food and skin allergies and skin color

[Maggie & Zephyr]

Hi, I am about to choose a goldendoodle from a litter. I have had a couple of dogs with allergies. What I would like to know If your doodle or other dogs have allergies, does it have darker skin on it's underbelly or is it lighter skin? Both dogs of mine with the dark skin had allergies. Some vets say it is a sign of an immune imbalance. Some say its normal. Thanks for any info

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Mar Vista talks about allergies: http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_mast_cell_tumors.html

[Sue & Lily Grace]

Thank you again. I guess the way I have to go forward is just to accept the new dog as healthy and move forward with that thought. I have looked everywhere to see what I could have done to prevent this from happening and there just does not seem to be a course of prevention. I have asked all the right questions about the new dog's lineage and hopefully i will have a sweet healthy puppy in a few months.

[Maggie & Zephyr]

I plan on giving my puppy transfer-factor for at least 6 months, just as a safe guard incase his shots don't take. I am going to double check with one of my vets that knows everything about transfer-factor(He worked on the animal formulas) I too did my research on the puppy's parents and am hoping for a healthy pup. Sorry for your loss.

[F, Calla & Luca]

There really is no course of prevention and nothing you could have done.  Good luck with the new pup.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Mast cells are involved in allergies but the reason malignancies form from them is not known.

[Maggie & Zephyr]

Just some info. I use Quercetin & bromelain and stinging nettle leaves for airborn allergies on myself and they work well. They sell dog formulas with these supplements for allergies. My dog only has food allergies now. So I have no knowledge how they work on dogs. Just another option.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Maggie, with all due respect, we try to keep the information and advice in this group scientifically based. If these "alternative" treatments are helpful for you, that's wonderful, but it's anecdotal information. Anecdotal information is interesting, but unless there is some data based on clinical studies and reliable research, it's really meaningless. There are websites all over the internet selling all kinds of supplements for allergies and every other illness, but that also doesn't mean anything. Airborne allergies are a disease of the immune-system, and cannot be cured. Not by drugs, not by herbs, not by anything currently known to science. The symptoms can be managed to a greater or lesser degree, but the underlying disease is still there. There are many things about the immune system that are not well understood, but this much we do know. The only treatments which have been clinically proven to be effective for for inhalant allergies in dogs are immunosuppressant drugs or immunotherapy injections. Other medications and supplements can be used to reduce symptoms, but none of those that you have mentioned are among them.  

The problem with advising people to use remedies which have not been proven to be effective in any kind of controlled study is that there is a danger of a dog (or a person) suffering needlessly and effective treatment being delayed while the owner experiments with these products. As you mentioned yourself, Atopy can kill a dog if it's severe enough and effective treatment is delayed.

Of course, we are all free to try whatever we like, but when it comes to advising others on health issues, we must try to stick to the scientific facts as they are known.