GSD with severe allergies - Page 1

I have a senior GSD, she's about 9.. we have struggled to control her allergies for years, I've put her on Wellness Core Ocean Formula, salmon oil, and after thousands at the vet... we were told the only thing that can help her is antibiotics... she breaks out so fast, it seems like one day she's fine, and the next it looks like we neglect her, her skin is just raw right now, with open sores... I got this sulfadene creme, it's soothing her and it can take weeks for the antibiotic to clear it up and we can't keep her on antibiotics all her life.... does anyone have any ideas we can try for her? 

Hi I had a similar problem with a GSD female I imported from Germany over there she was fine but when she arrived in Oz with all the pollens around etc her system went haywire.  You have my sympathies.  I took her to Murdoch Vet hospital which is one of the leading authorities on Canine Atophy as it is called.  This is what they advised.  Total raw diet  - if you want to see if it is a food allergy then use a food like Hills hypoallegenic food or do what I did and feed vegetables and kangaroo meat for 6 weeks to see if the symptoms settle - if not you know it is not a food thing.  If yes then gradually add her normal diet until you hit the one.   Symptoms usually worse in Summer - more pollen around.  If symptoms really bad you will need some anti inflammitory plus anti biotics to calm things down (send me a pm and I will tell you what and how she was prescribed.)  With your fish oil at least 6000mgs per day plus an antihistimine.  If you are bathing her ONLY use a very mild baby shampoo and cool water nothing else no oat meal or medicated shampoo these only imflame the skin and you need to soothe it.  There is another drug that is very good for Atopy using the anti rejection drugs but I cannot remember the name I can find out for you but it was very expensive as I recall. Good Luck  it is hard work but the dogs are worth it. regards Chris

There is another drug that is very good for Atopy using the anti rejection drugs but I cannot remember the name I can find out for you but it was very expensive as I recall

Are you referring to "Atopica" at least I think that is how it was spelled. I have a friend that started her allergy girl on this, she said it was wonderful, she couldn't believe the difference it made. It is pricey. I have a boy that will be 7 this month, we have fought his allergies since he was young. So far my vet has not mentioned this new drug to me, so I am assuming it wouldn't work for his type allergies maybe? I intend to ask next time I take him in. Right now Samson is again loosing his hair and his skin look awful. I bathed him today in his special shampoo, I just wanted to cry when I saw how bad his skin was, I know he has to be miserable. It takes one flea to set him off, not to mention we live in the country and he is allergic to trees, grass, house dust and just about everything that I am allergic to. I will be keeping up with this thread to see what suggestions are made.  

I have a female GSD that has had allergies all her life.  No antihistamines ever worked....  thyroid was always normal, but the last test came back low and once the thyroid meds were started she completely changed.  No more corncobbing her legs, no more constnat scratching, no more raw spots on her, etc.

Up until this point I was managing it fairly well with chlorhexiderm shampoo and resicort leave in conditioner.  I also started using a spray called Genesis on the bad areas in between baths.  Keeping the kennel and areas swhere the dog lives is very important if it is bacterial. 

If the infection is that bad having her on antibioitics past what seems like cleared up is probably the best to make sure it is actually gone. 

she has been eating Eagle Pack Holisitix anchovy, sardine, salmon meal kibble and gets extra salmon oil or sardines or jack mackeral.  I try to stay away from additional salmon in her diet. 

Good Luck with your senior girl.

Darcy

Thank you carebear, I sent you a PM. 

Samsonsmom, I know how you feel... I just checked on Sasha, and her sores are actually bleeding.. it is making me wonder about her future.... she wont even grow hair on her hips anymore... by the time some hair starts showing up, she breaks out again..

 Do you know about how much it is?  Like I was telling carebear in PM... this is the last of our old GSD pack from years ago, I had moved to Florida for a little bit to study dance, in three months 3 out of 4 of our precious babies passed away, 1 had severe HD and something else, and the other two (ages 2 and 4) suddenly died with no explanation.. so she is very important to us.

"Do you know how much the anti-rejection" thing is, duh.. I'm slow today.

That's interesting Darcy, when we had her checked two years ago I think it was they said her thyroid was borderline to being low, so we may have to get that checked on... that could be an issue.

Do you know how much the anti-rejection" thing is

I hope I wont get this thread deleted by posting this link, not sure if it is allowed. Below is the link that will give you information on the Atopica and what type of allergies it works on. If you just type in the name in seach it will come up with the price of this product.

http://www.atopica.novartis.us/indexConsumer.shtml

I live in Florida as well, never gets cold enough, long enough to kill off fleas. Always some type of allergen doing us in.

http://www.fuzzyfaces.com/lfood2.html 

Interesting article on dog food.

My Jack Russell had horrible food allergies...had to give him steroid shots to stop the itching.  Did the soothing shampoos, etc.    It wasn't until I started feeding him grain free dog food (Taste of the Wild) with natural preservatives that he stopped with the itching.  He's been itch free now for almost a year.  Good luck.  It is not an easy thing for either dog or owner to deal with skin issues.  Been there.

I'm not so sure it's atopy, the areas that are effected don't match anything on the list, it's both her hips, and her chin... I should take a picture.

My god, it is so awful looking.  If you can't view it this way (I'm not sure how to load pictures into the bullet) let me know your email address.

http://a168.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/109/l_68b695c1baf583fc8c1b3a154d0dfb87.jpg