The test results are back...

[Grey_Eventer]

some may remember me posting about our lab who is very very allergic to what seems like everything! she also has weird paws which mean they go smushy in between and can grow together (??)
anyway, we had her tests done and she is allergic to:
Beef- can't have any food/treats etc. with this in
House mites- can't go on certain rugs, so she has to be kept in the kitchen or bootroom and laundry. has to sleep on a cotton cloth. we have to hoover with a bagless hoover (?) and her food has to be kept in a plastic container and we can't feed her the dust at the bottom and if we do we need to wipe her face afterwards.
Specific grass- this is more difficult, they aren't too concerned by this as it wasn't a major thing in the results but she is allergic to some types of grass- oh dear lord!
She also has to have her feet washed twice a week in some special stuff....

Pleased to get it sorted out... hopefully we can get it under control.
Has anyone elses dogs ever been allergic to the above and/or any tips on how to deal with it all?

 

[NeverSayNever]

how old is your dog?

my lab was about 1yr-18mnths when we had intra-dermal skin tests done and they came back that he was allergic to 28 things!!! inc grass, pollen, house dust mites, sheepswool....

he went on monthly injections that got made up for him, specific to hi allergies and we were told also that being young he may outgrow them anyway -

after a year, i took him off the jabs to see what would happen and have never looked back - he is now 14

 

[CorvusCorax]

Hi there, glad you finally have some answers!

With pollen it is a matter of antihistamines and baths for us and for food allergies, just be very vigilant and tough with friends, family and visitors - no treats unless you know what is in them!

TBH it is just part of the normal routine now, you will get used to the weird rituals, reading the back of every packet and the dog having a bigger medicine cabinet than you...

 

[harkback]

Did they test thyroid function before starting on all the sensitivity trials?

 

[Grey_Eventer]

how old is your dog?

my lab was about 1yr-18mnths when we had intra-dermal skin tests done and they came back that he was allergic to 28 things!!! inc grass, pollen, house dust mites, sheepswool....

he went on monthly injections that got made up for him, specific to hi allergies and we were told also that being young he may outgrow them anyway -

after a year, i took him off the jabs to see what would happen and have never looked back - he is now 14

She is 2 years old, although we have been battling with this for much longer- since about 10 months, maybe earlier. She is also allergic to lots of other things but nothing that we would need to take action against as it were.... We haven't been told about the injections, just that we need to be extra careful.
Oddly when we went to norfolk to stay with my godmother, we took the dogs with us... she didn't itch/lick/nibble/gnaw once! we think it was because of different grass etc.
We hope she may grow out of it but atm. it is looking unlikely

Hi there, glad you finally have some answers!

With pollen it is a matter of antihistamines and baths for us and for food allergies, just be very vigilant and tough with friends, family and visitors - no treats unless you know what is in them!

TBH it is just part of the normal routine now, you will get used to the weird rituals, reading the back of every packet and the dog having a bigger medicine cabinet than you...

She is currently on 2x tablets of piriton a day, advised by the vet which does seem to be helping!
Need to go and check new bag of dog food for any beef, even though its lamb or something... got to be careful...
I think tbh. once we are used to all the bathing, washing, feeding etc. etc. it will be fine, just getting it going!

Did they test thyroid function before starting on all the sensitivity trials?

I don't think so, these are the first tests we have had done...



and for a lovely price tag of £500!!! and the bloody insurance wouldn't cover it!

 

[harkback]

,
I don't think so, these are the first tests we have had done...

The symptoms you describe could be a dog with hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is common in dogs, some breeds more than others particularly Golden Retrievers, Dobes, Irish Setters, and some sighthound breeds. Having spent over 20 yrs in research of canine genetics and inherited traits (disease) this is something we come across not infrequently.

Myself I have a now 5 yr old dog who when I got him at 10 months of age after he went through every "allergy" imanginable. Urticaria after walking through grass. His ears were so infected you could not get a scope down them. His coat was falling out in clumps, his feet were weeping and glue like between the pads and toes, his anal glands red and putrid. I took bloods and sent them to for analysis and sure enough he was hypothyroid. Classic autoimmune thyroiditis. After 3 months on soloxine he was "normal", after 6 months I weaned him down to the minimum dose and now he is off them completely.

And no he did not exhibit other symptoms people assume come with hypothyroidism such as sluggishness, weight gain, erratic behaviour, etc. Though he now has DM and early on had a grade 3/4 heart murmur which has not deteriorated, though he does suffer from tachycardia. I would ask your vet to check his thyroid as a matter of course, it is not expensive but worth a look at.

 

[KarynK]

Need to go and check new bag of dog food for any beef, even though its lamb or something... got to be careful...!

I would ring the company and ask specifically if it's in there and tell them the reason as they can add beef especially if render is used and do not have to declare it.

 

[NeverSayNever]

has the vet actually sent you to a dermatologist with your dog? if not - id recommend asking for referal to a specialist.

also, id highly recommend evening primrose oil - vet recommend to me for mine at the mine as contains GLA which helps with allergic itching.

good luck

 

[Grey_Eventer]

harkback- thank you for that...will ask them to check it out- she also has very bad glands...
I personally don't like our vets as i feel that they could have suggested all this long ago- they have given us this paw wash stuff, but we knew she needed something ages ago. we also knew she was allergic to pollen/grass and dust, although not beef- for £500 we have just confirmed what we knew... grr.
KarynK- thank you for that, will give them a call as didnt know they didn't have to declare it!
NeverSayNever- no they just took bloods and did it that way- will ask about a specialist though... will also try evening primrose, our vet actually wasn't keen on piriton- despite another vet at the practice saying we should... but it helps a lot! so we shall continue with that!
thank you