Some Basic Facts About Allergies in Dogs

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Dogs, just like people, can and do have allergies to many different things. Since my guy Jackdoodle has a very severe allergic condition called atopic dermatitis, or atopy, I have unfortunately become something of an expert in this area. There is a lot of confusion and misunderstanding about allergies in general, and about allergies in dogs in particular. I hope this discussion will help to provide some info and understanding of this condition.
True allergy is a genetic disease, or malfunction, of the immune system. In allergic individuals, the immune system is overactive, misidentifies common every day organic substances which enter the body as "enemies", and launches an attack...basically against itself. In it's more severe forms, allergies can be life-threatening.
While dogs are often allergic to the same things that cause humans misery, such as pollens, molds, and dust-mites, dogs do not react in the same way. Instead of runny noses, sneezing, & other respiratory symptoms, dogs react by itching...intensely. The subsequent constant biting, licking, and scratching creates skin infections which can be very serious. The skin infections cause even more discomfort, becoming a vicious circle necessitating ever-increasing amounts of drugs, and an increasingly hyper immune system.
Here are some basic facts about allergies in our dogs:
1. Allergies take repeated exposure to the substance in order to develop. This is the opposite of what most people think. In the case of food allergies, it typically takes at least a year of eating the food on a continuous basis to develop an allergy. In the case of inhalant allergies, the dog has to have been exposed to the substance at some previous time to develop an allergy to it. For this reason, it is extremely rare for a young puppy to have an allergy to anything. Most allergies in dogs do not show up until the dog is 2-3 years old. 
2. Food is the problem in only 10% of allergic dogs.
Symptoms of food allergies in dogs are the same as the symptoms of inhalant allergies...intense itching. Gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, etc., are NOT indicative of allergy, but rather, a food intolerance, or just a problem with an unaccustomed food. The foods that most commonly cause allergy problems in dogs are wheat, corn, soy, beef, and chicken. THERE IS NO RELIABLE TEST FOR FOOD ALLERGIES. 
3. If it IS a food allergy, switching kibble will not help, unless the protein sources in the new kibble are different from those in the old kibble, and are proteins that the dog has not eaten before.  The only way to determine food allergy is to do an 8-12 week food trials using only a single novel protein, i.e. a protein source the dog has never eaten before. (There are some food trial diets in the Food Group, for those who want to learn how.) But keep in mind, out of 20 allergic dogs, only 2 or 3 have food allergies.
4. Storage MITES can be the problem. Storage mites are now thought to be responsible for as many problems with asthma & other allergy related breathing problems in children as house dust-mites.  Storage mites live in kibble & other packaged dry foods. Vets recommend disposing of the bags from the store immediately, outside of your home, and keeping kibble in air tight containers which are frequently washed in hot water & soap, and well-dried. Do not buy more than 1 months' worth of kibble at a time, and choose higher quality brands with less particulate matter. (So if someone you know switched kibble and her dogs' itching immediately improved, it was probably storage mites.)
5. Food allergies are tough to diagnose, but easy to treat. Once you find the culprit, eliminate it. Inhalant allergies, on the other hand, can be reliably diagnosed, but have few treatment options. (See my "All About Allergies" discussion in the main forum for more on this.) Dogs whose allergy symptoms are seasonal DEFINITELY have inhalant type allergies, not food.
6. Allergies can get worse as dogs age. The seasonal symptoms can become year round, and the drugs lose their power to relieve the misery, in addition to causing other problems. Treatment needs to begin as early as possible to spare your dog from future suffering.
7. Dampness and humidity can exacerbate the itching and also attract allergens. Keep the dog's paws, in particular, as dry as possible after going outdoors. 
Frequent bathing may help, but needs to be done in a specific way. See this update for more bathing info:
http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/healthandmedicalissues/forum/topi...
8. Most common areas for allergic itching to occur: FEET, groin and/or axilla, face, especially around the eyes, base of tail, ears. Many dogs will completely strip the fur away from these areas with constant licking & chewing. Also look for redness around the eyelids, and reddish coloring on the fur between the pads of the feet.
9. Finding the cause is important...but first, STOP THE SUFFERING! Please do not let your dog continue to itch unbearably while you start playing guessing games with his food. Your dog needs immediate help in the form of antihistamines, fatty acid capsules, and in worse case scenarios, antibiotics and/or steroids. None of us likes to give our dogs medicines...but you need to help him feel better and save his skin from further damage. Get some relief for your dog first, then start figuring out what to do to prevent it in the future. Call the vet.

10. Itching does not always mean allergies...it could also be mites, mange, fleas, other parasites, or even a hormonal imbalance. Just because you can't see parasites, doesn't mean they're not there. Dogs can also get poison ivy, and don't forget the occasional plain old ear infection. (On the subject of ear infections, bacterial infections are very different from yeast infections, and need to be treated differently.) Once again, don't guess...see your vet.

And be aware that general practice vets are not experts in allergies, just as your primary care physician is not an expert in allergies.  Your best bet in severe cases is to consult a veterinary dermatology specialist.

For temporary relief of inhalant allergies, here are some things that you can do:

Give Omega 3 fatty acid supplements. You want the Omega 3 fatty acids DHA & EPA, which are only found in fish. You can also give GLA in the form of evening primrose oil supplements. In both cases, use human softgel supplements. 

If you feed dry dog food, check the Omega 6:3 ratio. You want a ratio of 5:1 or less, the lower the better, and the Omega 3 content should come from fish.

Give antihistamines. Different antihistamines are more effective for different dogs. Typically, you want second generation antihistamines that do not cause drowsiness, like Claritin, Zyrtec, Atarax, etc. rather than Benadryl.

Use OTC anti-itch sprays on the affected areas. These are available at most pet supply stores.

Wipe the dog down every time he comes in from outside, paying particular attention to the feet. Brush the dog daily.

Keep the indoor areas where the dog spends the most time as clean and dust free as possible. Wash bedding weekly, wash food & water bowls daily. Vacuum as often as possible.

Keep dry foods in air-tight storage containers and don't buy more than you can use in a month unless you can freeze it. Discard the bags the food came in and use ziplock freezer bags. 

If the feet are affected, you can soak them in tepid water with epsom salts. Be sure to dry thoroughly afterwards.

Bathe the dog often, weekly if possible, with a shampoo formulated for allergic dogs. (I like Douxo Calm). Do NOT use leave-in conditioners or other grooming products. Use a cool dryer setting or air-dry. 

As much as I hate doing it, keeping windows closed really helps with pollen allergies. Run the A/C in warm weather especially, the allergy symptoms are exacerbated by humidity. Use a furnace filter with a high allergen rating and change it monthly. 

I hope this has been helpful. 

[Betsy D.]

Karen, I have just started doing research on allergies, but you mentioned something in this post that my vet told me today. He said that though young for allergies, Cimmy is 15 mnths, she appears to have them... most of the common symptoms. He mentioned that the best way to combat the allergies was to feed Cimmy large amounts of Omega 3 Fatty Acids. Now I know that he probably was trying to help sell Prescriptive j/d, but he was comparing the amount of fatty acids in the j/d to how much I would have to give her on my own if I tried. I have to say, the vet was just a bit surprised, but fine with it when I said that I wanted to do research before I made up my mind. I do want to make it clear that he did stress that changing Cimmy's diet would not solve the problem of the almost constant itching. He kept stressing the Omega 3 and said that her food was not the problem. Any thoughts on the large quantities of Omega 3s would be appreciated.

In addition to this, is it worth going to the expense of having Cimmy tested for allergies so that I know what I am dealing with. I really dislike an unknown foe. Thanks.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids do help, but your vet is quite enterprising in the way he thinks you should go about giving them to Cimmy. To feed pure garbage food for the sake of getting a little bit of Omega 3 is ridiculous. I'll look up the fatty acids in Hill's j/d and compare it to the fatty acids in Orijen. In either case, food is not the way to get the amounts needed do have a therapeutic effect. Jack's specialist recommended giving him fish oil, which many dog owners do anyway for healthy coats and skin. It didn't agree with Jack, so the next recommendation was evening primrose oil capsules, which worked beautifully! Many Food Group members have been giving their dogs EPO capsules and report that it improved their coats and dry skin, even those who don't have allergies. Also, fatty acids work best in tandem with antihistamines; each enhances the effects of the iother. Did your vet recommend antihistamines?
At 15 months, Cimmy is not too young to have allergies. When did the itching start?
Testing is worth it for dogs who are experiencing symptoms severe enough to cause infections, hair loss, and/or require prednisone more than 4 months of the year. IMO, it's mandatory. Some dogs have seasonal allergies and live perfectly well their whole lives with medication roughly twice a year during their bad times. But dogs with Atopic Dermatitis eventually have symptoms most of the time, and then you need a different treatment plan. Off to check the Omega content of Hill's j/d.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Betsy, I cannot believe your vet recommended this food for Cimmy! First of all, it is Hill's Mobility formula! It's supposed to be for dogs with arthritis and joint problems!
Secondly, the ingredients are absolute garbage:
Whole Grain Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Flaxseed, Soybean Mill Run, Brewers Rice, Soybean Meal, Pork Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), various vitamins & minerals, flavorings.
Thirdly , it is extremely low in protein, which is the single most important macronutrient for dogs with dry skin & itching. Jack's specialist recommends Orijen, which is 40% protein. This crap has half that, 20% which is lower than the cheapest dog food you could buy in the grocery store.
It is higher in EFAs than most dog foods- but nowhere near as high as a capsule of fish oil. So for the purpose of providing Cimmy with some Omega 3, your vet is recommending that you feed her corn, by-products, and waste products from breweries (that's what brewer's rice is) that costs more than it would if you fed her fresh wild salmon at every meal????? When you could just give her a simple capsule once a day? Unbelievable! And why the JOINT formula?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Also- see that fourth ingredient in Hill's j/d? The fourth most abundant ingredient in this food the vet is trying to sell you? Here's what that is:
"Soybean mill run is composed of soybean hulls and such bean meats that adhere to the hulls which results from normal milling operations in the production of dehulled soybean meal. (AAFCO, 2003) This is considered a cheap, poor quality, by-product filler. Soy is highly allergenic, causing problems for many animals and contains some enzyme inhibitors which impedes protein digestion. Most soy is also genetically modified , which makes its long term effects impossible to predict."

[Betsy D.]

Thanks, Karen. I knew I could rely on you for advice! :o) And thanks for going out of your way to check into the Hills. Lots you said..hum... first off Cimmy switches between Orijen Adult and Instinct. She seems to eat better with a variety.. though most of the time she isn't a big eater at all. So, o.k., I am processing... Cimmy would be fine with one fish oil capsule a day? What was Jack's specific reaction to the Fish Oil? OR should I put her on EPO? I really can't imagine her coat looking any different; It is so beautiful already. You asked when the itching started. I really can't tell you though I did notice recently that she has really stated to love having me scratch her right above her tail. Growing up, we had a Golden Retriever who would literally push you over to get you to scratch there. I was surprised last winter when Cimmy really didn't react to my scratching her. Now it is very different. She bits at her feet, she paws at her ears and neck and other areas. Today she sneezed a few times. I just know that she ddn't have this problem as a puppy during the winter.

I have to say that I am a bit amused that he recommended the Mobility formula. I don't know what is up with that. Maybe I misunderstood the letter combo. I really thought he said j/d. My husband is very sick with brain cancer and I have learned not to take anything a doctor says at face value. Research is imperative. So, I started here. I love this site! O.K, so don't worry. No Hills j/d. for Cimmy. She is my baby... she and our four year old daughter are quite the team of spoiled girls!

Oh, antihistimines. the dr did mention it, but I got the feeling he really wanted me to see if I could control her allergies without medication. Truthfully, I would rather do something other than meds if possible. My mom's standard poodle has to get weekly shots for allergies. I am nervous about going down that road . expense and all. What do you do for the antihistimine route. Thanks so much for all of the advice you give so many of the members of DK. It is really appreciated. Betsy

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Betsy, you might be interested in joining our Atopic Dermatitis group. It's private, but just request membership and I'll approve it. It will give you an idea of what the testing entails, why you do it, and what those shots are all about.
When a dog has severe seasonal allergies, and it certainly sounds to me like Cimmy does have seasonal allergies, the treatment options are very limited. First priority is to keep the dog from being miserably uncomfortable. Unfortunately, the only way to relieve that discomfort is with some kind of medicine. There isn't anything else to do. The fatty acids may help, but probably not enough. We wouldn't let our kids suffer with allergies, we'd give them benadryl or something to help them breathe. There really is no way to control allergy symtoms without medicine. The symptoms are caused by a histamine reaction in the body. Antihistamines are relatively safe, and to be honest, if they help, you're lucky. For many of our dogs who are affected with A.D., they are nowhere near enough. Once the itching is severe, the dog's scratching, licking & biting causes scabbing, hair loss, and skin infections, and then you;re looking at major drugs like antibiotics and steroids. So I would definitely try the antihistamines to prevent that, and to give Cimmy some relief from that miserable itching. I can't tell you which antihistamine to use, or what dosage. Most general practice vets recommend Benadryl, but the specialists who know how to treat this don't; they prefer Claritin, Zyrtec, and some others. Jack takes three 10 mg. Claritin once a day. That's a big dose. You could try one a day along with a 500 mg EPO capsule and see if it helps. Or ask your vet for an antihistamine dosage. It can take up to 2 weeks to see an improvement.
Fish oil gave Jack severe diarrhea. The EPO has no adverse effects on him.
About those wekly shots: There are shots, and there are shots. Some shots are drugs, like prednisone, which is a heavy duty drug, but it's one of the only ways to control allergy symptoms, and the most common, cheapest way. It works fine for dogs who only have symptoms a couple of months out of the year. That's what we started with when Jack's symptoms first began. But it's dangerous if used too often, or for long periods.
Then there's immunotherapy shots, which are what Jack gets. Those are not drugs, and they are the whole reason you do the testing; once you know what the dog is allergic to, a special antigen is custom formulated out of the proteins in those substances, and the dog gets shots to build up his immune system's tolerance to them. Yes, it's expensive, but it by far the healthiest, safest choice of treatment. The third, and only other option is a drug called Atopica, which is an immunosuppressant used in organ transplant recipients to prevent rejection. It basically shuts down the whole immune system, and costs about as much as the average car payment. Makes antihistamines sound pretty good as drugs go, huh?
And that's it. Those are the choices. Hopefully, Cimmy has the kind of allergies that can be controlled with antihistamines and fatty acids for a month in the Spring & fall, and the rest of time, nothing. But it's important to treat the itching before it escalates. Don't change her food, use the EPO and see what the vet says about antihistamines. And copy what I told you about the Hill's food to a word document you can print out to bring with you in case he pushes the Rx food. It doesn't even matter if it's a different Hill's formula, they're all basically the same crap with a lobster price tag.
Good luck, please keep us posted. And if you just want to read about the worst case scenarios, come join us in the A.D. Group.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

One more thing that can temporarily help stop Cimmy's itching, and the sneezing. Since this sounds like a pollen allergy to me, it may help to wipe her down with a damp cloth every time she come in fro outdoors. Pay particular attention to her face, head, and feet, and make sure her feet are kept dry all the time, especially between the pads.
Because we don't know what kind of pollen she is allergic to, if any, it's hard to give specifics, but it may also help to try to avoid letting her spend time on freshly cut grass.
Hope that helps.

[Ron Carnes]

It seems that Zack has developed allergies. It started on his belly about spring time. He has small sores but no redness or infection. Over the last couple of months it has migrated everywhere except his feet. When we brush him (daily) we get small scabs that look like dandruff. He doesn't scratch and they don't seem to bother him. He has also developed a ear yeast infection. The vet is treating the ear infection and put him on two weeks of antibiotics. If this doesn't work, it looks like the next step is the demotologist. Has anyone had any experience with the scabs without any redness or itching?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Ron that doesn't sound like allergies to me; the itching is always present, scratching themselves is what causes the scabbing in allergic dogs. What does the vet say about the sores and scabs? Has he done a skin scraping to check for mites or bacteria?
Ear infections and yeasty ears are very common in doodles, poodles, and other similar coated dogs. That in itself doesn't mean there is an allergy. And antibiotics don't help yeast infections. Is the antibiotic for the skin problem?

[Stella]

Karen, I have been checking out your information here because Chase has begun to lick and chew at his feet, which I am pretty sure is a sign of allergies in dogs?  I have checked his feet and can't see anything that would cause him to lick and chew there, (sometimes he chews them if the hair between his toes is getting matted).  We have had really high pollen counts this spring - you could actually see it in the air and my car has a permanent yellow haze on it.  I take meds year round for several allergies (one of which is dogs!!), so my reactions are masked, but other people I know have told me this has been one of the worst springs for their pollen allergies.  Is it possible that Chase has a seasonal pollen allergy?  We already give him EPO to help with his coat as he has dry skin.  I am reluctant to go to the vet as I know she will, once again, try to get us to change to Rx dog food which I will not do.  But, I also don't want him to be itchy all the time!  Any suggestions??

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It does sound like Chase may have a seasonal pollen allergy. Start wiping him down thoroughly every time he comes in from outdoors. Keep his feet really clean and dry, and brush him a lot. Wash his bedding and vacuum, dust, etc., as much as possible, because he's bringing the pollen in on his coat. Wash his food & water bowls with soap & hot water every day, too. You can try giving him generic Claritin (loratidine). If he weighs over 50 lbs, you can give him two 10 mg. tablets once a day. If he's under 50 lbs, give him just one to start. (JD takes three tablets at a time, but he's got a severe case and he's a big guy.)

You can pick up an OTC anti-itch cortisone spray at the pet supply store for his feet, that helps bring temporary relief. Make sure he doesn't lick them after you apply it.

Bathing may help, but make sure you use a cool dryer setting or let him air-dry; and no conditioners, detanglers, etc. The more "stuff" you put on their coats, the more pollen sticks to it. Just a good oatmeal or allergy shampoo.

[Stella]

Thanks Karen, I read your reply ages ago and didn't get to respond!  I trimmed the hair between Chases toes to make sure he wasn't matted and we have been cleaning his feet on the way into the house. Luckily spring is moving into summer and whatever pollen was bothering him seems to have gone as he has almost stopped licking his feet - yipee!!