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. 

[Jenn&Bruce]

on my way to the vet this afternoon, armed with info....wish me luck!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I will be waiting to hear what happens. Good Luck!

[Jenn&Bruce]

So, the saga continues....was the visit a success? I'm not sure. I took the list today, being sure not to leave anything important out, and had a few extra questions in there for good measure. As far as the seizure goes, I was told that unless the seizures are frequent (3-4 a week) they would not actually treat him with any kind of drug. And unless he was actually at the vet clinic when it happened there wouldn't anything they or I could do. so I just have to keep watch for anymore episodes, and keep a log (which I already knew thanks to this site!)
as far as the allergies go, the vet recommended changing his diet once again, from the wellness, to Taste of the Wild pacific Stream Canine Formula....and discussed the option of Prednisone but was very hesitant to suggest it due to it's side effects. We also discussed how this may be a life long, trial and error battle, and he may end up needing a medication called Atopica? does anybody have a Dog on this Drug? I have to research so much more. if anybody has any direction for me here it would be welcomed with open arms.
So, basically we are treating him with antihistamines and introducing a new diet.
I'm curious though....could it be some kind of bacteria or yeast causing all this localized scratching? he has all the classic symptoms of it being allergies....but could these symptoms be shared by another condition and we just assume it allergies?
my head is spinning lol

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jenn, Atopica is one of the treatment options for Jackdoodle, and one which his specialist & I are both hoping to avoid. It is cyclosporine, which is used in organ recipient patients to prevent rejection of the organ. It does this by totally suppressing the immune system. It requires frequent blood tests and altered vaccinations, as the normal vaccines don't work when a dog is on it. My specialist feels that there is also a good chance it may lead to certain kinds of cancers. And it is terribly expensive. Here's my discussion on it, along with our other options:

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

I know you said you don't have many options for veterinary care, but is there a college of veterinary medicine anywhere near you? I really think Bruce needs to see a specialist. What area are you in? If he does have allergies, which it sure sounds like he does, it is lifelong, but it shouldn't be trial & error. There are known food trial protocols to test for food allergies, and there are many different kinds of skin tests, including the one you will learn about in the above link. Did the vet do any skin scrapings to test for mites or sarcoptic mange? Just switching foods is not going to tell which food, if any, he is allergic to...you need to do a controlled elimination diet. (Although I don't think the Wellness formula you're using has any of the most common allergens in it.) What is the difference in ingredients between that and the TOTW formula the vet recommended?
Yes, this could definitely be a particular skin yeast infection called Malassezia, but that does not commonly cause itching of the face, it's usually the ears & lower parts of the body. But you really need a skin specialist to determine whether it's allergies or some of these other things. Was any blood work discussed?
Jackdoodle is helped quite a bit by the antihistamines and evening primrose oil capsules (EFA's...his specialist prefers them to fish oil, and I like them, too.) until the worst ragweed season kicks in. Those might be enough to control Bruce's problems. Prednisone can be used for occasional relief if it's not too often...my miniature poodle got it fairly regularly throughout the years, and lived to be 16. But if it's needed too often, as in JD's case, it causes kidney disease, muscle wasting, weight gain, lethargy, and further suppression of the immune system, and shortens their lives, so that's why we had to pursue the shots.
This is crazy-making stuff, and I know how frustrated and worried it makes you to not have an answer or a way to help Bruce. People throw the word 'allergy' around like it was a headache, but true allergies are one of the toughest diseases to deal with. When Jack was first diagnosed, the specialist was so grave about it, I felt as if he had a terminal illness. "There is no cure." I hope it helps to at least know you are not alone. We will figure it out together. Hug Bruce for me, and please let me know anything I can do to help.

[Jenn&Bruce]

So, following my last post, Bruce was taken back to the vet once again, because he had a swollen upper lip and his eyes were very red and irritated. he is now on his third week taking prednisone in decreasing amounts, and this week is taking half of a 25 mg tablet every 48 hours, along with benadryl every 12 hours daily. Immediately following the first dose of the prednisone, he was itch free for the first time in about 8-9 months. But I have noticed it beginning again this week now that he's on the lowest dose every two days.
the TOTW food did not work out, as he wasn't digesting it well at all, even in small amounts mixed with the old food (wellness simple solutions duck and rice) for 2 weeks.
when asked about keeping him on the wellness diet (he had only been on it for about 2 months, not enough time in my opinion to tell if he was having a reaction to the food because we had been feeding him Canidae but went to the wellness due to loose stools and gas) the Vet told me the only food I should try now would be their Medi Cal vegetarian diet, because "any food sold in a pet supply store can be cross contaminated by another food made by the same company that has an ingredient that he's reacting too".
I gave it some thought, and did some research.
Medi cal food is made by royal canin, who makes many "flavors" and different brands of dog food. was the vet telling me that the vegetarian medi cal was made purely in its own facility, separate from lets say, a chicken and rice formula with the brand name medi cal?
well, I can't say I looked into it much farther after reading the ingredients.
they are as follows...
Oat Flour, Rice, Potato Protein, Flax Meal, Vegetarian Digest, Beet Pulp, Tomato Pomace (Source of Lycopene), Yeast, Vegetable Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, Rosemary Extract, Citric Acid and Lecithin), Minerals (Calcium Carbonate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Potassium Citrate, Salt, Ferrous Sulphate, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Oxide, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Sulphate, Copper Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Cobalt Carbonate and Sodium Selenite), Dried Carrot, Fructo-Oligosaccharides, Taurine, Vitamins (Vitamin E, Vitamin A, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Inositol, Niacin, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Biotin, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3 and Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex), L-Carnitine and L-Glutamine.
I ultimately decided to stay with wellness, but the venison and rice formula instead, and so far the digestion is perfect...
anyway, rambling about stuff that may belong in the food group so I'll get back on point..
if I see such a dramatic improvement on the prednisone, does that verify indeed that his itching is due to allergies?

in answer to your question about a veterinary college Karen, the nearest one is about 2 days away driving, and the allergy specialist is only there twice a year, for four weeks, two weeks at a time. My vet informed me of this, and conveyed her condolences on my situation, because above and beyond the prednisone, the specialist in Prince Edward Island would be her only advice for further treatment.
thousands of dollars, and such a distance...this isn't looking good.

no skin samples of any kind, or blood work has been suggested, or offered. is it something any vet would normally carry out? is it usually only performed by a specialist? do I have to ask for these things?

the cost of all of this, for Bruce and for me is getting quite scary.

I wish I could just figure out where all this stems from.

thanks for being here, it helps tremendously.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I am so sorry you and Bruce are going through this.
Every time Jack has gone to the vet, both regular & specialist, for a flare-up, they always do a skin scraping to verify that it is not mites or some other parasite before starting the pred. But Jack's flare-ups always involve his feet & groin areas...I don't know if they can do it on the eyes & lips.
Forget the food advice & stick with the Wellness. It's not the food.
Call the vet and report that this pred dosage seems to be too low, that Bruce is flaring up again, & maybe she'll adjust it. Also ask for an antihistamine...there are different ones to try, and I don't know the dosages...but the vet should. And buy a bottle of 500 mg. evening primrose oil capsules from a health food store, and give Bruce one a day...you can try hiding it in cheese, liverwurst, etc., or just put it down his throat. It may not help, but it can't hurt, it's just EFA's, which are good for everyone. between the EFA's, antihistamines, & steroids, he should get some relief.
Make sure the areas where he sleeps & spends a lot of time are as dust free as you can get them...wash his bed, too. (I threw away the dust ruffle from my bed...Jack slept with his face under it.) Wash his food & water bowls regularly, and dry them good before using them. If you have a forced air furnace, make sure the filter is clean, or change it if not. And then start keeping a log of what you can see in common on the days when he seems worst...is it damp out? Has he spent more time on grass or in a wooded area than usual? That kind of thing.
I think he does have allergies, Jenn, but I am of course not a vet. It IS expensive, and believe me, it can get a lot worse. But it doesn't have to...we just have to get to root of this.
We're getting too narrow in this thread. When you respond, start it in a new box at the top of the page, lol.
Hug Bruce, and take a deep breath. You WILL get through this. Keep us posted.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jenn...almost forgot; any more issues with seizures?
Has Bruce had any hair loss or breakage? Have his energy levels been normal?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Here is the most comprehensive article I have found which addresses the issue of allergies in dogs:



http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=1...

[Jenn&Bruce]

no more Seizures. thank goodness...just the allergies, and the stinky face. (a topic I put on the main page earlier this evening)
no hair loss or breakage, and even with the prednisone and benadryl he has a few extra naps a day, but he seems his regular self and ready to romp whenever somebody comes to visit, or I ask him if he wants to go outside.
all I say is "what do you want" and he climbs up on my lap, ears perked, and tail thumping.
how long do I have with the prednisone before I'm causing his poor young body irreparable damage?
he's only 15 months old, I feel so bad :(

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jenn, one or two rounds aren't going to affect him at all. I used it almost yearly with my poodle for minor seasonal stuff, and she lived to be 16, happy & healthy up to the last few months of her life.
And you absolutely must stop the "I'm causing" stuff!! YOU are not causing anything... you are doing everything possible to care for him & keep him from suffering! Of course you feel bad, but none of this is your fault. Hugs to you! You are a great doodle mom, Bruce couldn't be in better hands.
Wait it out awhile & let the prednisone take hold...this may just be a temporary flare-up that will go away and not come back for a year. or it may be something else entirely. Let's take it a step at a time. Go hug Bruce for me.

[Jenn&Bruce]

thank you Karen, I really don't know what I would do without you, and this site....with Bruce's "dad" away at school right now, I am feeling a slight bit overwhelmed, but it's so nice to have somebody as full of knowledge with the ability to talk me down off my ledge so to speak, lol
I think a lot of the people I encounter in my "real" world think I'm a little over the top with my worries for Bruce, and that why it's so comforting to come to my "doodle world" and feel a little less crazy.
Bruce barks thank you for all the hugs you and jack send, and sends love and best wishes right back!
and again I can't thank you enough for being there for me, it means the world.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thank you, Jenn. If I can help at all, I am so glad to. I know how lonely it can be, and I know that feeling of other people not understanding & thinking you're nuts for worrying. Our guys are going to be fine, and so are we.
Here's one more hug for you & Bruce. :-)