Why is my dog's itchy skin getting worse despite allergy meds?

Fighting secondary skin infections and allergies is tough. Drugs like prednisone and Apoquel are used to control inflammation. In some cases, we add a drug in an effort to taper prednisone if long term immunosuppression is needed. Ideally, long term immunosuppressives should be avoided but in some cases are needed. You should consider discussing referral to a veterinary dermatologist for intradermal skin testing.

Poor Aspen. He is obviously very sensitive to some type of allergen which that be grass, dust, tree, chicken/beef, fleas (even if you aren't seeing any), and more. i would recommend to talk to your vet about apoquel or a course of steroids. Both of these are great for allergies. Apoquel is preferred as it is safer long term. Also I would recommend a prescription hypoallergenic diet for a minimum of 12 weeks to see if it helps his skin. When you do a food trial you cannot give him any treats or human food. You also need to make sure his hesrtworm prevention is hypoallergenic. I hope this helps! Allergies can be frustrating but it is important to figure out how to manage them as they cannot be cured.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I can see a lot of redness and bumps on Millie's skin, which can be indicative of a skin infection (bacterial or fungal) or skin mites. Unfortunately, dogs with skin allergies can easily develop infections. The reason for this is that with the chronic scratching, the natural barrier of the skin is compromised, allowing bacteria to enter. Millie may need antibiotics or a medicated shampoo to clear up the infection, so she does need to see a vet. I recommend showing your vet these photos, especially if Millie doesn't like being examined. You can also try an omega-3 supplement for her along with Apoquel to keep her skin healthy.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! He is adorable! 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! The lump could be a benign or malignant growth. There is no way of knowing for sure without an examination though this represents a reason to seek veterinary care. This is usually determined with an examination and a fine needle aspirate (FNA) or a biopsy. Treatment depends on the findings up to that point. I recommend you have Ziggy evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good night!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Ziggy. Sounds like Ziggy needs to be evaluated by his veterinarian again and possibly a referral to a specialist such as a dermatologist or internal medicine specialist. Your vet may want to re evaluate him, do some more testing, change medicines, add medicines, etc. If your vet seems comfortable continuing to treat and you are comfortable then great but if you are doubtful about the situation, I would just mention that you are interested in going to a specialist or another veterinarian for a second consultation. Some cases cannot be handled appropriately by all of us in private practice and I would hope that most of us are quick to advise referrals to specialists when we cannot adequate resolve the problems that we see. I hope this helps. In the end, it's about quality of life and getting Ziggy well so that you and him can enjoy life together.

This looks like it could be mange (especially if it’s very itchy). Selamectin ot ivermectin can be used for this. Talk to your vet about what products are available and the proper dose. It could also be an alopecia (hair loss) of unknown cause. It could be an auto immune disease or other things as well. Best of luck to you and Ziggy!

Hello. While Apoquel has been an absolutely wonderful addition to our ability to help allergic dogs, it is not 100% effective all the time & in every pet. I have had to add medications to the really tough cases, including using the injectable Cytopoint, adding antihistamines, or even very low doses of glucocorticoids. Talk to your vet to see what might be the next step for helping Zelda. You might also consider seeing a veterinary dermatologist to see what exactly she might be allergic to & if a desensitization protocol would be helpful. Good luck & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.