Lab with terrible skin allergies- any suggestions?

My yellow lab has horrible allergies- she already gets allergy shots from a vet dermatologist, takes antihistamines twice a day, and prednisone to help control it. But she is still biting and chewing on herself a lot. Is there anything else I can do?

She has been allergy tested and is allergic to all grasses among other things. She has beeen on allergy shots for 3 years. The vet didn't test for food allergies, and I have her on Nature's Recipe Vegetarian Formula that has no wheat or corn, but does have soymeal. She seems to do better on that than any other food I have tried. Thanks for the answers so far. Cyclosporine scares me.

Did the vet say what she is allergic to?
My Lab has immunotherapy injections monthly plus antihistamines and they are helping.
You should talk to your vet again and see if there is anything else you can try.

I would guess that since the dog is already on regular allergy injections, that you have a list of the things she's allergic to. Sometimes, those things are environmental that can't be gotten rid of. For example, I had a dog in a similar circumstance that was allergic to most things in my yard...including multi-hundred year old trees. So, you're stuck giving the injections to reduce the allergy reaction over time.

Something else to look at is the food you're feeding. I may be preaching to the choir, but some dogs do have serious allergies to some of the wheat products and/or other carbohydrate materials (corn, etc.). In this case, most folks I have chatted with have switched their dog to glutin free foods. One recommended brand is Canidae. But, check with your specialty feed store.

Shampoos can aggrivate skin problems, no matter how mild the product. Here you can go with veterinary brands designed for dogs like yours. Or, I have used "Murphy's Oil Soap" (the liquid), diluted as a shampoo. It is all vegetable and very, very mild. I have had 2 severly allergic dogs who really enjoyed and seemed to benefit from a "Murphy's Oil" bath.

Hope that helps! Good luck!

Yes, I have an allergic golden and there are several things you can do.

Take a good hard look at what she eats. I feed my allergic dog California Natural which is formulated for allergic dogs. The ingredients are few and it is designed to contain ingredients that are less allergenic in dogs. Food is a big cause of allergies so stay away from anything with wheat, corn, by-products, additives, gluten or artificial anything.

Also be vigilant about flea control. I use Frontline Plus monthly without fail. One flea can cause a whole lot of misery.

Some dogs get seasonal allergies so pay attention to those times of year when symptoms are worse. I have a groomer bathe my dog monthly with non-allergenic oatmeal shampoo monthly to reduce allergens in the coat.

Finally, if none of this helps, seek out a veterinary dermatologist. I had a friend with a seriously allergic dog and this was the thing that finally got to the bottom of it. Ask your vet for a referral or find the veterinary teaching hospital closest to you.

BTW, Cyclosporine is not a new drug - it's a very old one used in humans to prevent organ transplant rejection and is starting to be used for autoimmune diseases (I have personally taken it when trying to determine if I had an autoimmune diease). It is used in dogs for severe allergies but it is a strong drug with serious side effects and should be a drug of last choice. I would not use it unless prescribed by a veterinary dermatologist and everything else has been tried. It is also very expensive.

EDIT - missed you were under treatment with vet dermatologist - still, the rest of the above advice applies.

Since you are in close contact with your vet, I'm guessing you have already worked with food change.

After that, Petco (and I'm sure other pet stores) sell a spray called Allercaine. It is a lidocaine spray for pets, and I use it when itching gets bad here. If you use it, put on latex gloves so you can rub it in without having your hands go numb!

Good luck!

ADD: Sometimes prednisone can actually cause some of the things it is supposed to help like itching. It can also cause regression in house training and change in demeanor, so watch for that.

Have they determined what she is allergic to? If you're getting allergy injections, I assume you had allergy testing done. Was food allergy ruled out? If not, have her tested for that or do a food trial.
Antihistamines don't work on most dogs. Steroids usually do, but can have negative side effects if used long-term. Atopica (cyclosporine) is something you could ask your vet about, along with medicated shampoos and skin lotions.

I am sure if you are going to the vet they have already advised you to change the food but if you are on special vet prescribed food they are probably doing more harm than good. A lot but not all allergies in pets are caused by food. What does she eat, grains can cause a lot of problems and corn is a big one for dogs. Some dogs can eat certain meat sources and not others. Sorry if you have already tried this the other thing is make sure she is getting enough of the right fat's and oils my vet gave me 3v caps (I think that is what they are called) for my adult German Shepherd and they helped some but the best was when I went to a grain free food. It worked for me, but that is just my individual experience.

Neutro Natural Choice Lamb and Rice food helped my dog when he was itching. The vet put him on prednisone, half a pill every other day, and I changed his food. (He only took the prednisone about a week.)It doesn't have corn meal in it, a lot of dogs are allergic to that. Also, don't bathe him unless you have to and when you do, use a baby shampoo. (Mild)

number of things just like what has been posted - Food - my dog is allergic to corn meal and soy - so read those labels!- if you bathe her- try a baby shampoo the next few baths and see if that helps- also if she lays on a blanket, pillow, etc (mine do) try to use dreft/baby detergent to wash - also we have to use gold bond medicated powder on our English bulldog - it helps her skin and keeps her from being irritated- call your vet to ask if doing these things can help! Our vet recommended this to help and keep away irritations! Good luck and I hope your buddy feels better soon!

NEW DOG FOOD! Dogs can develop allergies to dog food. Try to find a very natural dog food. I would try Innova or California Natural. Also, anything with sweet potatos and fish in them will help! California Natural makes a sweet potatos and fish blend. This can sometimes make all the difference in the world.

~ Feed your dog grain free food!

Innova EVO, Orijen, Wellness Core, Go!

Or you can try California Natural it is great for dogs with allergies that are on a lower protein diet. Innova, EVO and California Natural are all made by Natura

www.naturapet.com

Avoid all SCIENCE DIET it is crap and will just make your dog worse!

Ask the vet to run some tests to determine what she is allergic to. She could be allergic to corn, soy or wheat in food.. you can try switching her food to see if that helps but knowing what she's actually allergic to would be the best thing.

Do you know WHAT she is allergic to?

What kind of food do you feed her? Is it possible that there is something in her food that is causing this?

You didn't say what she was allergic to but this is what I did. One of my old Rotties had terrible skin allergies. I hated the thought of him having to take prednisone so I did my research and started him on a bath once a week with melalucca oil shampoo, and a once a week hot oil teatment with tea tree oil.(Don't laugh he loved it was very spoiled) Within a month the red places were gone and the itching had calmed down. Plus no more prednisone which had caused
him to gain 15 pounds.

BTW my big guy was also allergic to grasses. I fixed an area in the yard with pea gravel instead of grass which was a little help also. My course of action was not a cure but it helped soo much with the symptoms that it seemed like it cured him. If its any consulation winter time is much easier with dog allergies

The new drug that has recently come out for atopy/skin allergies is called cyclosporine. It is more expensive than pred. but has less side effects. I would ask your vet immediately about this drug. Also, try Z/D or Z/D Ultra brand of food. Just so you know the most common food allergies are due to chicken, beef and dairy products. And by new, i mean new to use in veterinary medicine. Also, the side effects from this drug are nothing compared to the long term effect of pred on your pet's liver/kidneys.

Addition: The only thing that should scare you about cyclosporine is the cost. The post about cyclosporine having bad side effects is wrong. Some animals have GI side effects, nausea, or increased hair growth, but this is about it. These side effects are usually only seen in the first few weeks, when the loading dose is given, then the dose is tapered. The dose can be tapered further in treatment with the use of ketoconazole. There has been research showing liver and kidney toxicity humans, but NEVER in animals. I am a vet student and our dermatologist swears by this drug.

sounds expansive, get a new dog