What Can A Dog Be 'allergic' To?

[Katdogs]

HELP DOLers!

Stevie is 4 and a half year old Lab x GR. We got her as a pup. She has had a few episodes of getting nasty swellings over her face. We (and the vets) can't work out what could possibly be causing them. They're getting more frequent.

* First one she had a small lump in the morning, by afternoon it was all over her face, next morning they'd burst and she'd started banging her face on the walls in pain. First vet was scared of her and didn't look too hard, just gave her antibiotics (and tested for mites, which it wasn't). Second vet next day gave cortisone and antihistamine injections, and more of both as tablets over the next few days. Took a couple of weeks for the sores to heal and she still has scars from that episode. That was three years ago. This one remains a complete mystery.

* Another time, about a year ago, she'd been vaccinated in the morning (C5) then spent the day with my husband in a back shed clearing out rubbish. I saw her and thought she had socks in her mouth, then realised her muzzle was that swollen. Raced her to the vet (with panicking when she started making 'hoiking' noises in the back of the car) and she had cortisone and anti-histamine injections. Cleared up slowly over two days. She MAY have had exposure to red-back spiders, that's what we thought it would be.

* Due to the coincidence, she stayed at the vet for a few hours after this year's vaccination Saturday before last and showed no reaction at all. Two days later though she did develop a hot spot under her ear, where she'd been having Dermotic for yeasty ear. Started antibiotics last Wednesday for that, because it was a bit bloody looking, plus shaved and Neocourt.

* Yesterday, after perhaps chewing at a rotten branch in the backyard, she started swelling up - we noticed it quite early this time. Again straight to vet, cortisone and anti-histamine injections, swellings gone within an hour or two. The vet gave has antihistamine and cortisone tablets to keep at home in case it happened again, to give her immediately we saw swelling.

* Today, she did it again. Absolutely fine at 8.30am, I thought she spent her time inside dozing until about 9.30, then she started to rub her face and by 10am she had noticable swelling. Gave her antihistamines but the b!@#$ managed to spit them out AFTER having a treat and leaving the room - which we only realised a couple of hours later, when her swelling was still getting worse. Gave her the anti-h and cortisone together and tonight the swelling is much better.

Her eyes and muzzle puff up so much it looks like she's losing fur (she doesn't, it just spreads out). It's not evenly spread, it's lumpy along her nose/muzzle, around her lips, and over her eyes. After a while she starts rubbing her face on the floor, bed, walls - it's obvious pain. We're worried that if we're not home when it happens, she might start swelling down the throat.

What should we be looking for in our yard? Can this be a plant, spiders, ants? Her diet is so varied it can't be that, hopefully. Anyone else had reactions like this? It's getting very scary.

[Cockerlover]

Wandering jew ,can cause this reaction ,also many other plants r toxic suggest yr google list & try to identify any in your garden or where your dog goes .

[persephone]

it could be anything from an insect bite to pollen to a certain plant

[Katdogs]

We do have a little bit of wandering jew, but not in areas she normally goes. It comes under a neighbour's fence, and is ripped out as soon as I see it (but it's sneaky and keeps changing shape).

Yesterday she was chewing on a rotten branch which is why we thought insect/spider again.

This morning it was perhaps rifling through the Lillypilly/Smithii hedge clippings we spread around as mulch yesterday afternoon (or the spiders that might have come down in the clippings). Lots of jasmine mixed in with it - does it cause reaction?

Vet yesterday suggested it might be a bee-sting, but to have been stung so many times in a yard that doesn't really have many, it sounds unlikely.

If we could only pick a pattern to it all...

[Mas1981]

My lab swells around his eyes quite often when he has been in the garden and in parks, it looks as if he has been punched in the face, however he is in no discomfort. I know one thing that sets him off is pollen and some plants ( i have no toxic plants to dogs in my yard so it has to be just regular plants) the trouble is is that where ever we move and have different plants he gets it so I am guessing he is allergic to many plants. Maybe it is plants also affecting your dog?

Edited April 6, 2010 by Masons_mom

[~Shepherd~]

This happened to my Whippet. Think we worked out that an ant species was the culprit. Will try and find a link to the thread.

[~Shepherd~]

This happened to my Whippet. Think we worked out that an ant species was the culprit. Will try and find a link to the thread.

just realised, I didnt start the thread and cant find it. Sorry.

[Jed]

Do the swellings come up and go down, or do they form "heads" and subsequent scabs?

I would consider the swellings after the vaccinations a reaction to them - even though they occurred later. Reactions do not always appear within hours. I would research vaccinosis. And to be safe, if you are not doing it already, give her Vit C

Other usual suspects are pollen, wandering jew, moses in the basket, cycads, and insect bites - wasps, bees and ants, so check the yard out well.

[Whippetsmum]

I hope you find out soon what's causing this, it's worrying that it keeps happening. Both my Whippets have had this happen, one it was easy to tell it was a wasp, there were heaps around the garden; the second time, not sure, but we have lilly pillies and use the clippings as mulch too, just like Katdog.

Is it happening at a particular time of year which could suggest a particular pollen or a plant. The other things to remember is that some plants have prickles that burn and sting, eg: some thistles are particularly nasty. A lot of people are sensitive to Grevillea as well as Conifers, both can have small spikes on the leaf tip and then the oils in the leaves cause irritation, could it be the same for dogs? Insects are more active in warmer weather, is it always summer? Check for caterpilllars as well. I remember kids being stung by the spitting ones.

[Monah]

Can you go to a vet/dermatologist?

After a lot of money spent and allergic reactions we found a great dermatologist (thanks to my vet ) and within half an hour (scratch tests) knew everything the dog was allergic to. It's much better to know than guess, we have vaccs. for her and she has never looked back after 2 years on the program, It haas been fantastic for us, and the dog of course!!

[Staranais]

Dogs can be allergic to just about anything. And dogs that are allergic to one thing are far more likely to be allergic to other things as well.

It doesn't sound like a dietary, or flea, allergy from the timing you've described. Sounds like she possibly reacted to the vaccine, and also possibly to something in the yard.

Could be a severe wandering dew reaction, but with that you typically see bumps on the less furred parts of the dog (e.g, the belly, armpits, etc), not on the face. Still, I'd have a look at your yard and make sure there is no wandering dew around.

I'd be cautious about vaccinating her more than necessary, given she has already had a possible vaccine reaction. Finish her puppy set if you haven't already done so, titre her a month or two after that to make sure they've taken, then think seriously about giving any more to her unless absolutely necessary. JMO.

A consultation with a specialist canine dermatologist might be something to think about as well.

[zayda_asher]

I also suggest a referral to a dermatologist! For the reasons already given...

Edited April 6, 2010 by zayda_asher

[LizT]

Your description is very similar to that of my horses appearance after he decided to...

First. Paw ground and bang earth very hard

Second. Roll vigourously around ground.

Unfortunately this was done on an ants nest and he was bitten all over and swelled up around his face, genitals (oww!) and body.

An antihisamine injection brought it down but some did dry up as scabs.

[sas]

Head to the Dermatologist.

[Katdogs]

Thanks for the ideas and suggestions.

First episode, lumps seemed to form a rash of small heads that then burst to make patches of big bloody sores. It did look like one of those horrible necrotizing spider bites, especially as it spread so quickly.

More recent episodes it's just been swelling, except a couple of spots where she's obviously rubbed/knocked at them.

My husband has reminded me there was another swelling episode a couple of months after the vacc one.

The branch she was chewing a couple of days ago is from a grevillia street tree. We do have mainly natives in the garden.

Might talk to the vet about a dermatologist visit, if it helps us know whether we're dealing with plant, insect or vacc problem. We've also had the worst summer - three hot spots and bad ears.

Husband is thinking DDT and napalm to kill everything!

[benny123]

Our three year old dogs that have never had an allergic reaction to anything, have this year (in the last three weeks) developed a couple of hot spots and ear infections. The vet thinks the hot spots on one dog is related to the ear infection as he's been scratching below his ear and now has an abrasion and loss of hair in those areas. The other dog has one on her back that she can't reach to scrath, so it looks a lot better than his. They are currently being treated with cortisone, ear drops and a spray for the spots - seems to be working.

However, the vet did say that just about every second dog that had been in over the last couple of weeks has had the same or similar symptoms and that it's very odd, particularly in dogs that have had no problems previously.

He put it down pollen allergies as we've had more rain this summer than in many years and a lot more trees and plants are flowering and shedding pollen and many of these dogs would not have been exposed to them their life. He said it's also been quite a humid summer which creates a breeding ground for bacteria on the dogs skin.

I know it's different to Stevie's problem, but are there any plants around that have been dormant during the drought that have suddenly come back to life? May even be certain grasses that make contact with her face if she's sniffing around in it (like mine do to find possum poo ).

[sas]

Might talk to the vet about a dermatologist visit, if it helps us know whether we're dealing with plant, insect or vacc problem. We've also had the worst summer - three hot spots and bad ears.

Husband is thinking DDT and napalm to kill everything!

I really suggest you do, the next reaction may be more intense.....they don't die down as time goes on.

[Loving my Oldies]

No help to offer, I'm sorry. Just wanted to pass on my sympathies as it is such a worry. Hope you get some answers from the specialist.

Poor Stevie.

Oh, I did have a thought --- Oleander not the best thing to have around either.