Allergic To Grass?

[Nic12]

Hi,

We own a beautiful yellow Labrador who is 10 months old that I purchased last year from a breeder from this website.

Unfortunately he is a very itchy pup and I hate him being so unhappy when he is itching his feet and tummy.

I have tried several different brands of dried food and then went to an elimination diet of kangaroo tails.

The conclusion that my vet came to after the elimation diet was that it is most likely a grass allergy. The vet is very pro raw feeding and thinks this will help reduce some of the agitation from the grass.

I am wondering if there is some type of test I can get done to find out if he is definitely allergic to grass? I am fairly sure that is what it is.

And if that is the problem has anyones dog grown out of it? I know there are tablets that cost $4 a day that can help him but the vet wasnt keen on that option.

Has anyone been through this and could you offer any help?

He is an inside dog but puppy preschool and so many other things are on grass and it is impacting his daily life.

Any help is really appreciated.

[karen15]

Why isn't the vet keen to medicate to assist?

My westie puppy was a little itchy when I got him. Knowing westies are prone to skin problems, I was onto the vet right away. He got antihistamines as needed. Initially daily, but if he wasn't looking itchy I'd give a few days off and start if i thought he was scratching too much. He only needed the first bottle of 60 tablets and has been fine. If he'd been left to itch, I think it would have become an issue. I know with my allergies, scratching feels so good while you do it, but as soon as you stop, the itch returns worse. The trick is not to scratch in the first place.

Is the puppy in antihistamines or something to help ease the itchiness?

[*Avanti*]

Hi Nic12,

I had two yellow Labs that were allergic to Kikuyu grass. It made it very hard because I had to fence them off from the lawn but they were still somewhat affected by it but not as much as with direct contact with the grass. We still lived with constantly irritated ears and feet regardless of my efforts. I took them to a canine dermatologist who suggested a course of injections to desensitise them but it was not guaranteed to work and I could not afford the treatment being two dogs.

My commiserations for you and your boy, I hope it may not be a grass allergy but Kikuyu could be one to have him tested for if it is in your yard or local parklands. They shave an area and do little scratches to test for numerous likely suspects. The dermatologist got me to bring in a sample of my grass and sure enough it came up as a raised pink welt straight away. If it is the grass and you own the property another thing to consider is replacing the grass.

Another thing to have him checked for could be secondary fungal infections that can I think occur as a result of the initial allergy but I'm not a vet so best to ask them about that.

Edited September 3, 2016 by LabTested

[JaneH]

Itchy pups are a PITA ! There can be numerous reasons for this.

There would be a lot of tests you could do – but most are very expensive. A good place to start is to look at what you are actually feeding him. If he is continually itchy – then his immune system is out of whack.

Preservatives, food colouring and grain seem to cause the most problems with pups. Don't forget to look at all the 'sneaky snacks' your pup may also be getting.

http://healthypets.m...like-crazy.aspx

These websites may also help you.

http://www.vetsallna...bruce-articles/

http://www.prime100.com.au/

[Podengo]

Spectrum allergy testing, when you know what the dog is allergic to you may be able to do desensitization injections, or avoid the stuff that your dog is allergic to.

Apoquel is an anti itch med that I have seen a lot of good results from, might be something to talk to your vet about?

Edited September 3, 2016 by Podengo

[Nic12]

Thank you for the replies.

Last time we went to the vet he got a steroid injection for some immediate relief and the vet also suggested getting him off Blackhawk and is now only eating chicken carcasses. The injection doesnt seem to have made much difference.

He is only eating chicken carcasses at the moment because I want to eliminate the possibility of anything else making him worse.

Unfortunately we only rent so ripping up the grass isnt an option but i can perhaps fence off an area for him to relax outside.

I am having trouble with finding a vet I trust. The first tested him for ringworm when there wasnt really any indication for them and that was a waste of $300+. So I went to our current one who is lovely but very pushy with raw food diet.

So I will look for a canine dermatologist and/or a different vet who is willing to sell me the antihistamines and hope it helps and remember to check for secondary infections.

[Nic12]

Spectrum allergy testing, when you know what the dog is allergic to you may be able to do desensitization injections, or avoid the stuff that your dog is allergic to.

Apoquel is an anti itch med that I have seen a lot of good results from, might be something to talk to your vet about?

Apoquel is the one the vet mentioned and wasn't keen on using and cost $4 a day? I think thats the name.

[Nic12]

Why isn't the vet keen to medicate to assist?

My westie puppy was a little itchy when I got him. Knowing westies are prone to skin problems, I was onto the vet right away. He got antihistamines as needed. Initially daily, but if he wasn't looking itchy I'd give a few days off and start if i thought he was scratching too much. He only needed the first bottle of 60 tablets and has been fine. If he'd been left to itch, I think it would have become an issue. I know with my allergies, scratching feels so good while you do it, but as soon as you stop, the itch returns worse. The trick is not to scratch in the first place.

Is the puppy in antihistamines or something to help ease the itchiness?

Do you remember the name of those tablets please?

[karen15]

Sorry Nic, no idea. I hope you can find something to help.

[Alibi]

Spectrum allergy testing, when you know what the dog is allergic to you may be able to do desensitization injections, or avoid the stuff that your dog is allergic to.

Apoquel is an anti itch med that I have seen a lot of good results from, might be something to talk to your vet about?

Apoquel is the one the vet mentioned and wasn't keen on using and cost $4 a day? I think thats the name.

Treatments like steroids long term or the Apoquel are usually best as a last resort so I would trust your vet on that. Defiantly could try a antihistamine but some times you have to try a few to find one that works, I'd speak to your vet about that. Medicated shampoos on the feet for 10mins can also help (on my old allergy dog I used malaseb, my new allergy dog I have mediderm). Also the aloveen conditioner can be used as a barrier cream on the feet for these dogs.

[*Avanti*]

Antihistamines didn't help my dogs but I think others have had some success. There have been quite a few threads on allergies Nic if you use the search function here on dol there may be some more helpful info. Best of luck for finding a solution. I had another Labrador for 16 years before the girls and he never had any issues like that.

eta, one of my girls was put on Prednisolone for the allergy, it helped but she developed pancreatitis. The next vet said the pred may have contributed to that so I wouldn't recommend it now.

Edited September 3, 2016 by LabTested

[Alibi]

Antihistamines didn't help my dogs but I think others have had some success. There have been quite a few threads on allergies Nic if you use the search function here on dol there may be some more helpful info. Best of luck for finding a solution. I had another Labrador for 16 years before the girls and he never had any issues like that.

eta, one of my girls was put on Prednisolone for the allergy, it helped but she developed pancreatitis. The next vet said the pred may have contributed to that so I wouldn't recommend it now.

Prednisolone is a steroid which long term has some nasty side effects, hope your pup is ok now :)

[skip]

My brother took his dog for the allergy test and following injections.cost a few thousand I think but otherwise a long time treating the problem. Worth investigating. My small Kelpie x and new Kelpie are allergic to grass. Winter OK but every summer.....

I use cortavance spray now which is a topical cortisone rather than the ileum cream.

Good luck with it. I also have some antihistamines that I use very irregularly for one. Who chews constantly.

The cortivance btw works fast so use infrequently but its about $60 for a small 60ml bottle. But lasts for months. Dreading summer.

[skip]

My brother took his dog for the allergy test and following injections.cost a few thousand I think but otherwise a long time treating the problem. Worth investigating. My small Kelpie x and new Kelpie are allergic to grass. Winter OK but every summer.....

I use cortavance spray now which is a topical cortisone rather than the ileum cream.

Good luck with it. I also have some antihistamines that I use very irregularly for one. Who chews constantly.

The cortivance btw works fast so use infrequently but its about $60 for a small 60ml bottle. But lasts for months. Dreading summer.

[Dogsfevr]

Have you had a chat with the breeder ,are you fe ding what they suggested ,

It has been said a dog has grass allergies is best to be feed food from a a non grass eating animal ,not sure how factual this is but some dogs we now with issues have swapped there diet to crocodile or the likes

[The Spotted Devil]

Have you had a chat with the breeder ,are you fe ding what they suggested ,

It has been said a dog has grass allergies is best to be feed food from a a non grass eating animal ,not sure how factual this is but some dogs we now with issues have swapped there diet to crocodile or the likes

I thought one of my Springers was allergic to grass...but as soon as I changed her dry food to one that didn't contain corn she was perfectly fine. Really odd but it was like the grass would trigger the scratching that was really caused by the diet. I've inadvertently fed her corn-based dog food twice and she flared up and settled down within 24 hours.

[sandgrubber]

Have you had a chat with the breeder ,are you fe ding what they suggested ,

It has been said a dog has grass allergies is best to be feed food from a a non grass eating animal ,not sure how factual this is but some dogs we now with issues have swapped there diet to crocodile or the likes

Definitely contact the breeder. If it is actually grass allergy, and grass allergy runs in their lines, I would give her an earful (or take her to small claims court). Allergies are a PITA, and can get very expensive. IMO an allergic dog is basically, defective. I have never understood why breeders make a big deal of doing hip/elbow testing, eye exams, etc., and don't bother to mention when their lines are allergy prone.

[Alibi]

One other thing is using a super gentle shampoo to wash off any allergens on the skin, I bathe my dog once a week especially in summer for this reason otherwise I notice she starts to get itchy (winter I can stretch it out a little longer).

[Nic12]

Have you had a chat with the breeder ,are you fe ding what they suggested ,

It has been said a dog has grass allergies is best to be feed food from a a non grass eating animal ,not sure how factual this is but some dogs we now with issues have swapped there diet to crocodile or the likes

I sent the QLD breeder an email in May and Im still waiting for a response.

I have to admit looking back it didnt take me long to notice little red pimples on his tummy after playing outside on the grass. So I find it hard to believe that she wouldnt have seen the same.

He was originally on Advance puppy but I did some research after his itchiness seemed to get worse with his age. So I switched to grain free holistic select. Then went to kangaroo on the elimination diet then got busy with work and went to blackhawk.

He was at the higher end of the price range and I wish I had gone with a different breeder. I really do hope none of his brothers and sisters have the same issues.

[Nic12]

One other thing is using a super gentle shampoo to wash off any allergens on the skin, I bathe my dog once a week especially in summer for this reason otherwise I notice she starts to get itchy (winter I can stretch it out a little longer).

Before winter he was being washed more often with malasleb though I was concerned about how harsh it was. Though it was giving him some relief.

He is due for a bath soon so im also trying to decide between a few different shampoos. I was looking at demacare, ivory coat sensitive or Aloveen.