Dog with Allergies

What type of dog food are you feeding your dog. Lots of food store brands have alot of additives that your dog could be allergic to. Our first dog was allergic to those types of foods. Our second dog is only feed Nutro and we buy it at PetSmart. A little more expensive but we have no skin issues. My sister is going to vet school and is more holistic. I can ask her and get back to you. later

I had a golden retriever with allergies. She would get a shot every 3 months or so, especially during the summer. What I did find that would help was a Tar Sulphur shampoo. It isn't the best smelling stuff, but it did take the heat out of her skin and minimize the itching.

Hi R.,

I have a 14 year old miniature poodle with allergies as well as arthritis. He chewed and licked his feet and skin too. I tried the baths, medicines, etc but what I found worked for him is XanGo (mangosteen) Juice. I put it on his food 2x/day and he gets it in him that way (he won't lick it out of a bowl though I've heard some dogs will). The juice has components that are natural anti-histamine as well as anti-inflammatory so it has worked both for his allergies and his arthritis. I take the juice too and it has worked for my allergies, headaches, fatigue, PMS and cholesterol issues. If you want to know more about getting some and trying it, call Heather here in Lakeland. She is a single mom of 2 boys and does this as a business from her home - something else you may want to ask her about! :) Her number is ###-###-####. Hope this works for your dog as well as it has mine! - K.

I have heard of a lot of dogs with allergies... My 3 yrold German Shepherd chews her feet raw. We tried the OTC allergy meds (on recommendation from the vet) but the steroids are the only thing that actually worked. She loves to play fetch outside but we noticed when we keep her inside, except for doing her business, she hardly has any problems. It seems the sprinting through the grass may stir up allergens--the research I did online said it most likely an inhaled allergy that manifests in the form of feet-chewing. It may not be as much fun for her, but you could try keeping her inside as much as possible and see how she does. (Oh, regarding the 1st response, we do feed our dog Nutro Naturals and she still has the problem.)

My mom's dog is a 12yr old terrier and has had this problem for about 2 years. He doesn't play outside, but still has the feet chewing. She has tried wiping & spraying his feet when coming inside, but no luck. She has him on steriods for most of the time--alternating a few days on and few days off.

Then a friend's Lhasa got better by switching to organic dog food--I can find out the brand if you need me to.

It's really frustrating but seems to be a common issue... Good luck!

If your dog is suffering from Allergies then you can tak guidanc from our experts or you can explore http://www.allergiesdog.com - Dog Allergies Guide

I work for a holistic veterinarian in Tampa and we get A LOT of dogs in with allergies. We generally treat using supplements and topical medications in combination with restricted diets. We're located at 238 E Bearss Ave (we share office space with Tampa Bay Veterinary Emergency Services) and the phone number is ###-###-####. Your dog would need to have a holistic evaluation, which is an hour to hour and a half long appointment in which Dr Lampru goes over your pet's previous records and comes up with a treatment plan. She does this on Mon, Wed and Fri and the base cost is $150 with a deposit of $50 dollars required in check form before making the actual appointment. We have a packet of information which you can pick up, or have mailed or faxed to you, to be filled out before the appointment which also explains some of our other practices, including vaccinations, etc. We also like to have previous records including doctors notes, not just the computer printout. Give a call if this sounds like something you'd be interested in.

I also have a lab with allergies. We had him on steroids for awhile but noticed weight gain. The vet recommended hydroxyzine twice per day and that helped tremendously. He didn't get hot spots nearly as often (usually just at the beginning of a new season) and the itching really diminished.
Best of luck!

I have met a lot of people in the same boat as you (including myself). There are several things you need to keep in mind with allergies:

1) It's just like with people - dogs can be allergic to weeds, grasses, trees, foods, fleas, dust mites, etc.

2) Allergies get worse over time and your dog will pick up new ones as it gets older.

3) If you know or can find out what your dog is allergic to you can avoid it (or you can get the allergy vaccines - but would need that testing first) and that will help. The allergy test your vet mentioned will help if your dog is allergic to plants, mites, fleas but NOT if he's food allergic. Changing the food only helps if you do it right - you would need to talk with your vet to find out how to do a food trial with him.

4) Take the dog to the vet as soon as a flare up starts. Don't wait for it to get bad because then you'll need more medicines for a longer time. (And it will $$cost$$ more.) There ARE medicines other than steroids that you can try - antihistamines, ectc. - but you need to have your vet tell you the proper dose. (NEVER EVER give a human medicine to a dog without talking to the vet first.) And if there is a bacterial or fungal skin infection (starts because of the allergies) treating those will be necessary to help him feel better.

I hope this helps. Keep working with your veterinarian to come up with a plan that works for your dog and fits in your budget. Allergies are frustrating, but there are always other things you can try. (Even dog dermatologists if you need more testing than your regular vet can offer.)