allergies and foot chewing - Page 1

know i saw this posted before but can't find it. anyone have any remedies?

It might be helpful to know a little more about your problem.

Allergies to what? Contact allergy or food allergy?  Isolate the allergen and eliminate it. Flush the dog's feet with water and dry them thoroughly. Depending on the allergy and how much damage the dog has done licking or chewing, you may need to use mild cortisone cream, or a medicated foot powder to stop the itch. Sometimes benadryl is necessary temporarily to calm the allergic reaction (1 capsule only for an adult, no more than 1 every 6 - 8 hours or so my vet tells me. Do not use chlorpheneramine.) You may need to use a wire basket muzzle for a few days to let the feet heal. If the allergic reaction is severe or isn't going away after a couple of days, ask your vet what to do. 

Inhalation allergies in spring and fall or during high pollen times can cause this according to my vet.  If benedril (an antihistimine) helps, it is probably due to an inhalation allergy, so best to talk to you vet and have your GSD examined by him(her).  Can be also be caused by a low grade gut infection and/or a subclinical case of EPI.  A TLI blood test and a stool sample for infection and blood cells is a good idea.  Could be due to parasites too.  Good luck.

This could be caused by many different things.  I have a male who has seasonal allergies and can get very itchy, scratches and chews on his legs, luckily he seems to have pretty tough skin and so his fur still looks great, but all the same he still seems uncomfortable from the itchyness.  I have taken him to several different vets who all diagnosed it as allergies and had pretty much the same treatment routine such as antihistamines then if that doesn't work steroids.  I wanted to use steroids only as a last resort to I decided to do more research.  I read a book titled The Allergy Solution for Dogs which goes over different causes for allergies or what can cause skin problems and then goes into different solutions using both conventional meds and homeopathic solutions.  I found out that luckily the vet who wrote this book actually has his office not far from where I live so I took my dog to see him.  After seeing him, this is what I have my dog on:  omega 3 supplements, herbal antioxidants, tavist (this is the only allergy pill that seemed to work on my dog) and regular baths with an oatmeal shampoo.  We will try him on that and if he does't seem to be getting better, the vet says he can prescribe a very low dose of prednisone (steroid) which should be very safe for him and cause minimal side effects.  So far he is still itchy but it is not that bad and seems to be improving.  I have tried most of the allergy medications such as benadryl, claritin, hydroxizine, only tavist seemed to have any effect on him so your dog may be different.  At first I thought it might be food related so I have tried many different foods, the best so far seems to be California Natural, I think because it has the fewest ingredients and is easier on him.  If he is an indoor dog like mine is, it could also be caused by indoor air allergens such as pollen, dust mites, mold.  We try to vacuum and dust regularly and have even bought air purifiers.  The air purifiers helped my allergies more than his.  Anyways, every dog is different so just try different things until you find what works.  I would definitely recommend calling different vets and trying to find one with allergy experience, good luck.

Lack of polyunsaturated fats can cause extreme itching and scratching. There are all sorts of symptoms related to various deficiencies in the foods we feed. Although not always the cause, more often than not. As Two Moons mentioned, more info would be helpful.

RAVENHAWK

sorry for lack of info. friends dog. seasonal allergies. dog licks feet , they are red and he chews at them. happens  of spring and fall.

She does not want to keep him on courtisone for extended periods. prefers more natural solution. dog is 120 pound mastiff mix

thank you for all and any help

Try a nice big shot of dexamethazone if all else fails. Its a very powerful steroid, but often one good hit will knock allergies out. You can give about 4 a year without much worry of side effects. I've had to have a few myself. Make sure plenty of fresh water is available. Dex makes us thirsty!

SS

what is the dog eating?  it does sound seasonal though.  I have  a couple Japanese Chins with seasonal allergies, a little bit of children's benadryl goes a long way in helping them.

Hi,

Ravenhawk here, are there any other symptoms? Such as, hives,boils,eczema,white secretions from eyes/nose, structural abnormalties

affecting the spine, inverted sneezing or hiccups??

 Let me know> I do alot holistically. In the meantime your friend can use

benadryl to relieve symptoms. Shelley's recommendation was also great, may have to go to vet though. With benadryl, over the counter and store brand is fine. I had a corgi that I went through this with every fall. I finally detoxed him!

(no, not from booze,lol) liver detox, he was fine after,

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Ravenhawk