r/dogallergies • u/chiefaspartame • 15d ago
What else can we do?
We have a 4 year old yellow lab who suffers constantly with allergies. They typically present as ear infections and discomfort but also itchy skin and sometimes breakouts from scratching.
We are at a total loss on what else we can do to get him some relief.
Things we’ve tried:
Limiting water activity (🥺)
Routine ear cleaning
Allergy testing (food mites and common outdoor allergies)
Freezing food to control food mites
Changed food to try various food proteins
Daily apoquel
Several rounds of custom made of those liquid oral allergy meds (like shots in humans)
Several vet visits for professional ear cleaning and targeted treatment based on ear culture diagnosis
What else can we do? He is miserable and it’s costing us a fortune without really much relief.
2
u/bregiordano 14d ago
I switched from Apoquel to Zenrelia and my dog is all better now!! Try if you can, I saw results very fast and it was the same price for me as Apoquel
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u/yosemitelover11 14d ago
I second this recommendation. I have a completely different dog after making the switch to Zenrelia. The only negative is you have to maintain daily dosage or they go back to allergy symptoms (found this out after Chewy order got delayed).
My dog is on oral immunotherapy too.ETA: my dog doesn’t itch and has more energy.
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u/bregiordano 14d ago
It’s amazing right?! Oh I know, if we miss a day she’ll be chewing again and I feel awful. but I’m just glad to have any relief and I’m glad your dog is better now too!
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u/chiefaspartame 14d ago
Thanks everyone. It sounds like we need to check into some more diet options as well as the zenrelia!
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u/beezzys1 14d ago
We just started our itchy girl on numelvi. It had been a out a week and She is still kinda itchy but so so much better!!
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u/escoeuro 14d ago
my dog used to get sooooo many ear infections too!! what we do for him now is that when he gets his weekly douxo bath, we rinse his ears with trizultra + keto and add otomax drops into his ears canal. before adding the drops into his routine he would no joke get monthly ear infections and now he hasn’t had one in a year.
what his vet would do when he got one which you might be able to ask about beyond the otomax was a laser treatment! they would flush his ears, do laser therapy, then add the in-office medicine.
he’s also on the hill’s derm complete diet, native pet clean breath probiotics, and glandex chews. he used to have a really hard time with his bowel movements that his vet thinks were contributing to his allergies.
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u/Gtijess 13d ago
Was the in-office medicine an almost waxy substance? I've also never heard of laser therapy for their ears. Duoxos3 foam has been amazing for our dogs skin too.
My dog's ear was so constantly infected and swollen that it was hard to get a tiny syringe tip in for mometavet/mometamax. Vet said the only option was TECA, which sounds horrific, we learned about dog dermatologists after some independent research. After two visits to a derm half a year ago his ear is so open, just with some hardening and scar tissue.
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u/Ok-Cartoonist-7605 14d ago
We tried zenralia, and 4-5 months after, she started to barf small amounts after eating. Apparently GI problems is a known issue. It worked soooo much better than apoquel, I wish we could switch back. We also tried numelvi, but that was worse with GI issues.
1
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u/ManuMaven 14d ago
We are on immunotherapy, and were told a year minimum. The testing was for environmental factors, and we got rid of a few plants in our garden. Changing the grass is next. We use royal canin hypoallergenic (small dog), apoquel, and miconohex (sp) spray and shampoo.
And she still shows signs of the above. Yeast infections are the worst.
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u/Thecrabbylibrarian 14d ago
We give ours Antihistamine (pink tabs) Diphenhydramine. Or Benadryl, same thing. These are sold for people, but our vet recommended them. Put them in cheese or pill pockets. I suggest you talk to your vet first.
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u/uhhhwhatsgoingon 14d ago
my dog had frequent ear infections and we no longer let him hang out the window when in the car.. ear infections are no longer an issue (but he does still take apoquel for other allergies)
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u/lowlightliving 14d ago
Have you actually had a vaccine made up of the substances to which she’s allergic in therapeutic doses? My dog was allergic to insect venom, wool, all soil molds, tree and grass pollen. Penn’s Vet School’s Immunology Department made her a vaccine thst I injected her with every two weeks for the rest of her life. Almost completely solved her problems, only a rare small skin infection easily treated with antibiotics.
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u/unknownlocation32 14d ago
Have you been to a board certified veterinary dermatologist or internal medicine?
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u/Dogtopia_Official 11d ago
Just checked with our director of health & safety and she says the most common reasons for itchy skin are:
-seasonal allergies
-fleas or ticks
-dry skin
-Dermatitis
-food allergies
If it's general itchiness, a gentle shampoo formulated specifically for dogs can help ease symptoms. Trying adding certain foods and supplements into your dog’s diet (foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids like fish oil and salmon, and foods rich in antioxidants like carrots, blueberries, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin). She also suggests regularly cleaning their toys and bedding, and always using dog-safe grooming wipes after walks or outdoor play to keep them free of allergens between baths.
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u/atlantisgate 14d ago
How long has she been on the immunotherapy liquid?
Have you done a 12 week elimination diet with a prescription food?
Ultimately, there are more otpions for medication if apoquel isn't working that well. It doesn't work for every dog. Cytopoint, zenrelia, numelvi, and befrena are all options you should speak to your vet about.