Constantly itchy...skin allergies - Page 1

It seems to me that this forum hasn't discussed itchy dogs, skin allergies (specifically environmental), secondary pyoderma infections, latest treatments, additional feedback on the use of antihistamines, steroids, Atopica, etc. in a very long time.  I am particularly interested because my 4 year old GSD has been suffering for the past year from (apparently) environmental allergies that leave him itching and scratching non-stop. The itch/scratch cycle then leads to recurring staph pyoderma infections, which are difficult to treat.  The only antibiotic he can physically tolerate is Clavamox, but it seems that the pyoderma lesions reappear within 2 weeks of finishing up 4 - 6 weeks of antibiotic treatment.  To help with itch control, he is on 10 mg of prednisolone every 72 hours.  His coat looks beautiful and shiny.  His energy level is great.  At first glance he looks very healthy.  But have him lay down and look at his belly and groin area, and that's where the staph pyoderma lesions start to show up.  He also just cannot stop scratching.

He can't be the only itchy GSD out there?  Is anyone else experiencing this?  What helps?  Has anybody tried the new drug called Apoquel?  I just learned from my vet that Apoquel is on back order fo the rest of this year.  I hesitate to try Atopica...I don't like the side effects I have read about.  They scare me more than the possible side effects from the low dose of prednisolone long term.  I would love feedback, advice, tips.  Our lives are being turned upside down because of this.  I can't leave him without a cone because I'll come home to sores from where he chews at himself.  Luckily, I work from home so I am with him a lot.  He gets plenty of daily exercise and OB training.  Schutzhund training has been postponed for awhile, but, overall he lives a good life where his physical and mental needs are considered every day within our family life. 

What are you feeding?

For the last 6 months he has been on Royal Canin GSD formula.  Some health history to explain that choice...

As a puppy he was on Wellness Large Breed puppy; he grew fine at a good rate and no pano.  Soft stools seemed to happen frequently so at a year old, I switched him to Acana Grasslands.  The soft stool problem continued, however, and he seemed to have 3 to 4 bowel movements per day.  I tried a different recipe, Acana Ranchlands, and that recipe gave him constipation so I quickly went back to Grasslands.  But the constipation started a serious problem with his rear end in that I think happened from the act of straining, he got an inflamed and infected anus.  When I took him to the vet, the vet was concerned that the dog was developing perinanal fistulas.  A course of antibiotics for 6 weeks cleared him and I changed his diet to Acana Lamb and Oats.  I added Total-Zymes probiotics and digestive enzymes.  The anus healed and no sign of fistulas, but the frequent soft stools continued.  Meanwhile the skin allergies had already started with my dog, and I added fish oil capsules and biotin to his evening meal.  This was all last year in 2013.  I decided to try the Royal Canin as my last GSD (who died in 2009 at age 12) had done well on RC GSD.  Well, the change to RC definitely helped us with the stool problem.  Nicely formed stool once a day, no constipation, no diarrhea, and no infections or fistulas in the anal region.  But it did not help with the skin allergies.

I know I read a lot about the benefits of raw, but that is not a viable option for us.  I also think he has a very sensitive stomach and intestines; I think he is not a dog who can tolerate raw as I tried some raw chicken when he was about 6 months old and the result was explosive diarrhea for 24 hours.

I will send you a PM tonight when I get off work.

I don't know if this would be an option for you, beacause I know it can be hard to find in some parts of the country, but recently I have had great success with Precise Holistic Lamb & Turkey Grain Free.  Three of my dogs have severe allergies to chicken and grains: very itchy, diarrhea, vomiting.  I have just about gone crazy trying to find a dog food that would work for them and about a month ago put them on Precise and so far so good.  Another food that worked fairly well for me was NutriSource Grain Free Seafood Select.  I also tried raw, but my youngest dog made it more than clear that she would rather starve than eat raw and my oldest one did not do well at all.

I hope you are able to find something that works; skin conditions are one of the most frustrating health issues to deal with.

Ha, knew you were going to say that.  When my puppy came (Sept 2013) hew was on Royal Canin and itching like crazy with small like blisters on his little belly;  scratched himself raw.  The change in him coming here from the breeders was just enough to set it off;  knew right away he was going to have to go OFF that food which by the way has all sorts of crap in it.  Really bad for any dog.

YOu need to make a change.  Good luck  Nan

My suggestion would be to find a source of protein he gets along with, use that protein with no grains in say maybe like "HOnest Kitchen" or a single source protein food;  not a bunch of proteins.  Or even cook for him maybe until his system matures enough to find a kibble that works for you if RAW is not an option.  I understand RAW does not work for all dogs.  I also found that 2 of my 4 dogs in the recent past could not take anything with soy, or any type of flax, seed or oil.  So those are 2 possibilities, and of course no wheat, corn, sugar as sugar produces yeast which anything with sweet potatoes or potatoes has sugar;  peas have sugar as well does all fruits and even some vegi's.  Grains also make them yeasty and itchy;  definitely some med's.  why did you take him off the probiotics and whatever you were doing that worked except larger stools.??
 

Have you ever checked out the Nzymes Healthy Skin Kit?  As a groomer, I see lots of allergies, yeast, itchy skin, etc. and I have seen near miraculous improvements in dogs that have been through years of various other treatments when they began using Nzymes.  Hope you get it figured out and your dog gets some relief!

Try a better food. That's where I'd start. 

Thank you to those who have replied.  I appreciate it!  I had not heard of Nzymes, so I will check that out.  And I will check out the food recommendations as well.  Acana is highly regarded and I had him on the grain free recipes when the anal infection occurred as well as the start of the itchiness problem.  But I am open to starting with a new food.

Question:  could the higher protein levels with the grain free food cause him the soft and loose stool problems?  I don't want a recurrence of that problem or the constipation problem either.  I have to say his best bowel movements have been on Royal Canin, although I understand that the ingredients are not ideal.

Just to clarify...I still supplement with probiotics and digestive enzymes as I do believe those supplements have helped him with sensitive stomach and intestines.

My GSD from a pup up until last year was always itchy. Lots of outbreaks of Pyoderma where only Ceporex the most expensive antibiotics worked. She went to see a canine dermatologist, he took skin scrapings and sent them to a large teaching university and they made up a bacterin especially for her. She remained on injections of this for nearly 3 years before it became ineffective and I stopped them. 

It just became a case of regular sponging down with Hibiscrub or Malaseb and treat any outbreak of the Pyoderma. I have always fed her raw, a variety of different meats, by pure chance because I had a border collie who became itchy last summer, I'd tracked his itching down to lamb. So I have never fed lamb or anything containing lamb since September last year and my GSD now aged 11 years hasn't been itchy at all since I stopped feeding it. Too much of a coincidence for both dogs to stop itching for it to be anything else.

Her itching when she had it would lead to her chewing constantly and she would have no belly hair from the edge of her ribcage right back to her groin area and it would be one huge rash and little pustules.  Also one other thing which I don't know whether it has contributed to her itching less before she finally stopped was that I had been giving her top quality Fish Oil Omega3 capsules.

What works for one though might not work for another, so good luck.