Itching??? No fleas, no known allergies

[Jordan & Daisy]

I am sure there have been a million posts regarding this but I couldn't find one specific to my questions- Daisy itches a LOT... She itches with her feet, her mouth (biting herself), and on many different parts of her body (not one specific area).

She doesn't have dry skin.. no flakes, etc.

She doesn't have fleas and as far as I know she doesn't have any food allergy (no diarrhea, inflammation, ear problems, etc). 

Is there something I should be doing for her? Am I missing something? Or is this okay? 

Thanks in advance!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There is a lot of good info on this in the Health Group.

The only way to "know" if your dog has allergies is to have testing done, but from what you're describing, it sounds like she has seasonal allergies, otherwise known as inhalant or environmental allergies. The medical term is Atopic Dermatitis, or Atopy. It is the second most common type of allergy after flea allergies, and is very common in Labrador & Golden Retrievers. Atopy is genetic, and many doodles here are affected. The typical allergens are pollens, dust mites, molds, storage mites, and animal dander. (Yes, dogs can be allergic to other animals. JD is allergic to cats). 

Here is some good information: 

Basic Facts About Allergies in Dogs

From the above link, here are some things you can do to help her. 

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.

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. 

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. 

The problem with the biting and licking herself is that it typically causes hot spots, or moist dermatitis, which in turn becomes a skin infection. When the dog's discomfort is that bad, you usually do need to use an immunosuppressant like prednisone (allergies are a disease of the immune system) to get the dog some relief and prevent infection. The cruelest thing you can do is use a cone or other device to prevent the dog from biting or licking herself, and not do something to stop the miserably intense itching.

In cases where a dog has symptoms more than 4 months of the year, the best thing to do is to consult a veterinary dermatologist for testing and an immunotherapy treatment plan. Your regular vet cannot do this. It's best to see a specialist sooner rather than later, as the condition gets worse as the dog gets older, and the treatment is more effective the earlier it is started. Atopy can be very serious, and in severe cases, even life-threatening. 

(And whatever you do, don't waste your money on blood or saliva tests.) 

[Jordan & Daisy]

Karen this is sooo helpful thank you.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I hope Daisy can get some relief from the itching. :) 

[Jordan & Daisy]

Me too!!

[Paula Shawber]

Thank you!!  The vet did diagnose her with Atopic Dermatitis. He didn't believe it was being caused by her food.  And again no fleas.  I need to go through your post again and see what to try next.  Thank you.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Did your vet suggest any treatments? Apoquel, or Cytopoint? Medications? Referall to a dermatologist? He just said "She has Atopic Dermatitis" and gave you no treatment options? 
As I mentioned in my response to your other comment on a different older disucssion, your best bet is really to see a veterinary dermatologist. A.D. can only be accurately diagnosed via intredermal skin testing, which GP vets can't do. And while my suggestions on managing the itching will help keep a dog comfortable, when there is a flare, you need something more. Only a derm specialist has the knowledge and tools to properly treat it. 

[Lynda Kamrath]

Harpo was also itching constantly and would scratch himself until he broke the skin around his front armpits.  He was very sensitive to poison oak and seemed to have it all the time.  He was sick, lethargic, and lack of appetite so the vet did a lot of tests on him and nothing came back on the tests.  She suspects he has Addison's disease and he is on prednisone right now and appetite is back and drinking and peeing a lot.  Some more tests after the prednisone is finished, but it does make sense.  My friend's dog also has an auto-immune disorder and it  is apparently common with the poodle mixtures.  Something you might check out.  How is her coat?

[Jordan & Daisy]

Poor baby! I am glad to hear he is doing better and I hope it is not Addison's! Keep us posted. Daisy's coat is actually great, so soft and she tends to be a bit on the oilier side even (not dry, no flakes). I've also never seen any hot spots on her or scabs from itching, it's just when I see her itch that it makes me wonder. She isn't lethargic, etc. I am going to keep an eye on it and try some of the things Karen mentioned. I washed ALL of her stuff yesterday but she still itched this morning a bit. Hm.. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Antihistamines and EPO will help a lot. It takes some time to "turn off" the immune response that is triggering the release of the histamines that are likely causing the itching.

[Jordan & Daisy]

Karen, how do you know how much to give for antihistamines??

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It varies with the type of antihistamine and the weight of the dog. There is some info in the Health Group, if you do a search in the discussion forum there. The dosage for dogs is typically higher than it is for people. This is where a veterinary dermatologist really helps, the GP vets don't seem to know about anything beyond Benadryl, which is usually not the best choice. 

JD weighs 80 lbs and his Claritin dosage is three 10 mg tablets once per day. Nancy's dog weighs 44 lbs and her dermatologist gave her the following dosages: 

Zyrtec (certirizine) 10 mg.                       -    2 tabs twice a day

Tavist (clemastine fumurate) 1.34 mg.     -   1 to  1.5 tablets twice a day

Chlor trimeton (chlorpheniramine) 4 mg.  -    2 tablets twice a day

[Jordan & Daisy]

Okay great this is so helpful. Thx again!