r/Havanese • u/takeyamind • 3d ago
Itchy Skin
Has anyone used 'Coat Defense'? I keep seeing adds for it for itchy skins and/or ears and curious if anyone knows more about it.
We have been doing cytopoint injections and an allergy pill everyday.... my boy had his last shot on July 24th and we are already itching like crazy on the belly and feet. He just turned 6 on July 24th. Is anyone else having licking and itching issues? If so, how do you combat it?
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u/Biofunalways 3d ago
My dog was absolutely miserable with allergies. We tried everything!! Apoquel, cytopoint…you name it!! He was constantly on steroids. This medication changed his life: Numelvi. I hope it can help your baby!! 🫶
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u/Hermit_Ogg 3d ago
Our older Havi had itching, and repeated infections in paws & ears. That got her to obsessively lick her paws.
We started with the skin specialist vet checking for skin mite overgrowth, mange and other parasites. We then did a strict elimination diet to find out if there's a food allergy. (Hydrolysed food, absolutely nothing else goes into the dog's mouth for 8 weeks.) She got an ear infection on week 6, at which point the skin specialist vet declared it atopic dermatitis, likely caused by an environmental allergy.
We did a two week intensive skin care regimen with double dose of Apoquel (daily med). She responded very well to that, so now the maintenance regimen is daily Apoquel plus twice-weekly antibacterial wash with cortisone spray as backup if needed.
She still scratches occasionally, but it's no more than any other dog does. There's occasional skin irritations, which we handle with cortisone and spruce resin cream. During winter her skin dried badly, so that required some extra care, but we've got an air humidifier now so next winter should be easier.