Dog itching eyes, snout, chewing paws. What allergy medicine is best?

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!

An e-collar (cone) would be the best way to prevent scratching or rubbing. The end off the cone should extend at least two inches beyond the tip of the nose. Ask your veterinarian for a dose for an over the counter antihistamine, such as Benadryl or Zyrtec. Either can be used In dogs to control itching and other symptoms of allergies.

Hello, and thanks for your question about Mya. Allergies are very common in dogs, and they can be frustrating to control! I recommend asking your vet about Cytopoint, which is a monthly injection, and Apoquel, which is a daily pill. These are very effective non-steroid allergy medications that can either be given individually or (in more severe cases) together. For young dogs like Mya, I usually prefer the cytopoint injections, and then add Apoquel if necessary. If the a strict feeding trial with the Royal Canin Ultramino diet didn't help, then her allergies are less likely to be related to food, and are more likely environmental. Of course, also make sure she's kept current on a high quality flea/tick preventative, to make sure an external parasite can't be complicating things! And if a skin scrape has never been done, that may be advised as well - I've had skin mites get misdiagnosed as allergies before! If it comes to it, I've certainly had patients who did best on steroids - and that can be done pretty safely if you're weaning to the lowest effective every-other-day dose. Hopefully this helps! Of course, I'd defer on all points to a vet who has seen Mya in person!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I can see that Boomer's feet are red and the fur is discolored from chronic licking. These signs are consistent with a condition known as atopy, or allergic dermatitis, which can be due to a food sensitivity. In order to confirm that this is due to a food sensitivity, you should only feed Boomer the novel diet. He shouldn't have any human food or other treats. You can also try an omega-3 supplement to maintain the skin barrier and moisture. There are also anti-itch shampoos available that can help calm the itch and keep Boomer more comfortable. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you may have!

Poor guy! I can certainly see a good bit of inflammation in between Hercules' toes. I assume (given this appearance and being a Frenchie) that your vet discussed the likelihood of allergies causing these issues. The challenge is that allergies cannot be managed with a one-size-fits-all approach, as what works for one dog may not do the trick for Hercules. There are numerous medications available like Apoquel, Cytopoint, or allergy injections that can help with the long term management of allergies. However, if a skin infection is also present, they won't work, as the infection would need to be managed first. I think you should schedule a recheck appointment for Hercules with your vet to assess his feet and to make sure he doesn't also have a skin infection. In the meantime, you can use an e-collar (cone) to prevent him from licking at his feet, as this will only exacerbate the issue. You can also try Epsom salt foot soaks twice a day, as this may temporarily minimize his discomfort. I hope that everything goes well!

There really isn't much else you can do at this point other than using topical steroids (like hydrocortisone spray) on the feet but if you are going to do allergy testing soon your vet may not want you to use it. Steroids can interfere with testing/results. I would suggest this Zymox 1% Hydrocortisone spray but ask your vet first if they are OK with you using it. This will reduce the redness, inflammation and itching. ( https://www.allivet.com/p-1529-zymox-spray.aspx ) You could also ask your vet about either changing the dose of the antihistamine or changing the type of antihistamine all together especially if she has been on the same one for a long time. They will build a tolerance. Also, some dogs, just like people, respond better to one medication vs another. Hope this helps. If you have more questions you can always opt for a private consultation where we can chat back and forth. That way you can ask as many questions as you'd like. Best wishes.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! While apoquel is a great drug to stop scratching and to help atopic dermatitis it doesn't do anything in the face of a skin infection. Coco should be checked to see if she now has a yeast and or bacterial skin infection. There is also the option of doing an injection for scratching called cytopoint, which lasts 30-60 days (dog dependent). I would also consider adding Omega 3 fish oils and changing her diet to a non-chicken based novel protein diet (try venison, lamb, fish). Claritin, benadryl and zyrtec can be sued in dogs, see links below: https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/benadryl/ https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/zyrtec/ https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/claritin/ https://www.vrshealth.com/canine-products/omegadog/ https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=15235