Search Results for 'atopic dermatitis'

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  • #70834

    In reply to: PLEASE HELP!!

    Anonymous
    Member

    Allergies? If the current treatment is not effective and the dog is seriously uncomfortable, you may want to consider seeing a specialist/dermatologist, especially if this has been going on for 1 year/4 seasons without any significant periods of relief.

    http://www.allergydogcentral.com/2011/06/30/dog-allergy-testing-and-allergy-shots/#comment-1283

    Or consult a homeopath http://theavh.org/

    Dr Falconer’s latest blog http://vitalanimal.com/natural-dog-food-work/

    /forums/topic/atopic-dermatitisyeast-issues-smartest-food-choice/

    Helpful article below:
    By Klaus Loft, DVM
    Angell Dermatology Service

    Anyone who suffers debilitating environmental allergies tied to changing seasons, pet dander or household dust mites knows first-hand the misery of a scratchy throat, itchy eyes or painful rashes.

    Not everyone knows, however, that our pets can experience similar allergic reactions — and other very bothersome dermatological issues. But our pets need not suffer in silence. Modern veterinary science has evolved such that advanced, comprehensive treatments are now available to treat a range of skin conditions.

    Top pet dermatological issues

    Our four-legged friends suffer from some of the same skin issues as we do — and several that we do not. The most common conditions we see at Angell include:

    •Parasites, such as mites, fleas and mange (scabies)
    •Infectious diseases, such as Staphylococcal pyoderma (“Staph”) skin infections, yeast and fungal infections and skin fold infections
    •Systemic diseases, such as autoimmune diseases
    •Skin cancer, such as Squamous cell carcinoma, cutaneous lymphoma, Mast cell tumors
    •Allergies, such as flea allergy dermatitis, adverse food reactions, environmental allergies, etc.

    All of these conditions can become serious and, if untreated, dramatically reduce quality of life. But the tremendous strides made in veterinary innovation, however, is very good news for our pets. Specifically, the testing and treatments for allergies now rivals human healthcare in its sophistication, quality of care and long-term health outcomes.

    ‘Doc, it itches when I do this!’

    Unlike humans, dogs and cats cannot tell us about their dermatological health issues. So we as pet owners must look for the signs. The most common indicators that a pet is suffering from some kind of allergy involve frequent episodes of ear infections, red raised or open sores on the skin, constant licking or biting of paws or groin — sometimes causing wounds that will not go away.

    Allergies present a particular challenge because there can be hundreds (even thousands) of potential allergens that impact pet health, from foods to pollen from grasses, weeds, trees, dust mites and more. Today’s specialty veterinary hospitals have access to the very latest diagnostic tests to get to the bottom of what’s ailing our pet. Among these tests is the Intra Dermal Test (IDT).

    IDT is generally considered the gold standard of testing for identifying allergens that cause pets to suffer from chronic skin and/or ear diseases. IDT involves injections of a series of concentrated allergens into the skin to determine which of them generate allergic reactions in a given animal. The use of fluorescein — a chemical that illuminates the inflammation caused by the injected allergens in order to visualize the strength of individual reactions — is key to accurately diagnosing pet allergies, and is just one of the many ways veterinarians use new technologies to improve care and diagnostics.

    The results of IDT (as well as a review of the pet’s medical history) can then inform comprehensive immunotherapy treatments to relieve suffering. Veterinary dermatologists rely on IDT to build customized treatment plans for patients called Allergen Specific Immuno Therapy or “ASIT” for short.

    ASIT involves a series of injections specifically created for the allergic animal’s skin. These injections, of diluted allergens, are designed to make a pet less sensitive to their allergens over time. In most cases these injections must be continued for life to reduce symptoms, but they are highly effective. Seventy to 90 percent of pets experience a reduction in symptoms as a result of ASIT treatment. These treatments can be delivered even more easily via droplets under the tongue, perfect for pet owners who are squeamish about giving injections to their pet.

    This treatment is very new to the North American field of medicine (both human and veterinary) and underscores just how far innovation in veterinary medicine has come.

    When it’s time to see the vet

    Many pet owners are understandably concerned about taking their animals to the veterinarian because the cost (to say nothing of the fear some animals experience when going do the doctor) may outweigh any perceived reduction in suffering. To help pet owners know when it’s time to bring Fido to the doctor I’ve compiled my “Top Ten” list of dermatological symptoms that should never be ignored:

    •Intense itching of the skin (head shaking, running the face into the carpet, furniture, etc.)
    •Biting at the skin that creates red, raw crusting areas of the skin
    •Multiple ear infections (head shaking, odor from ears, scratching at the ears with hind legs)
    •Paw licking or chewing and frequent infections of the skin in the webbed skin of the paws
    •Staining of the fur of the paws and nails on multiple feet
    •Reoccurring skin infections in the groin, under the shoulders, perianal areas (on or under the tail)
    •Greasy scaling skin and/or fur with odorous skin
    •Hair loss, or thinning of the fur
    •Dark pigmentation of the skin that is chronically infected
    •Sudden depigmentation of skin

    Allergies and other dermatological issues can be as frustrating for pet owners and their veterinarians as they can be for pets. I encourage any pet owner whose animal is experiencing any of these symptoms to consult with their veterinarian.

    Anonymous
    Member

    Allergies? If the current treatment is not effective and the dog is seriously uncomfortable, you may want to consider seeing a specialist/dermatologist, this has been going on for 4 months….seasonal?
    http://www.allergydogcentral.com/2011/06/30/dog-allergy-testing-and-allergy-shots/#comment-1283
    Or consult a homeopath http://theavh.org/

    Dr Falconer’s latest blog http://vitalanimal.com/natural-dog-food-work/

    /forums/topic/atopic-dermatitisyeast-issues-smartest-food-choice/

    #44789
    Brittany D
    Member

    Acana does not offer puppy food and I know my two dogs really like Acana so we will eventually switch to it when Dexter is fully grown but I need a puppy food for him he is only 7 months old. We recently rescued him and he was emaciated when he was rescued by the orginzation and he was still quite underweight when we adopted him just a few weeks ago. He is doing much better now and is only still slightly underweight but he is growing well (rib cage is actually looking more normal instead of very thin and small). Dexter appears to be a Scottish Terrier+Poodle mix. I haven’t weighed him recently but I know he’s at least 8 pounds.

    I am only buying high quality food such as Acana, Orijen, Wellness Core, etc. I am going by the rating system here on DFA and am choosing 4+ star dog foods only. It seems odd though that all of the 5 star foods that DFA has reviewed do not offer puppy foods. Is this common?

    I’d prefer to have a dog food that is completely gluten-free as I myself have Celiac Disease and am very sensitive to gluten so handling the food and receiving doggy kisses puts me at risk of having a bad reaction if they are eating foods with gluten in them.

    So I’d prefer a grain-free OR one with Rice/potato/sweet potato, etc but no other gluten-containing grains.

    Dexter and Bentley (who is 6 years old, Yorkie) both itch a lot and have atopic dermatitis. Dexter’s is on his face and I have not seen any spots anywhere else, and Bentley’s is mainly on his back but he did have it practically everywhere on his body (just not a full blanket rash). We switched to Greenies Pill Pockets Allergen Formula and it does seem even better now with much less itching for Bentley. So he also may have an allergy to wheat (gluten) as one of the main ingredients in all of the pill pockets minus the allergen formula is wheat.

    So I think I need:
    1) gluten-free
    2) 4 or 5-star rating from DFA or one that hasn’t yet been reviewed but is on the same level quality-wise as 4 or 5 star foods DFA has already reviewed
    3) Prefer smaller kibble as my dogs are small/toy size.

    Kind of off my own topic but Bentley (6 year old yorkie) vomited whenever he ate Orijen 6Fish so I think Orijen itself is too strong somehow for Bentley so I tried Acana and they both ate it without any issue. Maybe the Orijen is too protein-rich for Bentley?

    I am hopeful you (all) will be able to help me narrow down a puppy food to give to Dexter. I prefer kibble over canned only because it is more cost effective and less work to prepare and we won’t have to worry about how long that can was in the fridge.

    I look forward to your responses. 🙂

    #44593
    Amy B
    Member

    Hi everyone,
    I’m finding this thread quite interesting. My 2.5 year old Maltese x Pomeranian has been diagnosed with atopic dermatitis. He is allergic to fleas, dust mites and has food allergies. We still haven’t gotten the food part down pat yet and are a bit unsure what to do.
    When he was younger he used to be on kangaroo mince and veggies, or beef and veggies. He seemed to be allergic to these so the vet suggested we put him on a novel protein of goat and sweet potato. He was doing well on this diet until the goat was costing us $80 per 3 weeks!
    Does anyone have any suggestions as to what we should put him on?
    Lisa D I also heard from a pet store employee that fish is good for them. Could you explain to me more how long your dog has been on this diet for? And also why you spray him with white vinegar?
    I was told to purchase fish mince from BARF dog Big Dog pet food range (all natural) but I saw it contained fine chicken bones (only after I purchased it) but I wanted to see how he would go on dry food as well. Has anyone had any positive experiences with sensitive skin dry food products?
    PS. I’m from Australia

    Thanks in advance! 🙂

    andrew b
    Member

    So I have a Staffy who is almost 18 months. She has already been allergy tested, and on a scale of 0-4 scored a 2 on numerous things, different types of grasses/weeds, dust and so on, with yeast also registering. We have also done a food trial prior to intradermal testing with Royal Canin HP and her itching really never got better on it. The main issue is she scratches herself bloody. Her neck, under her arms, her face. It’s a sin. We use Temaril-P when needed and it does help, have tried Atopica which didn’t work at all, have tried a new medication called Apoquel that didn’t work at all. Usually when she’s extremely bad(she was at the vet Tuesday, she sees a dermatologist at UPenn), she comes back positive for a yeast infection on her skin. She also started immunotherapy 5 months ago.

    The worst of foods(on a relative scale) she has eaten would be Taste of the Wild as a puppy, and when the itching started around 4 months, we have tried, all for nearly 2 month periods, Earthborn, Acana, Nature’s Variety LID and now back to Earthborn since it doesn’t seem to matter.

    Where am I going with all of this? Before I fully delve into trying a raw or cooked diet and seeing if it helps, should I just try the lowest carbohydrate food I can find to try and cut down on the yeast issues? If this doesn’t work, I am going either raw, freeze dried or cooked at the end of May. I was going to try Brothers Complete Allergy Formula but I’ve read it’s fairly high in carbs. Would I be better going with something that is 25% or so carbohydrates based on this site’s calorie weighted analysis, perhaps Orijen or Nature’s Variety Raw Boost, or something else?

    We’ve tried so much…supplements, oils, she gets Phytovet CK baths 2-3x a week, and it doesn’t improve unless she’s on Temaril and we obviously don’t want that, but when she’s bleeding and will scratch herself for minutes straight unless you stop her, you have no choice.

    Any ideas welcome, especially food related. Thanks all, love the site, been lurkin forever.

    #32389
    BlackandBlue
    Member

    IMHO, Natural Balance LID foods are good for finding what your dog is reacting to, but then move on to a higher star food. First determine which your dog shouldn’t eat: the fish or the sweet potato. If you switch to NB LID venison and sweet potato and the dog gets better then it was the fish she can’t have. If she doesn’t get better, then it’s the sweet potato. Switch around with the meat and carb types, and take notes on your dog’s reactions to each food.

    #32385
    theBCnut
    Member

    All of their formulas are pretty high in carbs, which is not ideal for yeast. You should look into Nature’s Variety Instinct’s LID formulas. Antibiotics make yeast worse too.

    For my dog, I used 1/2 Brother’s Complete Turkey and 1/2 raw. I added ACV, coconut oil, spirulina, probiotics, and digestive enzymes.

    #32379
    kate
    Member

    I’m at my wits end trying to combat dermatitis in a foster English setter. She is greatly improved since Oct. when she came to me, but still itchy. Medicated shampoos, antibiotics, antifungals, and 2 steroid shots helped but still has skin issues. She is on Natural Balance LID fish and potato (grain free). Should I be avoiding potato? Would peas be better? I’ve read that sugars AND starches can feed yeast. Also, someone suggested adding apple cider vinegar and coconut oil to her food. Has anyone had success using natural remedies? And what bagged foods would you suggest? I’ve always fed grain free, chicken free. I’d hoped that Van Pattens would do the trick, but it hasn’t so far.

    #20985
    rustyhorse
    Participant

    My 7 year old lab/pointer has had atopic dermatitis for most of her life. I did several food trials with no change. The last food I used was Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch Grain-free. The vet sent blood to Idexx lab for testing and she tested super high for storage mites. She did well on the Earthborn and I can’t image it contained mites, but how else would she ingest them? Vet recommended I either make homemade food, use canned wet food or purchase fresh kibble and keep it in the freezer.
    I would prefer to keep her on kibble, but how can I be sure there are no mites in the food when I buy it? There is an expiration date, but nothing tells when the food was made.
    Any help is greatly appreciated!

    • This topic was modified 10 years, 8 months ago by rustyhorse.
    #18340

    Topic: Atopy

    in forum Off Topic Forum
    lassiebaby
    Participant

    My Lassie cross breed of Jackrussel and Beagle is suffering from atopic dermatitis. We have tried steroids and other medicines which gives only temporary relief. We have approached a New Vet who recommended DERMOCOOL HC SPRAY and diet comprising of RABBIT MEAT, TAPIOCA with SAFFLOWER OIL. I wonder whether this diet will provide her all the vitamins necessary for her body. Until now, we used to give her lamp meat, rice and SCIENCE PLAN food.

    #11227

    In reply to: Vaccinating

    weimlove
    Participant

    Toxed2loss, I’m so sorry to hear that! After my Weimaraner received his booster shots, he broke out in small raised bumps all over his back and neck. After taking two rounds of anti biotics we went to a different vet for a second opinion. He was diagnosed with atopic dermatitis. I think this could have been caused by the vaccines. Thankfully after using herbal shampoos and adding extra fish oil to his food, the bumps went away and have been gone for almost a year now. I would love to not vaccinate anymore, but I am nervous about the risks. Since he has had his puppy shots and boosters do you think he is good for life?

Viewing 11 results - 51 through 61 (of 61 total)