Dog's allergies, yeast, and pink eye: How to find lasting relief?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. It sounds like this possible infection may be significant though it is hard to tell without an examination. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be due to allergies and a yeast infection is possible. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Medications like prednisone and Apoquel can help with the itchiness. The underlying allergy still has to be identified and treated. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Hello, sorry to hear about AVA. Allergic skin disease can be very stressful and frustrating for owners, pets and veterinarians. As you probably know by now, allergies in dogs can arise for 3 sources. However, one must rule out non-allergic causes for itchiness such as mite infestations and ringworm. Flea allergy dermatitis (FAD) is one that causes very severe itchiness over their back and tail base. Ava should be on strict, monthly flea preventative and your environment should be treated with insecticide at least once monthly especially during the spring and summer months. Remember, you don't need to see fleas on your dog in order for her to have FAD. A single flea bite can produce enough flea saliva to induce an allergic reaction. About 75% of the dogs that do not have FAD, have an allergy to something in the environment. i.e pollen, grasses, cat dander, human dander, trees, house mites, flies, etc. These are the hardest to diagnose and typically involve doing an expensive allergy test. There is a blood allergy test and skin allergy test for this. Once we have obtained results for this test, we typically recommend following up with desensitization injections which work by injecting a small dose of the allergens AVA may be reactive to with the goal of creating immunity so that she no longer responds with an allergic reaction. Treatment for this may last up to 8 months and the success rate is about 60-70%. The remainder 30% have also shown reduce degree of an allergic reaction. The last category involves food allergies. These are typically the least common kind of allergy in dogs and require a food trial with a novel protein diet (something your dog has never beed offered such as rabbit, duck, lamb, venison, or kangaroo) or a hydrolyzed protein diet. Diet trials should be administered for a period of 6-8 weeks without any other food source. (no treats, table scraps, or different kinds of food). Clearly, determining which kind of allergy your dog may have can take severe weeks to a few months. Therefore, in the interim, allergic pets should again be on strict flea preventative, allergy medications such apoquel, atopica, steroids, Cytopoint injections or antihistamines. Any secondary yeast or bacterial infections should be treated as well with antibiotics and anti-fungals. Best of luck and hope this helps.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. This is quite severe and warrants therapy. The likely secondary infections need to to be addressed and the itchiness also need to be addressed to prevent this issue from getting worse. Medications like prednisone can be used for the itchiness and antibiotics for the infections. In the meantime, you can use an e-collar in the meantime to prevent further self-trauma. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Franklin needs to see a veterinary dermatologist. If he has a food allergy then a novel protein or hypoallergenic diet may help. However, dogs with atopy (allergies) can be allergic to many things such as dust, grass and fleas. Ideally, he needs to have an intradermal skin test to determine what he is allergic to and then a vaccine can be made to help him.