Suspected Allergies?

[PoppyDog]

The more I read about symptoms of dogs that have skin or other allergies the more I wonder if Poppy could be suffering from something like this or of what she does is normal?

She scratches. Everyday, a few times a day.

She drags her bum and is regularly wormed and has also had he anal glands checked over by our vet!

She chews her paws. Probably about once a day.

Is this normal behavior or not? If not what can I do to find out what is causing her to itch and scratch and drag and chew?

Do I start with an appointment with our vet and tell he my concerns?

Thanks :D

[stormie]

Sounds very much like she has a skin irritation.

My first step would be to see your regular vet and see what they say. Check your garden for wandering jew too.

Start by eliminating any chance of the scratching being due to fleas or other parasites that make them itchy, like sarcoptic mange.

If the itching continues, then seek a referral to a Dermatologist. They will be able to continue on the process of elimination to help determine the cause and then possibly start treatment.

May I also suggest, if you haven't already, get insurance ASAP! I'm not sure if this is a wrong thing to suggest, but if you haven't been to your vet about this problem, then it can't be classed as an existing condition. So if you can somehow arrange insurance before you seek vet help, you may be lucky and be covered, but I'm not sure if there are waiting period etc.

Treating skin conditions can become very expensive and the insurance will be a god send!

[PoppyDog]

Thanks Stormie.

Will look into Pet Insurance. Any suggestions of good companies/policies?

I don't think we have any wandering jew. Will double check the back yard though. We have a flower bed in the front yard (un fenced to Poppy never goes there) but if there was wandering jew in there could it effect her anyway?

Will also trial treating her worms/fleas differently. I have always used Spectrum Sentinal but in the past few months have had to give her a Capstar table as well (about 3 times now) because I've noticed fleas on her. So I might switch to a heart and intestal wormer tablet/chew and then use a flew spot on. Does that sound about right?

As for the mange, are there any visual symptoms of this? I thought dogs with mange went bald? Or is that only in extreme cases?

[Moselle]

Skin conditions can also be caused by overvaccinating. My dogs were also itchy and were occasionally plagued by hot spots when I habitually vaccinated them every 12 months......now it's a case of them getting their puppy shots, a booster 12 months later and then NO MORE SHOTS ! I have NEVER had a dog come down with parvo or the other diseases that dogs are customarily vaccinated against! Vaccinating every year plays on the immune system thereby weakening it and a compromised immune system shows in various ways but mainly manifests itself in the dog scratching and chewing itself. There can be other causes such as the dog being allergic to certain types of grasses or plants, pollen in the air, carpet, washing detergent, etc....or an intolerance to certain foods! It is unfortunate that vets never make mention that the vaccine could also be causing skin problems.....and I can see why.....money paid to vaccinate a dog.....and then more money to treat the dog's skin condition which seems to be an ongoing saga

[Moselle]

http://www.healthtotem.com/en/tf/vaccines_pets.html

http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/petvacc.htm

These two links are two (of many) that explain the risks of overvaccinating.

Edited October 25, 2010 by Moselle

[Mason_Gibbs]

My dog has allergies, he does everything that you describe. My boy has food allergies and atopic dermatitis ( another type of allergies) with food he cant have chicken, beef or wheat - he is also allergic to insect bites, grass - weed - tree pollens , storage mites and dust mites. He was tested for atopic dermatitis through blood tests and intradermal testing by a dermatologist - my old vet kept on trying to treat him herself and would not refer us to a derm, I then changed vets and got a referal as I needed one for my insurance, I am with Petplan and they have paid for everything, even the blood tests which were sent to USA.

I was also advised by our derm not to vaccinate, I did titre tests and the results came back that he is sufficiently covered.

Edited October 25, 2010 by Mason2009

[stormie]

There is no scientific evidence to suggest vaccinations cause allergies - or any other disease. It's still be researched.

The Specialists involved in the research are suspecting dogs who have negative reactions to vaccines start off with 'faulty' immune systems to start with and the vaccine is just a trigger.

So no, we don't tell people that vaccines cause problems because vets practice science based medicine and telling people this would be incorrect. Yes, we tell them there's a possible link to some immune mediated diseases, but not that they're the CAUSE.

[Polgara's Shadow]

As the owner of an allergic dog I recommend you discuss it with your vet. On eliminating the sources of irritation from Vulcan's food and environment he is now itch free. For what it's worth Vulcan is allergic to sardines, lamb and grass. I never would have figured those particular things out without my vet's assistence.

[karly101]

It is unfortunate that vets never make mention that the vaccine could also be causing skin problems.....and I can see why.....money paid to vaccinate a dog.....and then more money to treat the dog's skin condition which seems to be an ongoing saga

This is quite insulting to the many good vets.... there is no possible way that my employer (and any vets that I have visited with my own animals) would want to see any dog suffering skin issues...it's horrifying, we feel the frustration with the owner (and the poor dog!) because skin is so difficult and costly. We generally refer onto specialists as we have found in the long run that saves our clients money as they can then identify a cause rather than trying lots of different solutions which without knowing the cause may not work.

And to the original poster, yep I would probably mention it to your vet but one thing you might want to rule out first is flea issues with a good spot on treatment.

[Danois]

It is unfortunate that vets never make mention that the vaccine could also be causing skin problems.....and I can see why.....money paid to vaccinate a dog.....and then more money to treat the dog's skin condition which seems to be an ongoing saga

Sounds like you need to change your vet - I know I can trust my vet without a doubt. There is no way they vaccinate a dog to hope it gets a skin condition so they get more fees - especially as most end up at a specialist.

[PoppyDog]

I never realised that owning a dog would be as serious and important as having children! The research that people do into everything from feeding, vaxx'ing, medication and grooming is amazing! I really admire that!

Poppy has only ever had her puppy vaxx's! She hasn't had her 12 month booster yet.

Will look into Petplan insurance. I really hope I can stop the itching by switching to a flea treatment that is more effective.

Having a puppy that is allergic to everything from chicken to grass really scares me. I'd hate to think that Poppy would live the rest of her life being itchy and uncomfortable!

Mason - What level cover do you have with Petplan??? Do you pay an excess each time? Do you pay the upfront vet fees and then recieve a refund from Petplan or do they pay they vet directly?

Edited October 25, 2010 by PoppyDog

[Dogsfevr]

What do you actually feed including treats??

As the dog has fleas this is an area you need to get on top off as being bitten by fleas is like having "chicken pox" & will cause all sorts of added issues .

[PoppyDog]

What do you actually feed including treats??

As the dog has fleas this is an area you need to get on top off as being bitten by fleas is like having "chicken pox" & will cause all sorts of added issues .

I totally agree that the flea thing is something I need to get on top of. Like I said, am changing the treatments I use so fingers crossed that works.

Your probably shake your head at what I feed but am going to be honest so here goes...

She has Supercoat Puppy at dinner (1 cup) with 2 tablespoons of Natures Gift wet food (have only just introduced this - about 2 weeks ago as Pop's had gone off her plain dry food).

She also gets meaty lamb bones, chicken thigh pieces, liver treats, carob chip dog biscuits and has in the past minced chicken carcess & chicken necks.

She also sometimes gets bits of watermelon & apple. Occasionally I'll give her a little bit of what we are eating (obviously don't do this if I know its bad for her - but have given her bits of sausage, steak, mash potato, rice etc in the past). I'm not overly careful with what I let her eat but maybe I need to become strict and see if that helps?

She is due to change from Puppy to adult food (don't you do that at 12 months?) so maybe I need to consider a better quality dry food?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[sas]

Best to see your Vet and then onto a Derm if the issue hasn't resolved.

Food allergies aren't as common as people think they are, but no one here can suggest what your dog is allergic to, allergies can be complex combination so you need professional assistance.

[cj-b]

What do you actually feed including treats??

As the dog has fleas this is an area you need to get on top off as being bitten by fleas is like having "chicken pox" & will cause all sorts of added issues .

I totally agree that the flea thing is something I need to get on top of. Like I said, am changing the treatments I use so fingers crossed that works.

Your probably shake your head at what I feed but am going to be honest so here goes...

She has Supercoat Puppy at dinner (1 cup) with 2 tablespoons of Natures Gift wet food (have only just introduced this - about 2 weeks ago as Pop's had gone off her plain dry food).

She also gets meaty lamb bones, chicken thigh pieces, liver treats, carob chip dog biscuits and has in the past minced chicken carcess & chicken necks.

She also sometimes gets bits of watermelon & apple. Occasionally I'll give her a little bit of what we are eating (obviously don't do this if I know its bad for her - but have given her bits of sausage, steak, mash potato, rice etc in the past). I'm not overly careful with what I let her eat but maybe I need to become strict and see if that helps?

She is due to change from Puppy to adult food (don't you do that at 12 months?) so maybe I need to consider a better quality dry food?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Sentenial works great to control fleas long term and if you use it with comfortis you will control them now as well, you can even down grade to the interceptor spectrum and still have control, just save a little money.

Nothing wrong with natures gift wet food, I personally think it's an awesome wet food no nasties, just meat, veg, vits and mins, but that's just my opinion. And I also know some show dog owners that feed supercoat. However, they don't seem to have itchy dogs, so I think if she is showing signs of an allergy I would consider changing her dry over to a kibble that is free of corn, wheat and soy, as these ingredients seem to be a common cause for the itchies.

Good luck with a few changes. Let us know how she gets on.

Edited October 25, 2010 by cj-b

[Moselle]

There is no scientific evidence to suggest vaccinations cause allergies - or any other disease. It's still be researched.

The Specialists involved in the research are suspecting dogs who have negative reactions to vaccines start off with 'faulty' immune systems to start with and the vaccine is just a trigger.

So no, we don't tell people that vaccines cause problems because vets practice science based medicine and telling people this would be incorrect. Yes, we tell them there's a possible link to some immune mediated diseases, but not that they're the CAUSE.

Every time a person or animal is vaccinated, the immune system is compromised...when people are given the flu vaccine they end up with the flu....humans are NOT vaccinated for life so why should dogs be vaccinated throughout their entire lifetime? Who are these "specialists" supposedly involved in such research? and how is it that they come to "suspect" that dogs who have a negative reaction to vaccines have a faulty immune system??? These specialists wouldn't be "sponsored" by the vaccine manufacturers, by any chance? lol. Immune mediated diseases are indeed CAUSED by vaccines......injecting a cocktail of foreign substances for the life of a living being is bound to have negative consequences....

[sas]

I think if she is showing signs of an allergy I would consider changing her dry over to a kibble that is free of corn, wheat and soy, as these ingredients seem to be a common cause for the itchies.

Good luck with a few changes. Let us know how she gets on.

Says who though?

Food allergies aren't that common, before wasting time and money on Diets you can't use in an Elimination diet I think it's more productive to follow the advice of a Vet or Derm.

[PoppyDog]

I'm glad to hear you say that Natures Gift isn't that bad in the grand scheme of things. Someone on here actually reccomended it to me which is why I decided to try it to help tempt her to eat the dry food! I buy the small single serve ones and she get's 1/2 of that once a day.

I think my first plan of attack will be to get comfortis AS WELL as the Sentical Spectrum or Interceptor. And see if that stops the itching!

Is it possible that she has fleas and that we don't see them/get bitten by them? She sleeps on our bed and we have never had any problems with us getting bitten.

I will also look into getting pet insurance and then go from there!

[Moselle]

I'm glad to hear you say that Natures Gift isn't that bad in the grand scheme of things. Someone on here actually reccomended it to me which is why I decided to try it to help tempt her to eat the dry food! I buy the small single serve ones and she get's 1/2 of that once a day.

I think my first plan of attack will be to get comfortis AS WELL as the Sentical Spectrum or Interceptor. And see if that stops the itching!

Is it possible that she has fleas and that we don't see them/get bitten by them? She sleeps on our bed and we have never had any problems with us getting bitten.

I will also look into getting pet insurance and then go from there!

Fleas are "breed specific" hence the incidence of them biting humans is very slim indeed. I knew of someone who owned a red heeler....this poor dog was infested with fleas literally! That dog was never bathed.....until one day I literally took it home, bathed it and treated it with Revolution...! The dog was occasionally allowed to sleep on their bed and I never heard that they got bitten once.....I wish they had...just quietly!

[PoppyDog]

I'm glad to hear you say that Natures Gift isn't that bad in the grand scheme of things. Someone on here actually reccomended it to me which is why I decided to try it to help tempt her to eat the dry food! I buy the small single serve ones and she get's 1/2 of that once a day.

I think my first plan of attack will be to get comfortis AS WELL as the Sentical Spectrum or Interceptor. And see if that stops the itching!

Is it possible that she has fleas and that we don't see them/get bitten by them? She sleeps on our bed and we have never had any problems with us getting bitten.

I will also look into getting pet insurance and then go from there! ;)

Fleas are "breed specific" hence the incidence of them biting humans is very slim indeed. I knew of someone who owned a red heeler....this poor dog was infested with fleas literally! That dog was never bathed.....until one day I literally took it home, bathed it and treated it with Revolution...! The dog was occasionally allowed to sleep on their bed and I never heard that they got bitten once.....I wish they had...just quietly!

Interesting. I didn't know that! All this time I had thought if Poppy had fleas then they would also be biting us, be in our carpet & our bed. But they never are! I feel so silly!

I always try and look for fleas on her. Hence why I have spotted the odd one a couple of times and given her a capstar. I always see them crawling along her belly. I've managed to kill the one I've seen but have treated her aswell since there could be more than just one on her.

Will definately be buying the comfortis AND spectrum tomorrow. She is due on the 1st of Nov. Could I give it to her now? We will be away on the 1st and she will be with the pet sitter?