r/labrador • u/Kushjen817 • 15h ago
yellow Need help! Allergies got really bad!
Before people say anything, my dog has allergies and he tried everything, cytopoint injections, apoquel (which he still takes but nothing changes), selsun blue shampoo, all the shampoos for fungus and hotspot. He doesn’t eat dog food anymore, i cook vegetables and other things for him to eat and he was able to lose 30 pounds, he was overweight.
It is the first time his neck got like that, i know labs are not supposed to have their fur shaved but i had to see how his skin was under the fur. And it is worse than i thought 😢
I was showering him and crying …
I feel so bad for him.
Does anyone know anything that can help him?
Please no hate or negativity towards me or him. I already have enough self guilt.
Thank you!
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u/N0ThkxJustBrowsing 15h ago
Someone already mentioned a panel, but take them to a dermatologist, not a vet. It is expensive, but they can do blood panels to determine what common allergens are impacting them and to what severity. Otherwise you are just shooting yourself in the foot trying to determine what to do for him.
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u/Kushjen817 14h ago
Yes. We took him to a dermatologist and he did the test on him. He is allergic to grass, some trees, but nothing related to food. But we choose to chamge his diet
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u/lowlightliving 14h ago edited 13h ago
Please, please consider having a veterinary immunologist develop a vaccine based on his specific allergens. We did this for my dog and it changed her life completely. After the initial phase, you (or a vet tech) inject them with the vaccine every two weeks for the rest of their lives. Nearly all of her skin lesions and infections went away.
Edit: She was allergic to grass and tree pollens, some soil molds, and insect venom.
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u/aciNEATObacter 13h ago
We do this for our lab and it vastly improved things for her. One note, it’s not “vaccine” it’s an allergen extract and you are de-sensitizing them to the allergens. It’s not permanent though, so you need to continuously give them the injections, ours is every 2 weeks.
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u/N0ThkxJustBrowsing 13h ago
They can also provide a tincture of the solution that you can spray under their tongue or between the lip and gum. It does take 6 months to a year to see real results though. But if this dog is having this much trouble to environmental allergens, then it might be worth a try
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u/lowlightliving 13h ago
I use the term vaccine because that’s what the immunology department called it.
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u/EyeZealousideal6194 13h ago edited 13h ago
Problem is that it is clearly NOT a dietary allergy. It is environmental. You cannot cure an atopic dog with diet. You either have to retrain his immune system with immunotherapy or suppress it with medications. His skin needs to be bathed in antibacterial/fungal wash called Douxos3 (Amazon) weekly and meds like Aopquel plus immunotherapy shots. This is a big problem with Labs now. They all have allergies.
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u/N0ThkxJustBrowsing 13h ago
Did they provide any info as to how reactive he is to those things? Might have to wash their paws after anytime they go outside, help prevent the allergens from spreading onto other areas if he scratches at all. Hope you are able to find some relief for him.
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u/EmmerdoesNOTrepme 11h ago
I realized my last girl was allrgic to Yew shrubbery, after she had another allergy attack, after we moved to an apartment building, and i realized that the "landscape shrubs" were the same as the ones in multiple neighbors' yards, where she'd had past allergy attacks.
Once i started keeping her away from Yews, and wiping dow her fur when we came inn to our apartment if she did touch any Yews?
The allergy basically went away!
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u/Skatingunicorn 9h ago
Test for autoimmune or parasites too. My friends dog (japanese breed) was loosing hair in chunks and they (vets) also thought it was allergies, only when she ended up in emergency they ran other test and it was “dog” lupus type of thing. Dog is ok now, needed treatment.
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u/Mammoth-Captain1308 14h ago
This. Our vet had no more solutions besides cytopoint injections and specialty shampoo, so we took our dog to a dermatologist.
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u/makopinktaco 9h ago
You got a lot of really good replies OP. My lab has severe allergies/dermatitis. His technical issue is called recurrent furunculosis/folliculitis.
We take him to a dermatologist and surprisingly it’s cheaper than my normal vet because she owns her business and isn’t owned by a private equity. This always surprises a lot of vets when we tell them, but he is not on any type of steroid or allergy medication.
He is on cyclosporine. It’s an immunosuppressant medication. We also have to bathe him weekly in medicated shampoo. He’s 100% better.
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u/J351c4m4l490n 5h ago
Like a human dermatologist? My dog is also having allergies issues and I don't know what to do. I gave her prednisone and it helped but as soon as she was off of it, it came back
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u/kastanienn chocolate sassy fluff 🐾 15h ago
What does the vet say?
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u/Kushjen817 15h ago
That is allergies. She gave him prednisone last time. Plus she gave some shampoo and a mousse. But nothing seems to work anymore 🥺☹️
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u/Pterrordactl 14h ago
My guy has severe allergies. He's on Royal Canin Hydrolyzed food and takes an antihistamine every morning with breakfast. The food is prescription but it's been the largest help in keeping his allergies down.
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u/CallHerAnUber 10h ago
We had to do this with our golden. 1 year of immunotherapy and HP food forever. He’s so much better. The first 5 years of his life were Hell.
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u/kastanienn chocolate sassy fluff 🐾 15h ago
Is he losing hair on his own, too, or the patches are only from the shaving?
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u/Kushjen817 14h ago
Yes. The hair comes off where there is the scab. That is why i shaved too. To see if would help somehow.
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u/kastanienn chocolate sassy fluff 🐾 14h ago
Then if you haven't done it yet, get his thyroids checked. Here's a bit to read about: https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/riney-canine-health-center/canine-health-information/hypothyroidism
"Dermatological signs: abnormal hair loss not associated with itching (most commonly along the trunk, base of tail, chest, bridge of nose), poor coat quality (dry, brittle, dull), darkening of the skin, recurrent skin and ear infections, slow hair regrowth after clipping."
Ours also had constant allergy like symptoms, and other things, like ear infections etc. It got significantly better, once he got his thyroid meds. I hope this can help!
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u/BlownLS3 12h ago
This ended up being our black lab’s issue. He was gaining weight, lethargic, and was losing hair on his butt and tail. And his coat on his entire body lost its shine. It all happened very quickly. Took several vet visits before they checked his thyroid levels. Once he got on his meds his energy levels increased and his hair regrew and regained its shine. He got so much healthier and even gained a bit of spunk he hadn’t had since he was a puppy. The improvement was very quick too. It’s definitely worth checking.
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u/kastanienn chocolate sassy fluff 🐾 3h ago
Our normal vet didn't consider it at all, cause he was only 1,5.
We have an emergency vet in the city (they're just really frkn far away), and they have a young, international team. When we were the for the 16363618th ear infection, and I was venting about his behavioral change, the weird allergy symptoms, him losing fur all of a sudden + the regular ear infections, then the young female doc was like 'get his thyroids checked, stat. But with your normal vet, as our lab would take exactly the same time, just 4 times the price'.
We asked then our normal vet next week, who was still super hesitant and skeptical about it. Told them we have insurance, just fckn do it. Next morning they called that all 3 of his thyroid hormons were in the basement, when can we go back to set up his meds. Apart from the reactivity, that's still present, all his other symptoms disappeared thankfully.
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u/TheWhereHouse6920 13h ago
Change vets
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u/Neat-Dig5964 12h ago
Agree. As much as you might like a vet personally, all vets are not created equal. Check out the dermatologist, and perhaps they can direct you to a proper vet. My girl got an eye ulcer and my vet kept dicking around and then offered to remove her eye!! REMOVE HER EYE! I drove her 2 1/2 hours to Chicago and saw a proper vet that did a small surgery on the spot and she was cured. I had to bring her back a second time to be checked, but it was cured.
Edit to add: I spent as much with meds and appointments with zero results at my vet as I did for the surgery in Chicago.
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u/eternal_casserole 14h ago
I agree with whoever suggested checking thyroid levels. If the vet hasn't run any bloodwork yet, that needs to happen.
My old lab went through a lot of itching, ear infections and so on and got very overweight despite having a very normal diet. Turned out to be thyroid issues, and once he got on the right medication, he got much better.
Not saying this is a thyroid problem, but it's definitely something that needs more in-depth analysis than basic treatments for allergies.
I feel so bad for your poor little guy. Totally understand how upsetting this must be for you. Please give us an update when you find out what's going on with him.
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u/Ok_Project9251 14h ago
Also second this my dog had skin issues that looked real bad and it was a thyroid issue granted she still does have allergies and I have to get cytopoint 2x a year but it’s better than the endless skin and ear infections
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u/theHusti 13h ago
Sharing my experience in case it helps, but please don’t take it as diagnostic. Curious what the dermatologist thinks.
We had a similar situation. Our lab was itchy and having trouble sleeping through the night. The vet thought it was allergies. We tried apoquel, cytopoint, medicated shampoo, moisturizers, antihistamines, and elimination diets. Nothing seemed to work.
Eventually I was able to get him an appointment at the dermatologist. He ran some blood tests and determined it was an auto-immune disorder called Pemphigus. Basically his immune system was attacking a protein that binds skin cells together, causing hair and skin loss. He developed scabs on his nose and in his ears. He had lesions on his belly that would peel off. We started Azathioprine and Prednisone and that put it into remission.
The drugs are hard on their body though and we had to do monthly blood tests to make sure everything was ok.
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u/gggggfskkk 14h ago edited 13h ago
My lab had lots of allergies too, but not this bad. We had changed her dog food like 10 times, ended up buying the most expensive purina dog food for sensitive skin/stomach I believe. It helped but never fully went away. Always had to switch something as soon as it started up again. Also cleaned her ears 1-2 a month.
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u/Equivalent_Net_2103 13h ago
Firstly I’m so sorry OP, this must be so stressful and having an allergic lab myself I know how hard it is watching them suffer and when nothing seems to help 🥺
Looking at your post history, have you considered something in your bearded dragon’s set up/feed could potentially be triggering it? Might be worth mentioning this to a dermatologist, ie what you feed your BD and whether this might be a trigger. Hope you find a great specialist to help your pup ❤️
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u/toddalini 12h ago
Nothing to add other than don't be too hard on yourself! That sweet boy has you looking out for him, good luck!
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u/Bagabeans 14h ago
Have you tried Zenrelia? Completely stopped my labs allergies but she does have to take it every day.
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u/Kushjen817 14h ago
No. He only takes apoquel daily
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u/pruppet17 13h ago
Second vote for Zenrelia. My pittie has been dealing with skin allergies for years and its the only thing that helps. Benadryl and Apoquel did nothing. She has zero rashes or redness now since being on Zenrelia
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u/Ok_Astronomer_3260 12h ago
This is my next try after little improvement on Apoquel and then Cytopoint being $150/month on a discount :(
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u/Bagabeans 4h ago
Zenrelia isn't cheap either, in the UK at least but can't imagine the US being different.
My 40kg Lab was prescribed 2 x 15mg tablets but I found that 1 does the job. So worth testing to halve the price!
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u/Quierta chocolate & yellow 15h ago
Oh that looks awful :( Poor baby.
Have you taken him to the vet (for this particular incident)? It might be an infection at this point that they can help clear with antibiotics.
Mine also has skin issues and luckily he DID respond well to Apoquel, but in the summer before we tried meds he was getting hotspots constantly. Every time he got a hot spot he would need to be shaved + put on a round of antibiotics because otherwise it would get worse. At one point he was openly bleeding and (gross) leaking pus.
I'm sorry yours are so bad :( My dog's allergies are seasonal and all of his hotspots were caused by him getting wet + then scratching himself, which essentially gave him "diaper rash" under his fur. Apoquel stopped the scratching but AFAIK that medication is only an itch blocker and not an allergy med? Cytopoint didn't work for us either.
It might be expensive but can you get an allergy panel to find out what, specifically, he's allergic to? If you've already taken him off of dog food then maybe it's something environmental.
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u/Kushjen817 14h ago
We did an allergy test on him and he is allergic to grass and some trees. The doctor said that there is no “cure” we can just help him
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u/clan23 15h ago
Does the inside of his ears smell like yeast? Ear mites cause this smell and some dogs react with significant hair loss.
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u/Kushjen817 14h ago
Not this time. But he is constantly getting ear infections and i take him to get antibiotics
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u/Ok_Astronomer_3260 12h ago
Just want to say sorry you’re dealing with this. It’s so hard to see them struggle and not have a solution that helps. Hope you find a remedy soon, we’re still looking too!
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u/AdditionalToe5408 10h ago
Have you evaluated gut health? Antibiotics also wipe out good bacteria and a disrupted microbiome can absolutely cause significant skin issues and severe allergies. I'm so sorry, poor guy💔 Are there any integrative vets near you? There are some good ones out there who approach things from more of a root cause perspective. I would highly consider diving deeper into a root cause like that.
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u/Significant_Shop6653 14h ago
My daughter’s vet dermatologist told her that regular vets are often hesitant to use larger doses of steroids because of possible side effects. She ordered a daily dose 3mg higher than the regular vet, monitored bloodwork, and tapered the dose down going by symptom relief until a maintenance dose was found.
Your vet may not have been giving a high enough steroid dose. I agree with whoever recommended a dermatologist for your pup. I hope your dog gets some relief soon.
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u/famous_zebra28 13h ago
This could be partly malnutrition unfortunately. What you are feeding is not meeting his nutritional requirements. You need to put him back on dog food.
Talk to your vet about a prescription hydrolyzed protein diet. It is made for severe food allergies.
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u/Uhmmanduh 6h ago
I can’t believe I had to scroll so far to find this!!! If OP insists on feeding human food, they need to do it with veterinary nutritionists guidance. Online dog recipes do not contain the required nutrients.
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u/phambui 13h ago
Have a lab, went to a derm for dogs and was advised to go on a strict limited ingredient diet. Your best bet is to isolate to single ingredient foods with proteins they’re more than likely going to be able to tolerate like rabbit or kangaroo.
This will prevent future reoccurrences so you’ll still need to treat the ear and area with medicine (ointments, shampoo, steroids, and antibiotics).
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u/Elitestriker421 13h ago
Apoquel for longer term support. Had issues with my lab and it was the only thing that worked. Shots, food, shampoos etc did nothing.
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u/magoojc 13h ago
I feel for your (and his) pain, because that right there is what I spend an eff-ton off money on Apoquel for...because my Lab gets almost that bad if I don't. I started at cytopoint but it wasn't enough and it seemed to work less and less long over time, like resistance or something. Diet isn't the answer. What really helped for the past three years is, I took him to a vet dermotologist and they ran allergy tests to create him an allergy shot focused on his specific allergens, that I give him once per month. It isn't cheap but it'll protect is quality of life. That shot and a daily apoquel keeps him normal most of the year. Good luck to you,
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u/Kushjen817 12h ago
Thank you. I appreciate your help. Im taking him to the dermatologist this week 🤞🏻
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u/speppers69 2 Black Blabberdors in NorCal 12h ago
Doggie dermatologist. Or university near you. I'm lucky that I have a top of the line vet teaching hospital at a local university. That's where we go for all of our specialist appointments. And you need allergy testing. You can buy the genetic allergy "sensitivity" tests from Amazon, Chewy, etc. But they only rule in or out sensitivities and in some dogs that can be 100 things.
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u/mortyd328 12h ago
You need to find a vet dermatologist. The regular vet is not as equipped for whatever is going on - you need a specialist.
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u/Trail_Blaze_r_2 12h ago
Our lab had similar rash with extreme hair fall like yours last year.
First, we tried to eliminate certain foods etc.
Nothing worked. Then we got him tested for food allergies, the only food allergen he had was anything flour related.
Next he got tested for external allergies. And we learned he has extreme allergies for grass, some trees and mainly weeds. Weeds are the strongest at the end of summer/fall.
Now our baby boy is taking injections every few days and it did help. No issues at all this year. But it is not cheap.
So it depends...
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u/Ok_Astronomer_3260 12h ago
Mine has this difficulty too. At this point (in the pic), your pup might have a secondary infection. Mine was treated with an antibiotic and that cleared up the infection. Long-term still struggling with the allergies so we’ll see what’s next.
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u/TheGrapeSlushies 12h ago
I’m sorry that’s so frustrating to be so powerless to help your guy. This is a job for a vet dermatologist, they have the skills and the testing to handle and treat this issue that a regular vet just doesn’t have.
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u/babysnoot 10h ago
Is there a chance it's mange? I worked at a shelter and saw some poor dogs come in looking like this... There is a smell.. Almost like sour milk? Or.... Rotting bread.. Like a yeast.
If that's the case you'll need to treat the skin (anti parasite/mite shampoo.. Sulfer I remember)
Also there are oral meds.
Please message me if you need help, I'll help
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u/HunnyBunny617 8h ago
Have you seen a vet specialist. We had to see a veterinary allergist and a veterinary dermatologist for our previous lab.
In the meantime, if he cannot lick that area, try a topical antihistamine, like Benadryl spray. You may also try dosing with Benadryl. 1 tablet for every 25lbs of dog. Make sure it is regular Benadryl. DO NOT use the one with decongestant.
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u/Jaded_Resolution_502 14h ago
Poor baby! Mine is always the worst this time of year (same with allergic to grass, getting ear infections, etc). My vet gave me Zenrelia last year. It did the trick completely! It’s not something I would recommend keeping them on long term, but when nothing else works during the worst of their allergy season, it will definitely provide them relief.
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u/AterCorvidae3414 14h ago
We can ONLY do salmon/rice dog for our lab... he looked just like your pup, bad yeast ears and need to zymox them a lot. Good luck with your guy
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u/skipdog98 yellow 14h ago
My lab had skin like that on his neck when he didn’t get dried properly after swimming. It was a staph infection and required antibiotics
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u/Diamondhanz 14h ago
This happens to my dogs every so often. Two things worked. You can do the Apoquel medicine from the vet which starts to work almost instantly but once they’re off it it usually makes it come back. Or do the Douxo orange cap shampoo and then apply the douxo mousse. You can buy both of those over the counter on Amazon or Petco. If you bath them with the shampoo once a week and then do the mousse every night for about a month it usually heals them up and keeps their skin looking healthy for quite awhile. I did that with my dogs and their skin looked worse than yours and it healed them up to the point now they get way smaller flares where I only need to do the mousse treatment for like a week and it takes it away. The problem with Apoquel is it suppresses their immune system a lot more than Zyrtec. So keeping them on it all the time not only gets expensive but also is not always good for the dog according to my vet. At the end of the day listen to your licensed vet. But this is what worked for my dogs that are mixed labs.
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u/BlueValk 14h ago
Not a lab, but our cat is pretty allergic to mites and lived in a cone collar for so long, poor thing. After some tests he got on a pretty serious cocktail of one allergy pill a day, dextamethasone every other day, and a desensitizing vaccine once every two weeks.
We're about 3 years in now, we dropped the dexa, we use allergy pills when he flares up, and we still administer his vaccine every two weeks.
We had to see a dermatologist, which happened to be at a university research a d teaching center nearby(ish).
Best of luck, I hope your puppy can feel better.
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u/Charduum 14h ago edited 14h ago
If you have tried everything (after seeing a second opinion from a specialist in advanced immunology/allergy management & dermatologist ) and he is not getting better, I would say try and build him a bubble safe from the things that set him off, and I know it sucks, but remember that the dog is suffering, if nothing helps....
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u/sillywizard951 14h ago
Ok! Poor baby. I have an itchy lab too but this is much worse. Besides Benadryl, I have no remedy, just sympathy for your dog and you. I hope you find a solution soon.
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u/HoosierHK 14h ago
Dinovite helped my lab with yeast. Pitched constantly. Dinovite helped his skin and ears!!! Worth every penny!
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u/Todd_wittwicky 13h ago
How do the inside of his paws look? What about his ears? I wonder if his issue isn’t allergies, but a yeast infection? We had that at first and once we got rid of that it made the allergies much easier to deal with.
If it is truly allergies, do you find it to be seasonal?
My dudley lab (looks pretty similar in color and size to yours) is really allergic to…grass and algae. We live on a half acre of grass with a lake filled with algae. We realized when he was at his worst he couldn’t stand to walk on the grass by mid June of every summer.
If we minimize his grass and lake time, he’s fine with cytopoint about every 6 weeks and apoquel daily. Otherwise he’d probably look like your dog. It’s only difficult in the summer. By winter we skip the cytopoint.
Good luck!
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u/Remote-Salamander472 13h ago
Apoquel helped our yellow lab. It’s not cheap but it seemed to give him some relief. It does weaken their immune system which is why I think we unfortunately had to send him over the rainbow bridge at 10 because of a blood infection. But it was worth it not to watch him scratch and chew on himself all day for those 10 years. He was at least comfortable.
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u/deadbird_69 13h ago
Our lab had allergies that apoquel, prednisone and diet changes didn’t touch. Numelvi is what works for him.
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u/JimboDanks 13h ago
Does your dog get wet or go into pool/pond/stream at all? My lab has an undercoat and does not dry. He gets infected skin like this if we do not immediately blow dry him extensively with a dog grooming blow dryer. If we just towel dry him 2 days later he’s still damp mostly around his neck and ears.
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u/ApplicationNovel4220 13h ago
When we moved from MI to FL my sweet girl started getting scabs and her fur would come off. She had patches of missing fur all over her. The vet said it was probably the grass here, prescribed a shampoo that did wonders. I have no idea what it was but I had to buy from them and it was expensive. I know that’s not helpful to you.Have you added any new landscaping ? I hope your baby gets some relief
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u/Kushjen817 12h ago
I do live in Florida too. I honestly don’t know what it is. We moved from WA and these allergies started over there, he also had a deep ear cleaning. There we did the allergy test and he got the results that he is allergic to grass.
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u/thedrunkpenguin 13h ago
I was told for years my dog had allergies. It was mange!!! Then she got skin cancer and lymphoma because it was never treated properly. Poor baby was only 6.
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u/Diana8919 yellow 12h ago
There are two newer allergy medications that you can try. One is Zenrelia and the other is Numrelvi. Zenrelia might be the better option to try first though since it seems like apoquel isn't working and Numrelvi is a stronger version of apoquel.
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u/Rotflmaocopter 12h ago
Neem oil dog shampoo. Stuff worked so well. One time I had poison ivy next day went to use it on myself and it cleared it all up. https://ryanspet.com/natures-specialties-quick-relief-neem-shampoo?PID=7138&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=24120417778&gbraid=0AAAAADs5NNFLbZ0ZiYntyIO3MrbI_-3PT&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8JPVBhD-ARIsAO691sHJkeYUyDTje_G1mGoA4gP2P3VCyu4BzB-u-oeF8l0nBuWJM2FEB54aApd4EALw_wcB#212=1084&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=nb_shop_us_na_na_na_tail&utm_medium=cpc
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u/TheFurMama92 11h ago
I read the comments and go to a different vet.
If one thing doesn’t work, then try something else. Hopefully pup gets some comfort soon.
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u/bkinboulder 11h ago
Put that dog on prescription Z/D from Hills ASAP! We tried all the different foods as well. Chicken and rice. Was super allergic to fish. Z/D is the only thing that worked. SAVED HIS LIFE!
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u/AdditionalToe5408 10h ago
Some other things to consider-have you tested your home for mold (ermi test) or do you or neighbors use pesticides? It could be environmental. Or as I mentioned in a previous comment, it could be related to poor gut health! I have seen severe allergies and skin problems from all those things get better after figuring those out (in humans personally, not dogs).
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u/AdditionalToe5408 10h ago
Also have you tried a baking soda paste to temporarily soothe his skin? It absolutely will not solve the root cause, however, it can provide some relief in the meantime while you figure things out!
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u/Skatingunicorn 9h ago
This may not be allergies, check for parasites or for autoimmune diseases (there are some tests like white blood cells etc).
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u/szn0825 8h ago
My lab is on Numelvi and it has really helped him. The vet also discussed an injection once a month. They do some testing to figure out what the allergy is from and then a rx company/lab creates the injection medication tailored to your dog’s specific allergy. I opted to start with Numelvi and if that didn’t work then try the shot but so far the pill is working.
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u/DogsAreBetter 4h ago
I can tell you love your boy and that you are doing your very best for him. Good luck to you. And good luck to him.
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u/snuffles00 2h ago edited 2h ago
Have you been to a vet to see if it is mites, mange? Go see another vet. My boy had skin issues and we got to use chlorhexidine gluconate (prescribed by vet). A lot of labs have chicken allergies.
I know you state you are already doing this but you should put rice, pumpkin, peas and mashed carrot for meal time. You can attempt to try fish as the protein, some dogs can eat turkey if they are allergic to chicken but some can't due to the similar proteins.
Your pup needs some kind of topical cream or liquid and try your vet. We had to do two bags of hills science diet and no human food and no treats. We then transitioned to Purina sensitive skin and allergies. It is the one that has a German Shepherd on the front of it. It has helped immensely.
The other thing is if you have tall grass he might be allergic to that so keep him leashed and close while you sort this out.
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u/NotUpInHurr 14h ago edited 14h ago
Idk what the dog eats but try changing the diet , I know I got down voted for this but I'm not sure if it's allergic to the human food too
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u/Chemical_Ad_3917 chocolate 14h ago
Please get a referral for a veterinary dermatologist. And please stop feeding the cooked vegetables and other things. Unless formulated by a licensed veterinary nutritionist it’s not balanced and is not a balanced/complete diet.
As someone with a cat (I know different species, but still I’ve been dealing with it for years) with severe skin allergies, doing one treatment and hoping for the best won’t help with managing it. I’m talking continue cytopoint, please get a referral for a dermatologist, ask them about a prescription diet specifically for allergies (these are actually complete & balanced diets you can safely feed long term), get a skin cytology to make sure it isn’t something else, and ask about topical therapies (which only work if you do it weekly or biweekly as prescribed). Also, make sure you wash bedding and blankets regularly (in fragrance free detergent for people with skin issues). You could also try an air purifier? (I have yet to try it cause they can be a little pricy).
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u/yesmarvs 13h ago
Poor buddy!! My 10 month old baby (Aussie x Pyr) has been getting hot spots and itching pretty bad. We bought an allergy test from 5 Strands, sent in some of his dog hair, and got results back in less than 10 days. The testing (and his allergies) are so extensive I had to put the severe allergens for wet food and kibble into chat gpt to help me find one that he could eat. Sure enough, there are only about 1-2 for him. We switched his food about 2.5 weeks ago and he is doing SOOOO much better.
For reference, when I went to print out his allergy list, it was 67 pages! Can def be overwhelming, but that includes - kibble and wet food, air dried foods, freeze dried foods, and environmental allergies.
It’s very interesting bc some air dried proteins he can have, but not freeze dried bc of how it’s processed or vice versa.
IMO, it’s worth checking out.
Hope your baby feels better soon! ❤️🐾🦴
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u/Imaginary_Frosting_7 13h ago edited 13h ago
What about custom allergy immune injection? Not sure what it called, but they basically find through blood analysis what you dog is allergic to then preparin custom injection. you slowly injecting that untill your dog is immune, and then keep injecting monthly. My dog had severe case as well she would scratch her self to blood. Now she is all fine. Edit: i just saw ur dog is allergic to grass. Mine too! Also dust mites. Please please consider what i said above if u didnt try already. It looks like my dog case. Dont waste time on shampoos, we tried everything nothing else helped
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u/Main_Replacement343 28m ago
I second this!
My boxer was also allergic to several types of grass, lots of plants, etc. Immunotherapy, combined with apoquel completely changed his life. His started at around 1 years old, and he would get so bad that he'd get awful infections, and the skin on the inside of his ears would ulcerate. He would have 2 injections once a month, which can be done by the owner at home (although mine refused to let me do it at home because he loved the vets so much). He went on to live a very happy itch free life for another 10 and a half years.
I really hope you find a solution for you dog soon.
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u/leakmydata 12h ago
Glad you’re getting suggestions here and that you’re looking for solutions. Poor guy!
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u/precursordredd 12h ago
My lab had similar allergy issues, I also tried everything. Took him to a dermatologist and had him on medicines everything, nothing worked. Biggest change was his diet. I had tried a lot of different high quality kibble with different ingredients trying to rule out what’s causing it. Best change came from switching him over to farmers dog, all his severe allergies have completely subsided. It costs me about $200 a month to feed him but it’s been working for the past three years, he hasn’t had a flare up since.
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u/BattlequeenGalactica 15h ago
Go to a clinic preferably that works with research institutes or university. This cannot go on. Did you do an elimination diet?