'Mk. My dog is overweight with serious allergies. His skin turns red sometimes even purple and he will attack himself. He bites the hell out of his feet and legs and his eyes tend to swell up. We've taken him to the vet MANY times who gave us eyedrops which helped, and spray to spray on him where his skin is purple and bleeding. But when I spray it on him he goes insane. I know it burns him but I want him to get better. Should I continue giving it to him or is best that I stop?
2006-08-12 08:30:25 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
Without seeing your dog, it sounds like a food allergy. Most vets know nothing about animal nutrition (there are a few). I spent almost $1000 at the vet on antibiotics and shampoo before I finally figured out on my own what it was.
Food allergies are quite common in dogs. Corn, soy, and wheat are common allergens found in dog food. They are also cheap fillers used by the dog food companies. My dog is allergic to chicken, wheat, eggs, lamb, and liver. I feed Natural Balance Venison & Brown Rice formula. No by-products, no fillers. My dog started to get better in a matter of days when I changed her food.
My dog also suffers from Summer Itch. This is also common in dogs. It is a severe sensitivity to grass during the spring/summer when it is active.
I order her shampoo online and save more than half of what the vet charges. NUSAL-T is a medicated shampoo that has coal tar and works really well to soothe the skin.
Try using a cortisone cream if the spray is bothering your dog. You can get it at any drug, discount, or grocery store.
I am not a vet, just a pet owner who has been there. If you are not happy with your vet, please consider looking for a new one. If you would like to know how to do the food allergy test, e-mail me and I will be happy to walk you through it.
2006-08-12 09:35:49 · answer #1 · answered by Sharingan 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Have the vet prescribe a series of cortesone or prednisone, which will unfortunately make him even more ravenous, but will give you some time to get the skin healed up. The dog needs some kind of anti-histamine for allergies. Contact a different vet.
There are special shampoos specifically for dogs with skin conditions that help a lot. Weekly baths with this will also help.
For the weight problem, you are going to have to put him on a diet and make him get more exercise. Don't try to put him on the diet until you get the skin condition under control. You can start him on more exercise by slowly building him up to it. An evening walk would be very beneficial to him, and perhaps even for you!
2006-08-12 08:38:01 · answer #2 · answered by diane_b_33594 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Ignore all of the alternative crap that people are telling you about. You can actually do more harm than good. You need to get your dog to a new vet. The current vet that you have is not working on solving the problem. Find one that has had experience with allergies in dogs. Remember, just because they are a vet doesn't mean that they are competent. Don't blindly follow him. If you don't see improvement get a second opinion.
EDIT: theshadow01 below me is correct. My IG had severe ear infections and the previous vet was totally incompetent and couldn't manage it. We changed to a new vet (he is younger and more current on new methods) and we changed his diet. We discovered that he is allergic to chicken. We switched him to Natural Balance Duck and Potato and he is doing great now. It cost us $1500 in vet bills to get to this point. He also seems to be allergic to grass and it is worse in the spring and summer. He hasn't required any additional medication but we do keep an eye out to make sure that it isn't getting worse.
2006-08-12 09:34:49 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's time for a new vet who can figure out what is going on. He may be having some sort of severe allergy and he needs to be tested for it ASAP so that you can eliminate it from his environment rather than simply treating the symptom. Find a new vet who will take the time to address the needs of the dog, and make sure that you follow his instructions.
2006-08-12 08:36:40 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, if this were my dog I would speak to the vet about changing the medication. There are multiple choices when it comes to dog skin treatments. Using a medicine that is causing your dog so much pain is just plain silly. Ask for a different treatment plan. If your vet won't change the med, change vets.
2006-08-12 09:30:04 · answer #5 · answered by momma dog 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Keep spraying him. It will help him. If problems continue, tell your vet
2006-08-12 08:36:14 · answer #6 · answered by Animefan 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I would say that u have 3 choices. Have him euthanized, give him to someone who knows more about the problem or continuet the treatment.
2006-08-12 08:35:41 · answer #7 · answered by ? 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
My first thought about your sweet boy is that he has toxins in his body. Contact Sandy @ 206-571-4298. She is so great, REALLY. She has helped me with my horses and dogs. Tell her whats going on and she'll help you de-tox him . You don't know me, but please trust me on this.
2006-08-12 08:51:44 · answer #8 · answered by Pamela F 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
i'd say go to a diff vet and see what they can do for him.
2006-08-12 08:36:32 · answer #9 · answered by Other Man 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
how sad. he is suffering. talk with your vet.
2006-08-12 08:41:28 · answer #10 · answered by ♥LindseyK♥ 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋