DOG ALLERGIC TO EVERYTHING-meds making him vomit:( UPDATE 11/5/11

[sonew123]

Well, for those who know me know that for the past year + I have been trying everything for my poor cocker spaniel "Noah". He seems to be allergic to EVERYTHING...His symptoms didn't really start until he was 1 yrs old. Chronic ear infections..then the constant scratching-licking-hot spots and the smell of yeastiness all over him-soars forming ( not bloody but nasty scabby things)
First vet -put him on steroids-antibiotics-ear meds-eye meds to the tune of 400$...this did nothing really

second vet-said the meds he was put on from first vet should have helped some and was surprised it didnt-same meds from her AND two different kinds of shampoos and steroid spray to spray on his hot spots...he'd be good for a day or two with not scrathing so much-but then right back to where he was before

3rd trip to 2nd vet-
recommened OTC allergy meds and switching his dog food to a less grainy ( oats -corn etc...) OK had him on claritin and purina One ( 34$) a bag. Seemed to help and alleviate but infections in ears-eyes etc were still present.

4th trip to 2nd vet-
put him on complete grain free food-( 51$ for a 28 lb bag) keep up with claritin etc....3 months we tried this. Mind you in between all these visits-he was getting his ears cleaned 4-5x a week-claritin everynight-bathed 2x a week and shaved down once a month so I could get the shampoo to his skin and not his thick coat...nothing helped...

5th trip 2 weeks ago-
She felt so sorry for him-put him on this be all that end all strong medicine "Atopica" 1- 50mg a day for a month to see if it is doing some major changes. 1 months worth of pills 140$

If the pills work miracles ( like the vet thought it would and should) he has to be on them for life!

The only good part with this medicine is that after a month or two I can wean him back to 1 pill every other day....I surfed the web and I can get a months worth of pills for 90$ and NOT what they charge-140$
WELLLL he's been on these meds for 2 weeks and has had the hershey squirts and vomits often!

BUT DANG IT IF I DONT SEE CHANGES IN HIM!!! Slowly he is making a comback and I have to time out his dose of meds perfectly or he will vomit everything up projectile style he's not scratching hardly at all-fur is growing back-still smells though some. Ears getting better. I am not keeping him on this medicine for life if I have to deal with him being ill from it -like chemo!!! I will wait another week or so and see if we can find a happy medium with the pills and food and everything else to go back but it looks like hes going for allergy testing next...I don't know what else to do for my baby. For now Im keeping him on the grain free food ( the kind at the suggestion of a BYCer-Im sorry I forgot your name but thank you again!!!

She swears by it)

The last, final, and only option left is allergy testing...$300 to test--then for another $250 they will take the results and create a special allergy shot just for him. Then I have to give him shots every 3 weeks for life...Can you say drained out??? He's only 2 1/2!!!!
31 lbs
and just the sweetest ball of dumbness there is

yes he is sleeping in the laundry bucket and always gets tucked in

 

[StevenW.]

Awwww!

I'm sorry you have to go through this, but look at his face! Its worth it!

 

[sonew123]

Oh yes I would do anything for my pets. I love his choppers-so soft and kissable

Now mind you I have 2 indoor cats ( 11yrs old) and an 11 yr chihuahua plus Noah. Dh and I both said we are done with indoor animals for at least 10 years. It has detroyed the furniture-floors -pocket books and such but we love them pieces and have trained them all to where nothing is really an issue anymore. I did have a few folks ask me if keeping Noah and all his issues was worth it for me or him. To put him down I mean--NO WAY! He's not suffering really--just a mess. It's my job to fix him I bought him -its my repsonisibility. If it was between him and losing my house-well of course I would choose the house. Right now, we're doing ok and I can afford to pay for his meds for the most part-I just dont buy other things that we "want". Besides..if he is eventually somewhat cured from all his issues then it was all worth it for him to live out his life with alot of quality in it

 

[sonew123]

Can Anyone Throw any Suggestions Out To Help Or Ideas Of Something Else This Can Be????

 

[MamaRoo]

I don't know about dogs, but I keep my cat on a limited ingredient diet. http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dogformulas/allergy.html

I don't buy the Purina type foods because of all the preservatives and stuff.

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
YUP! that was the food I had him on for 3 months...It didn't do much for him really...The vet told me to I could stop buying the really expensive grain free kind because the Atopica shopuld cover any allergy he had...BUT Im keeping him on it for now to see if will help in the long run...

 

[MamaRoo]

Poor baby.

Have you tried switching his laundry detergent, and shampoo and all the stuff you do for allergic people?

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
Yes 3 kinds of laundry soap---he sleeps on everything so so he never changed at all when switching soaps
The shampoos ...well let me tell you..He's had 5 kinds..Now I am using oatmeal shampoo seems to help with smell and is most gentle on him...I use them for 2 months each and see what happens--nothing has truly worked well..

 

[MamaRoo]

Yogurt and probiotics? The yeast smell makes me think his system is out of balance. Maybe a yogurt bath (I'm stretching here), but at least bumping his intestinal bugs by feeding it to him.

 

[dainerra]

My oldest GSD is allergic to grass. If he goes out and gets his coat full of grass pollen, he turns into a mess.

2 of the most common dog allergies are chicken and corn. What the last vet said is moronic. (At least that's how I read what he said) If you're allergic to something but the meds help doesn't mean it's a good idea to keep ingesting it.
Purina One isn't the greatest food. My boy Rayden is allergic to corn and Purina 1 is FULL of it. He stinks, has yeast infections in his ears, gets oily coat and turns into a hot mess if he eats even a couple bites of it. Hot spots too.

Also, too much bathing can actually make skin allergies WORSE. It strips the natural oils from the skin leaving it dry and irritated; the same goes for shaving. I honestly think the last time Rayden had a bath was 2 years ago. Singe had one when he rolled in poop as a pup, but that is it and he is 11 months old.

I would first get a quality grain-free food; I use NutriSource grain free. You can also get grain-free that has sweet potato instead of rice as the fiber source. As someone else mentioned, a lot of brands use chemical preservatives and he could be reacting to that. Remember, just because a food if really expensive doesn't mean that it's good. Vets like to push Science Diet and some dogs with issues do well on the prescription formula, but as a whole the bag is healthier than the food inside. I spend $45 for 30 lbs of NutriSource. The 13th bag is free. Each bag last 2 70lb dogs for 2 weeks. Once Singe stops growing so fast, it will last even longer.