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Post by crazylady on Aug 26, 2011 14:23:09 GMT -5
Hi all well I need the advice of you guys with regards to my dog Billy think I should explain billy is 8 years old and since birth he has what I call a summer itch ( it begins Feb and lasts till September ) he has had every test known to man and I have spent £1000's over the years at the vets on different tests and treatments finally we narrowed it down to an allergy to new grass growth the vet has him on predlisone ( which I don't like as I know in the long term it can cause liver damage ) and an antihistermine tablet twice daily ( he is now off meds as the itch is lessening ) what i need to ask is does anyone know of any holistic treatments I can try him on next year for the itching ( I don't want to keep filling his system full of drugs ) I make sure he is up to date on all flea treatments /worm treatments ect ( as he has a flea allergy too sigh lol ) I just don't want him to go through the h*ll of the constant itch year after year if there is something I can do in the meantime thanks folks take care bye for now
Bev aka crazy lady
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Post by Heather on Aug 26, 2011 14:35:43 GMT -5
Is the itch topical? Does he get dermitis (rash)? or just itchy? Have you tried an oatmeal bath? increased protein type oil rather than veg type? Is it local to one area or all over?
ciao
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2011 15:44:13 GMT -5
I believe Reshi Mushroom supplements act as a natural antihistamine (I will need to find Jennifer's post on it to be 100%).
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2011 16:36:13 GMT -5
Can't help you on the holistic part, but my dog has the same thing (allergies to like 16 sufferer kinds of grass and trees according to the test) and rather than go the steroid/antihistamine route the vet gave me this new allergy cream (only works if the itch is topical / rashes) and it actually works pretty decently. It creates a protective barrier for the skin basically. It's called "Duoxo Calm Serum for Allergies" and is made by "SoGeval". It is a prescription from a vet but it's a more natural product and contains: -Phytophingosine: has anti-inflammatory properties that help restore the skin lipid barrier -Hinokitiol: a natural antiseptic (antibacterial and antifungal agent) it helps control the skin ecosystem in case of inflammation -Raspberry seed oil: brings the essential fatty acids neccessary to the restoration of the skin. also rich in tocepherols known for their antioxidant properties -Natural antioxidants (NDGA - nordihydroguaiaretic acid and vitamin E) and moisturizers -Pemulen - immediate soothing and refreshing effect on the skin -Glycofilm - surface matrix which acts as a second skin and protects while the skin heals. Those are all the ingredients it has in it. It's a once a day sprayable gel. Has worked so far for my dog (she gets incredibly itchy allergy rashes on her belly). Hope that helps  |
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Post by crazylady on Aug 26, 2011 16:45:12 GMT -5
Hi Heather the only parts that seem to get effected are his feet and his tummy ( where he has no fur ) he drags himself along the floor to itch it and is a swine for rubbing himself red raw on the bottom step of my stairs ( so he gets a red rash in spots ) his feet take on a red/brown colour its only his paws he goes crazy at not the whole leg he even bites his nails ! ( his feet are normally white ) he doesn't bother biting any other part of his body I have tried covering him in creams before taking him out to act as a barrier it does not work ( even the trusted sudocreme only works for a while until he rubs it off all over my floors lol ) I have had expensive lotions from the vet to bathe him in ( anti fungal washes ) they don't work one thing I have noticed is the areas effected tend to be hot and he always has one ear that is always hot and produces a lot of gunk I am constantly cleaning it out ( vet says its not infection ) and yes its his white ear lol he has one white ear and one brown ear he gets lots of natural fish oil in his diet ( once a week I always cook him some fresh mackerel which is loaded with fish oil ) and thankfully he loves it any ideas would be welcomed guys take care bye for now
Bev aka crazy lady
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Post by crazylady on Aug 26, 2011 16:48:16 GMT -5
carpetsharks that sounds just what I need unfortunately I am in England sigh dont know if it is available over here !!!!!!  take care bye for now Bev |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2011 17:25:44 GMT -5
Maybe ask your vet if they carry something similar? Actually I wonder if they make an antihistamine spray for dogs. I get major skin reactions to things too, and Benadryl SPRAY is amazing (don't think it's dog-safe though) but maybe they may a dog safe sprayable antihistamine? It sounds like he does get exactly what my dog does. The paws are the worst - they get all gunky and brown and it just makes them miserable  The warm spots you are describing are called "hot spots" (my dog also gets these) and the only thing to really be done abou them is to keep applying nasty steroid/antifungal creams until they clear up. It's a very unfortunate thing for dogs to suffer from. Your only other option (if none of the hollistic ones / creams work) would be allergy treatments. They can get injections once a month to help their bodies "get over the allergies" basically but they are SOOOOOO expensive. I do hope you can find something to give your puppy some relief. Stopping him from licking / rubbing the spots is one of the most important things you can do to help speed the healing process, but it can be difficult when they are just so itchy |
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Post by Sherry on Aug 26, 2011 17:48:24 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2011 18:14:36 GMT -5
Sometimes the real problem is a food intolerance. I've had several dogs with this problem. The 1st would itch from early spring until autum, and was diagnosed with seasonal allergies. When I switched him yo raw, his allergies cleared up.
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Post by Sherry on Aug 26, 2011 19:15:34 GMT -5
It could still have been seasonal. The raw simply boosted his immune system enough to compensate.
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Post by Heather on Aug 26, 2011 21:34:02 GMT -5
I believe that Bev's wee pup is raw fed for the most part....Bev do you feed any biscuits or kibbles? I got to thinking and my old boy, Shakespeare used to have horrible allergies to any grains that were in the kibbles and dog biscuits (they showed up as seasonal allergies, ears and all, only one ear by the way). It was Lasher's remark that brought this back. I never realized how sensitive my guy was until I realized he was actually reacting to some doggy biscuits that he got when he visited the nursing home (therapy dog). He was entirely raw fed at this point. A couple of the elderly would give him a biscuit and spoil him a bit. I started carrying dried liver treats for them to give to him and voila....no allergies. The same thing happened when a friend of mine was making homeade dog brownies out of venison....Shakespeare loved them and her.....ear infection after ear infection.....it was the listmom of the list I'm a moderator on that suggested that I ask what went into those biscuits...sure enough. Stopped the biscuits....stopped the allergy. The problem was it was seasonal in the respect if he had these biscuits in the spring, it made him sensitive for the rest of the season, meaning he wouldn't stop being itchy with ear infections until the snow. Once we had a killer frost and snow...he would be great. If he didn't get any grains in the spring he would be great all summer. It only took a milkbone to throw his immune system in total turmoil and cause a major reaction and then we spend the whole summer putting gold bond on his hot spots  ciao |
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Post by crazylady on Aug 26, 2011 21:52:28 GMT -5
Hi Heather I have dont give kibbles or biscuits ( I ruled that out when he was a pup ) he lived for months when he was a pup on brown rice and cooked chicken no change then simply chicken no change then we did rabbit no change beef no change totally raw no change sigh his diet has never changed since then feb - september itches like crazy from september to feb no change in diet no itch there is only one treat he eats that contains grain hummm its a thought he wont like it lol ( he has a slice of toast with me on an odd morning dripping in butter lol ) I will give it a go i fit means banning toast it will be worth it I do add cooked veg into his diet should I rule that out too ? ( carrots , leeks , cabbage ect ) im willing to try anything to make life easier for him take care bye for now
Bev aka crazy lady
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Post by Heather on Aug 26, 2011 22:38:58 GMT -5
Veggies were tolerated...cabbage...well no one else tolerated him  but veggies themselves seemed to be tolerated. It was grains that caused the issue and it didn't matter how little, even a toast crust would be enough to set him off. ciao |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 27, 2011 9:17:59 GMT -5
I used to have a dachshund with grass allergies. We had to put booties on him when he went outside. Looked really silly but it helped... Also, wipe him down (especially feet and belly) when he comes in. Benadryl didn't come in a spray back then but I think it would be helpful on the really itchy spots...
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Post by Deleted on Aug 27, 2011 22:26:22 GMT -5
I've found with my guy that it's not just grains, but starch. Unfortunately, that includes potatoes and sweet potatoes. He can have starch (pasta,bread, etc) one day a week. Anymore and his ears react.
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but veggies themselves seemed to be tolerated. It was grains that caused the issue and it didn't matter how little, even a toast crust would be enough to set him off.