REVscene - Vancouver Automotive Forum

threezero · 09-07-2009, 05:01 PM

Is there any allergy test for dogs where I can bring in some fur to be tested? I'm pretty sure my dog has an allergy to something. Red skin in his underbelly red rashes and chewing on his arms legs and itchy all the time.

He is horrible at the vet, its a traumatic experience for both my dog, us and the vet. He's had this for a while I'm pretty sure whatever he is allergic to its not lethal, I'm trying to minimize extra tramatic experience at the vet unless absolutely neccesary (shots, life threatening situation)

I gave him one tablet of benadryl (my dog is 110lbs) today and the itching seems to have lessen the redness is still there. I know the drug only alleviates the symptom the only way to stop it is to fine out the cause.

So is there test that doesn't involve blood taken from my dog?

Lil Bastrd · 09-09-2009, 11:24 AM

There is no allergy test for pets that doesn't involve drawing blood. Unfortunately they can't always pin point the exact allergen.

A reaction like that I would check for a food allergy. Feed the dog cooked chicken and rice for 3 wks or until the rash starts to clear. This means no cookies or chews. Then once the rash clears start slowly introducing things one ingredient at a time.
Or switch the dog to a grain free kibble, or Raw diet

If the basic diet shows no change what so ever try keeping the dog off grass for 3 wks and see if it clears up.

whitescirocco · 09-09-2009, 02:46 PM

What kind of dog do you actually have? 110lbs could be anything!

threezero · 09-10-2009, 12:08 AM

I have a purebred German shepherd. He I'd have a food allergy before when he was younger and his whole face got swollen it's kind of funny actually thinking back. This time around the symptom seems different. Could a dog suddenly develope allergy to it's food that it was fine with for for 2 yrs? I will keep him off the grass first see if that helps. Would suck if the grass is the culprit. My dogs goes for off leash runs everyday, he loves it and need it. Running on gravel or whatever is not going to be good for his feet. Not to mention I don't know any large field that is not grassy around my hood.

Lil Bastrd · 09-10-2009, 02:08 PM

dogs aren't born with allergies and therefore must be ingest or come in contact with something at least once to develop an allergy. So yes a dog can become allergic to something that has seemed fine over the years. Also as the immune system gets hit with more of the allergens it will weaken more and more, therefore giving you the symptoms you see (aka the rash). I would try the food first as that is more likely the culprit. Usually if a dog has a grass allergy they can still go on grass if you get rid of the other allergens they are in contact with (aka grain and corn) Most dogs can have allergens in their system without showing any symptoms as their immune system is healthy enough to deal with them. The more allergens the more likely you are going to see the reaction.

threezero · 09-10-2009, 06:04 PM

He is on innova evo right now and its is already grain and corn free. He love the red meat version of the innova but he had a bad allergic reaction to that and we are left with only chicken to choose. What are my other options besides feeding raw?

We do give him vitamins supplements on top of his meal, he couldn't be allergic to that could he?

also anybody have any home remedy for paw licking. I feel while the rash and the itch could be allergy related, paw licking and chewing is a bad habit we allow him to develop. He did that as a puppy and we though nothing of it, now with the allergy its even worse to the point where the fur on his paw is very scarce and we see spots of blood on the carpet. during the waking hours we are able to monitor him and stop him licking however no way to do that when we are asleep. Is there anything bitter I could put on his paw that would discourage licking and does not aggravates the wounds and if he does ingest it its no big deal.

this is so frustrating.

Ducdesmo · 09-10-2009, 09:49 PM

I know how you feel. I have a 4 month old staffy diagnosed with mites and she is losing patches of hair everywhere and itching all the time. She had scratched several spots to a point where it bleeds and I just don't know what to do. She has been to the vets and on meds and is also eating Innova. I have, however, heard of dogs developing allergies to foods that they have been consuming for awhile, and hence some people tend to switch up the food.

Lil Bastrd · 09-12-2009, 11:55 AM

Like I said start cooking some chicken and rice for the dog. The kibble may be grain/corn free but there is something that is terribly aggravating him. Licking the paws till they are raw is the first symptom of food allergies. Do the basic cooked chicken and rice (or oatmeal) for a month. If the symptoms don't clear try using turkey or beef with oatmeal.
This may sound like a lot of work but in the end it will be worth it. Are you using any kind of flea meds or anything that is put onto the skin or ingested ?? if so take him off these as well. Go basic bare minimum for a month, no treats. give his body some relief and then add one thing back into the diet at a time

ra1nn · 09-21-2009, 10:41 AM

i heard if u feed your pets people food
they won't live as long

ShortStack · 09-21-2009, 04:31 PM

One of the most common allergies that dogs can have is to chicken, it can also cause 'hot spots' etc. This can also happen due to the quality of protiens.

If you've taken the dog to the vets to check for mites, dermatitis etc then I would suggest changing to a slightly better food (even tho its good). I think Innova changed the recipe but I can't remember.

It might be an idea to change to Taste of the Wild, alot of people have really good results with this food even with dogs with allergies and/or picky eaters. Orijen also just came out with a Red Meat recipe, and they have holistic with Orijen and Acana as well.

heres a couple good sites:
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/
http://dogfoodchat.com/

Lil Bastrd · 09-21-2009, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShortStack

One of the most common allergies that dogs can have is to chicken, it can also cause 'hot spots' etc. This can also happen due to the quality of protiens.

This is a total myth. The most common allergies are to grains and corn.
The reason most dogs have issues with home cooked chicken is because when people cook their own dog food they make the mistake of sticking to one protein.

ShortStack · 09-21-2009, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lil Bastrd

This is a total myth. The most common allergies are to grains and corn.
The reason most dogs have issues with home cooked chicken is because when people cook their own dog food they make the mistake of sticking to one protein.

It says 'one of' and the chicken allergy isn't a myth, it is one of the most common allergies along grain etc. Thanks! Neither is it that the quality of protiens can cause hot spots or allergies, or even allergy symptoms without being allergic.

Having said that, he's already said the dog is on a grain free diet, so the problem could be the chicken. I've had shepards that were allergic to chicken and chicken protiens can give hot spots.

Which is also why I suggested trying a new food, such as TOTW which is high quality and fish based, since he also said that his dog has probs with red meat recipe. I did suggest Orijen though and mention that they have a new red meat (regional red) formula because different companies make their recipes different. These foods are also grain free.

I didn't say it was THE allergy.

I mean, they could start feeding raw or all natural as well or instead of home cooked. Its good to give options to those that dont want to do home cooked/or raw.

Lil Bastrd · 09-25-2009, 03:17 PM

yes dogs can have issues with the chicken protein in kibble. As the protein is changed from the high temperatures. Real chicken is not a common allergy and usually it is something else entirely in the recipe that is triggering. The reason I suggest home cooked for a little while is to get rid of everything, to let the body clean itself out. This way the immune system can build itself back up again. If the immune system is that battered you will get reactions to things that they aren't allergic to as well as the system will still have residue of the allergens. Once the system is stronger then it's time to try a different kibble

babycake · 10-01-2009, 04:41 AM

I, too, recommend home-cooked for an elimination diet trial. I have lots of experience with food allergies, seeing as how both my pets have it and I deal with it often. It's rather frustrating, but can definitely be managed.

My dog started off being allergic to processed chicken (commercial food), but was fine with cooked and raw chicken. Over time, she became sensitized to fresh chicken as well, but it goes to show that how the meat is cooked can definitely change things.

My cat is the same way. He cannot eat chicken in kibble/canned, but can eat it in cooked and raw form. Moreover, there is something in commercial food (most likely additives) that makes him itch that is not evident in his home-cooked diet. He can eat commercial food that contains the EXACT same ingredients as a home-cooked batch and itch on it while no issues with the home-cooked stuff.

BTW, both of them are on homemade diets now.

An elimination trial is most effective when using a novel protein, so I would actually avoid chicken and choose a protein that your dog has NEVER had before, e.g. rabbit, venison, bison, etc. Keep at the diet (with no treats or supplements containing any other protein aside from the chosen one) for 8 weeks and if the skin condition improves, then it most likely is a food allergy. If no improvements, then you might want to start looking at other possible issues, but of course, I would first have a vet evaluate and examine the skin and fur to rule out the easier-to-deal-with stuff before starting an elimination diet. The trial is a pain and you must remember not to give any treats or food that is different from the protein being used in the trial or all your efforts will go to waste and you will then need to start all over...but this is the most accurate way to determine food allergies. Good luck!

P.S. If home-cooked is totally out of the question, I would probably do the elimination diet with Natural Balance. They sell dog food with very short ingredient lists (one protein + one carb) and each flavor/protein comes in both kibble and canned.

babycake · 10-01-2009, 04:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by threezero

I gave him one tablet of benadryl (my dog is 110lbs) today and the itching seems to have lessen the redness is still there. I know the drug only alleviates the symptom the only way to stop it is to fine out the cause.

A response to allergy meds is not consistent with food allergies. If you are 100% positive that the itching has decreased when you gave him Benadryl, then that would be more indicative of environmental/inhalant/contact allergies, not food.

threezero · 10-01-2009, 01:02 PM

here's what stopped his symptom. benadryl work well for like 2 days. than he started to resist the drug. very itchy ever when he took the drug. few days later his inner thigh got red and has horrible red rashes. his nipples?? got really swollen.

We gave him some steroid cream (human use) and with 1 application the rashes is all gone, no redness and swollenness either.

i've also change his food to natural balance with only fish and sweet potatoe. he seems to be better but he still like to scratch alot. I don't know if it normal sctaching or I havn't elimate the cause just stop the symptom... any other things he might be allergic to? he doesn't scratch while he is out or walk, only inside the house? could they be allergic to carpet? if so i'm fuck, my house is like 90% carpet...

habitual scratching maybe? if so what is the best way to correct it. elizabeth collar don't work, I tried it and he would hold his head up the whole day and refuse to lay down. He even bust my glass door and his lips in attempt to remove it

babycake · 10-02-2009, 03:27 PM

Allergies are really tricky to deal with and even diagnose. It can be difficult to find out what is making them itch. For example, say that he is allergic to a few things (pollen, dust, chicken, carpet). There is a threshold/tolerance level the body can sometimes tolerate before showing signs of a reaction. Maybe pollen and chicken together won't give him a reaction, but pollen + chicken + carpet altogether does. The body can tolerate certain things differently on different days as well. I know this doesn't help, but I'm saying this because some vets are so certain it is one thing and one thing only, but it's not that simple.

Since you have already started him on an elimination diet, I suggest you keep at it for up to 8 weeks. IF at that point, still no improvements, then you can rule out food allergies (assuming it's not the additives/preservatives that's getting to him) and start to look at other things. I would take it one step at a time and not change too many things at once because in the end, you might not know what really works. However, you might also want to look into a blood allergy test for environmental allergies (not food - that one is not reliable). I know you said it's very stressful for him, but it will be worth it. Some vets do house calls, too, but obviously they charge more.

A rash sounds kind of like contact allergies and yes, they can be allergic to carpet. They can be allergic to anything humans can be. Have you changed laundry detergent lately? Washed your carpets lately? Use any chemicals to clean?

In my experience, habitual scratching, though not impossible, is really rare. I had a vet tell me that my dog must be habitual scratching and she was so sure of it...she didn't have much to say when I finally figured out the cause of the itch and it stopped.

Forgot to add -- would wearing a shirt meanwhile help him stop itching?

Lil Bastrd · 10-03-2009, 11:25 AM

A rash can also be from something ingested. To Op you said that after giving the benadryl you got the rash reaction ? if so then I would stay well away from it. A t-shirt can help protect the skin from the dogs harsh nails and the bacteria on them. You have to give the new food at least a month before you can start to see if it's helping. This means you also have to eliminate anything else that he is ingesting. Even though you don't want to change much at one time I would also pick up a more natural laundry soap to use with anything the dog comes in contact with regularly (ie, if he sleeps on your bed your bedding would be washed in this)

cdizzle_996 · 10-03-2009, 11:54 AM

My dog was allergic to EVERYTHING. We had testing done, allergic to grass, dust, food, everything. It was brutal.

threezero · 10-05-2009, 12:04 AM

I'm going to put him on the new food for longer to see. overall he is getting batter, rashes are gone, when I notice his irratic scratching I would check under his fur and sure enough it would be a small bump. dab some steroid cream on and its gone the next day.

I did had a gruesome discovery. Few days ago I caught his scratching his butt again. This is like a half year habit and I though nothing of it til this whole rash/allergy thing. under a very detail examination of his tail, I find the same rash and bumps the base of the tail near his asshole and it is so bad that he chew through the skin there and is leaking pus/blood/poo looking liquid

I immediately trim the hair around that spot, clean and apply the same cream. It is getting better now he no longer itch there. After doing some research online symptoms seems to fit a flea allergy. I think (well I hope) I've nail the root of the problem.

He does get the advantage flea treatment every few month and we did not find any fleas on him or on us. but non the less I want to try everything.

Is there any good product that i can spray around the house to kill grown fleas and their eggs?

Lil Bastrd · 10-16-2009, 12:57 PM

The other thing I would have checked is the anal glands.