My French Bulldog is still itchy and losing hair after allergy food?

Hello! I would recommend feeding a formulated hypoallergenic diet. The allergenic proteins in these foods are broken down into smaller molecules that can serve nutritional purposes but not stimulate the allergic part of the immune system. Royal Canin, Purina, and Hill's are three brands that I know of that make truly hypoallergenic foods. Make sure that when you buy this food, you don't use the same dog food container- if so, all the old allergens from the previous kibble in the container will get on the new food. Be sure to wash the food and water bowls during the diet change as well. Exposure to food allergens can cause skin irritation for 8 weeks after eating it. If Oliver's skin problems are more due to food allergies than environmental allergies (like pollens and grasses), he will need to eat only the hypoallergenic diet for a full 8 weeks with no outside table scraps or treats to truly start seeing the change in his skin. Hopefully by 12 weeks, he will have vast improvement. I recommend taking once a week pictures and notes and monitoring progress over time- it really helps to see how far you have come when the process takes a long time! I hope this answer is helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! :)

Allergies are a common problem in this breed. It can be from food or the environment. You have several options left to try though. You can change the food to a hypoallergenic form such as royal canin rabbit and potato or a food that is similar to contain a single protein and single carbohydrate. Because it responds well to steroids, that strongly suggest there is an environmental component also. They medicine similar to cortisone but without the side effects called Apoquel that is worth looking into. It helps with inflammation and scratching. These can all be combined with the antihistamine you currently give. I would also recommend a medicated shampoo bath weekly to help with the skin. They do make allergy testing in the form a blood sample or more accurate with a skin test to find out exactly what the cause is. this is more expensive, but a specific vaccine can be made specially tailored to him based on the results to desensitize him to the allergens. You have several options to explore to help keep him comforatble

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lino. I typically use a hydrolyzed prescription diet in the case of food allergies. Royal Canin options would be their Hydrolyzed or Ultimino formulas. Purina ProPlan Veterinary Diets HA is another great option. In these diets, the protein source is chopped into tiny pieces that are too small for the body's immune system to recognize and react to it. I have had great success with all three. I hope this information helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If she tests negative for mange, I would be suspicious that this may be due to skin allergies. 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!

Lou is adorable! Unfortunately Frenchies are notorious for developing both environmental allergies (atopy) and food allergies. These signs can be especially apparent during seasonal weather changes. Other issues, like secondary bacterial or mite infections could be causing hair loss. It would be best to have Lou examined by a veterinarian to evaluate for infection and to prescribe medications to help relieve the itch. There are newer, safer medications available for allergies like Cytopoint that have been proven very successful. Lou may need a medicated shampoo or even oral anti- fungal or antibiotics is infection is present. Until you can get to your veterinarian you can try bathing with a soothing shampoo like Douxo Calm to provide some relief for Lou. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Lou is feeling better soon!

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!

Cushing Disease, food allergies (it's too early to see results yet), skin mites, flea allergies and environmental allergies can all cause these symptoms. Make sure you are conducting a proper food trial. If Maddox does not respond to the food trial, discuss with your veterinarian next steps. Here are some links with good information" https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/cushings-disease-in-dogs https://www.petcoach.co/article/allergy-testing-immunotherapy-in-dogs/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/food-allergies-and-food-intolerance/ I agree with your vet that a hydrolyzed diet is the best option. I hope this helps.