allergies - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Nikki+2 · 04-05-2009, 10:26 AM

I've been struggling with Sugar's allergies since October. His eyes were runny and skin was flaky and inflamed. The vet did a skin scraping- no yeast or infection. Diagnosed him with allergies, most likely airborne and seborrhea. He gave me a medicated shampoo for the seborrhea which worked right away and got that under control. He also prescribed a 2 wk round of prednisone. At the end of the 2 weeks all was well for a while.

To make a long story short it's been an ongoing battle. He ended up on a longer run of pred. but enough was enough and he's been off of it for close to 2 months. Ann gave me a great recommendation for a fish/borage oil and I think that has eliminated his skin issues with the exception of a rare inflammation now and then that is easily treated with benadryl. I no longer have to use the medicated shampoo so it's a huge improvement.

So now we are left with our final issue. His eyes are a little bit swollen and runny. I have yet another appointment with the vet but I already know what he's going to say and I don't like my options. Based on our past million visits my options will be; 1. Atopica (most likely for life) 2. Allergy testing which I'm told by everyone including my vet is a crap shoot and it offers him no immediate relief anyway. If he was in discomfort or his symptoms hadn't improved so much I would be willing to look into the Atopica a bit more but for such a mild symptom I'm really not willing to put him on medication long term if I don't have to.

So does anyone have any ideas? He is on a grain free limited ingredient diet so I don't think it's food related. I've thought about switching to raw but if it's an airborne issue, would that even do anything for his eyes? I'm willing to try anything if I can stay away from medications. I'd honestly prefer his eyes to be runny and a bit puffy (with no discomfort to him) than take the risk of continually pumping him with drugs but there has got to be a solution to this.

The only other things I can think to add is I took him to a vet recommended by my mom's vet from another state and got the same exact diagnosis and path of treatment. I would love to find a holistic vet to get that perspective but the only one in my town moved. The only one within driving distance isn't accepting new patients. If anyone has any ideas I really appreciate it.

Sorry for the novel and thanks if you're still reading.

phfgkl · 04-05-2009, 11:31 AM

I'm going through the same thing with my 6 year old yorkie, the thing is she hardly ever goes outside. I just took her to the vet Friday ($115), she's on prednisone, and some anti=biotic and this capsule that she will have to take everyother day for the rest of her life. I'm also taking her off the food she's on and I'm going to try science diet natures best. If I see a significant difference in her hair(she also had a lot of dandruff and ear infections) then I'll let you know. Yours may need this capsule also. Mine also had sores all over her belly and was rubbing her butt and even pulling herself to try to keep from itching. She actually has already quit with the rubbing

Nikki+2 · 04-05-2009, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phfgkl

I'm going through the same thing with my 6 year old yorkie, the thing is she hardly ever goes outside. I just took her to the vet Friday ($115), she's on prednisone, and some anti=biotic and this capsule that she will have to take everyother day for the rest of her life. I'm also taking her off the food she's on and I'm going to try science diet natures best. If I see a significant difference in her hair(she also had a lot of dandruff and ear infections) then I'll let you know. Yours may need this capsule also. Mine also had sores all over her belly and was rubbing her butt and even pulling herself to try to keep from itching. She actually has already quit with the rubbing

Sugar did great while on prednisone but I hated having him on it. Someone recommended 2 herbs that act as anti-inflammatories in humans so I'm going to do a little research on them for dogs. We also have a little herbal medicine shop in town so maybe they'll know something. I read tea has anti-inflammatory properties so I'm wiping his eyes with strong tea- we'll see.

Nikki+2 · 04-05-2009, 12:47 PM

Also something that really helped Sugars skin was a product recommended to me by Wyliesmom- Royal Coat Express 16oz, Ark Naturals Natural Products For Pets
This stuff made a huge difference for his skin, so it might be worth a try for your girl.

My PetCo sells its.

phfgkl · 04-05-2009, 12:56 PM

The vet wants me to keep Haley on these huge capsules the rest of her life, I'm only going to keep her on them until they're gone. There are 60 in there and she gets one every other day(which is a pita). Will see how she does on them, but, if I could find a food she does well on and isn't allergic too, I would think then her skin would clear up. You just feel so bad for them when they're itching and you can't do anything for them. I did have ointment that seemed to help, but, I would rather put a cream on her, it's much easier to work with and not as greasy

Nikki+2 · 04-05-2009, 01:50 PM

I'm thinking about trying Eyes So Bright iHerb.com - Product Details - Ark Naturals, Eyes So Bright, Gentle Eye Wash Cleanser, 4 fl oz (118.3 ml)
Any experiences?

Patti · 04-05-2009, 02:31 PM

Cali is on Atopica and we have had pretty good luck with it. She was doing great on it and then when she had the HGE I stopped it and she got real itchy right away. Just recently she started scratching a little again but I think it is the season change. I hate her being on it but she is miserable without it. I hope you can find something that works.

Nikki+2 · 04-05-2009, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patti

Cali is on Atopica and we have had pretty good luck with it. She was doing great on it and then when she had the HGE I stopped it and she got real itchy right away. Just recently she started scratching a little again but I think it is the season change. I hate her being on it but she is miserable without it. I hope you can find something that works.

Oh it's great to know someone who is using this! It's sounds like a really good option. The only reason I'm not considering it right now is that Sugar's skin is fine for the most part. It was funny because even when it was bad he was never itchy- just flaky, red and stinky.

The oil really did the trick for him thank goodness. I hate to put him on meds for just his eyes. Were Cali's eyes ever a problem?

amandawash · 04-05-2009, 06:16 PM

Atopica is a fantastic option, MUCH safer than the pred. Yuck, I hate that stuff.

Poor Sugar! I guess if you have his skin problems under control, that is a HUGE relief.

Susan Davis has a hollistic approach to allergies on her website. I know Ann (Wylie's Mom) has started using plant sterols on Marcel, as he's having a really tough time with his allergies. She hasn't had him on them long, so we're all waiting for an update.

I would treat him as needed with Benadryl before I put him on more pred. Does he respond well to it? Hopefully it's just a springtime thing and Sugar will be better in no time.

Nikki+2 · 04-05-2009, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amandawash

Atopica is a fantastic option, MUCH safer than the pred. Yuck, I hate that stuff.

Poor Sugar! I guess if you have his skin problems under control, that is a HUGE relief.

Susan Davis has a hollistic approach to allergies on her website. I know Ann (Wylie's Mom) has started using plant sterols on Marcel, as he's having a really tough time with his allergies. She hasn't had him on them long, so we're all waiting for an update.

I would treat him as needed with Benadryl before I put him on more pred. Does he respond well to it? Hopefully it's just a springtime thing and Sugar will be better in no time.

He responds great to the pred. but I am not, under any circumstances, putting him back on it. He was on it the longest I felt comfortable with- probably longer. My vet is presenting Atopica as a lifelong option and I'm not ready to accept that. It just seems that there has to be something less hardcore for his relatively mild symptoms. I might be playing games with myself but it seems like the tea wipes actually helped a bit. It's a very strange situation because even at his worst he seems to feel fine. When his skin gets inflamed he is uncomfortable but Benadryl takes care of it within 25 minutes and the inflammation is very infrequent. The swollen runny eyes worry me to death but they don't seem to bother him in the least with the exception of his annoyance of having his face washed so frequently.

I'm off to google Susan Davis and plant steroids. Thanks for the response.

amandawash · 04-05-2009, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nikki+2

He responds great to the pred. but I am not, under any circumstances, putting him back on it. He was on it the longest I felt comfortable with- probably longer. My vet is presenting Atopica as a lifelong option and I'm not ready to accept that. It just seems that there has to be something less hardcore for his relatively mild symptoms. I might be playing games with myself but it seems like the tea wipes actually helped a bit. It's a very strange situation because even at his worst he seems to feel fine. When his skin gets inflamed he is uncomfortable but Benadryl takes care of it within 25 minutes and the inflammation is very infrequent. The swollen runny eyes worry me to death but they don't seem to bother him in the least with the exception of his annoyance of having his face washed so frequently.

I'm off to google Susan Davis and plant steroids. Thanks for the response.

I do not blame you for no more pred. Ryder is on it for another week from hurting his back, and it's killing me!

If the inflammation is infrequent, and the benadryl treats it, that's what I would use.. also, the watery eyes are super common and if they aren't bothering him I would continue with what you're doing.

Oh, and it's plant sterols, not steroids

I know she got them at iherb.com (my new FAVORITE store!!!)

Nikki+2 · 04-05-2009, 06:48 PM

OMG, Susan Davis does telephone consultations?! Is this the person Ann has worked with in the past? I am psyched! This is exactly what I've been looking for! Amanda, thank you so much!

amandawash · 04-05-2009, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nikki+2

OMG, Susan Davis does telephone consultations?! Is this the person Ann has worked with in the past? I am psyched! This is exactly what I've been looking for! Amanda, thank you so much!

You're welcome girl! Yes, she does consultations over the tely

I think it's $75 for a consult, which is a really great way to spend some money.

I did e-mail her about a specific product on the site for our lab, and was a little disappointed by the response I got, but I know SO MANY YT'ers use her (Ann, Mimi, I think Marci) and love her. I am sure the response was due to the fact I am not a client. Apparently they won't answer any questions about the products without a consult first

I will be sooooo excited if you do a consult! I want to hear all the details!!

Nikki+2 · 04-05-2009, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amandawash

I do not blame you for no more pred. Ryder is on it for another week from hurting his back, and it's killing me!

If the inflammation is infrequent, and the benadryl treats it, that's what I would use.. also, the watery eyes are super common and if they aren't bothering him I would continue with what you're doing.

Oh, and it's plant sterols, not steroids

I know she got them at iherb.com (my new FAVORITE store!!!)

The eyes only worry me because they look swollen and the runniness is kind of sticky and very hard to wash out. It isn't in the normal draining pattern but rims his whole eye and starts to affect ho much he can open them. I wash them constantly but even with a flea comb I can't get it all out. It's not even a lot, it's just very sticky and so stubborn. I was on iherb earlier- looks like a great store.

eta: he's also loosing some hair on his eyelids which is pretty worrisome.

Nikki+2 · 04-05-2009, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amandawash

You're welcome girl! Yes, she does consultations over the tely

I think it's $75 for a consult, which is a really great way to spend some money.

I did e-mail her about a specific product on the site for our lab, and was a little disappointed by the response I got, but I know SO MANY YT'ers use her (Ann, Mimi, I think Marci) and love her. I am sure the response was due to the fact I am not a client. Apparently they won't answer any questions about the products without a consult first

I will be sooooo excited if you do a consult! I want to hear all the details!!

I'm pretty sure I'll be calling her so I'll be sure to let you know.

04-05-2009, 10:26 AM	#1
Nikki+2 I heart Sugar Donating Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Florida Posts: 7,373	allergies I've been struggling with Sugar's allergies since October. His eyes were runny and skin was flaky and inflamed. The vet did a skin scraping- no yeast or infection. Diagnosed him with allergies, most likely airborne and seborrhea. He gave me a medicated shampoo for the seborrhea which worked right away and got that under control. He also prescribed a 2 wk round of prednisone. At the end of the 2 weeks all was well for a while. To make a long story short it's been an ongoing battle. He ended up on a longer run of pred. but enough was enough and he's been off of it for close to 2 months. Ann gave me a great recommendation for a fish/borage oil and I think that has eliminated his skin issues with the exception of a rare inflammation now and then that is easily treated with benadryl. I no longer have to use the medicated shampoo so it's a huge improvement. So now we are left with our final issue. His eyes are a little bit swollen and runny. I have yet another appointment with the vet but I already know what he's going to say and I don't like my options. Based on our past million visits my options will be; 1. Atopica (most likely for life) 2. Allergy testing which I'm told by everyone including my vet is a crap shoot and it offers him no immediate relief anyway. If he was in discomfort or his symptoms hadn't improved so much I would be willing to look into the Atopica a bit more but for such a mild symptom I'm really not willing to put him on medication long term if I don't have to. So does anyone have any ideas? He is on a grain free limited ingredient diet so I don't think it's food related. I've thought about switching to raw but if it's an airborne issue, would that even do anything for his eyes? I'm willing to try anything if I can stay away from medications. I'd honestly prefer his eyes to be runny and a bit puffy (with no discomfort to him) than take the risk of continually pumping him with drugs but there has got to be a solution to this. The only other things I can think to add is I took him to a vet recommended by my mom's vet from another state and got the same exact diagnosis and path of treatment. I would love to find a holistic vet to get that perspective but the only one in my town moved. The only one within driving distance isn't accepting new patients. If anyone has any ideas I really appreciate it. Sorry for the novel and thanks if you're still reading. __________________ "If you have men who will exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men." — St. Francis of Assisi, 1181-1226

04-05-2009, 12:47 PM	#4
Nikki+2 I heart Sugar Donating Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Florida Posts: 7,373	Also something that really helped Sugars skin was a product recommended to me by Wyliesmom- Royal Coat Express 16oz, Ark Naturals Natural Products For Pets This stuff made a huge difference for his skin, so it might be worth a try for your girl. My PetCo sells its. __________________ "If you have men who will exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men." — St. Francis of Assisi, 1181-1226

04-05-2009, 01:50 PM	#6
Nikki+2 I heart Sugar Donating Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Florida Posts: 7,373	I'm thinking about trying Eyes So Bright iHerb.com - Product Details - Ark Naturals, Eyes So Bright, Gentle Eye Wash Cleanser, 4 fl oz (118.3 ml) Any experiences? __________________ "If you have men who will exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men." — St. Francis of Assisi, 1181-1226

04-05-2009, 02:31 PM	#7
Patti Donating YT 30K Club Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Illinois Posts: 35,509 Blog Entries: 6	Cali is on Atopica and we have had pretty good luck with it. She was doing great on it and then when she had the HGE I stopped it and she got real itchy right away. Just recently she started scratching a little again but I think it is the season change. I hate her being on it but she is miserable without it. I hope you can find something that works. __________________ Cali Pixie Roxie : RIP Nikki; RIP Maya;RIP my sweet Dixie girl 1/17/08 http://callipuppyscastle.bravehost.com/index.html

04-05-2009, 06:16 PM	#9
amandawash Lovin' my R & R Donating Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Middleton, Idaho Posts: 2,152	Atopica is a fantastic option, MUCH safer than the pred. Yuck, I hate that stuff. Poor Sugar! I guess if you have his skin problems under control, that is a HUGE relief. Susan Davis has a hollistic approach to allergies on her website. I know Ann (Wylie's Mom) has started using plant sterols on Marcel, as he's having a really tough time with his allergies. She hasn't had him on them long, so we're all waiting for an update. I would treat him as needed with Benadryl before I put him on more pred. Does he respond well to it? Hopefully it's just a springtime thing and Sugar will be better in no time. __________________ Amanda 's Ranger & Ryder

04-05-2009, 11:31 AM	#2
phfgkl BANNED! Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: South Carolina Posts: 2,376	I'm going through the same thing with my 6 year old yorkie, the thing is she hardly ever goes outside. I just took her to the vet Friday ($115), she's on prednisone, and some anti=biotic and this capsule that she will have to take everyother day for the rest of her life. I'm also taking her off the food she's on and I'm going to try science diet natures best. If I see a significant difference in her hair(she also had a lot of dandruff and ear infections) then I'll let you know. Yours may need this capsule also. Mine also had sores all over her belly and was rubbing her butt and even pulling herself to try to keep from itching. She actually has already quit with the rubbing

04-05-2009, 12:56 PM	#5
phfgkl BANNED! Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: South Carolina Posts: 2,376	The vet wants me to keep Haley on these huge capsules the rest of her life, I'm only going to keep her on them until they're gone. There are 60 in there and she gets one every other day(which is a pita). Will see how she does on them, but, if I could find a food she does well on and isn't allergic too, I would think then her skin would clear up. You just feel so bad for them when they're itching and you can't do anything for them. I did have ointment that seemed to help, but, I would rather put a cream on her, it's much easier to work with and not as greasy

04-05-2009, 06:48 PM	#12
Nikki+2 I heart Sugar Donating Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Florida Posts: 7,373	OMG, Susan Davis does telephone consultations?! Is this the person Ann has worked with in the past? I am psyched! This is exactly what I've been looking for! Amanda, thank you so much! __________________ "If you have men who will exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men." — St. Francis of Assisi, 1181-1226