Dog Allergies?

Both of my small dogs have allergies according to the Vet. he never said what would be good to give them. So I was wondering what would be best thing to give them? They seem to always itch all year round and the one pulls her hair out and her skin gets real chapped and red. The other one just seems to dig her skin never seems to get red or chapped.

Dog Allergies?

Try putting them on Fish and Chips (trout and sweet potato) or Lamb Rice and Millet from http://www.frrco.com/121668

Most dog allergies are food related, and these formulas are corn, wheat, and chicken free. They also have no dyes, sweeteners, by products, preservatives, so there are less things for your dogs to be allergic too.

It may take a few months on the new food to see results, as they will need time to "detox" from the brands they have been eating. Also, when switching foods, feed 25% new food mixed in 75% old food, and gradually increase the new food until completely off of the old. This will lessen stomach upset and diarrhea associated with switching foods to quickly.

What are you washing the bedding in? Try something like All Free and Clear as they may be sensitive to harsher detergents.

I suggest Zodiac flea and tick shampoo. We have never had to use any other flea and tick products with our dogs, and this is safe even for puppies and kittens 8 weeks old and up.

You can help with outdoor allergens by wiping your dog's paws and coat off when they come back inside with baby wipes. I like Lavender because the scent is also calming.

Hope this helps!

Dog Allergies?

look through catalogs

.In doctor foster and smiths catalog,there is a allergy relief kit.Just google it and you'll find it.

Dog Allergies?

i would have them both allergy tested if that is not in your budget because it is very expensive try giving them (diphenhydramine) Benadryl. the amount to give is based on weight 1mg / 1 lb of body weight, i.e., a 25lb dog would get a 25 mg Benadryl 2-3 times daily as needed.

Dog Allergies?

It may be from chemicals used in the house, or things they are eating. Are both your dogs related. if so then it might be hereditary, if not then it is definitely something in their environment.

Dog Allergies?

TAKE THE CAT FOOD AWAY.

Are they on flea and tick prevantative?

Did your vet test for mange? (via a skin scraping?)

Since the itching is not seasonal my guess is that it IS food-related.

Stuff from the grocery store is mostly corn and wheat fillers; both of which may lead to allergy problems.

Try Canidae or Wellness. Wellness makes a Fish %26amp; Sweet Potato formula that is EXCELLENT for dogs with skin problems.

You can give a dog benadryl to relieve itching but you need to find out what the underlying cause is.

http://animalsunlimited.net/meds.htm

Oh and I'd find another vet.

Dog Allergies?

see a veterinary dermatologist and he/she will inform you on what is best for your pet.

Dog Allergies?

You can try using an anti-inflammatory like benadryl. The dose is 1mg per pound of body weight. But you should check with a vet before medicating in case your pet is on another medication and the combination could cause a reaction. Also, using a sensitive skin/stomach diet and not allowing them to eat the cat food may help. Some animals do suffer from food allergies and benefit from being on a restricted diet but that is something you need to discuss with your vet.

Dog Allergies?

Did he give any indication as to what they may be allergic too?? If fleas, put them on Frontline....have you changed doggie shampoos....try to find something with oatmeal...it is soothing to the skin but becareful not to overbathe them....try them back on dog food and maybe add a little fish oil to the food...it will help their skin from drying out ......could be a food allergy....I am not sure why your vet said cat food would not harm them..cats have very specific urinary tract needs and their food is geared toward those needs...cat food could cause damage to your dogs kidneys per my vet.

Dog Allergies?

my friend has a dog that's allergic to chicken and grass. the cure for the chicken allergy is obvious. but i'm pretty sure that they give their dog benadryl for it's grass allergy. i've heard of this used many times before. you might want to talk to your vet about how much to give them but i'm pretty sure it works. also stop feeding them cat food. dogs need different nutrients than cats. feeding them the right nutrients might help strengthen their immune systems. take away the cat food and just set out dog food. i know it might seem mean but they'll eat if they get hungry enough. you could also try mixing just a little bit of cooked hamburger into it. or if neither of these work you could mix in the cat food and slowly wean them off of it.

hope this helps.

good luck.

Dog Allergies?

Dogs are usually allergic to things in the air or in the environment- the same as with people. Instead of getting stuffed up- they get itchy, inflamed skin and ears. The best thing you can do is try to find an antihistimine that works for them. There are several over the counter ones that you can try- benedryl and tavist are two that you can try. The dosage for benedryl is 1mg per pound of body weight. If your dog is under 20lbs use the childrens liquid- if it is over 20lbs you can use the capsules. Give it every 12 hours. It usually takes a 2 weeks trial on an antihistimine to see if it will work. Talk to your vet to see what they reccomend for your two pups. Bathing the dogs weekly in an oatmeal based shampoo can also be helpful- especially when they are having a flare up. This removes any allergens that may be in the fur and causing more itchiness. Rinsing them in cold water any time they are really itchy also helps with the inflamation- this works especially well if your dog is a foot licker. Just rinsing the itchy feet in cold water a couple of times a day can really help. Also any time you think that there is any chance that infection is starting in the skin get a refill of antibiotics immediatley. Once infection sets in it makes it harder to get things under control. Occasional use of steroidal medications may be needed when things are really bad- but try to avoid using these to much because they can have some bad side effects with chronic long term use. Good luck! I know how frustrating it can be- I have an allergy dog as well- the best thing you can do is catch flare ups early and make sure you give the antihistamines every single day. I hope you all get some relief soon.

Dog Allergies?

Both my dogs have allergies. My one has food allergies which is easy to deal with once we found out what he was allergic to.That is thru trial and error. He also is allergic to all flea meds so we use all natural ones that cause no problems and work. My other dog has allergies to everything. So he has been harder to deal with. I went thru the vets with Benedryl it did not work and he slept all the time. They tried steroids and they did not work plus the side effects were awful I use all natural foods and vitamins so I started treated my dog that way and it works with no side effects. He gets Omega 3 and Allerg' Free by Azmira and Yucca Intensive by Azmira. You can go to www.azmira.com they have tons of all natural stuff for everything. I tried all skins sprays and the only one that works is Richards Organic Incredible Skin Spray. This stuff is the absolute best, I get that at an all natural pet store. It has natural antibiotic properties so it prevents infections and hot spots. My dog stops itching instantly.

Dog Allergies?

I work for a Veterinary Dermatologist.

The possible causes for your two dogs are:

External parasites (since both dogs are affected).

Food allergy

Environmental allergy

Many (and in fact most) dogs with allergies have more than one type of allergy. I would recommend seeing a Veterinary Dermatologist to discuss your dogs, and find out what you can do together to help your dogs.

Don't jump right into testing if you don't think its the right thing for you or your dogs. It can be expensive, true, but many people find they spend less over time by getting to the root of the problem with a specialist, rather than repeated trips to the regular veterinarian. Allergies are a lifelong condition. They cannot be "cured" in dogs and cats, but we can certainly do our best to control their signs and symptoms and keep everyone comfortable and happy.

Hope this helps.

Good luck with your dogs...