# Maltese with Allergies..Need Advice



## pippystrong (Dec 2, 2010)

Hello,

My little pippy has the worst allergies, she is practically bald, chews her feet and scratches constantly. I have had allergy testing done and she use to get shots, which did no good. she is on a grain free diet, with one protein and one carb. If I am not giving her benadryl or Triamcinolone(which I use sparingly) she gets no relief. Not to mention I am getting to the point where she can't sleep in the bed with me, due to the scratching.
I feel so bad for her and wanted to know if anyone had any suggestions. I would take her to the ends of the earth for relief. I am not concerned about cost, I just want to find someone or something that will help. 
Thanks
Michele


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## pippystrong (Dec 2, 2010)

Sorry the medication she is taking is Temaril-P


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

Have you checked w/April concerning the new test for food allergies that she used for Lily? I would start there. I am sorry not to be of educated experience in this area---we have been blessed here as not ever an issue. I pray you will find help/relief for your baby. When they suffer we all suffer. Hugs!


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## Aarianne (Jul 22, 2005)

What did her allergy testing reveal? From what I understand, chances are her allergies are environmental rather than say food-related.


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## BellaEnzo (Nov 1, 2011)

My vet has told me it's very hard to pinpoint allergies cause they are usually enviromental which is hard to fix because itt could be something like a breeze carrying a different plant into our yard. Hopefully you find a resolution soon for Pippy.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

I'm guessing she has environmental allergies which are far more common than food allergies. What did her allergy tests reveal? How long ago was the testing done?

When you say the shots didn't work, how long did she get them? I get allergy shots myself and it can take months to really see the effects.


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## Harley & Dakotas Mum (Jun 11, 2005)

Ladysmom said:


> I'm guessing she has environmental allergies which are far more common than food allergies. What did her allergy tests reveal? How long ago was the testing done?
> 
> When you say the shots didn't work, how long did she get them? I get allergy shots myself and it can take months to really see the effects.


I was going to ask the same questions - Harley is my allergic dog, he was skin tested & it showed he was allergic to pretty much EVERYTHING in the environment, dust, pollen, all types of grasses etc ...

We did desensitization shots for close to 3 years. I wont say it worked 100% ... but he is about 80% better - and we can both live with that.

Environmental allergies are very tricky, and take a very long time to get under control & manage.


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## MalteseJane (Nov 21, 2004)

I feel for you. I had a lhasa apso allergic to everything under the sun. Most allergies are environmental and not related to food. It is very hard to treat. I too had my lhasa tested by a dermatologist at the cost of 500$ over 25 years ago. My vet at the time told me I am wasting my money. We tried to desensitize him and instead of getting better it got worse. Went back to the vet who said "I told you so". From reading your post it sound that your pippy's allergies are even worse. My lhasa was not bald. But his skin who was supposed to be pink turned black and had an awful smell. He chewed on his feet constantly even chewed one of his feet to the flesh. The antihistamines did not help. The medicated shampoo did not help. The only thing that helped was prednisone in a high dosage. Then he got diabetic from the prednisone. We managed to keep him a life for almost 12 years. But in retrospect I don't know. Maybe it would have been better for his own sake to put him down. Somebody who has never gone through this cannot understand. Seasonal allergies are easy to manage, but when it comes to being allergic to everything in the air it's another story.


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## MalteseJane (Nov 21, 2004)

Harley & Dakotas Mum said:


> I was going to ask the same questions - Harley is my allergic dog, he was skin tested & it showed he was allergic to pretty much EVERYTHING in the environment, dust, pollen, all types of grasses etc ...
> 
> *We did desensitization shots for close to 3 years. I wont say it worked 100% ... but he is about 80% better - and we can both live with that.*
> 
> Environmental allergies are very tricky, and take a very long time to get under control & manage.


We did not try that long because he was getting worse and worse. It came to the point his skin was soooo bad we needed to give him an antibiotic too. After starting the desensitizing it was worse than before.


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## Kate&Maddox (Oct 20, 2011)

Okay.. this is what I did with my Pom. Most people think this treatment and type of medicine is even far fetched to work on humans but my family has used it our whole lives and I can't remember the last time I ever went to a doctor.

It's called Homeopathic Remedies. If you can find a homeopathic doctor in your area, they use machines to do testing. The machines test the frequencies in your body. My Pom was allergic to Birch trees and sneezed lots and his eyes ran and we gave him a couple drops of medicine they gave us everyday for a couple months and allergies are all gone  I go to the Homeopath for lots of things. There is nothing "magical" about it. It's all scientific. What Is Homeopathy? | National Center for Homeopathy

It seems far fetched but you said you'd be willing to give anything a try so I thought I would tell you about it just in case it might help. All the remedies are natural and safe for everyone including pets  Also this treatment is not that expensive. Maybe around $60 to scan (normally a computer with a special program and equipment hooked up to it) the pet. It depends on the doctor.

When I was younger I used to be lactose intolerant, allergic to cats, dogs, hay, grass, but I now have no allergies! It really worked for me. Maybe it could help your fur baby? http://www.homeopathic.org/practitioners


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## BeautyBoy (Oct 11, 2011)

Poor Pippy  She must feel truly miserable at times. I'm sure there will be someone who can help you on here, at least point you in the right direction or offer advise and encouragement. Let us know how you get on with any treatments x


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## plenty pets 20 (Jul 8, 2006)

Allergies are very hard to deal with. Getting the inflamation from the scratching under control would be greatly helped by a course of prednisone. Not want we like to do, but some times its the only course. Has your vet suggested using this and keep her on a very low dose for awhile?? 
Someone else suggested having her on Temeral-P and that is anti-itch and a very low dose of Pred.. I had to keep Hope on that when she had ringworm all over her body. I dont think I would have been able to keep her alive if that drug wasnt available. She just cant stop itching and tearing her body up other wise.
Hope you can get her some relief and then find some answers.


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## zooeysmom (Aug 1, 2011)

Aww, Michele, I'm sorry you and Pippy are going through this  Zooey has allergies, but not nearly that bad. I can get away with just bathing her frequently to remove all the pollen and grass she gets on her feet. 

Katelyn, thank you for the info on homeopaths. That is really worth looking into, since it can't hurt--and can possibly really help


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## pippystrong (Dec 2, 2010)

Thank you all for the responses and ideas. I immediately ordered the Jean Dodds allergy test kit. The allergy testing that she already had done revealed that she was allergic to almost every type of grass, mold, some trees. She got the shots for about 6mths or so and I didn't notice her getting any better. Possibly I didn't wait long enough. The doctor said she thought she had both environmental and food allergies based on her symptoms. Problem is she never gets relief any time of the year. I am also going to check on the homeopathic doc as well. Thanks again it means a lot. I will let you know how the testing turns out.
Michele


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

pippystrong said:


> Thank you all for the responses and ideas. I immediately ordered the Jean Dodds allergy test kit. The allergy testing that she already had done revealed that she was allergic to almost every type of grass, mold, some trees. She got the shots for about 6mths or so and I didn't notice her getting any better. Possibly I didn't wait long enough. The doctor said she thought she had both environmental and food allergies based on her symptoms. Problem is she never gets relief any time of the year. I am also going to check on the homeopathic doc as well. Thanks again it means a lot. I will let you know how the testing turns out.
> Michele



I have horrible mold allergies and the Fall is the worst time for them. Fall is actually a terrible time for a lot of allergies.

How long ago was she allergy tested? Have you moved since then? Different areas have different grasses, etc.

I have air purifiers in all my rooms which helps a lot. Does she go outside a lot?


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Another thought....what are you feeding her? She may have become allergic to her current protein and carb source. The key is to rotate foods so her body doesn't have a chance to build up the antibodies that trigger the allergic reaction.


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