Bundyburger Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 (edited) 2years ago my Vizsla developed what we thought was grass allergies. It starts in October and ends about March when the seasons change. He would scratch until he bled so we managed him by keeping him inside 24/7 pretty much and various creams etc. On his bad days the weather would be really hot, and he would be very hot to touch. This year he is worse, he has bald patches. It is also a hotter summer and we have noticed on cool days he barely scratches but when its over 28deg he goes nuts scratching. Last night was bad, so humid and this morning he feels like hes on fire hes so hot to touch, particularly where he itches. He isnt panting or distressed, hes playing as normal, he is just hotto touch and theres a huge difference between him and our other dog when you pat both. Its got us wondering whether all his scratching and rashes etc might actually be partially caused by heat. Its almost like his body doesnt cool him down too well or something. Hes been to the vet a few times this year as we thought he had a temp and wouldnt stop itching but he was fine and we are all scratching our heads. The heat is the only common factor with his bad days. At the moment the vet isnt seeing the need to investigate further, he has suggested towels on him during hot days to see if that helps but its not practical when we work all day. Im wondering if it could be worth trying a cool coat or similar for him to see if it helps? Aloveen cream draws the heat out of his itchy patches and helps a bit so just need something for his whole body. He gets aloveen baths and cream, cortizone cream and tablets (if desperate). Calendula tea baths didnt help either... Edited March 7, 2013 by Bundyburger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumof4girls Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 Poor baby how uncomfortable for him :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffyluv Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 It sounds like he has loads of histamine in his system. The body releases it in reaction to allergies. Try a good antihistamine as a preventative.. Give it daily or twice a day if needed. Zig has developed an itchy tummy to the grass at dog training. I coat his tummy in sorbalene cream before we go and it acts as a barrier and last week he had hardly any itchy spots at all. I have found with allergic dogs that preventative measures are better than having to treat the after effects. Maybe a small t-shirt on him so hi tummy can't touch the grass? A cool mat to lay on to help him cool down. A clam shell pool to dunk in when ever he feels like it (ours is on the deck and he has access to it 24/7). Sorbalene or sun block as a barrier cream Antihistamines every day.. There is another cream I get from the vet that is an awesome treatment and barrier, I will get the name and post it up later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bundyburger Posted March 7, 2013 Author Share Posted March 7, 2013 He has been on Avil the antihistamine for a while and its not helping so id been keen to hear what you use SL. I really think keeping his body temp down will help. We are about to go into 10 days over 30... Stupid melbourne. We go to the beach fora week soon you can be sure thatll help as he will barely leave the water!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hankdog Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 I have a cool coat and they do work.I don't walk him in it but put it on after. I have a bulldog so overheating and itchy is part of the game. If you go to the health part of this forum there's a list of all the antihistamines that can be given to dogs. Zyrtec made him too sleepy so now we use polaramine. I think you just have to try to find whichever suits him. It's really frustrating hope you sort it out without moving to the poles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megan_ Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 My allergies are much worse in the humidity. If there is any secondary infection it would thrive in these conditions. Poor bundy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trinabean Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 The dermatology vet treating my dog's allergies prescribed him the anti-histamine 'Hyroxyzine.' It's given twice a day and seems to help a lot. From what I understand it's even more effective when given in conjunction with Omega 3 and 6 oils in the diet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffyluv Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 He has been on Avil the antihistamine for a while and its not helping so id been keen to hear what you use SL. I really think keeping his body temp down will help. We are about to go into 10 days over 30... Stupid melbourne. We go to the beach fora week soon you can be sure thatll help as he will barely leave the water!! I use polaramine.. I tried a few before I found one that worked for Ollie and it works for Zig as well.. I know a few people who have tried it and it doesn't work for their dogs - it really is a try and see sort of drug IMO.. You might have to try a few before you find one that works for your dog. Ollie's cancer used to release histamine - so he was on 1 polaramine tablet every day (for about 4 years) with no real side effects and it worked 99% of the time. There were a couple of times when it must have been really bad and he went to the vet for an injection but apart from that, it was good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 He has been on Avil the antihistamine for a while and its not helping so id been keen to hear what you use SL. I really think keeping his body temp down will help. We are about to go into 10 days over 30... Stupid melbourne. We go to the beach fora week soon you can be sure thatll help as he will barely leave the water!! In my experience (for myself and one of the dogs), you have to experiment with antihistamines to find the one which suits. For myself, I was recommended (after not much of a result from other brands) Aerius which I take because I have a very very itchy skin and can take one in the morning and another in the evening if I need it. For the dog who scratched a lot, I found that antihistamines didn't really help so I give him 1/2 cortisone every third day and that seems to have worked. Are you in a position at home to have a little pool. Lots of talk on DOL about clam shells. You'd need a shady spot of course because it would heat up through the day, or maybe use ice to keep it cool. Your poor baby, if must be awful for him and for you seeing him suffering. I hope you find a solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bundyburger Posted March 8, 2013 Author Share Posted March 8, 2013 We had a clamshell, he wont use it. Hes a good boy, he is very patient about being stuck inside :) I think this bothers me more than him, he doesnt seem stressed about it. He got addicted to cortizone late last year so i try not to use it as a preventative. Im picking up a cool coat next week so i hope thatll help. I think this dog will send me to the funny farm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anne~ Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 I'd be seeking a referral to a veterinary dermatologist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bundyburger Posted March 8, 2013 Author Share Posted March 8, 2013 Good idea Anne. I think ill do that even if it just makes me feel better :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anne~ Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 I've seen so many people struggle with trying to help itchy dogs, and dogs with things like demodex and after a visit to a specialist, the problem is resolved or a good clinical plan brings it under control. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salukifan Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 We had a clamshell, he wont use it. Hes a good boy, he is very patient about being stuck inside :) I think this bothers me more than him, he doesnt seem stressed about it. He got addicted to cortizone late last year so i try not to use it as a preventative. Im picking up a cool coat next week so i hope thatll help. I think this dog will send me to the funny farm. Word of caution. I would not leave a cool coat on an unsupervised dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 We had a clamshell, he wont use it. Hes a good boy, he is very patient about being stuck inside :) I think this bothers me more than him, he doesnt seem stressed about it. He got addicted to cortizone late last year so i try not to use it as a preventative. Im picking up a cool coat next week so i hope thatll help. I think this dog will send me to the funny farm. Word of caution. I would not leave a cool coat on an unsupervised dog. Yep & keep in mind cool coats MUST be used correctly .If he is itchy /patchy make sure the cool coat doesn't feed the issue by keeping him moist (if you use coat to wet) ,Keep in mind when the coats start to dry the are no longer coo. I have them & use them on the show dogs but they aren't left on longer than 10/15 mins otherwise its when im waiting in the ring or between classes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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