Lhasa and allergies

[cwillis]

Joey is our 4 year old Lhasa. He started having problems with itchy skin more than a year ago. In a nut shell he is been through the ringer with pills, bathes, shots, you name it we have tried it. Not only am I running out of money but I'm not seeing any improvement. The oatmeal and aloe shampoo seemed to make him dry. The allergy shots I was giving haven't helped. He is currently eating Iams, but he has had other low allergy foods which have not helped. He is currently on Atopica and is one big flake. I made him a bath with Avons Skin so Soft and cool water and just kept pouring it on him. It has helped.

I read tonight online that primerose and fish oil will help the dry skin.

does anyone else have any ideas?? thanks

[groominglady]

I'd look really hard at that food. It's the quality of the fat and protein that is suspect. Your best money is spent improving from the inside out.

I would look at a high quality (not cheap) food - you'll feed less, and save money on treatments. Use a mild shampoo, highly diluted, and not too often. SSS has a perfume that would irritate sensitive skin. Brush and comb daily. Try walking your dog off grass or wood chips - sometimes there's a contact dermatitis. Use a mild vinegar rinse after a bath.

Yes, fish oil will help, but there are diets that will work better. I don't know about primrose.

[alimel]

My Sister has a 3 year old Lhasa who had very bad skin allergies until she switched foods. Look into foods like California Natural or Wellness that have formulas specifically for skin allergy issues.

[OnyxsMom]

Originally Posted by cwillis

He is currently eating Iams,

Have you ever looked at the ingrediant list for Iams????

My first assumption, would be that! Find a food that doesnt contain corn (corn is the first ingredient on the bag with Iams I believe).

[cwillis]

thanks everyone for the tips. I'm going to check into the food tonight online to see where I can get it. I've even thought of making our own dog food.

I did buy a soapless shampoo today, and some Omega 3. I'll be back here to let you know how he does. Just told my girlfriend that her son can have the 20 lb bag of Iams I just bought!

[Pitbull Lover]

Itching and Allergy in Dogs


Coping with an itchy pet can be an extremely frustrating experience for you, the pet owner, and can truly test the limits of the human-animal bond. Persistent scratching and chewing by the pet can also result in self-excoriation and open wounds. The following information is intended to provide the pet owner with a basic understanding of the most common underlying causes of itching and allergies in small animals.
The Most Common Causes of Chronic Itching

The common causes fall into two groups: external parasites and allergies. External parasites that most commonly cause chronic itching dermatitis include fleas and sarcoptic mange. We often recommend therapeutic trials for sarcoptic mange in chronically and severely itchy dogs. We always recommend stepped-up flea control and monitoring for fleas, as flea infestation can really make allergy worse!
What are Allergies?

Allergy is a state of hypersensitivity in which exposure to a harmless substance known as an allergen induces the body’s immune system to “overreact.” The incidence of allergies is increasing in both humans and their pets. People with allergies usually have “hay fever” (watery eyes, runny nose and sneezing) or asthma. While dogs can rarely also have respiratory allergies, more commonly they experience the effects of allergic hypersensitivities as skin problems. Though there are a variety of presentations, this can often be seen as redness and itching, recurring skin or ear infections, and hair loss. This is sometimes called eczema or atopic dermatitis.
What are the Major Types of Allergies in Dogs?

Flea Allergy
Flea allergic dermatitis is the most common skin disease in dogs and cats. For the flea allergic patient, 100% flea control is essential for the pet to remain symptom-free.
“But doctor, I never see fleas on my pet.” You may not see them, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. The allergy is caused by the flea’s saliva, and it only takes a few bites to induce the problem. Also, the itchy pet often scratches so much that adult fleas are removed, making them hard to find.
“If fleas are the problem, why is my pet still itchy in the winter?” In warm climates or in our homes, fleas may survive in low numbers year-round. Because flea allergy is so common, we recommend that complete flea control be instituted before proceeding with diagnostics for other allergies and that year-round flea control be maintained for all allergy patients.
Food Allergy
Some pets develop specific hypersensitivities to components of their diets. The allergen usually is a major protein or carbohydrate ingredient such as beef, chicken, pork, corn, wheat, or soy. Minor ingredients such as preservatives or dyes are also potential allergens. The diagnosis of food allergy requires that we test your pet by feeding special strict diets that contain only ingredients that he has never eaten before. This is often achieved by feeding a prescription diet for a period of 10 to 16 weeks. If the signs resolve, a challenge is performed by feeding the former diet and watching for a return of the itching. If this occurs, a diagnosis of food allergy is confirmed.
Atopic Dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inherited predisposition to develop skin problems from exposure to variety of commonplace and otherwise harmless substances including the pollens of weeds, grasses and trees, as well as house dust mites and mold spores. Diagnosis of AD is made based on the results of intradermal skin testing or by in vitro blood testing. Evaluating the results of these tests helps us compile a list of allergens for a “vaccine” to decrease the pet’s sensitivity. Sometimes multiple skin and/or blood tests are necessary to accurately assess the patient’s allergies.
Secondary Infections
Allergies are often the underlying cause of recurring skin and/or ear infections. Bacterial and yeast infections, though secondary to the allergy, can cause an increase in your pet’s level of itching. Long-term treatment with antibiotics and anti-yeast medications is commonly required, along with medicated bathing programs.
Can Allergies be Cured?

Unfortunately, there is no cure for allergy and it is usually a life-long problem. We seek to control allergies and improve the quality of life for both you and your pet. We will formulate the best program of management that suits all involved with your pet’s care.
Can I have the Itching Treated without the Expense of Diagnostic Testing?
Symptomatic drug therapy can help to reduce itching. Steroids, such as prednisone tablets in particular, are often employed to stop the itch. However, without addressing the underlying cause, the itching will return. Long-term use of steroids can result in many health problems. This is the reason that we encourage diagnosis of the underlying cause of the allergy and more specific or less potentially harmful treatments.

[Pitbull Lover]

Food Allergy Trials in Dogs

Authored by: Dr. Donna M. Raditic, DVM
Objectives

1. What are some of the signs of a food allergy?
2. How does your veterinarian select a diet for a food allergy trial?
3. What diets are currently available for a food allergy trial?
4. What pitfalls can occur during a food allergy trial?

What Signs can be seen with a Food Allergy?
A food allergy is a reaction to food that involves the body’s immune system. It is usually always a protein particle in the food that is responsible for reactions. Your dog may itch, lick, and chew paws, flank, groin, neck, and ears. The itching can be during all seasons. A small percentage of food allergy dogs may only have chronic otitis. The dog may also have some gastrointestinal signs such as chronic vomiting, diarrhea, belching, and frequent bowel movements. Food allergy dogs often have both varying degrees of skin signs and gastrointestinal problems that persist.
How Does your Veterinarian Select a Diet for a Food Allergy Trial?
With this information an appropriate diet can be selected for the food trial. Your veterinarian will first want a complete medical history. The most important information you will need to provide is a thorough history of what foods and treats your pet has eaten. This includes table scraps and chew toys with food flavorings.
The diet selected will contain a “novel” protein and carbohydrate source meaning that your dog has not eaten this protein source in the past. Your veterinarian may recommend a food allergy trial based on skin and possible gastrointestinal signs.
What Diets are Currently Available for a Food Allergy Trial?
Commercial diets sold “over the counter” may claim to be “hypoallergenic” or “good for sensitive skin.” It is important to realize these claims have no official meaning. These diets can be misleading because the pet food companies do not have to list every ingredient on the label. Close inspection of the label can identify inappropriate proteins and the manufacturer can substitute other ingredients as long as they meet the guaranteed analysis. It is best to use the diet your veterinarian has selected for a proper food allergy test.
Diets that are used in food allergy trials are in one of these categories:

• Prescription Diets
• Low Antigen Diets
• Home Made Diets

Prescription diets are made by pet food companies to specifically and always contain the same ingredients. The protein source and carbohydrate source never change in these food allergy diets. These diets are only available through veterinarians. They are formulated to treat a medical condition, in this case, food allergies.
The protein(s) in a diet that can be responsible for food allergy signs are called antigens. Low antigen diets are also prescription diets. In these diets, the protein has been formulated (hydrolyzed) to be so small that it will not stimulate the immune system. The diet may also have used small carbohydrates as well to avoid the potential immune response to proteins in the carbohydrate component of the diet.
Some of the current examples of these diets made by specific pet food companies are listed below. Again your veterinarian will need to carefully evaluate your dog’s dietary history and any other current medical issues to select the best diet for the food allergy trial.
Hill’s Diets:
Prescription diets:
D/D canned/dry- salmon & potato/rice
D/D canned/dry- duck & potato/rice
D/D canned/dry-venison &potato/rice
D/D dry – egg & rice
D/D canned-lamb & rice

Low Antigen diets:
Z/D Ultra Allergen Free dry and canned-hydrolyzed chicken and refined starch
Z/D Low Antigen –dry and canned-hydrolyzed chicken and single source carbohydrate (potato)

Purina Diets:
Low Antigen diets:
LA Limited Antigen dry-salmon and rice
HA hypoallergenic dry-hydrolyzed soy

Iams Diets:
Prescription diets:
Response FP dry and canned-fish and potato
Response KO dry-kangaroo, canola meal, and oat flour
Royal Canin:
Low Antigen diet:
Hypoallergenic HP 19 dry-hydrolyzed soy and rice

Prescription diets: (IVD)
Potato and Duck dry and canned-duck protein and potato (also has light formula)
Potato and Rabbit dry and canned- rabbit protein and potato
Potato and Venison dry and canned- venison protein and potato (has large breed formula-dry)
Potato and Whitefish dry and canned-whitefish protein and potato
If your pet will not eat one of the above diets, or has a concurrent medical issue that prevents the use of these diets, then a home made diet may need to be used. Home made diets usually contain a novel protein source (for your pet) and a carbohydrate. A home made diet recommended for your dog can not be fed long term. It can be fed for the length of a proper food trial without any concerns. It is not formulated to be a long term complete and balanced diet for your dog because it is deficient in necessary nutrients.
Your veterinary may consult a veterinary nutritionist to formulate this diet. The diet initially contains only two ingredients: a protein source and a carbohydrate source. Some of the protein and carbohydrate sources a veterinary nutritionist may select from include:
Protein Source Carbohydrate Source

• Tuna Yams
• Salmon Sweet potatoes
• Pinto Beans Pumpkin
• Rabbit Oats
• Game Meats Barley
• Garbanzo (chick peas) Quinoa

Common Food Trial Pitfalls
The hallmark or a successful food is feeding only the prescribed diet for the required period of time. There are many pitfalls that can occur during a food allergy trial. These pitfalls must be avoided or the food allergy trial will be inconclusive. You and your veterinarian will be unable to determine whether your dog does indeed have food allergies.
The most common pitfalls in food allergy trials include:
1. The client does not understand why the veterinarian has recommended a feeding trial, how the feeding trial will be conducted, their role in completing the food allergy trial properly, and the ultimate goals of the trial.
IDEAS:

• Your veterinarian must communicate the specific reasons for a conducting a food allergy trial and outline how to complete a proper food allergy trial. Expectations and goals should be clearly expressed.
• Schedule request recheck exams and/or phone progress reports
• The veterinarian should provide other sources of current information about food allergies and food allergy trials.
• The owner should feel comfortable asking questions throughout the trial.

2. Feeding your dog any type of snack or chew toy with food flavoring can affect the length and success of the food trial. This mistake may not be just the owner, but can include visitors, relatives, delivery men and children.
IDEAS:

• Use pieces of the dry kibble (if a dry diet is used for the food trial) in a Kong to provide snacks, entertainment and chewing.
• If a canned diet is fed, take slices of the canned diet and bake them into dry snacks.
• Inform visitors that your dog is on a strict diet and cannot be given any other foods except the diet that has been prescribed. Give visitors prescribed kibble or your baked can treats to feed.
• When visitors crate the dog or put the dog in a place with no access to visitors.
• Family members must understand the food allergy trial and realize the importance of absolutely no snacks.
• If senior relatives are home with the dog, send the dog to play groups or take the dog to work if possible. Give the relative only acceptable treats. Again, relatives must be a part of the effort to complete the food allergy trial.

3. In a multiple pet house you must prevent the patient from eating the other dog’s food. If there is a cat in the household, eating the cat food will disrupt the food trial.
IDEAS:

• Stand over the dogs or separate the dogs when they are fed.
• Feed the other dogs(s) a very palatable diet that they will eat immediately. This may limit left over food for the patient to get into. Still, remember the feces will need to be picked up immediately. Even a small lick of an inappropriate food can potentially be a pitfall in a food allergy trial.
• If possible, put all the dogs on the new diet.
• Put the cat food up out of the dog’s reach. Place the cat food in a room a small enough entrance that only the cat can gain access to the food.
• Avoid or stop free feeding all pets in the household so inappropriate food access in controlled.

4. The dog is given flavored medication such as chewable heartworm pills, flavored antibiotics or anti-inflammatories. The dog may also be given a flavored vitamin mineral supplement, joint supplement or coat supplement.
IDEAS:

• Flavored heartworm preventatives will be replaced by an acceptable nonflavored pill, topical. or possibly an injection.
• Be sure to ask your veterinarian before giving any supplements or medications during a food allergy trial.
• If your dog is treated at an emergency clinic where the veterinarian is not familiar with your dog’s history, be sure to let them know the dog is currently on a strict food allergy trial. Inform them what diet the dog is eating.

5. The dog is not confined and wanders. This patient will be able to get into the garbage, compost piles or the neighbor may feed him treats.
IDEAS:

• Keep your dog inside.
• Be sure your own garbage is not within the dog’s reach.

6. You do not want to continue with the feeding trial because you do not see any improvement in you dog’s condition.
IDEAS:

• Schedule an examination with your veterinarian to discuss your concerns. Your veterinarian has recorded the initial signs and reasons for starting the food trial. Your veterinarian may note and document improvements in your dog. These improvements may be slower than you would prefer or expected. Your veterinarian can give you more information and the encouragement you need to complete the food trial.
• Take photographs of your dog before you start the feeding trial and then biweekly to monitor your dog’s progress. You can also keep a diary if the dog has had gastrointestinal reactions to food.
• You must be aware that a complete food trial can take 12 to 16 weeks so your patience and persistence are needed.

7. You read or were told by a friend that there is a blood test for food allergies in dogs.

• Currently these tests are not accurate and are not reliable. They can not be used to select an appropriate diet for your dog. A food allergy trial is the only way to determine if your dog has food allergies.

A positive food allergy trial can improve your dog’s itching and/or gastrointestinal signs. This means your veterinarian now has a way to treat and manage your dog with an appropriate diet and treats. After the trial you will have the option of continuing the prescription diet. If a home made diet has been used in the food trial, and you and your veterinarian would like to continue that feeding plan, the diet must be balanced. Your veterinarian will confer with a veterinary nutritionist to balance the diet. When the trial home made diet is complete and balanced, it can be your dog’s diet forever.
If you elect to try and find an “over the counter” dog food rather than the prescription or homemade food trial diet you and your veterinarian conduct a food challenge test. A new ingredient is added to the successful diet and the dog’s response is followed. If there is no return of the original skin or gastrointestinal signs, the dog is not allergic to that ingredient. After testing several new ingredients, your veterinarian or a veterinary nutritionist can select a commercial diet you can safely feed your dog.
Food allergy trials are the only available means to determine if your dog has food allergies. Current diet options are listed above. The trial can be long and difficult. Outlined are many of the common pitfalls and ideas to avoid them. With a team approach, you and your veterinarian can successfully complete a food allergy trial. If a food allergy trial works, then the long-term treatment for the health of your dog is an appropriate diet.

[Pitbull Lover]

Airborne Allergies

Atopy

Just as airborne allergy is common in people; it is also common in dogs and cats. Common allergens are pollens, dander, grasses, trees, and fabrics; any airborne particle can potentially become an allergen.
Features of Atopic Dermatitis

• Atopy usually produces a seasonal itchiness though after several years, the duration of the itchy period extends. Finally, the pet is itchy nearly all year round.
• Seasonal itchiness due to atopy tends to begin early in a pet's life (between ages 1 and 3). Flea allergic dermatitis, the other prime cause of seasonal itchiness, tends to begin later (between ages 3 and 5).
• Itchiness due to atopy responds rapidly to cortisone-type medications prednisone , depomedrol, dexamethasone, azium etc.)
• Atopy may produce characteristic changes on biopsy samples.
• Atopy is associated with irritation in certain parts of the body. In dog,s these areas are:

In cats, the allergic pattern may be facial, may be reflected as hair loss, or may show as a rash of tiny seed-like scabs (called miliary dermatitis) in various areas of the body.




What to do for Atopic Dermatitis?

Prednisone (and other Related Steroids)
These cortisone-type medications tend to be useful as the first line of defense against itchy skin. A higher dose is used at first but this is quickly tapered down once the condition is controlled. Prednisone is given every other day so as to allow the pet one day of recovery from the prednisone's hormonal actions. An atopic dog will respond within days. For cats, long-acting cortisone-type injections are most frequently used as cats are frequently not amenable to taking pills.
Problems arise when the pet's need for itch control demands excessive use of prednisone. Prednisone is a hormone, affecting all body symptoms. Side effects include:

• excess thirst
• excess appetite
• urinary incontinence
• muscle breakdown
• immune suppression
• termination of pregnancy
• inflammation of the pancreas
• lethargy/panting

If your pet has an unacceptable side effect, you should consider trying alternative therapy for itchy skin.
If your dog requires more than two depomedrol injections annually or is on every other day prednisone more than 4 months out of the year, you should consider one of the following:

• Alternative therapy
• Further diagnostics
  (There may be a more specific treatment for your pet)
• Referral to a specialist
• Continued steroid use but with monitoring tests
  (annual blood panel, re-check exam, and urine checks 3 to 4 times a year)

Cats are more resistant to the negative effects of steroid hormones thus they are able to take long acting injections as frequently as every three months. If a cat seems to require an injection every other month, efforts should be made to seek an alternative form of management.
Alternatives to Steroids
There are many alternatives to prednisone; unfortunately, none produce as reliable a response.

Antihistamines - These are far less harmful than prednisone but only 10% to 20% of dogs will respond to any given antihistamine. Our hospital uses a testing protocol using four antihistamines, showing benefit to approximately 30% of the dogs who try it. Animals that cannot get by on antihistamines may be able to lower their prednisone requirement when using antihistamines together with prednisone. It should be noted that antihistamines are far more effective in cats than in dogs. Reliable itch control is frequently obtained but the down side is that the cat in question must take medication twice a day, potentially indefinately.
Fatty Acid Supplements - These products are NOT analogous to adding oil to the pet's food. Instead, these special fatty acids act as medications, disrupting the production of inflammatory chemicals within the skin. They are often used in conjunction with antihistamines.
Cyclosporine [Atopica®]) - This is a new product for dogs (not approved for cats). It is a pill shown to be as effective as prednisone for the treatment of atopic dermatitis. This product, which modulates the abnormal immune reaction in atopy, has been a true breakthrough in reducing the need for steroids. It is a relatively expensive medication compared with steroids but does not lead to long term debilitating side effects as steroids can.
Topicals - Dips, soaks, shampoos, and ointments may also be a helpful addition to one's anti-itch armament. The disadvantage is that these products must be used two and three times a week.
Hyposensitization?

Just as people have allergy shots, so can pets; however, the process is not without difficulty and one should not expect hyposensitization to end all itchy skin concerns.

• Allergy shots require approximately 6 to 12 months to begin working.
• 25% of atopic dogs will not respond (these are usually the animals allergic to multiple allergens.)
• 25% will require prednisone at least at some times.
• You will have to give the allergy shots yourself.

Is Your Pet a Candidate?
Testing is best done during your pet's non-itchy season (if there is one) so that the skin responses of the test will not be clouded by active inflammation. The test involves injections of small amounts of allergen extracts into the skin. Reactions noted are compared to reactions produced by two controls: pure histamine (very inflammatory) and pure saline (very non-inflammatory).
In order to take the test the following medication withholding scheduled should be followed. Your dog may not have had:

• Depomedrol injections within 8 weeks
• Vetalog injections within 6 weeks
• Antihistamines within 1 week
• Topical steroids (such as panalog) for 1 week
• Oral steroids (such as prednisone) for 4 weeks

Guidelines for cats are generally more strict. Check with a specialist for their recommendations.
These requirements come from one board certified dermatologist; other veterinary dermatologists may have other requirements. It is often useful to have ruled out food allergy with an elimination diet trial prior to the skin test as food allergy/intolerance responds much more rapidly to diet correction than atopy does to hyposensitization. Food allergy and atopic dermatitis both present a similar distribution of itchiness and can be difficult to distinguish.
Allergic skin testing is generally performed by only by specialists.
You May Hear about Blood Testing

As an alternative to skin testing, several blood tests have been developed to check for the presence of allergy-type antibodies in the blood. These tests can be submitted by any veterinarian (no specialist need be involved) and drugs need not be withheld prior to testing (though the test may not be valid for animals that have had hyposensitization in the past). This type of testing is fraught with controversy. It appears that the results of such tests do not correlate well with the results of skin testing (our traditional test). It is difficult to say how this kind of testing will ultimately fit in to the treatment of atopic dermatitis but seems best at this time for animals suspected of having inhallant allergies who simply cannot go without medication, who have negative skin testing, or for whom skin testing is unavailable due to other reasons.

[cwillis]

I found the Wellness dog food at Pet Supermarket, 10 lbs for about $29.00 and some Wellness treat with sweet potato and fish for $4.00. Pet Supermarket also has a program buy 10 bags of dog food get the 11th bag free.

Joey turned his nose up at the treat but thats not usual for him, he is a dog that is not driven by treats, he could really careless. I'm going to box up all the shampoos, treats, dog food and give them to Julie's son in Alabama for his dog Weiser he's a pitbull mix and looks a lot like Scooby.

The test is on, he ate a little of the new dog food. I mixed some with his other to get him on it slowly and not give him an upset stomach. I'll let you know how he does.

I did give him a piece of tuna this morning as I was making mac salad, he really liked that so tuna might be a good treat for him as well.

thanks to all for the tips!

[cwillis]

Pitbull lover, thanks for all the info, that is some great stuff. I really appreciate you taking the time to post that. I'll keep on my computer as well.