Dog allergies?

Question

we have recently had a problem with our dogs allergies they keep swelling up and are very itchy. we have taken them to the vet and he said to give them benedryl and it has helped but we are trying to figure out what is causing it, we have 2 African sumac trees in the back yard that started blooming around the time of the first swelling episode does any one know it this could cause the swelling in our dogs...the vet says it's almost impossible to narrow it down to one thing but I'd like to try

we have just moved into this house and this is the first time the plants have bloomed since we have lived here. we've been using the same cleaners and laundry soap for years because my husband and i are actually both allergy sensitive

Answer 1

sure, it's possible.
it could also be a new cleaner you are using or a new air freshener or anything else.
have the trees always been there??? have they ever bothered the dog before???

good luck!

Answer 2

Okay - this may sound strange but it'll work. There's something called Muscle Response Testing. It's used by all sorts of alternative and not-so-alternative treatments on humans. It works on animals, too. You just have to use yourself as a surrogate. Essentially, it's a way of testing muscle strength to find out all sorts of answers about the body, such as "is the allergy something in the air, something the dog is touching, something he is eating?" Just form the question in a yes/no format and test muscle strength. Once you have the category of things, you can narrow it down further. So, if it's something they're breathing, then you ask, "Is it something outside? A tree? A flower? Grass?" Or, "Is it something inside? A cleaner, soap, perfume?" Then narrow it further. Check if it's two or more things if you're having trouble getting a positive answer. I won't go into detail how to do it here, but search it online or, if you can't find the details how to do it, buy "Say Goodbye to Illness" and read how to do it there. Or ask your local kinestheologist or chinese medicine practitioner. Incidentally, you can also get rid of allergies in animals through a technique called NAET -- look on the website for a NAET veterinarian. It uses accupressure - no needles, no meds, permanent elimination of allergy. Works great on humans!!

Answer 3

Absolutely.
I have a dog with severe allergies. He is worst during the pollen seasons.
It is possible to get allergy testing on dogs but it's pricey. You can see that he gets bad while the flowers are blooming, you know then that the pollen is an issue. So, expect to treat him seasonally when pollens are high.

Benadryl is a good med and if it is working then keep up with that.
My dog is so bad that prednisone is the best for him, it shuts down the immune system. Dogs can be treated seasonally with it as well. There are also about 4 other antihistamines you can try, get the doctors to tell you which ones. There are dog dermatologists you can see that can really help you out if you wanted to do testing and shots. When I went the vet said they are about 66% effective. Not good enough for me to try it, but maybe you would want to.
Otherwise, keep him on what you are using. If it doesn't help enough then talk to your vet about 6 week courses of prednisone, just to get through the pollen season.

Good luck!

Answer 4

It's not uncommon for dogs to have allergies. Most allergies are airborne, in people we get runny noses itchy eyes, but in dogs the skin is what is most affected. Some dogs will also have allergies to food - if what you're describing is hives - the food is something to rule out. (other things can cause hives as well, but food allergies are often a cause)

Dogs can be allergy tested just as people can. Some places will offer a blood test, but it's better to have a skin test done. Allergy shots can than be given on a regular basis to keep the symptoms under control.

Benadryl is a great medication for some dogs to help control the symptoms. Again if you're dealing with hives it's the best choice. It is safe long term and relatively inexpensive.

Good luck, allergies can be very frustrating.

Answer 5

It could be the tree blooms.
Dogs like humans can be allergic to many things.
Most look at food first. But ifyou have not changed food or cleaning agents or any thing like that then you are going to look at enviormental things.
Hopefully giving benedryl will help and this tree will not bloom all year. If so you may want to remove the trees.

Answer 6

Are they swelling up all over or in just certain areas? Does it seem like lots of bumps? My dog is allergic to bee bites and when he gets bit he looks like he just got a perm because of all the bumps on his body. And he throws himself on the ground cause they itch so bad. I give him benadry and actually put cold compresses on him...hes such a baby...Just thought maybe you have more bees/insects around with the plants blooming.....

Answer 7

Yes very possible my dog had allergies as well as i and i use to get allergy shots and i was told that teddy could get them to. but i just stuck with the benedryl. I hope they can make something better that can help them more.