How can I prevent my dog's environmental allergies and hives?

If Oscar is having allergy issues I would consider discussing Apoquel with your veterinarian. This is an allergy medication that works very well for dogs. The spots you are referring to may either be hives or a secondary skin infection. WIthout seeing them it is hard to say exactly what they are. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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!

Allergies are definitely a possible cause these hives. Allergies are most commonly due to environmental causes (i.e. pollen) and can start suddenly. Benadryl is usually helpful in these cases, so it may be mange. Mange is caused by a microscopic mite that burrows under the skin. This tends to be very itchy. They usually get this from other animals. It's best to have a vet check the skin. They can check for mange and give better treatment for allergies. For now it's best to give him a bath with cool water using a dog shampoo with oatmeal or aloe as an ingredient. I hope that helps and Dozer gets better soon.

Those spots on Brody could be several things including an allergic reaction (like hives), allergies to fleas, allergies to something in the environment, food allergy or skin mites (like scabies). Unfortunately, all these conditions look alike. 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. Allergic reactions are treated with steroids and antihistamines. 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. 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. I recommend to call your veterinarian and have Brody examined again. When pets don't respond as expected to treatment, it can mean that the real diagnosis has not been discovered. For skin health in general, 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 Brody wear an elizabethan collar at all times. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi there and thank you for using PetCoach to address your question. It sounds like Bambi is allergic to something outside. I would read the following article and see if this helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions! ( https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/benadryl/ )

Hi, I'm Dr. Johnson. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Jamo! It sounds like Jamo is having an allergic reaction and the raised red bumps are hives. Another possibility is a skin infection. Hives could be from an insect bite, a reaction to something she ate or an environmental allergen. Boxers tend to be a sensitive breed! Ideally I recommend that you bring her to your Vet to have her looked at, I understand your financial dilemma. They will know best the difference between an infection and hives. An infection requires antibiotics while hives from an allergic reaction require steroids and an antihistamine. You could try 2 tablets of 25mg generic benadryl every 8 hours. Just make sure there are no other drugs or decongestants in the benadryl. I wish you the best of luck

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his 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 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!