Chewing Feet Bad!

[zayda_asher]

I have started down this path with my Westie.  He had the allergy testing done in January and has been on 2 different antibiotics, maleseb washing and soothe alternatively every second day.

He's also on phenergen, the allergy injections and now is on small doses of prednisolone.  His diet has been altered to vegies and roo meat.

Hi JennyWA... Westies are another dog prone to allergies - bummer isn't it??!!

OK you say you are in Perth so I am assuming that you have been referred to Murdoch dermatology clinic and have been dealing with either Mandy or Sharon? If you are you are in great hands... if not get there quick - they're the experts!!

You say that you have changed his diet to roo meat and veg... Does this mean that you have done or are doing or are going to do an elimnation diet?? This is the best way to determine any food allergies.... If you are giving him anything he is still allergic to in his diet this will still be effecting him and making him ichy!

I'm also assuming that you have done intradermal skin testing to work out what he is allergic to as you are doing immunotherapy injections. What is he allergic to? You'll still have to make best effort to keep him away or out of contact with whatever this is too.... you'll work out the little tricks to keep him comfortable depending on his allergen.

I'm just interested to know how long Zayda has been on the treatment for and have you considered it worth it.

I have been told it will take a year of treatment and then it's only a 60% guarantee of succes, but like you, I have to try anything to make him comfortable.

Yep they have to be on it for at least a year before they can tell weather it is making a significant difference. Zayda is allergic to Alternaria Mould which just hangs around in the air and is very prolific in any damp weather. So in humid or wet weather she gets very hayfever like symptoms: running eyes & nose, sneezing, itchy skin, makes her car sick when it is really bad... and if she chews at her paws a lot from it she gets a secondary yeast infection.

Zayda has been on it for 2 years now (which is said to be the average minimum) and it is working very well for her. We started in January the process of moving the injections back out to see how her immune system is coping. If we find a gap of time is too long we move back to the last gap that worked and keep her there. Then we'll try again after a while. Some dogs will reach a point and that is all they can ever cope with, others successfully leave the treatment all together.

Ok this is what has improved in Zayda:

1) Her medicated baths have moved from twice a week, to once a week, to once a fortnight to once a month!!!

2) We no longer have secondary yeast infections in her ears and no longer have to treat with Dermotic

3) She has had no antibiotics in well over a year

4) We no longer have to use antihistamine eyedrops when we go out in damp weather

5) She doesn't throw up as often in the car

6) We rarely need to treat her paws for secondary infection (all though this one is a bit more common as their feet get wet - we have to dry her paws)

7) Dramatic improvement in her concentration - even when not feeling 100%

She is still on 5 Chlorpheniramine (antihistamine) a day (half morning / half dinner) and we are hoping to cut this down....

Some of those changes for Zayda will be a combination of food allergy control and immunptherapy... which is whay I say it is important to sus out what your dog is allergic to food wise (I am assuming he is due to diet change).... We test Zayda on anything new too....

The most important thing is to be really dedicated and consistent: you can't skip weeks or such when you are dealing with this sort of problem.... They can't have a little taste of what they are allergic to - people say "it wont hurt them" but it does!!! All of this will skew your results..... Listen and follow closely the instructions they give you at Murdoch - keep in contact on any thing that doesn't seem to be going well so that you can work out an alternative way of doing it. Oh and depending on how long he's been on it: they sometimes get a bit sicker before the body adjusts....

By bathing Zayda more often and sorting out her food allergies etc. we managed to keep Zayda off corticosteroid injections, which was my preference as in the long term their use is not good... She has only had one lot of oral and one injection: for a bee and a wasp sting!

Oh and just for a complete picture zayda's food allergies (that we know of so far) are:

Beef

Lamb

Corn

Sardines

Tuna

and an intollerance for eggs

It took us around 9 months to a year to test for all her food allergies.

I don't think there is anything in naturapathy that actually works the way immunotherapy does.... there are things that are supposed to boost the immune system etc and they may be a good adjunct to the immunotherapy.... but I don't think that there is anything that will actually address the specfic allergy... could be wrong though.... Make sure if you try natruropathic stuff you let the other Drs. know you are doing this so that they can take into account any changes - sometimes things will work in conjuction with each other in strange ways.... its important the left hand knows what the right hand is doing!

Let me know if you have any more questions... good luck!

Dan

ETA: For Zayda it has been well worth it.... All of her allergies had her looking like a skinny, patchy haired, scabby thing. She now has a glossy coat, wieghs healthy instead of way under and is prepping for competition!!! Also Zayda is considered an extreme case due to her many allergies and her sensitivity to them... All her Drs. are very impressed with her improvement... She is used as a case study for lectures by her dermatologist....

Edited March 28, 2005 by zayda_asher

[JennyWA]

Wow Dan! Thanks so much for that information. It was really usefull and lifted my spirits about the whole process.

I sometimes get a little despondent that things aren't working out, but then slap myself and realise it has only been 3 months of what is a very long road ahead.

Your post has made me feel so much better.

Yes, I am at Murdoch and they are just fantastic. Sharon and Mandy are wonderful and my boy loves going there as he gets lots of cuddles and they really fuss over him, so our trips to Murdoch have become a treat for him.

That whiteboard of theirs certainly gets a work out They explain things so well and certainly give you the good with the bad and don't put you under any false illusion.

Bobby is allergic to mould spores, dust mite, tobacco (none of us smoke??), mexican tea weed and basically airborne things...and we thought it was something as simple as being allergic to grass no such luck. He needs to live in a bubble.

Yes, Bobby also had the yeast infection and bacteria from chewing his paws and legs, and has no hair left on his legs and tummy (where he rubs it on the grass 'till it bleeds - naughty dog).

We too have to keep an eye on the injections as he is getting very itchy about a day or so before he is due to have one, so we might have to adjust to lower doses, more often. Time will tell.

Yesterday he was looking pretty good and then I washed him with the Maleseb and he was red raw on his feet and tummy, so might ring Mandy tomorrow and see if it is now too harsh for him.

I will certainly see this out to the end and agree that you cannot give in one bit. It is hard down the park as we have about 10 or so doggie friends that he meets up with and the owners all bring treats and he can't have any...they say the same thing...one won't hurt, but no way will I give in. I feel so sorry for him.

He is actually smelling a lot better for longer periods. He used to stink a day after bathing but is actually not that bad - although still not good, but Mandy says that's the bacteria in his skin, so I can't wait for that to get better.

We are only on the .2mg cortisone every second day just to make him feel comfortable...better than the .5mg twice a day the vet prescribed for him.

Thank you once again for your post. It was just what I needed to read.

Jen

[zayda_asher]

Wow Dan! Thanks so much for that information. It was really usefull and lifted my spirits about the whole process.

I sometimes get a little despondent that things aren't working out, but then slap myself and realise it has only been 3 months of what is a very long road ahead.

Your post has made me feel so much better.

Glad I could help.... its really hard to keep perspective sometimes... we've cried lots over our problems in this area too... You learn to laugh a lot at bad things too because sometimes its like "laugh or fall in a heap" and its better in the end to laugh

3 months is a very short time for this sort of treatment... he'll still be adjusting and you'll be fine tuning and working out what else helps him be comfortable... feel free to PM me if you want to talk again as I know what its like: long, hard work, frustration and a million other emotions!!

Yes, I am at Murdoch and they are just fantastic.  Sharon and Mandy are wonderful and my boy loves going there as he gets lots of cuddles and they really fuss over him, so our trips to Murdoch have become a treat for him.

That whiteboard of theirs certainly gets a work out   They explain things so well and certainly give you the good with the bad and don't put you under any false illusion.

They're great - my dogs love it there too!! I don't think they'd be able to work without that whiteboard Ask all the questions you can think of - they like that! I used to go in with reams of notes on my observations and questions... now I email a lot!!!

Bobby is allergic to mould spores, dust mite, tobacco (none of us smoke??), mexican tea weed and basically airborne things...and we thought it was something as simple as being allergic to grass  no such luck. He needs to live in a bubble.

Ugh - we used to call Zayda "Puppy inabubble"!!! I think the Atopic allergies are much harder to deal with - most of them are just there in the environment!! Give me food allergies any day - so much easier to control!!! Perhaps his breeder or someone around his mother / him smoked?? or they had a tobacco plant around them?

We too have to keep an eye on the injections as he is getting very itchy about a day or so before he is due to have one, so we might have to adjust to lower doses, more often.  Time will tell.

Yesterday he was looking pretty good and then I washed him with the Maleseb and he was red raw on his feet and tummy, so might ring Mandy tomorrow and see if it is now too harsh for him.

Yep, give Mandy a call and check this all out... Zayda has been on all the medicated shampoos at different stages depending on what she needed.... Make sure you let them know about the build up of itch in the days before the next injection too....

It is hard down the park as we have about 10 or so doggie friends that he meets up with and the owners all bring treats and he can't have any...they say the same thing...one won't hurt, but no way will I give in.  I feel so sorry for him.

This is the hardest part with food allergies.... training other people. We had one moron that we even had to threaten with calling the rangers on.... we were depriving our dog apparently and he was sneaking her stuff (like pretending to drop it in front of her and stuff) :D :D

He's on kangaroo... get roo steaks from city farmers and chop it into strips... boil lightly... cut into small cubes - this makes a good training treat!!

When you know what he can have food wise let me know - I have investigated and come up with lots of alternatives

We are only on the .2mg cortisone every second day just to make him feel comfortable...better than the .5mg twice a day the vet prescribed for him.

*sigh* poor lad... with that much atopy I suppose he does need the cortisone to help keep him comfortable... hopefully you can wean him off as he improves!! And that is a far better dosage than what the vets gave - .5mg twice a day is just scary

I will certainly see this out to the end and agree that you cannot give in one bit.

Good onya He's lucky to have you!! Chin up - you'll get there

Dan

Edited March 28, 2005 by zayda_asher