Allergies!!! >.<

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TyChowgirl
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Allergies!!! >.<

Post by TyChowgirl »

I thought I finally got Tiberius and his allergies under control. We had been hot spot free for almost two months, barely any biting or scratching and I was able to back off the benedryl for a bit. I had to increase it this week because he started sneezing a lot more (doing reverse sneezes) and his eyes were watering. Still, that wasn't bad. I took him back home with me to PA for my bridal shower and I guess their pollen season has just kicked off in full swing...and he's a mess. He's licked/pulled out hair on his one leg and he's back to the sneezing and eye watering again...the itching and biting...So I gave the poor baby more benedryl and more fish oil as well as stuck the cone on his head. I also had some more topical spray from the vets from when he had his hot spot and I've been applying it to that area. I may have to get more when I go get his shots updated....ARGH I hate allergy season!!!
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Rio
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Re: Allergies!!! >.<

Post by Rio »

Poor Tiberius, this is going to be a stupid question but can you get allergy shots at the vets? I know they exist for humans, and I am sure I have read that they are also available for dogs and cats, I think the success rate is slightly lower than in people but if it alleviates the allergy maybe it would be worth asking your vet.
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Hugo
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Re: Allergies!!! >.<

Post by Hugo »

My Hugo suffers in allergy season too and has to have a cortisone shot to settle it down.
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TyChowgirl
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Re: Allergies!!! >.<

Post by TyChowgirl »

It's not a stupid question. I asked my vet about it...and he told me he wanted to avoid the steroid shots as much as possible because there are so many cons and possible bad reactions to it. He gave me stuff to try and keep it under control in the most natural and least medicated way as possible and I definitely respect that. I think I'm going to take him for a bath this afternoon (he was laying in the freshly cut grass there) to see if I can get some of the allergens out of his coat (and he needs one anyway) and if I can get refill on the topical treatment. It'll also give me a chance to schedule him for his shots lol.
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Cam Atis
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Re: Allergies!!! >.<

Post by Cam Atis »

Just my 2 cents. Dogs (hardy mutts we called Askals) here in my country will have hotspots (balding, flaking, graying, thickening, ITCHY skins) when they are allowed to eat sea produce such as fish (whole) or crustaceans (crabs and shrimps) like every week or so. That's the way they all are - it is a common knowledge. So I am ever so careful not to allow them to be able to eat such things. Chows are an Asian Breed - they were only westernised in last 150 or so years. If a dog is allowed to eat crustaceans, expect it coming soon. Dogs by the sea are a common sight having bald spots at the back.
Normal diets consists of much veggies cooked in stew or sauteed with meat (chicken pork beef) plus rice. That's traditional asian cooking. They pretty much eat what their humans eat. Cooked. But they are allowed to eat raw if they snatched it from the butcher's.

About me, I feed them whatever dogfood including a pure chow like Cassie. She hasnt have any problem on her fur. She's on dog food 25-28% protein range.

Would you be brave enough as to try to stop giving Ty that has fish in it? (Omega Oil capsule or liquid is fine as it is already extracted and in pure Omega3 substance - THIS IS DIFFERENT IF YOU READ: A good source of Omega meaning Omega fatty acid has not yet been isolated)
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Cam Atis
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Re: Allergies!!! >.<

Post by Cam Atis »

Fish meal is a trigger
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TyChowgirl
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Re: Allergies!!! >.<

Post by TyChowgirl »

Other than the stuff the vet gave me which is a good omega three suplement (and helped clear up everything before) everything he gets (save a few treats every now and again) are poultry based proteins. I have been very careful with his diet since this started last year at the end of summer as I thought it was the food. That's the reason why we haven't gone hollistic and I won't feed raw. I don't really have the time and I don't think high protein for chows in the way to go. Plus, he won't touch vegetables I've tried. The hollistics are usually more than one protein. So he's on a grain/gluten dry food (wet food supplemented to feed him benadryl) poultry only diet. Sometimes he has bacon and cheese flavored stuff, but it hasn't bothered him before. No, he was seriously ok skin wise before I took him home. We finally had that balanced out and were just dealing with watery eyes and sneezes. Now it's everything. So I imagine it'll just take a week or so to pan out. I'm also checking for fleas just in case (he is on a flea preventative)
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Cocoa
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Re: Allergies!!! >.<

Post by Cocoa »

It definitely sounds like environmental allergies to me and this is the time of year for allergies in humans as well. Cocoa went through the same thing last summer however with her I think it was a food allergy, cleared up when I switched her food, although we won't know for sure until we go through another summer. I know how frustrating it is when they are suffering like that and nothing you do seems to help.
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Re: Allergies!!! >.<

Post by SophieR »

TyChowgirl wrote:It's not a stupid question. I asked my vet about it...and he told me he wanted to avoid the steroid shots as much as possible because there are so many cons and possible bad reactions to it. He gave me stuff to try and keep it under control in the most natural and least medicated way as possible and I definitely respect that. I think I'm going to take him for a bath this afternoon (he was laying in the freshly cut grass there) to see if I can get some of the allergens out of his coat (and he needs one anyway) and if I can get refill on the topical treatment. It'll also give me a chance to schedule him for his shots lol.
Just an fyi... the previous poster asked about allergy shots and you responded your vet "wanted to avoid steroid shots". Steroid shots are NOT allergy shots. (Steroids are a bandaid at best...to get your dog over the worst of it by providing comfort. Steroids reduce the itch and pain and are only a short term solution.) Once it is determined (by tests) what a dog is allergic to, he/she will have specific allergy shots developed for that/those particular allergens. They are not harmful like steroid shots and I've seen great success with them in my dogs.
chow315

Re: Allergies!!! >.<

Post by chow315 »

my dog since yesterday when i wrote the post has improved already. i noticed someone mentioned benadryl. my boy was on 6 a day prescribed by vet and got worse.yesterday said stop benadryl immediately. he is taking an antibotic plus another for allergies its called chlorpheniramine 2 every 8 to 12 hours as needed. i have seen an improvement in the scratching already. i hope your dog gets better really fast
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