How Can I Know What is Causing my Dog’s Allergies?
Our four-year-old Pitbull Racquel has been suffering
from severe allergies for more than a year now.
She is constantly on medication however it does not
seem to be getting better; worst of all, we do not
even know what is causing the the break out! How
can we find out exactly what Racquel is allergic
to? Desperately needing your
advice…
Cynthia
Brooklyn, NY
In dogs, allergies most often cause skin and ear troubles. Three main types of allergens cause a majority of problems.
Flea saliva is the most common allergen in dogs. Dogs with flea allergies almost never are infested with fleas. Fleas can be taken out of the picture with high-quality preventatives available from your vet. If the symptoms improve, then fleas may be playing a role in the problem.
Food allergies also are common in dogs. Special hypoallergenic diets are available. If the symptoms improve after you switch to one of these diets, then food may be playing a role in the problem.
The third group of allergens consists of environmental agents. These include pollen, mold spores, detergents, chemicals, and danders (dogs can be allergic to cats and to humans). To find out which of these agents may be playing a role in Racquel’s symptoms, you will need to run tests.
Blood allergy tests are available through many vets. Blood allergy tests are capable of detecting reactions to common allergens including fleas, foods, and many different environmental agents.
Special skin allergy tests (similar to those that are sometimes run in humans) are available through veterinary dermatologists. These tests check for skin reactions to a number of allergens.
If Racquel undergoes either type of testing, you may get the answers you are looking for.
Regardless, please remember that allergies cannot be cured. And, as you have already discovered, animal allergies tend to be very frustrating for pets and people.
To read more about canine allergies, check out my website:
http://drbarchas.com/canine_allergies
Photo: Mighty Midas is scratching, but I don’t think he has allergies.
You have questions. 
Although you did not mention what medication your dog was on…..I would recommend Trying Atopica…..It’s quite expensive but very effective….Kramer has severe skin allergies and at one point was bald in various place on his body due to constant scratching….Atopica has made a big difference in his life
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Hi, My name is joseph morelli I own and operate Royale Flush Springers in Batavia Ny. I specialize in the education of canines. I base my whole idea and belief on the well being of the dog! not you or what you where told or thought. If you want real answers call me. I need the age of the dog and what you have been feeding up to this point. call 585-343-6303 mon. 10am-6pm sat. 9am-4pm thanks I can and will help. Sincerely Your Joseph Morelli
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Thanks for this information, it is very helpful. We believe that Candi ever since she was a puppy has allergies. We are not sure what though, right now it’s a tough time with the economic crisis so i cannot afford to bring her for tests to be run. We have tried Hotspot and it has worked pretty good. She’s constantly biting and chewing at her fur but that stuff helps alot.
Th whole food allergy thing confuses me. Jess had nasty nasty ear infections for the first 5 years of her life. Numerous procedures, medications, continual vet visits before someone caught on it was allergies. Changed her to Hills presccription z/d low-allergen food and she is doing brilliantly. Very happy girl. But the low allergen food contents dont look too nutritious so I’m been thinking about switching her to another, better quality food. But I don’t know what it is in the low allergen food that makes it tolerated and therefore don’t know if I can safely switch her. Any advice from anyone.
I have read on numerous web sites that allergies can be caused by foods with corn or wheat in them. I always feed my dog corn-free food. I adopted her from a foster home in July 2008 and she has the shiniest, softest coat and has never had an itching problem. I would say try that; it won’t hurt and it’s better than spending time and money on the vet and meds if you don’t have to. You can find corn-free dry food at the pet stores; most canned foods don’t have corn in them anyway, but a few do, so become a lable reader!
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Hi Racquel,
It sounds like we are in the same situtation as you. Accept,I already know what my allergies are. I suggest allergy testing.The just take blood, and then can test hundreds of different,foods,molds and outdoor allergens. I was suffering with severe allergies through the whole summer.I had sores all over my skin and I lost a lot of fur and weight. I had scabs in my ears and sores on my moulth. And my paws were constantly bleeding.I was always on medication but it never seemed to heal me completely. Mom brought me to a Holistic vet. But she realized that none of his treatment were working and that I needed to be put back on medication so she brought me to Paxtion Animal Hospital. They saved me:D Here is where I found out my alleriges to: potatoes,corn,corn starch,all grains, rice,soy,yeast, mold,dust,diary products,grass,and most types of trees except for a palm tree which we don’t even have around here.(new england).
Anyways, I suggest you get allergy tests. Another test that your mom can just do at home is take away something in your diet. Example:If you get a lot of table food,go 2-3 weeks with NO tablefood.See your resutls,maybe its something your eating.
One other tip that Mom haslearned through this whole expierience is that,when your allergy is a FOOD allergy usually your paws will be come imflamed. When it skin/body its usually an outdoor allergy, or something like mold.
I hope I helped. If you have anyother question feel free to ask.;)
-Brady and Laura
Mojo suffers from allergies. At his worst he had licked off all the fur on his feet causing them to be raw and bloody. We adopted him from a local shelter so we have no medical history on him.
Currently Mojo is taking Atopica which is definitely helping and he is on a ground turkey with rice only diet. We are unsure if he is allergic to ingredients found in dog food or environmental but for now the licking of his feet has almost completely stopped.
I will say, the Atopica is expensive. We pay $52 for 15 pills. Right now he is taking one daily but next week we will start giving him one every other day. The money is worth it. Watching Mojo lick his feet and drag himself across the floor for relief was heartbreaking.
- Asya & Mojo
I ran accross this post as I was searching for another topic… But I thought I would mention it… In cases of Dust mite allergies, etc..
If your pet lives mainly indoors, there is a new product out on the market, that cleaning services are providing… Its an Anti Allergen Treatment for carpets or upholstery… it denatures the allergens, basically encapsulates and changes the shape of the allergen, so the body doesn’t recognize the allergy…. Its fairly new on the market and has great potential for human allergy sufferers… its plant based… And it might be something you want to look into if medications aren’t doing the job for your pet, an entire new way of approaching allergies…… worth looking into
Carpets, Upholstery and fabrics must first be cleaned thoroughly and properly! A POTENT protien found in the dust mites fecal waste is one common allergy…. and a special alkaline cleaner is used to release the bond of this protien from fibers and fabric…. Its turning out to be a Great product on mattresses too (for those of you with itchy, watery, scratchy throats in the morning…the source could be your mattress!, but thats a whole entire subject)…
Im in Central Ohio, but if you decide you’d like to look into trying this, I can go through the IICRC and see if I can find you a cleaner / service provider in your area. I don’t sell it on my website as of yet, but there is also a product you can get to launder your sheets, etc… in…. Which might be great for the dog bed covers, toys, etc…
Best wishes in finding out more on the causes of the allergies!
Tim
Hiya,
I have 3 Pei, only one with skin conditions and bad allergies.
Here’s what works for my Pei. absolutely NO BEEF food, bones, biscuits what so ever ! Stick with chicken, turkey or fish based biscuits. Make your own wet food if you feed it. Add 1-2tbsp apple cider vinegar to fresh water bowl daily or every second day. I add 2tsbp to about 5 litre water pail. Add 1tbsp plain yoghurt daily to food and give a supplement, in NZ I use a product called “NRG+” it is a powder supplement great for skin conds, fleas, coat etc. Using these methods I have not had a problem in several months.
My other Pei have the supplement as well for general well being. Flea treatment can also “cause” skin conds, the supplement I use helps with fleas so we no longer use a flea treatment.
Hope this helps your situation.
Cheers from Leonie, Rico, Ruby & Rita xoxoxo
try wellness pet foods! they work wonders!
Another thing I forgot to mention was when you try something new on your dog, do one thing at a time and stick with it for a
couple of weeks, then you’ll know which one is working for him.
Good Luck! Diane
My shih tzu Lucky was always itching and chewing at himself. I changed his protein. He had always eaten chicken, and I changed him to all bison/venison. He is a different dog. I saw a change within a week! Now he doesn’t itch, his hair is silky and he is more active and alert.. I buy a higher end food, with no wheat,corn etc in it.. Good luck! It is so sad to see they itch and feel miserable and not know for sure what to do for them..
I thought I was going to have to put my dog ‘tosleep’ because her allergies were so bad. After 11 years of shots and steroids she was a mess. As a last effort to save her I took her to an expensive vet that also practiced holistic vet care. She saved my dog!! She put my dog on Instinct dog food. It’s a dry food made by Natures Variety. It’s hard to find so look up http://www.naturesvariety.com and put your zip code in to find a store near you. The vet also put my dog on 2tbl organic plain yogert, and 1-2 tbl fish oil. My dog is 45lbs. Her fur grew back and at age 13 she looks better than she ever did!! And her energy came back and she runs and plays.