allergies or immunology and cannot effectively diagnose or treat atopy in dogs. Here is a link to the ACVD website here you can find a dermatologist in your area. https://www.acvd.org/tools/locator/locator.asp?ids=16_Find_Dermatologist

PS: in the case of pollen allergies, like grass allergies, it is not coming into contact with the grass (or ragweed, or whatever plant it is) that causes the allergic reaction, it's the proteins from the pollen being inhaled and triggering an immune response in the bloodstream. That's how allergies work. Pollen travels 400 miles on the air, so keeping the dog off the grass does nothing. :)

Here is some good information: http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/healthandmedicalissues/forum/topics/some-basic-facts-about