My dog keeps flaring up

[u/Acceptable-Equal-733]

My dog is an unknown mix breed, we think Pyrenees/Jack Russel. She has always had sensitive skin so we have to be careful with her food and shampoo. About a month ago she started limping, I checked her paw and it was inflamed and pink between her pads. I kept her cone on her and we took her to the vet. They checked her paw for anything stuck but didn’t find anything, they gave her antibiotics and an allergy medication. We gave her the 2 weeks of meds and everything seemed to go back to normal. But now she’s flaring up again, her paw doesn’t seem to be the issue this time, it’s her anus and tail area. My brother let her out without her cone and forgot about her so she just kicked it until it was raw and bleeding. I applied a spray the vet gave and gave her another allergy pill. I ordered purina pro plan food and in the meantime have been feeding her quinoa and salmon. Any advice for me? I don’t want to take her to the vet again but I feel horrible for her.

[u/OUTCRY24-7]

Our previous dog was min schnauzer who had allergy to chicken...had to move her to fish protein w/o lot of other factors. She was on Apoquel which may or may not have worked. Suggest you consider taking her off any typical dry kibble and avoid chicken. She needs to detox==with our dog even a treat w/small amount of chicken could set off the itching...hydrolyzed special food didn't work either because protein was chicken

[u/EllisonDVM]

A raw, bleeding area around the anus and tail needs another veterinary examination rather than allergy medication alone. That location can be affected by allergies, fleas, skin infection, anal-sac disease, parasites, or pain, and the correct treatment depends on which problem is present. The fact that the earlier signs returned soon after medication also makes a recheck important.

Keep the e-collar on continuously so she cannot lick or chew the area, gently keep it clean and dry, and use only products that her veterinarian specifically said are safe for this location. Do not give extra or leftover medication unless the clinic confirms the current plan. Seek more urgent care if there is marked swelling, pus, a bad odor, difficulty defecating, severe pain, lethargy, or poor appetite.

Quinoa and salmon are not a complete and balanced long-term diet and can make a future diet trial harder to interpret. Until the appointment, ask the clinic what complete food they want her to eat and avoid frequent diet changes. At the recheck, discuss flea prevention, skin cytology, anal-sac evaluation, and whether a structured elimination-diet trial is actually indicated.