Dog Allergy Advice

Adly812

My dog, gnaws and licks her toes and paws,. she obviously has an allergy and after not responding to a food trial, weve ruled out foods. She seems to lick alot at night and when she wakes up. not during the days. Its odd, as when she wen away on holiday with me it stopped. Now being back in my flat it started up again? Ive changed the obvious, detergents chemicals etc. But now she needs tests. Ive had a ridiculous quote of £800 but this includes intradermal tests. In peoples experiences, is there a need for intradermal or would blood tests and skin scrapes be enough. considering i think this might be a contact allergy?

Katiehound

and how are you keeping it at bay in the meantime?

You say you have ruled out food problems but did you try cutting out all grains, feeding raw etc.

Has the vet suggested using Piriton tablets? (or Boots equivalent which are marginally cheaper)

There are several products which claim to calm itchy skin- I'm thinking of Camrosa and Anicura which might solve the problems. Have a look at their websites for info. I have never needed to use their products thankfully.
A friend's dog had a chewing problem and I think it was linked to thyroid deficiency.

If the dog was fine when away it still sounds like an environmental cause in the flat.

Adly812

I soak her paws in iodine, try deter her from licking by putting a little jacket on her, which stops her sometimes (she's a tiny Yorkie) I give her Benadryl, but need to let off meds until after the tests. I agree it's in the flat, so changed my chemicals, but I'm going ahead with the tests, intradermal are so expensive compared to my other quotes. I have one very comparable, but don't want to skip on any tests obviously. But what do intradermal cover that blood tests can't? Will try your recommendations thank you x

Adly812

Thank you, I feed her grain free .. And salmon oil for omega 3 . Goats milk . Recently stopped coconut oil but used to feed her that too. Just trying to work out what tests she needs done ��

krlyr

Have you tried a single protein, raw elimination diet?

May also be worth ruling out any pain - feet licking can be a pain or a stress response.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Smb3088 wrote: »

My dog, gnaws and licks her toes and paws,. she obviously has an allergy and after not responding to a food trial, weve ruled out foods. She seems to lick alot at night and when she wakes up. not during the days. Its odd, as when she wen away on holiday with me it stopped. Now being back in my flat it started up again? Ive changed the obvious, detergents chemicals etc. But now she needs tests. Ive had a ridiculous quote of £800 but this includes intradermal tests. In peoples experiences, is there a need for intradermal or would blood tests and skin scrapes be enough. considering i think this might be a contact allergy?

What was different about your holiday? Did she end up swimming in the sea each day? (which suggests sea salt washes - boiled water, sea salt - might help soothe it). Was there a food you couldn't get her? Was she on hard flooring rather than carpet (do you use Shake and Vac on a carpet at home, for example?)?.

I'm sure you tried thinking of all these things, but it's possible you've overlooked something that's only obvious with hindsight.


With my lot, I only worked out that the fluffy cat wasn't actually allergic to anything used in the house, despite licking her belly bald and red, when I put my hand on the cable TV box one day and realised it was incredibly hot. The daft moo had been sleeping on it every day once I'd left for work, so I moved it, she copped the strop, but her fur grew back. In a similar way, it took several tries to work out the dog was sensitive to the perfume/odour neutraliser in the cat litter I was buying at the time. Mainly because I had assumed his toys were appearing in the litter tray because another one of the cats was being a git and stealing them, not that the daft lump was burying them in there. :cool:

Adly812

It's so frustrating as I know my little Yorkie through and through but this is puzzling me. The place we went was my friends house to house sit.. He has different carpet texture fabric. That's it as I now have switched to all the same cleaning stuff he uses. I've tried single protein grain free elimination trials too. I fear it's my carpet , or something like dust mites. She's booked in for allergy testing tomorrow.. Fingers crossed ...

Jackieboy

Have you treated your carpets etc. for fleas?

x_raphael_xx

My mums dog used to be allergic to dust mites. It wasn't too bad when they had a lot of laminate floors, or at my mums who would vacuum daily. But they once rented out a holiday cottage and the poor girl lost most of the fur on her sides from over licking & was red raw.

They spend hundreds on vets bills, tests and specially made medication (£150 a pop).
Eventually they started giving her an antihistamine a day, and it calmed right down. Never fully went away, but she was a lot happier.

MisterPym

x_raphael_xx wrote: »

My mums dog used to be allergic to dust mites. It wasn't too bad when they had a lot of laminate floors, or at my mums who would vacuum daily. But they once rented out a holiday cottage and the poor girl lost most of the fur on her sides from over licking & was red raw.

They spend hundreds on vets bills, tests and specially made medication (£150 a pop).
Eventually they started giving her an antihistamine a day, and it calmed right down. Never fully went away, but she was a lot happier.

Hi there, may I ask what antihistamine you use and at what dosege?

Many thanks

Adly812

I use Benadryl with diphenhydramine. 1mg/pound of body weight is the dose