New to raw (allergy discussion included)

Postby dlynne1123 » December 1st, 2009, 7:18 pm

Marinepits wrote:I haven't had the best luck treating Mac's allergies with any type of steroid, but pred specifically. Mac drank constantly and then peed CONSTANTLY, plus his resource guarding and bad attitude got REALLY bad. :shock:

I know some people have had good luck with steroids, so hopefully they will post about their experiences.

There are also MANY antihistamines out there that may provide some itch relief for your girl. Mac built up a tolerance for Benadryl very very quickly. He went through about 10 different ones before we found the one that works best. It's amitriptyline, also known as Elavil -- an antidepressant that just happens to be a marvelous antihistamine in dogs.

Let us know what happens with the new vet! Keeping my fingers crossed for you.....


I am one of the lucky ones that didnt' really have any problems with the prednisone. She acted teh same, (I almost wish she had gained some weight on it, shes kinda ethiopian) but i was more worried about long term side effects. It didnt' change her demeanor or anything, I was just sick of loading and tapering and trying again. Back and forth. No antihistamines did a thing for her, and I was worried she's begin to get resistant to certain antibiotics too. This was three years of controlling with antihistamines otc and RX then to steroids, injections and pills, and shampoos, and sprays, and supplements. The atopica seems to be the best so far, but i'm told she was a serious case. It wasn't seasonal, it was year round, and she would get raw, hot spots and hives every time.
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Postby hugapitbull » December 1st, 2009, 7:33 pm

KimJay Pits wrote:I think my first coarse of action is I am going to try another vet. I love my vet but I feel like we are past the shampoo and benadryl stage and further testing needs to be done.


I know exactly where you're coming from. We went through the the same thing many years ago. I made the decision early on that if a vet seemed to be at an impasse, it was time to try someone new. Second opinions are a good thing. You don't have to continue to go to the second opinion vet, you can take their opinion right back to the vet you love. I've found they are very understanding when what they are doing isn't working. Over the years, as Trouble needed different treatment options, I searched out someone for a second opinion.

KimJay Pits wrote:My vet had suggested prednisone but I feel like that's just masking the problem and I want to know what's causing it! Besides I HATE prednisone and I don't want to use it unless I have to.


I understand this, but a low dose to get over the problem is sometimes a godsend for you and the dog. Trouble is on a low dose right now. It is given in a progressive dosage. Twice a day for three days, once a day for three days, then every other day until gone. Of course we cannot allow her to chew her only front paw.

I know it is frustrating, but be persistent. You will find something that works for you that you are comfortable living with, but it may not be a short time in coming. We went through four generations of second opinions over the years before we found the best answer for us, unfortunately, because of her cancer she can no longer take the Atopica. I feel like we are starting from scratch (no pun intended) again.
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Postby Marinepits » December 1st, 2009, 7:34 pm

We're holding off on the atopica for now -- I'm kinda keeping that as our "last resort" if Mac gets resistant to the shots/pills/food combinations. Plus, I'm hoping the cost starts to go down. :shock:

Although, the more good stuff I hear about it, the more I want to try it with him.
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Postby amazincc » December 1st, 2009, 7:44 pm

Has anyone heard of/tried this???

http://www.1800petmeds.com/Yucca+Intens ... 10850.html

I've been using it for Faust, and I'm VERY happy w/it. My vet mentioned Prednisone for him also, but I'm not a huge fan of long-term meds, especially steroids, unless they are the absolute last resort.
You can apply it topically to hot spots as well... it tastes NASTY, and most dogs won't WANT to lick it off.
No script needed. :)
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Postby pitsnok » December 3rd, 2009, 7:20 pm

I know some people have had good luck with steroids, so hopefully they will post about their experiences.


Degan has taken prednisone a few times. a few months ago for an impacted salivary gland, and he got a lot of it injected a few months before that because of an aniphylactic reaction. Needless to say, we didn't like it much. He was depressed, grumpy, and gained probably 5 pounds in the ten days he was on it... BUT, it helped both times. We didn't have to have his salivary gland operated on, so that was nice...and came out of his aniphylaxis fine, so that was also nice!
I had an aniphylactic reaction a few weeks ago and was prescriped prednisone for a week. It made me grumpy, restless, and gave me a never ending appetite.

So needless to say, it works as a last resort but from our experience I wouldn't want either of our dogs on it as a long-term treatment.
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