Itchy Dog

[Carolyn and Sadie]

Hi,

Sadie my 1 1/2 year old cockapoo  has been more itchy than usual lately and has had her first

inflammation in her inside ear flaps but her ear canals look fine. Her regular vet declares she might have seasonal allergies and the fall allergy season has just started here in Massachusetts. She did just

get a very short haircut with ear cleaning two weeks ago and I am hoping that is the culprit. I called to ask what shampoo they used and they were vague and would no tell me except to say they use different products(I am guessing something cheap). They also said they wipe the inside ear flaps with alcohol and water or clean the canals with a mild ear cleaner but can't remember which they did with her. In the future I think I will bring my own shampoo for them to use and tell them to leave her ears alone. She was matted because I bathed her when she was pretty long and her fur matted up badly.

I will never do that again. Just try to comb her on a regular basis to prevent matting. I do like this groomer a lot.

Don't know if it is seasonal allergies or just overzealous grooming but I suspect she has mild allergies as she has been mildly itchy in the past.

I am also going to switch her from Acana Prairie(chicken) to Acana Pacifica(salmon) because I started Prairie in June and she hasn't done well on it. Some diarrhea on and off. Of course during this time she chewed half a pencil and chewed and ingested some small twigs in the backyard. Diarrhea due to dietary indiscretion? And she does fine with cooked chicken so maybe there is something else in the Prairie formula that doesn't agree with her. I was trying to switch proteins to avoid allergies but maybe that was a mistake.  I will try a limited ingredient food next if diarrhea continues to be a problem. Just wondering after I switch her to the Pacifica and she is doing well would it be ok to add EPO 500mg once a day? Is EPO pretty benign if the dog has no history of seizure disorder?

Of course the vet recommended Benadryl twice a day and yes she is less itchy but sleeps day and night. What dosage of Zyrtec or Claritin can a 16 pound dog have?  

Sorry this is so long but it has been a long process.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Kudos to your vet for knowing this is likely a seasonal allergy and has nothing to do with food. 

Dosage varies for different antihistamines. You can find dosage charts on line. 

Evening primrose oil is harmless for any dog who doesn't have seizure disorders.

Here are some other things you can do that will help: 

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. 

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. 

Read more here: http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/some-basic-facts-about?gro...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Oh, and if you do want to try an LID food, I highly recommend Wellness Simple Solutions. We use the Salmon/Potato formula, and JD (who has severe seasonal/inhalant allergies and Inflammatory Bowel Disease) does very well on it. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Here's a list of dosage for some of the antihistamines. http://cheyennewest.com/antihistamines-for-dogs-cats/

Claritin (loratidine)  isn't on it, but I'd go with one 10 mg tablet per day. 

[Carolyn and Sadie]

Karen, I am thinking of adding Evening Primrose Oil or Fish Oil to Sadie's diet. How do I determine which one to use?  I did switch her to Acana Pacifica (fish) and her stools firmed right up. Would adding fish oil or EPO be too much? I don't want soft stools again.  

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

If soft stools are a concern, you'd probably be better off with evening primrose oil. Use 500 mg human softgels and don't puncture them; give as a pill. Some dogs will just eat them if you put it in the food bowl. Start with one per day and if that goes well, you can increase to two/day.

(Do not use EPO if your dog has a seizure disorder. It can lower the seizure threshold.) 

I'm glad the Pacifica is working for her.

[Carolyn and Sadie]

I checked with my vet and he recommended the fish oil as he is not familiar with EPO. He graduated from vet school 24 years ago and it doesn't seem like he is update to date on things although he is a very personable guy and very loving with his patients. He recommended 1000mg of fish oil per day and as I know it will soften her stools, I am going to try 500mg EPO and see how she does.  Are fish oil and EPO that different Karen?  I feel like I am going against doctor's orders and it doesn't feel good. Sadie did have a bad reaction to Nexgard. It made her spacey and shake slightly so I don't know if it was a neurological thing. Vet never said but just switched her to Frontline. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The recommendation for EPO comes from Jack's dermatology specialist. My vet wasn't familiar with it either, because he, like your vet, is not a specialist, lol. That doesn't make them bad vets. GP vets cannot be experts in every treatment for every disease, just like human primary care doctors or pediatricians can't. :)

JD's dermatologist did originally recommend fish oil, but it gave him diarrhea. She then suggested the EPO, and he does beautifully with it.

The Omega fatty acids in EPO are different from those in fish oil, and there is clinical evidence showing that EPO in conjunction with antihistamines helps with the itching from allergies more than either one alone. 

[Carolyn and Sadie]

Karen, Do you do EPO and antihistamines year round?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jack gets EPO year round because the fatty acids are beneficial for other conditions besides allergies, and JD has several health issues. ( Some people with healthy dogs give EPO just because it's good for the skin and coat, many humans take it themselves for the same reasons, it's good for their skin and hair.)  

We use antihistamines seasonally. In the past, he got them about 9 months of the year; but he's been on prednisone permanently since his IBD diagnosis a few years ago, which pretty much controls his allergies most of the time, so he only gets antihistamines during ragweed season. 

[Carolyn and Sadie]

Thanks Karen!

[BG and Gavin]

Karen, understanding that the alleries are inhalent, does coat length make a difference (short better than long)?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Only in the sense that airborne allergens can adhere to the coat and they bring the pollens into the house with them, so maybe, more coat = more stuff coming into the indoor environment. But wiping them down works just as well with long coats as short ones. 

JD's allergist has never suggested or recommended that keeping his coat shorter would help. She does recommend weekly baths during flares, so I have to think that if it would have helped to cut him shorter, she would have suggested it,