Allergies help please!!!

[lola1984]

My dog isn't a grehound but is a rescue dog she is mainly a collie cross we think. I'm wondering if anyone can help as the only options the vet had left to offer me were tablets that cost over £80 a week or to keep her on steroids. The insurance won't cover the tablets and that amount of money isn't an option as much as I'd like to. I don't want to put her on long term steroids because of the side effects. From the first month of having her (we've had her 7 years now and she's almost 8) the vet picked up she had allergies and she has had to have her anal glads removed and has been on steroids multiple times for her ears and skin problems. Not even having her glads removed stopped her bum dragging sometimes even on concrete. This year I finally seemed to find a food that has stopped her dragging and chewing as well as her ear problems. However her skin is worse than ever she is making the skin on her tummy red raw and bleed and has flaky lumps on her back and regular bathing does not help. Can anyone make any suggestions as I'm at the end of my tether and the poor dog must be miserable. She's off to the vets again tomorrow as its gotten so bad again.

[deborahburt]

How terrible for your poor dog.

I have no advice but am sending plenty of Get Well Wishes for her.

[lola1984]

Thank you I just wish I could figure out what is causing it

[vickyb]

To be honest if she's that bad I'd go for the steroids. When Sapphy had steroids for a long time (for something else) the vet switched her to Medrone rather than pred, slightly more expensive but supposed to be gentler and she certainly didn't have as much thirst and appetite on them. She also had some really expensive tablets based on milk thistle which really helped her liver. If you opt for steroids it might be worth seeing if regular milk thistle tablets might be helpful.

We've had a couple of dogs with terrible itchy skin although it wasn't constant, there were brief spells when it calmed down, but would flare up overnight but with no pattern or clue why. Zeus also had his anal glands out, he'd make the most awful mess of the top of the base of his tail and in a couple of minutes go from normal skin and fur to a bleeding mess.

All we ever tried were piriton which didn't do much, malaseb which calmed things down but only very briefly and steroids which we used both in short bursts and at a lower maintenance dose for much longer as the newer expensive drugs like atopica were only just starting to be used. I tried to eliminate all allergens, put down vinyl flooring. leather sofa, frequent dog bedding washing but nothing really helped.

I'm sure people will know of sprays etc that might help. I haven't tried this, have you? www.anicura.co.uk/
It's horrible to see them isn't it, hope you can come up with something to help.

[samburns]

Your poor dog

Have you ever got to the root cause of what she is allergic to by getting tests done? 

[lurchernut]

How awful for you both to not know what is causing her problems

Has your vet not offered a specific allergy test where they make up an anti allergen specific to your dog

You didn't mention what types of food you have tried her on, but I just wondered if you had ever tried her with a raw diet, adding some organic unrefined coconut oil into her food too

The health benefits of coconut oil

If you haven't tried her on raw, you could at least give it a go and see if there is any improvement for her. Most processed foods contain chicken or chicken fat, and she could possibly be allergic to that, so you could try her on raw, maybe starting with beef or a lamb mince

There are quite a few raw feeders on here, and there is also a Facebook group 'raw feeding UK'

I hope you can find something to help you both

[Ted]

Have a look at the varieties of Naturediet. What reason have the Pet Insurance given for not paying for the tablets have they decided it is a pre insurance start problem. PetPlan has done this with Noise Phobia which they say Merlin has. I have complained many times but they expect me to have a Behaviour Specialist produce a letter which they will not pay for at £150.

[gazer]

So sorry to read this, it must be heartbreaking to see her so unhappy and uncomfortable.  Seems like you've reached a bit of a stalemate, nothing is working for any length of time.  I have no experience of this but reading others posts I think I would definitely go for some tests to try and narrow down what is causing the problem.  She sounds very bad and it may be more than just one allergy she has.

Wishing you all the very best of luck and hoping you can resolve this soon.

[lurcherlot]

Sorry to read how uncomfortable your poor dog is .... I presume you've tried Piriton, I imagine it was one of the first things the vet tried? Bathing her in Malasab might help?

[vickyb]

Gracie recently had a load of allergy tests done which came back with her showing as reacting to almost every food even those that don't upset her tummy so you can think food suits them but the tests show otherwise, although they aren't 100% reliable but its a good starting point. Costly and now its hard to avoid everything that got a positive reaction but at least we know. I'm assuming ins won't fund those either?

[lola1984]

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone . The insurance wont pay as when we had her she had to go to the vets twice in the first month we had her once for kennel cough and the other unfortunately was the allergies so they wont cover due not being before the 28 days so its cost us hundreds luckily they did pay for the anal glands as they didn't link it. We've tried raw and various dog foods but they all give her diarrhoea literally any meat or anuthing with cereals sets her off. The food we've hot her on now has had the best results as she no longer scoots her bum and she doesn't have quite as many problems with her ears now which isnt perfect but much better its been before. I haven't actually tried Pirton yet as my vet said it doesn't have much of an affect on dogs but don't know how anyone else has found it? It was the atopica the vet mentioned but I just couldnt pay for it, there is apparently another new similar medication which is cheaper but they can't get hold of it as its been so popular they have an order waiting for next year!! I think after talking to the vet short bursts of steroids is my only option as I cant leave her, I might try the piriton inbetween though. Thank you for your help!!

[lola1984]

Forgot to say the vet has mentioned testing but said that it wasnt worth it for 2 reasons one being there are so many things to test for it would be expensive and two that if it turns out to be something like grass or something I can't avoid then it wont help much knowing what it is. With her food I've done a chart of what ive cut out and what I've tried so all I can guess is she's got more than one allergy as I cant cut out or try any different foods as I've run out of things to try food wise. She's on fishmongers finest white fish now and that seems to keep her tummy settled at least its now more her skin than anything.

[vickyb]

Gracie tested positive to beef, venison, lamb, wheat, potato, rice, corn, soya, eggs! And potato was especially high and guess what I'd been feeding her on - fish and potato! It's really hard to find food she can have!

Maddie had them for skin issues and she's only intolerant of Maize, and grass.

[Cath]

i know it sounds daft but piriton could be worth a try- it does work for a lot of hounds. You can buy the generic version at Boots Chlorphenamine - don't tell them its for a dog or they can't sell it to you by law. It won't stop the dog being allergic but is very good at stopping the itch. It works better than the newer one-a -day antihistamine because it is more effective but doesn't last as long

[sharonhigh45]

Lola just been reading your posts how awful for your dog, I hope that it settles down and sending good positive thoughts, you have come to the right place the Gap forum even if you don't have a grey or lurcher,we care about all and as you have seen are happy to try and help with advice.
Sahzx