# Help! Constant scratching & on Hyponallergenic diet



## Coopster (May 13, 2008)

We have had Cooper back to Vets 3 times now with scratching of his belly and licking his paws. He is totally miserable, has now gone off his food etc. The Vet has prescribed Royal Canin Hypoallergenic nuts along with steroids to stop the itch which its does until they run out. I am beginning to give up on bringing him back to the Vet and want to try and help the little guy myself through something natural or with any advise u may be able to give me on what we should be with regards food, shampoos, creams.

Thanks so much!


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

Please be careful about giving steroids. Steroids destroy the immune system over time.

Anyway, my Bichon had skin problems and I dog sit other dogs who have them too. It can be a number of things. Usually the vet does great in alleviate the symptoms, but finding out the cause of it is really up to you because you know the environment. Here's some things to look at:

Did you get new carpet recently, paint your home or use scented detergent to wash his things? 
Do you use a lot of scented products in your home like in cleaners, air fresheners, perfumes, candles etc.? 
Does the place where you walk your furbaby have pesticides or herbicides or fertilizers on the ground/grass? 
Is there a lot of pollen or car exhaust fumes where you live? 
Do you give your dog filtered water? 

Regarding grooming products, try using an _unscented_ mild shampoo on him and unscented conditioning products. Shea Pet makes an avocado shampoo that is unscented. Dr. Bronner makes an unscented mild soap, but it is only plain castile soap so you would have to use a conditioner too. Coconut oil in tiny quantities is a good skin moisturizer but only buy "virgin" like the Nutiva brand, which you can find on amazon.com.

Perhaps your dog has dry skin due to an omega oil deficiancy. You can discuss this with your vet. Good products to use are flax seed oil or cod liver oil. Don't use the stuff they sell at Petsmart. Buy human grade oils like Barleans or Nordic Naturals at a natural foods store. If you need recommendations, PM me. 

Regarding food, even hypoallergenic food can be problematic. You might want to try an elimination diet for three months. 

If he has an inhalant allergy, you might want to invest in a good air cleaner. Try allergybuyersclub.com They are expensive, but they have REAL air cleaners that WORK. The others sold commercially are hype and they do nothing. 

I know that this can be a very annoying problem when you have a dog with skin issues. My Peaches went through it and I hated it for her.

I really encourage that you try and find the cause, then you have won the battle. Just alleviating the symptoms will never take the problem away, and you will be medicating your dog for years. 

We all use so many scented products/synthetic products in our homes now that we have become unaware of how many things can be irritants. 99.9% of the "natural" scented products are NOT natural and we are inaling synthetic chemicals all day long. Perfume has formaldehyde and Toluene in it. Those things are toxic. Even if we don't have an external reaction, it cannot be good for our immune system, or our pets and kids. Most candles have lead wick holders on the bottom, and when scented candles are burning down, they release mild toxins into the air. Over time, our immune system can't take all these inalant irritants, so we get sinus infections, etc. and our dogs/kids get allergies, eczema and dermatitis. Or in my case, they get really ill. I'm chemically sensitive so I have to be very careful. I have had no choice but to do a lot of research on this subject. I hope you can find the cause and help your furbaby. PM me anytime.


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## Missy&Maggie (Jun 17, 2007)

You might want to look into seeing an allergy specialist. Hopefully, a specialist can help you get to the root cause of Cooper's allergies. I agree completely with Suzan about being careful giving steroids.


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## luvmyfurbaby (Feb 11, 2007)

My Bull Terrier Snoopy had an allergy test done at the vet and now we are doing the process of elimination to see what is causing his severe allergies. The prednisone works but if you don't get to the root of the problem it's like putting a band aid on a broken bone. The test was under $100 I would def. suggest they do it. Good Luck!


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## Coopster (May 13, 2008)

Thanks so much for your quick responses guys! I will definetly start to elimate a few chemicals around the house and see how it goes before we go back to the Vets. I do like my sented candles and air freshners actually  I never liked to give him steroids and it seems its the only solution according to the Vet (maybe time to change) Now tell me, I dont give him filtered water - should I? I will also look into getting some allergy tests done. thanks again - great help!!


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

filtered water is always preferable for animals and humans, if possible. Brita makes an inexpensive pitcher.


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

When you do a diet trial, you need to do 12 weeks of that food exclusively - no treats, no chews. 

If you want to do the ultimate diet trial, pick one carb (like sweet potato) and one protein (like venison) and feed ONLY that. Short-term it will be okay. Long-term, you'll need to work with a nutritionist to balance it. 

Most allergies are inhalent. Antihistamines can often bring relief. You may have to try a few before you find one that works. 

Allergy testing and desensitization are certainly something to consider. You may want to consult with a dermatologist if you go in this direction.


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## katie's mom (Feb 27, 2008)

> We have had Cooper back to Vets 3 times now with scratching of his belly and licking his paws. He is totally miserable, has now gone off his food etc. The Vet has prescribed Royal Canin Hypoallergenic nuts along with steroids to stop the itch which its does until they run out. I am beginning to give up on bringing him back to the Vet and want to try and help the little guy myself through something natural or with any advise u may be able to give me on what we should be with regards food, shampoos, creams.
> 
> Thanks so much![/B]


Hi, I've read about your allery problem, my Bichon was having very bad allergies, itching, pulling hair out , to the point of badly irritating his skin. Vet did allergy testing, and yes , some allerfies. He wanted to try the shots, he did a low dose prednisone, it made Buddy have to wee wee a lot !! I started investigating on my own, well, first I changed dog food, went to Eagle Holistic brand.i stopped using swiffer to mop my floors,it does contain a small amount of antifreeze product in it. I used bitter apple to discourage him fom licking and pulling out the hair, went to shampoo contiming oatmeal in it. Also started distracting him from the licking and pulling his hair . As you know itching is like a chain reaction, So distraction does help a lot. These changes has cvorrected his problem. I hope it helps. I understand it's frustrating. Good luck !! Oh ...my neighbor just told me today , they think swiffer products is what almost killed their dog, he had a very bad diarreah, their vet thought also chemical. They do lick their paws. Their dog is a huge weimaraner. Best Wishes.


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