Dog allergies: still itchy, flaky skin, fishy smell. What's next?

I would try a prescription hypoallergenic diet. Your vet will be able to recommend the one they think will work best for her like science diet Z/D or purina HA. This will be your best shot to rule out any food allergies. I recommend to do a minimum of a 12 week food trial with NOTHING else except for the Z/D. Even her heartworm prevention, if you give it, needs to be hypoallergenic. Unfortunately, most of the oral ones have chicken or beef flavoring in them. For treats, you can take the canned version of whatever food you choose and put a small amount into an ice cube tray and freeze them. Then popped them out and put them in a bag in the freezer for treats. I would also consider putting her on both apoquel and cytopoint at the same time to help control itching. I would also talk to your vet about whether or not they think there is any yeast on her. Yeast can be very itching. There is a anti-fungal that can be given long term and be safe. It is called terbinafine. I had a dermatologist to give it once a day for 4 weeks then every Monday and Tuesday long term to keep the yeast under control in my really allergic patients. Your vet will be able to determine the best dose and whether or not she even needs this. Finally, if this doesn't help, I would strongly recommend to find a veterinary dermatologist in your area to see if they can do different types of treatment. Most dermatologists can do skin allergy testing and get her started on allergy injections if needed. I hope this helps!

If he scratches and is itchy year round, it could be a food allergy or an indoor allergen. Discuss desensitization injections (allergy shots), hydrolyzed diets, antihistamine use and food elimination trials with your veterinarian. https://www.petcoach.co/article/food-trials-for-allergies-in-pets-what-to-expect https://www.petcoach.co/article/what-is-a-novel-protein-pet-food/ https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/food-allergies/

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.

A few things to consider. She should be tested for hypothyroidism to make sure she doesn't have a thyroid condition. She probably needs to be on some type of allergy medication long term to control any allergies that are contributing to her skin condition. Your vet could try an antihistamine, like hydroxyzine, and see if that helps. There is also a new medication called Apoquel which seems to work very well. She should also stay on the antibiotics for at least 3-4 weeks before stopping. Adding Free Form Snip Tips may also help keep her skin healthy. You could also try a hypoallergenic diet like z/d for 8 weeks and see if that helps. Lastly, you could take her to a veterinary dermatologist if your vet can't get her condition under control.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If she has not improved after doing an appropriate food allergy trial, then other possibilities in terms of allergies should be considered which include environmental allergies and flea allergies. This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. 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 environmental allergies, as you have already checked for food 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 Noise. Allergic skin disease in dogs can be very frustrating to manage for owners, veterinarians, and our pets. It usually involves a long process of skin testing, strict diet trials, and medications. I would suggest continuing to follow your veterinarians instructions while hopefully the apoquel cuts Noise's itch cycle. Otherwise, you can ask to see s dermatologist in your area to obtain specialized treatment for Noise. I hope this helps.

A food elimination trial should last a minimum of 6-8 weeks feeding one food exclusively, no other treats or foods. Afterwards, the condition should be reassessed. If this is the case with two different diets containing a novel protein/carb combo and still no improvement, then a consultation and exam with a veterinary dermatologist may be your next step. If Samson is licking or chewing excessively, an e-collar (cone) should be used. Consider an essential fatty acid supplement, such as DermCaps or EicosaCaps, to promote healthy skin and coat. If allergies are the underlying cause, they can be frustrating to diagnose, but once you determine specific allergens then management may be easier.