I asked bout my dogs scratching prob......?

Question

Thanks for the replies, tried the vets several times. got him tended too but to no avail. still has the problem....btw, he doesnt have any fleas ive checked......even know the vet said he's allergic to the flea bites...Vets ...well u know.grrrrrrrrrrr, im sick to death with the so called pro.s they suck!!!!!!

Answer 1

Likely, your dog has allergies. Believe it or not, a lot of dogs are allergic to dog food & treats. Try using an all-natural brand. They tend to be more expensive, but they aren't manufactured with a ton of fillers, so your dog will eat and waste less too!

Licking their paws can also be a sure sign of allergies!

Answer 2

There are 3 common allergies in dogs. Food, contact, and inhalant. The least expensive way to find out if it's food is to put the dog on a strict hypo allergenic diet for 7 weeks. This means NOTHING else passes his lips. My personally favorite is IVD venison and potatoes. I had a dog that had the same problem. I put him on this food and within 2 weeks he was 100% better. If you can't find this food then try Hills z/d or z/d ultra. There are a few others out there. You have to buy it from a vet. There are some sold in stores that claim to be for allergies but they are not 100% hypo allergenic. If after this trial you still don't see any improvement then you will have to fork over the 3-500.00 for allergy testing. If you do this the company will develop an antigen to inject the dog with that will build up it's immunities to whatever it is allergic to.
Have you tried benadryl? 2 mg per pound given twice daily.
You can also try some oatmeal and aloe shampoo for temporary, immediate relief. If all of this fails then you will have to resort to steroids. This drug given on a regular basis can cause damage to the liver/and/or kidneys. Having said that you have to decide if you want to give your dog quality, or quantity of life. If you give the steroids in pill form (prednisone) you can give it every other day after the loading dose to give the organs a chance to recoup. If you give the injection it is in the body for close to 60 days. There is no taking it back. Unfortunately even with the pros.. it's a trial and error cure. If you don't try the things the vet suggests and give them feedback they won't know what helps, or doesn't help. There is no one cure all for every pet. Each pet has their own set of little quirks, and resistances. I hope this helps. Feel free to email me with further questions.

Answer 3

Allergies in dogs are one of the worst things I've experienced. Changing your dog's food might help if it's a food allergy. Find a natural diet that has an protein source that's unlike any of the regular protein sources, i.e. venison, fish, etc. It may take a few months to see a difference, but it will be worth it. Eliminating wheat, corn, and other products in the food will help, too. The same thing with treats. All ingredients in treats should be checked to make sure they are free of chicken, beef, corn, etc. the stuff you find in regular foods. Fresh veggies are an excellent treat. Check around on the foods. Lamb is a good protein source for allergy dogs, but some companies trick you into thinking there's just lamb in there when upon reading the ingredients, you find other things like beef, liver or chicken. I use Dick Van Patton's Natural Balance Venison on my dogs (available at Petco). Get one without all the preservatives, colorings, etc. It's helped my dog a lot. Check on the internet for natural foods. They may be a bit difficult to find, but most of the sites will give you dealers in your area where you can purchase the foods.

Now if it isn't a food allergy or only partially food allergies, this is a real pain. Vets offer allergy testing, which involves a blood test. It can only be done if your dog is off all cortisone for a number of weeks. I tried waiting the alloted time, and my dog scratched his ear so hard, he ended up with a hematoma (swelling from trauma to the ear) and needed surgery.

My dog has a combination of food allergies and others. What I've found to work the best with my dog is low doses of cortisone, monitored by my vet, given only occasionally. It can cause major problems if given all the time. I bathe him regularly with Relief Oatmeal shampoo and conditioner. If he gets a skin infection, which is common with allergy dogs, he's put on antibiotics until the problem is gone. Sometimes this may be for several weeks. I add a fatty acid supplement to his diet. Your vet can suggest the best one. I use Heska F.A. granules which I sprinkle on his food twice a day. There are also capules made by different companies that contain fish oil, if you'd rather give a pill.

I saw from your original post that Benadryl didn't help your dog. Unfortunately, it didn't help mine either. There are other antihistamines you can use. Ask your vet about Chlorpheniramine, Tavist, or others. DO NOT ever use them without asking your vet first.

What I've found in my experience is that there is no magic pill to get rid of all allergies. Dogs can be allergic to anything from dust to weeds. If you are not happy with your vet's answers, go to another vet, or have your vet refer you to a board certified veterinary deramtologist. They're out there. If you can get the allergy testing done, do so. They may be able to pin point your dog's specific allergies. You can give him shots to desensitize him to the things he's allergic to and give him some relief.

You can try a holistic vet, too. They may suggest a food or a combination of more natural things to alleviate your dog's problem.

My dog is a black german shepherd. Shepherds are notorius for allergy problems, but they can occur in all breeds. Don't give up. They can be happy and healthy without being medicated constantly. It's frustrating to find the right combination of things that will work for your dog, but keep trying. Good luck.

Answer 4

Oh Boy! I know the feeling your are experiencing.
I am trying out a few things. Benedryl seems to help some. Check out some of the better dog foods believe it or not. stick with the lamb and rice type of formula. I know both are gonna love this plug for them. Science Diet and Eukanuba are a good choice also. Financially strapped and can't afford them right now so pooch is unhappy. Brewer's yeast and garlic tabs don't hurt either. If the dog food doesn't help he/ she may need fatty acids in there diet. Mom's dog had this problem.
Good luck! I know it drives ya crazy!
Alice

Answer 5

I have a Chow who gets skin allergies during the summer months. The vet(s) always want me to give anti-biotics to him which consist of 3 pills a day. You ever try to get a chow to swallow 3 pills a day? It's hard. Had a friend suggest coal tar shampoo. We tried it and it works great!! We use a product called "Nova Pearls" and we bath him once a month and he doesn't get the allergies or does he scratch! You could try it once and see if it works for you. If not it won't hurt the dog at all.

Answer 6

My dog was allergic to something in the store bought food i was feeding him. (like white rice or something) Also the things they put in store bought dog food that they tell people to avoid like MSG and other preservatives. I switched to a holistic food and it works awesome! Try using Solid Gold Dog Food. It is all natural and has stuff like long grain and brown rice instead of white. And it doesn't have all the stuff the FDA doesn't want us to eat. you can go to the web site and type in your problem and it tells you what to use. It also lets you type in your zip and find a place that sells it. It isn't the cheapest, but it works so well. It also reduces the stools they produce, because the body absorbs all the nutrients and gets rid of the bad stuff.

Answer 7

when my dog is shaved for the summer, he does the same thing. I don't know if your dog has really short hair, but if he does, you might want to put some hot spot on him. They sell it at walmart for under 5$, it is in a clear bottle, the liquid is yellow. It doesn't have the best odor, but it seems to help my dog's sore spots that he has made from itching, and keeps him from scratching more. good luck!

Answer 8

my dog gets excema from certain food, have you looked at the diet