Allergies, itching, chewing hair off

[Pam Bohen]

My Goldendoodle Dexter is having a horrible time with what the vet thinks are allergies - possibly seasonal- and has been chewing himself and licking.  He has really done damage to his rear legs and butt.  We are trying Benedryl, fish oil and putting a t-shirt on him at times.  I don't want to put on the dreaded collar, that is like torture to me for a dog. Does anyone have any suggestions, advice or comments on this problem.  Dexter is actually an mini and weighs 32 lbs; we are doing Benedryl 3 times a day.  He just seems so unhappy now as we are constantly pulling his mouth away from his chewing.  Thanks.  Pam Bohen

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Pam, you really need a specialist. Most general practice vets are not equipped to deal with severe seasonal allergies on a long-term basis.

My Jack has severe inhalant allergies (also known as seasonal or environment allergies), and I have posted a lot of info and discussions here on DK, some of it in the Health & Medical group, some in the general forum, as well as a support group for people whose dogs have been diagnosed with Atopic Dermatitis, which is the name of the disease. Unfortunately, it would just be too difficult and time consuming to reproduce all of it here. You can do a search for Allergies or Atopic Dermatitis in the Health and medical group and/or the main forum, and you are welcome to join our Atopic Dermatitis support Group.  

I hope you can find some relief for Dexter. Dogs do not grow out of this, it gets worse with time, and some of the complications can be serious. Good luck.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Karen, what's your view on Claritin vs Benedryl?  I think I've read that the Claritin is more effective, and it actually controlled Murph's seasonal allergies until this last "hot spot".

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

JD's specialist never recommends Benadryl. Claritin works best for him, her other "go to" antihistamine is Zyrtec, and some dogs do better on that one, but JD didn't.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Check out Karen's Atopic Dermatitis support group as she said already.

 

And here is the link to find a specialist in your area:  https://www.acvd.org/

 

Fortunately, my doodle has very very very mild allergies that are controlled by supplements, but I got nervous at one point and checked the website above to make sure I could find a specialist if needed.

 

Best wishes for sweet Dexter!!!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Here's one link with some basic info:

http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/healthandmedicalissues/forum/topi...

 

There are many more discussions on these topics in the Health & Medical group.

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

Chloe went through this A LOT as a pup and still sometimes, the vet insisted we changed food from lamb to salmon and he gave us some cream, she's gotten better but this happened in all seasons??

[Frances Pendrous (Horan)]

Hi Pam and Dexter. He is totally gorgeous by the way and I am soooooo sorry you are going through this horrible allergy thing. I am sure it must be a doodle trait as I have never known so many dogs suffering with seasonal allergies. Anyway, I have been going through the very same with both my doodles. Frankie (the big white girl) did not start with hers until she was about 10 months of age and then it all began. The constant, chewing, licking etc. etc. So miserable....I could not understand it as we made sure all her food was wheat free and she always received the best of everything. I immediately went to this website and received wonderful, informative information regarding how to treat them "naturally". Believe me, I work for a holistic Dr. so I was happy to try everything suggested. We tried absolutely everything, and nothing worked, she still continued to chew miserably. Therefore, and I know many members will not agree with this, and trust me, I wish there were another option, but both my husband and I felt that the ramifications of giving her steroids outweighed the constant misery she was in from itching and scratching...and us having to helplessly watch. Our vet prescribed prenisone tablets and it was like a magic wand was waved over her. For the first time in weeks, she got relieve. Now I know these are not good and have many possible side effects later down the road, but when our rescue came to us with similar allergies, we decided that he too would have to be given them.  I half the dose to 1/2 tablet each Monday, Wednesday and Friday when the allergy starts up and then when it calms down, I discontinue them for a while so Frankie and Johnny do not constantly live on steroids but as soon as a flare up starts, I am on top of it with their tablets. I am sure this is not the answer you are looking for, but to me, I just could not bear to see them in so much discomfort with the constant irritation the allergies give them and I am willing to take the risk of quality rather than quantity of life for them if they are to be pestered with allergies for the rest of their lives. I hope this information gave you another direction to think about. Good luck and I hope Dexter finds some peace soon.

 

[Pam Bohen]

Thanks so much for everyone's replys and suggestions.  I am going to research more from the links sent and perhaps try other antihistamines.  We all now how much our "doodles" are such a part of us and how this is so troubling.   Pam

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The steroids are a wonderful tool for treating flares, but they cannot be used long-term. They will cause irreparable damage to the vital organs, and shorten his life. The rule of thumb is that if the dog has symptoms more than 4 months of the year, you need to seek out another treatment. Atopic Dermatitis can not be cured, but it can be managed.

This is where a specialist comes in; you have the skin testing done (expensive, and the dog needs to be sedated.) General practice vets are usually not equipped to test and treat severe allergies. And blood tests for allergies are notoriously unreliable for dogs, as their markers are not the same as humans.

From the test, you determine what substances he is allergic to, and a serum or antigen is created that will help his body learn to tolerate these things. In other words, allergy shots. The dog will need a shot every 2-4 weeks for the rest of his life. The beauty of the immunotherapy treatment is that there are no side-effects and or drugs. It is completely "natural". Jackdoodle has been on immunotherapy treatment since January 2009, and he has not needed oral steroids since he started. He has also not had one skin infection. He still has one flare a year, but it is controlled through antihistamines, fatty acids, and sometimes topical steroids, which are much less invasive.

Here is a discussion about Jackdoodle's allergy testing and how the immunotherapy works.

http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/all-about-allergies?commen...