Does anyone have a Cairn with allergies?

Question

My 1 1/2 year old Cairn is constantly scratching herself, licking & biting at her legs. At one point she had some spots that were almost bald.

She's been on antibiotics & prednisone twice & that seems like the only time she has any relief. The vet says she can have benedryl, but I don't want to overdo it - I want to figure out what's wrong. I don't think it's seasonal, because this has been ongoing through the winter until now. The vet recommended trying different foods & so far she's scratched her way through sensitive skin & venison varieties.

We also have to get her anal glands emptied almost once a month.

Any ideas?

Answer 1

Ok ive had 2 cairns, one 14 and one 15, and they both have had allergy problems all their life. The anal gland thing is normal, once a month is about what i do for my dogs. You might want to try some kind of hypoallergenic food. Im surprised the pred hasnt helped honestly. Id recommend getting some chlorpheniramine maleate tabs instead of using benadryl ( makes dogs less drowsy) you can get that any store, theyre usually called chlor tabs or something. Id recommend giving 1 tablet twice a day, and then if you see some improvement, move down to 1 tablet once a day and see how that goes. Have you tried getting a depo-medrol shot yet? THat should knock everything into high gear and give you a jumpstart on getting this thing under control. Anyways hope this helps you out some.

Answer 2

I dont have a Cairn but I do have a Lab with allergies,my experience says that benadryl is good ,something like the ratio of one pill for every 25 pounds, it helps.As far as the prednisone goes that should only be used temporarily ,side effects are not nice,liver damage etc.Right now I am giving my dog a product called Atopica, very very expensive but seems to be doing the best she ever has,unfortunately if you wanna figure out the cause you will most likely have to see a dermatologist, it's been 3 years or more since looked into that ,but costs could run into 1,000's.But it may well be worth it to just get it done,sometimes i wish i would have.Good luck.

Answer 3

Dogs can have allergies to things in your home. Cleaners, airfreshners, fabric softners, treats, bedding ( wood chip bedding), dust etc.
There is always a trigger. You need to find it and eliminate it. Try changing the products you use around the house and don't use fabric softners on your dogs bedding.
To help relieve the itching: mix 1 Nizorol Shampoo with three parts water. Bathe dog and let sit for 5 mins if possible. Rinse well and repeat every three days for one week. After that repeat once a week until irritation subsides.
For Benadryl: 1 mg per lb every 6 - 8 hours is safe
Cortaid can be used as an anti-itch cream. apply once or twice daily as needed.

Answer 4

My boxer has allergies also. We have been through the antiboitices and prednisone also. Along with trying different foods. We have just found if we give her one benedryl a day, it seems to help her. Our vet suggested 2 to 3 per day based on her size, but it dopes her up. One does not, but gives her some relief.