Dog has allergies I think, what will the vet do?

I have two dogs, both are sensitive to things, one has environmental allergies. She didn’t wind up doing testing, because I could tell her when my dog seemed to have the strongest reaction. It was always outside while sitting or laying in the grass. My dog is allergic to the great outdoors. He is now on an allergy med and it’s not all that expensive. I’ve heard some people just use 12.5mg of benadryl and at times, the vet has suggested that for my other dog.

I would call the vet, tell them you believe it is allergies but need to keep the cost down – we all know that money is tight and vet bills can really go sky high, with a lot of testing. Knowing as many “triggers” to your dogs allergies, is important, it really can answer a lot of questions and eliminate those pricey tests.

I have been trying to figure out if maybe I can find out what is setting them off but i am clueless, I changed his shampoo, his food, I clean the area of the house he is in most many times well the whole house was cleaned many time lol, he got new treats, the only thing i can think would be the cat, but he has been around cats when he was younger and he was fine with them. This cat stays in my roommates room but he runs in there sometimes and eats her food…so that is where I am leaning towards is the cat or her food.

I wonder if dogs, like humans, can develop allergies at any given time. I’m sorry…I’m thinking as I type, but am clueless at this point. Just be clear, up front, that you really need to help him, but you can’t afford a lot of options.

That’s what i will do I mean I have some money to throw around but in all reality that money could certainly go to my terrible student loan debt or the new laptop i need so badly, maybe even in my savings which doesnt even seem to exist anymore ha i want to do what is best for my dog, but as cost efficient as possible.

Good luck to both of you! (I’m so glad I don’t have those loans anymore!!)

Hey…what is your dog’s name? Very cute in the picture!

rukus ha and thanks :) – unfortunately the loans will be with me for about 30 years or so :( yikes!

Caedi’s allergic to fleas and grass, developing what we call “red butt” every August, and it clears up on its own by January. Her back near her tail and rear haunches get really red. We have to double up on the frontline and give her steriod pills if it gets really bad. Benadryl helps. We give her a pill in a bit of cheese twice a day.

Yes, cak, dogs, like people, can develop allergies at any time of their life. To determine what the allergen is, you would need to eliminate one thing from the dog’s diet at a time for a week or two to see if it helps. ie: first remove the beef, if that doesn’t help, eliminate the soy, then corn or rice, etc. If there is no improvement with the eliminated food, you can put it back in the diet. After trying the food things, go to environmental- but that is hard to do- some dogs are allergic to carpet fibers made of specific material, or as cak says, allergic to grass or pollen. Remember that stress and anxiety (too little exercise) will often exacerbate the allergy symptoms.

good to see you, greylady!

thanks, cak!

sorry, this “whisper” thing is not working right for me

that’s ok…I stumbled on the link function, forever.

We use Benedryl daily for one of our dogs. The vet gave us the correct dosage for her size and we give it to her twice daily in a treat. We did have allergy testing done but discovered that she was allergic to so many things that we simply can’t avoid all of them. Instead, we switched to a lamb and rice food (she is allergic to beef, chicken, corn, wheat and fish), give her Benedryl, and keep her inside. We will take her to the vet if she has a flare, usually about once a year.

One of our other dogs turned out to be allergic to a fabric softener my daughter liked to use (Suavitel brand). Once we put a stop to that she has been fine.

I am gonna try to switch my laundry soap too and see if that does anything, the steroids did miracles but they ran out and i see it starting up again…i feel so bad for my little chicken and his fatcha…i think that means face right haha

I use hydroxyzine for my dog. It’s not cheap, but it helps a lot with his itchiness.

My sister’s three chihuahua’s have sinus type allergies and our vet recommended children’s alcohol free Benadryl. Find a vet that isn’t looking to just sell you a bunch of crap but is open to alternative treatments like better diet and natural treatments. A large majority of skin ailments and hot spots come from chemicals and other unholy things in your run of the mill dog food.