Flea allergy, NEED HELP?

Question

My 11yr old beloved shih tzu has had Flea allergys (well atleast my vet says) He has had minor irritation since i owned him at 1 yr of age. As he ages the worser his allergy becomes. Within the last 5yrs he has been getting depo steriod shots to relief the VERY bad reaction. I keep frontline on him but that dont stop the fleas from biting. He goes everywhere with me. Right now he has a severe breakout. I just washed him with oatmeal shampoo and started him on a skin and coat supplement. The steriods are causing his joins to get very bad and dont want to keep giving him something. He has developed a lump due to the steriods. His is constantly scratching and yelping cause it hurt even after the bath to sooth his skin. his neck and ears are red and a bit swollen and he has hair missing from his butt where he continues to itch. He is a white and groomed short right now and has NO FLEAS. so im not sure why he is scratching. Anything i can do at home to help him?

Thanks for the info guys, Yes i do not want to continue with the steriods. I asked three differant vets about other options and they tell me there no other options. Okay he only eats canned, Due to loss of teath otherwise he gets table scraps and no he isnt fat he is perfect and always been perfect weight. The depo is all they will give me, Other then pill steriods that make him sick. We just moved and the allergys seem worse here. Now where we moved we have had a freeze once a year and during winter NO ALLERGYS. But before the winter was done he needed a depo. The allergy doesnt seem to go away no matter what i do all that helps is the depo. I have tried benadryl recomended by the vet and it doesnt touch it.

Answer 1

The thing with flea allergies is it's an allergy to the saliva from the bite. It only takes ONE FLEA to trigger a reaction.

Is there a medicated shampoo you can get from the vet? Perhaps try a flea/tick shampoo as well. It would kill any eggs on the pooch.

As for the pup not having fleas, it might not be a guarantee. He might have one or two. Check his bum area, right around his anus, and down the legs. Fleas like moist areas and the hindquarters of an animal are more receptive to that. Take a really really fine tooth comb, they also sell flea combs at petsmart/pet stores, and comb the hair onto a piece of paper. If you see pepper-looking stuff, spray it with a fine mist of water. If it turns a red/reddish color, it means there is a flea presence on the body. In this case, I would send the dog to perhaps an overnight kennel and flea bomb the house. That is the only sure fire way he won't get them back on him if he spends most of his time in the house. When you let him out to potty, don't let him roam outside of his designated potty area (if you have one). Dont take him everywhere until you figure out why he's having problems. This would probably mean you need to do some extensive car cleaning to remove any flea dander or what not that could contribute to the breakouts.

Joint degeration is a side effect of long-term use of steroids. There are a few not-so-hot side effects from them, but most often the benefits outweigh the risks. Have you talked to your vet about perhaps finding an alternative to the steroid shot?

Perhaps try a holistic vet--they use a lot of natural alternatives.
http://www.holisticvet.com for one in your area, you want one that specializes in dermatics/dermatology.

Hope the poor baby feels better!

Answer 2

This sounds like more than just flea allergy. He may be allergic to fleas, but he could also have other allergies, like to food or inhaled things. You may want to see a specialist, a vet dermatologist. Depo shots are not a good idea--the steroid lasts too long in their bodies and can cause other health problems. Oral steroids given short term are a better option. It also sounds like he has an infection and needs antibiotics. Antihistamines can offer a little relief, but are not always very useful in very itchy dogs. Fatty acid supplements, like 3V caps or Derm caps are very beneficial to most allergic/dry dogs. Using a leave on soothing conditioner after bathing may help. Use cool water to soothe his skin. Red skin on the neck and ears is a tip off to other allergies other than fleas.

Answer 3

Use a different flea product to begin with., Frontline has been breaking down and not working well.
Use advantage or revolution.
steroids will NOT make his joints worse they will actually make them better, steroids use to be all that was used for joint pain in animals - long term use can cause diabetes and hypoadrenocorticism though! and i have NEVER heard of lumps caused by steroids.
Have you tried and antihistamine tablet? this can often help with the itching - you can use 1/4 of a polaramine.
He may have atopy (allergy to an environmental factor) or food allergy as well as flea allergy many dogs with flea allergy also have other allergies. Try changing the protein source you use in his diet eg is you use chicken swap to lamb or fish. I found that using Hills canine z/d low allergen a great diet for allergy animals.
There is also Atopica its a expensive yet highly effective drug for allergy dogs.

Answer 4

It sounds like your vet has misdiagnosed. Flea allergy is a common response when they don't know what is wrong with your animal. And steroids are really harsh on your little guys system. Honestly I would recommend going to an allergist or even better finding a really good holistic vet. I use one here in GA who specializes in acupuncture, chiropractic, holistic care and Chinese medicine. Check out this website to find one near you. I used to go exclusively to "western" medicine and now I combine them. It is amazing how many times my "western" vet wants to give tons of antibiotics or is limited and yet my holistic vet can diagnose and cure the problem so much faster with so much less impact on my dogs and cats. Anyway, I hope this helps.

The other guys are right too about checking for food allergies. A holistic vet can help you with the different diets. Especially in figuring out what he is allergic too!

Answer 5

find another vet and get a second opinion. It doesn't really sound like the first vet knows exactly what is going on. It sounds like your dog may actually be allergic to something else that is around him (could be anything...in the air, food, or what is around him). Dogs can have allergies like humans, so it would be smart to bring your dog to either another vet or a specialist for allergies.

Answer 6

You may want to consider switching his diet if he does not have fleas right now. Most vets don't realize there are also food allergies right now and there are omega 3 capsules that will also help relieve skin allergies. giving long term steroid therapy will cause kidney damage and should not be used long term. talk to your vet about advantage it helps repell fleas as well as kill any eggs that may hatch!!

Answer 7

California Natural only has 7 ingredients & works wonders for these poor critters

vets don't care to admit to the amount of food allergic dogs there are & the crap they sell just adds to the problem.

the steriods take a serious toll on the liver & kidneys

Answer 8

there is this stuff called spring time bug off and it works great.
we have got a friend that has the same prblem and every time a flea bits her dog her gets a boo boo. and then she fond this stuff and it works like magic.
they have a web site that you can go to a buy it. it is springtime.com

good luck with the problem!!!!!

Answer 9

Possibly try Missing Link added to his canned food. It is worth a shot if he is this bad.

Answer 10

Put him on Flint river ranch original kibble

Bathe him weekly

My dog had the same problem