Can't catch a break...

Cbrugs · Feb 10, 2015

As everyone probably knows, Jax suffers from environmental allergies and is on bi-weekly allergy shots and daily Apoquel. I have never had any issues with food and usually play around with different proteins. He had been getting a little itchy and was constantly licking his paws. Several months ago I switched him to salmon kibble and then I started doing some homecooking (turkey or chicken) to mix in with his kibble. Then not too long ago I switched him to a chicken kibble and just Saturday, I started to transition him to Fromm Lamb & Lentil. This is what I came home to yesterday. Is it a coincidence this happened after the lamb? Vets where I live do not do food allergy tests, just elimination diets. Way back when he was on California Naturals Venison & Lentil but it's not the best quality of food which is why I took him off. I was thinking of trying the Nature's Variety LID Turkey formula. He is now back on the Temeril P so he can get relief and stop scratching himself raw. I will take him off of this once I get it under control. I also gave him a bath last night with a medicated shampoo. He slept through the night without waking up once to lick/scratch.

eeturk · Feb 10, 2015

I don't know anything about allergies so I am no help there but I just wanted to say I'm so sorry! I can't imagine dealing with that. Poor Jax and poor you!! Hope he feels better.

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Fosta Mama · Feb 10, 2015

Citty, so sorry to hear of Jax's severe allergies. I fostered a Frenchie who was relinquished due to severe allergies resulting in MRSA infections. His owner did just about everything she could think of, spending thousands, and he would get a little better, then relapse.

This is what we did:

raw ground goat diet only
treat bacterial or fungal infections accordingly
Apoquel
Nordic Naturals Omega-3 pet soft gels, double dosage
Dogzymes Probiotic Max
Dogzymes Ultimate
Zymox shampoo and leave-in rinse
Trizchlor 4HC shampoo and facial wipes (use Zymox and Trizchlor together)
dilute bleach foot soaks (due to the antibiotic resistant bacteria) Provodine foot soaks otherwise.

Of course, what works for one dog does little to nothing for another. Rescue gets in lots of allergic Frenchies, and has developed a protocol that has been quite successful. It worked for my foster wonderfully! We work to build up the immune system, and provide a single ingredient novel protein diet. Frequent bathing (daily to weekly as needed). Apoquel has been a godsend for many itchy dogs but is still nearly impossible to get a hold of, unless your dog is already prescribed it.

A huge help as well has been allergy testing. We use this lab, ACTT. Your vet makes an account and mails in a blood serum sample to them. I will warn you that it is very expensive. It tests for environmental (trees, weeds, grasses, molds, insects, household allergens) and foods. The results are labeled as negative, borderline, borderline-positive, positive, and highly positive. I've had 2 foster dogs tested, and it is a huge, huge help to know what to avoid. For example, my foster failure Travis is mainly allergic, in the food category, to beef, oats, rabbit, berries, and tomatoes. Rabbit is a novel protein often used for allergy dogs, but obviously this wouldn't work for Travis. I know that food allergy testing is a controversial topic among vets, but I think it's a wonderful tool.

2bullymama · Feb 10, 2015

NVI is a good food, but before going there... can you use Fromm pork and Peas or Game Bird... this way there is no tranistion issue?

Alice Kable · Feb 10, 2015

I agree with [MENTION=1072]Fosta Mama[/MENTION] that allergy testing is a great tool. It gives you a good guide as to what ingredients to avoid. My Bulldog Ruggles tested positive to highly positive to many ingredients found in highly rated dog food. He now gets NVI LTD Turkey and is doing really well on it. I would insist on having your vet do blood allergy test at least for food because that is something you can control.

Cbrugs · Feb 10, 2015

[MENTION=2]2bullymama[/MENTION], he hasn't fully transitioned over to the Fromm lamb yet so I was planning on returning the lamb, getting the NVI and starting the transition over with his previous kibble. He started the lamb on Saturday.
[MENTION=10]Alice Kable[/MENTION], unfortunately the dermatologists in my area do NOT test for food allergies whatsoever. Their way of checking for food allergies is by doing an elimination diet and using the prescription food that, from what I have heard, is very expensive and kind of gross.

Fosta Mama · Feb 10, 2015

I just had my regular vet draw the blood for the allergy test and mail it out. I know many if not most dermatologists do not believe in food allergy testing. If you would like to see what the results of this test look like (it's 11 pages long) PM me your email address and I will send it to you as an attachment.

shortstuff · Feb 10, 2015

I don't have much to add other than I feel your pain! My family dog, a terrier mix, has such bad allergies that he will literally chew the hair right out of his back and would get down to the bone if we'd let him... it breaks my heart to go home and visit him because of his red inflamed bald spots

switching to raw helped him immensely for nearly a year, until we think we started developing an allergy to it. It's a never ending battle, but it looks like you already have a better grip on it than we did when Mojo was Jax's age. Hugs from us, keep us posted!!

2bullymama · Feb 10, 2015

Cbrugs said:
@2bullymama, he hasn't fully transitioned over to the Fromm lamb yet so I was planning on returning the lamb, getting the NVI and starting the transition over with his previous kibble. He started the lamb on Saturday.

my guys did bad on the Lamb/Lentil too.... i went to Pork and Peas and they bounced back in a few days. Game Bird was also a good one for Cheli, but I could not use it with Banks

Cbrugs · Feb 10, 2015

2bullymama said:
my guys did bad on the Lamb/Lentil too.... i went to Pork and Peas and they bounced back in a few days. Game Bird was also a good one for Cheli, but I could not use it with Banks

I'm hoping after a few days Jax will bounce back too and I can take him off the Temeril P! I hate to see him suffer and his belly just looks awful. He's never gotten the scabs before which someone told me to run him down with a diluted povidone iodine solution so I will do that tonight.

Jakeyjake · Feb 11, 2015

Poor Jax. Allergies are so frustrating. I wish I could get Apoquel for Stella, but my vet says it's not available.
Could Jax have been exposed to something new? A new rug, new detergent, maybe fertilizer on the grass at the park?
Stella's vet and dermatologist do not test for food allergies either and recommend food trials. They claim they are not accurate.
You could try putting a shirt on him too if he is scratching like crazy. It really helps Stella because she always goes for the rib cage and the shirt helps keep her nails off of her skin.
Good luck and hope he is feeling better in no time!

winginit66 · Feb 12, 2015

Wow Citty - Sorry to read all this. You know, one time I put lima beans in the homecooked and Gidget had a Horrible reaction. Not scabby places but big old whelps.... Have they subsided yet? Hoping Jax feels better soon!!!

:heart:

Cbrugs · Feb 12, 2015

winginit66 said:
Wow Citty - Sorry to read all this. You know, one time I put lima beans in the homecooked and Gidget had a Horrible reaction. Not scabby places but big old whelps.... Have they subsided yet? Hoping Jax feels better soon!!!

:heart:

Ann, I feel awful about it! I am assuming it was the lamb as that's the only new thing I had introduced. He has never had those pustules before either but someone on FB told me it was definitely a food reaction based on that the one that was turning yellow would turn black (which it did). I've stopped the home cooking for now until I get this under control and he is still on the steroid so he is not itching at all and is healing. Once he has been on the turkey for a few days, I will take him off the steroid and hope for the best!

Jakeyjake said:
Poor Jax. Allergies are so frustrating. I wish I could get Apoquel for Stella, but my vet says it's not available.
Could Jax have been exposed to something new? A new rug, new detergent, maybe fertilizer on the grass at the park?
Stella's vet and dermatologist do not test for food allergies either and recommend food trials. They claim they are not accurate.
You could try putting a shirt on him too if he is scratching like crazy. It really helps Stella because she always goes for the rib cage and the shirt helps keep her nails off of her skin.
Good luck and hope he is feeling better in no time!

The only new thing was the lamb so I am assuming that was the cause. If I bring up food allergies with Jax's dermatologist, he will just tell me to do the elimination diet and probably tell me to use one of those nasty, expensive prescription foods...yuck! He is not scratching himself because of the steroid and his wounds are healing. I will take him off the steroid in a couple of days.