What can I do at home to help my pet with their allergy symptoms?

Hello! Canine allergies can be a really difficult problem to manage, so I sympathize! There are two main classes of allergies- environmental and food. If allergy testing hasn't been done, it is an expensive investment, but it can give you a report of the most common environmental allergies. Most environments that are colder and snowier tend to have less pollens, allergens, and insects overall and many allergic dogs may cope better in colder climates for that reason. Dogs with environmental allergies benefit from regular baths and having their feet wiped down with hypoallergenic baby wipes after they go outdoors to mechanically remove any possible pollens, etc that may be stuck to the feet and triggering a reaction. Dogs that are primarily allergic to ingredients of their food may do much better on a different diet. Dogs tend to be allergic to proteins in their diet, such as beef or chicken. Grain allergies are possible but exceedingly rare- grain free diets are widely considered a marketing ploy by vets and not actually helpful. My own dog has a beef allergy and does just fine on over the counter food with no beef products, for example. It takes 8-12 weeks after exposure to the food allergen for the reaction to completely go away- for this reason, many people get frustrated with new diets too early and give up. The diet also will not work if she is being fed any outside table scraps or treats, so compliance is key. Trying a diet with a new protein she has not had before, such as fish or kangaroo, for an entire 12 weeks may be a beneficial idea to discuss with your dermatologist. If you do this, transition the food slowly over 7 days to let her GI flora adjust and make sure if you have a dog food bin, you clean it well between the two foods as to not contaminate the new food. The most important thing to remember with allergies is that she is likely constantly being exposed to them, so treatment needs to be just as constant to battle it. I hope this is helpful! Let us know if you have any more questions after your dermatology appointment!

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. Allergies are extremely difficult to manage especially with a dog that is not amenable to treatment. The strongest oral sedatives available can only be gotten from your veterinarian. They cannot be purchased over the counter without a prescription. The best over the counter medication I have seen work well is called Zylkene. It is not cheap but I think it is worth a try. He would need the large dog size and would get one per day. I would give one per day and use it everyday until the bottle runs out (30 days) and if it works, great, you can keep him on it. If it doesn't work, then you can stop. ( https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/223965_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=115875 ) I would also recommend a leave-on mousse instead of a shampoo. These are medicated and work very well either in between baths or for dogs that are not amenable to bathing. I would use the "CALM" when he has no lesions on his skin. If he does have lesions on the skin (hot spots, etc) then I would use the S3 PYO until the lesions are healed and then go back to the CALM. You don't have to do his whole body - just the major affected areas. You need to make sure it gets on his skin and not just on the hair. You can use it every day if necessary - you will just need to see how he is doing which will dictate how often to apply it. ( https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/223965_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=153532 ) ( https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/223965_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=145608 ) Finally, I would recommend putting him on a fatty acid supplement if he is not already on one. This helps to maintain the integrity of the skin. I like this one: ( https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/223965_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=118404 ) Honestly, the best option is to take him to your vet and discuss with them a medication called Apoquel. It works great at keeping allergies under control, it is an oral tablet so typically easy to give and it will keep him from scratching and itching and having all the allergy symptoms. This way he is comfortable and you don't have to force topical treatments on him. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

I would recommend the following to see if you get improvement without having to get these allergy shots. These can be quite beneficial and I've seen many dogs on these alone for allergy relief. 1. Douxo Calm PS shampoo 2. Essential 6 spot on by dermoscent 3. Krillex krill chews 4. Redonyl ultra soft chews I hope this helps! You can also use an antihistamine such as Benadryl along with all of these if the symptoms are still bad. ( https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/benadryl/ )

Chronic skin allergies can be related several things including allergies to fleas, skin mites, allergies to something in the environment, food allergy or endocrine disease. Each one of these problems is detected and addressed differently and I recommend to discuss with your veterinarian which one to start hunting down first. Parasites are often ruled out with an oral medication like Simparica. Food allergy is best ruled out with a diet trial using a hydrolyzed protein. Endocrine diseases are detected with blood work. Environmental allergies are a little more difficult to detect but a response to therapy or a blood test can give an indication. Once you figure out and address the underlying cause, the lesions should not come back. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Also protect the area from trauma by having Simba wear an elizabethan collar at all times. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

You can try adding an omega-3 fatty acid supplement for pets to the diet. This can help improve skin health and act as a natural anti-inflammatory. Cats can take some over-the-counter antihistamines but online veterinarians are prohibited from discussing human medication usage in pets. I recommend to call your regular veterinarian who will be able to give you a recommendation. If this doesn’t help within two weeks, or if Roy gets worse, have him examined by his veterinarian. Please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Allergies are frustrating for people & pets. Unless you go for testing & a subsequent desensitization protocol, we really can not cure allergies. Almost all dogs will react to an allergen with skin symptoms, so your Brooklyn is showing typical signs. If the Benadryl seems to help, you can use it as needed. There are other OTC antihistamines available ( see petplace.com/antihistamine use in dogs ), but some of the best are available through your veterinarian. Apoquel, a pill you give daily, or as needed, and an injection called Cytopoint that will give Brooklyn relief for up to 2 months are now available. Otherwise, minimizing outdoor times when pollen counts are high, regular bathing in an oatmeal based shampoo in cool water, or even just wiping her down immediately after she comes in from outdoors will all help.

Thanks for reaching out about your dog. Allergies can be very concerning for pet owners because they really bother our pets so much and seem to be so hard to control! It is important to work with your vet to determine what exactly is causing the allergy in severe cases. Some dogs are certainly allergic to grass. Dogs can be allergic to many other things as well including things like cedar, mold, and even their own food. They can even be allergic to fleas. What's more, since you have a bulldog (adorable as they are!) they tend to have very sensitive skin and are prone to skin issues! It might be good to talk to your vet about allergy testing or even to find a veterinary dermatologist in your area. Finding the root cause of the allergies is the best way to fight them. In the meantime, you can give the benadryl up to every 8 hours and continue to use the spray like your vet suggested. You can also use Oatmeal shampoo (but don't bathe more that 2x a month!) which is soothing to a dog's skin to help ease the itch. It is also a good idea to give fish oil supplements with the food. I hope this helps. Please feel free to contact me via a private consultation if you have any further questions! I hope your baby feels better soon!