Worsening allergies?

Daphne has been a handful as usual for the last several months and I haven't been here as much as I'd like. I've posted before that Daphne appears to have various food sensitivities and environmental allergies. Over the summer, I took her for this pilot research project headed by a local pet supply store owner who has interest in collecting data on dog allergies. Daphne was accepted into the project and got a low cost "allergy test" done (one that collects hair sample). The results that came back were stunning; I know I need to take this with a grain of salt. According to the results, she literally is allergic/sensitive to E V E R Y T H I N G. We are talking cotton, carpeting, mold, grasses, weeds, clover, fruits, supplements, dairy, every protein that exists and more. I removed her cotton bedding and collar. Ripping out our carpeting is not an option. Neither is installing astroturf or fake pet grass in our yard. The proteins that are considered a "Level 1" (lowest) allergen for her are duck and beef. I have been feeding her these. She has always scooted and rubbed her lady parts on things, but in the last month or so, she has developed a tail pocket infection, and I can see raised bumps under her white coat of fur. She itches like crazy now, rubs her face along things, licks her paws, and unless she is sleeping, she basically is itching. It is awful. She seems so uncomfortable. I did change her raw food from duck with fruits and veggies to just a meat/organ/bone grind of duck as I assumed the fruits and veggies could have been irritating her but she is WAY worse now. There is no where to take her to potty except grass. I am at a loss. She takes a Zyrtec every morning with her food. I give her goat's milk for probiotics. I am currently looking for a vet who will give a Cytopoint injection to try that, because the one I've been using will not do Cytopoint unless I try Apoquel first.

Daphne is 2, almost 3 next month. Is it common for a dog to have allergies or sensitivities worsen as they age??? My Boxers have always been relatively healthy until they ultimately passed - she is definitely the most unhealthy dog I've ever had or have even been around. I'm hoping to have this mobile vet out to the house after Thanksgiving if she returns my call and says she will work with me on trying Cytpoint.

My goodness... that makes no sense. I read a lot about the hair allergy test, I did not read not much positive about it... we did a full blood panel test.... and you have to make sure there are not immune suppression drugs in the blood stream for 30 days to ensure no false negative results. It not 100% but it gives a good base.

Grass... wipe her with a cool cloth when coming back in. Zyrtec may not work for her... have you tried Claritin? Cytopoint will totally help, it solved ear issues with Lambeau who is also allergic to all grass, weeds and a few trees.


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As you said, I would take those allergy test results with a grain of salt. I don’t think a hair sample is going to give you accurate results as well. Was she eating proteins before with better results? Cytopoint will definitely help with the environmental allergies. Can you find a dermatologist?


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Thank you [MENTION=188]Cbrugs[/MENTION] and [MENTION=2]2bullymama[/MENTION]. I am just at a loss. She is sooo much worse. I will give Claritin a try since Zyrtec doesn't seem to be helping at all. I am expecting this mobile vet to call me Friday and if she says she will do a Cytopoint injection, I will schedule ASAP. She seemed to be able to tolerate the other food I was giving her with the fruits and veggies and supplements in it a little better. She's always been a little itchy but nothing of this magnitude. I don't use scented laundry detergent. I do wipe her paws and lady bits every time when we come in but with an unscented baby wipe and not a cool towel. Will try that. I guess I will try to go back to the original raw food but it never arrived frozen, so that was also an issue. I am hoping that she gets relief with Cytopoint - my husband is about done. He did not grow up with pets so he is advocating finding another home for her and I am obviously not about that. Just really stressful, and it hurts my heart to see her so itchy and miserable. Thanks :-/

FroxerMom said:

Thank you [MENTION=188]Cbrugs[/MENTION] and [MENTION=2]2bullymama[/MENTION]. I am just at a loss. She is sooo much worse. I will give Claritin a try since Zyrtec doesn't seem to be helping at all. I am expecting this mobile vet to call me Friday and if she says she will do a Cytopoint injection, I will schedule ASAP. She seemed to be able to tolerate the other food I was giving her with the fruits and veggies and supplements in it a little better. She's always been a little itchy but nothing of this magnitude. I don't use scented laundry detergent. I do wipe her paws and lady bits every time when we come in but with an unscented baby wipe and not a cool towel. Will try that. I guess I will try to go back to the original raw food but it never arrived frozen, so that was also an issue. I am hoping that she gets relief with Cytopoint - my husband is about done. He did not grow up with pets so he is advocating finding another home for her and I am obviously not about that. Just really stressful, and it hurts my heart to see her so itchy and miserable. Thanks :-/

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I forgot where you’re located but I just ordered bison from RawFed K9 and I’m all the way in Seattle and they might be in Minnesota but it arrived fully frozen. Not sure if that’s because it’s just so cold out but it was packed very well. And they offer free shipping and they have good prices.

Also, I know you don’t want to try Apoquel but if that’s all you can do at this point before getting Cytopoint, it might be worth considering. Jax was on it for a few years before Cytopoint came out. He absolutely had to be on something for his own quality of life. I used to also have to give him weekly baths with a medicated shampoo. Not sure if you e tried that. I rotated between Ketohex and Chlorhexidine.


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FroxerMom said:

Thank you [MENTION=188]Cbrugs[/MENTION] and [MENTION=2]2bullymama[/MENTION]. I am just at a loss. She is sooo much worse. I will give Claritin a try since Zyrtec doesn't seem to be helping at all. I am expecting this mobile vet to call me Friday and if she says she will do a Cytopoint injection, I will schedule ASAP. She seemed to be able to tolerate the other food I was giving her with the fruits and veggies and supplements in it a little better. She's always been a little itchy but nothing of this magnitude. I don't use scented laundry detergent. I do wipe her paws and lady bits every time when we come in but with an unscented baby wipe and not a cool towel. Will try that. I guess I will try to go back to the original raw food but it never arrived frozen, so that was also an issue. I am hoping that she gets relief with Cytopoint - my husband is about done. He did not grow up with pets so he is advocating finding another home for her and I am obviously not about that. Just really stressful, and it hurts my heart to see her so itchy and miserable. Thanks :-/

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Sorry this is all happening... such additional stress when one person is doing all the work.

Try the place Citty mentions but also call the initial place and ask them to use more means to keep it frozen...


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Hi guys,
Thanks again - I'm looking into the RawFed K9 site. It was down the other day but now it is up so I will probably order that. A while ago I asked the other company if they could use dry ice when shipping because it kept arriving melted, but they said they don't do that. They did double insulate, but most of the packets on top were complete mush when it arrived. I have been bathing her twice a month with a ketohex shampoo for quite a while but the label only says 1%. I see one on Amazon that is 4%. I'm going to order that today as well. She is rubbing herself raw in some pots now. Bringing her to my regular vet tomorrow.

FroxerMom said:

Hi guys,
Thanks again - I'm looking into the RawFed K9 site. It was down the other day but now it is up so I will probably order that. A while ago I asked the other company if they could use dry ice when shipping because it kept arriving melted, but they said they don't do that. They did double insulate, but most of the packets on top were complete mush when it arrived. I have been bathing her twice a month with a ketohex shampoo for quite a while but the label only says 1%. I see one on Amazon that is 4%. I'm going to order that today as well. She is rubbing herself raw in some pots now. Bringing her to my regular vet tomorrow.

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As long as it is still cold it is fine to use.... remember a dogs intestinal track is nothing compared to humans. A few of ours come thawed each month but still cold and never an issue with the boys. I’ve used this food on and off for many years with all four pups, never a problem if it wasn’t frozen.


I hope the Rawfed works... hate to see you both going through all this


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FroxerMom said:

Hi guys,
Thanks again - I'm looking into the RawFed K9 site. It was down the other day but now it is up so I will probably order that. A while ago I asked the other company if they could use dry ice when shipping because it kept arriving melted, but they said they don't do that. They did double insulate, but most of the packets on top were complete mush when it arrived. I have been bathing her twice a month with a ketohex shampoo for quite a while but the label only says 1%. I see one on Amazon that is 4%. I'm going to order that today as well. She is rubbing herself raw in some pots now. Bringing her to my regular vet tomorrow.

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I just ordered 20 more pounds of food over the weekend. I love that their food doesn’t have fruits and veggies in it.

Yes, try the stronger shampoo and you can even try the chlorhexidine to see if one works better than the other. Keep us posted on your vet visit! I hope you can get her the Cytopoint as I’m sure it will make such a difference.


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I took Daphne to the regular vet today - some of what we discussed:

Vet found a lone flea on her rear end area (where she is losing hair, bright red, and been itching like crazy). There was no evidence of other fleas or poop in her fur but vet said it only takes one to wreak havoc especially on a highly allergic dog like Daphne. I was stunned because she and my other dog have never had fleas. Vet thinks that is the underlying issue, so she gave me antibiotics to clear up a deep sore on her backside. I have ordered a 4% Ketohex shampoo which I will use once it gets here. She was also given a bottle of anti inflammatory and steroids to bring down the swelling, etc...(I don't have the names of any meds handy as I am at work now).

I did ask about getting a Cytopoint injection today as well and this particular vet at the office was open to it but said she would prefer to get this itching and swelling and redness under control a bit before doing an injection. I also bought Bravecto for flea and tick prevention.

All in all it was a good visit. I am hopeful that I will be able to do Cytopoint in the near future. I hope it is just a really bad reaction to a flea bite (that is one of the top things in the red zone on her "allergy test." Unfortunately I have a heavy work week this week so I have to rely on the husband to medicate her when appropriate. I bought a bag of Tuckers duck patties and goat's milk until I can figure out what company to order food from. I'm hoping these meds work and I see her itching less very soon.

Thanks!

FroxerMom said:

I took Daphne to the regular vet today - some of what we discussed:

Vet found a lone flea on her rear end area (where she is losing hair, bright red, and been itching like crazy). There was no evidence of other fleas or poop in her fur but vet said it only takes one to wreak havoc especially on a highly allergic dog like Daphne. I was stunned because she and my other dog have never had fleas. Vet thinks that is the underlying issue, so she gave me antibiotics to clear up a deep sore on her backside. I have ordered a 4% Ketohex shampoo which I will use once it gets here. She was also given a bottle of anti inflammatory and steroids to bring down the swelling, etc...(I don't have the names of any meds handy as I am at work now).

I did ask about getting a Cytopoint injection today as well and this particular vet at the office was open to it but said she would prefer to get this itching and swelling and redness under control a bit before doing an injection. I also bought Bravecto for flea and tick prevention.

All in all it was a good visit. I am hopeful that I will be able to do Cytopoint in the near future. I hope it is just a really bad reaction to a flea bite (that is one of the top things in the red zone on her "allergy test." Unfortunately I have a heavy work week this week so I have to rely on the husband to medicate her when appropriate. I bought a bag of Tuckers duck patties and goat's milk until I can figure out what company to order food from. I'm hoping these meds work and I see her itching less very soon.

Thanks!

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Holy wow! One flea... ugh.

I agree with clear issues before Cytopoint, you want a clear slate before trying so you know it really helps


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FroxerMom said:

I took Daphne to the regular vet today - some of what we discussed:

Vet found a lone flea on her rear end area (where she is losing hair, bright red, and been itching like crazy). There was no evidence of other fleas or poop in her fur but vet said it only takes one to wreak havoc especially on a highly allergic dog like Daphne. I was stunned because she and my other dog have never had fleas. Vet thinks that is the underlying issue, so she gave me antibiotics to clear up a deep sore on her backside. I have ordered a 4% Ketohex shampoo which I will use once it gets here. She was also given a bottle of anti inflammatory and steroids to bring down the swelling, etc...(I don't have the names of any meds handy as I am at work now).

I did ask about getting a Cytopoint injection today as well and this particular vet at the office was open to it but said she would prefer to get this itching and swelling and redness under control a bit before doing an injection. I also bought Bravecto for flea and tick prevention.

All in all it was a good visit. I am hopeful that I will be able to do Cytopoint in the near future. I hope it is just a really bad reaction to a flea bite (that is one of the top things in the red zone on her "allergy test." Unfortunately I have a heavy work week this week so I have to rely on the husband to medicate her when appropriate. I bought a bag of Tuckers duck patties and goat's milk until I can figure out what company to order food from. I'm hoping these meds work and I see her itching less very soon.

Thanks!

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Sorry to hear all that's been going on. The steroid is very potent, so you don't really need to give the anti inflammatory in my estimation. How long did she say to give the steroid for? Normally it's prednisone or prednisolone 1 mg/kg for 5-7 days then taper off.

You probaby should wash all the bedding, vacuum all over, and possibly even spray an insect growth regulator premise spray in the areas she frequents if the problem recurs. Also remove organic debris outdoors.

Hi there,
Just popping in to give an update. Daphne is doing LOADS better. I cannot believe it. Even after just 24 hours, she is barely itching at all and I'd say 90% of the painful red areas are GONE. She was given Temaril-P on a schedule that tapers off (starting with 2 tabs by mouth twice a day for 3 days) and she also was given Cephalexin 250 mg for 10 days (2 a day). Like I said, she is doing AMAZING. I feel horrible; she must have been so uncomfortable. I washed everything in the house and the carpet cleaning company is coming today to clean upstairs carpets (wood downstairs). I gave her a Bravecto chew earlier this week and that is supposed to last for 3 months. I wish I had taken before/after pics of her behind area and how irritated and inflamed it looked. Her tail pocket infection is also virtually gone. I bathed her in a 4% Chlorhexidine shampoo the day after the vet visit. Our house backs to woods although I never let them go in it - Copperheads, deer to chase, and we hear coyotes at night sometimes. We are blowing massive amounts of leaves off the property every other day until they are all off the trees. I learned a hard lesson this week and unfortunately Daphne was paying for it, but I've got her sorted now, and my bigger boy is going to the vet on Friday for his check up and meds, so hopefully we will be good from here on out!

FroxerMom said:

Hi there,
Just popping in to give an update. Daphne is doing LOADS better. I cannot believe it. Even after just 24 hours, she is barely itching at all and I'd say 90% of the painful red areas are GONE. She was given Temaril-P on a schedule that tapers off (starting with 2 tabs by mouth twice a day for 3 days) and she also was given Cephalexin 250 mg for 10 days (2 a day). Like I said, she is doing AMAZING. I feel horrible; she must have been so uncomfortable. I washed everything in the house and the carpet cleaning company is coming today to clean upstairs carpets (wood downstairs). I gave her a Bravecto chew earlier this week and that is supposed to last for 3 months. I wish I had taken before/after pics of her behind area and how irritated and inflamed it looked. Her tail pocket infection is also virtually gone. I bathed her in a 4% Chlorhexidine shampoo the day after the vet visit. Our house backs to woods although I never let them go in it - Copperheads, deer to chase, and we hear coyotes at night sometimes. We are blowing massive amounts of leaves off the property every other day until they are all off the trees. I learned a hard lesson this week and unfortunately Daphne was paying for it, but I've got her sorted now, and my bigger boy is going to the vet on Friday for his check up and meds, so hopefully we will be good from here on out!

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That is excellent news!!! Glad to hear she is on the mend and you seem to have everything under control. Crazy it was just one flea! But I do know dogs can also be allergic to them!


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Yeah, one single flea! Never saw another one on her or anywhere in the house and my Boxer did not have any on him. Fleas, cotton, grasses, and weeds are her #1 highest rated environmental allergens according to the "allergy test" I had done. I Googled pics of flea bites after she was at the vet and it is exactly what she looked like. I have a few days left of antibiotic meds and her Temaril-P is now at every other day status and she is licking and doing a tiny bit of itching again so I think Cytopoint is for sure in her future.