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Question:

Try feeding plain cooked white rice with cottage cheese for one week. If you don’t see an improvement then it is probably not food related and you should get the skin testing. You may not have changed his food but the manufacturer could have changed something in it that your dog is allergic to.  We have a Dal with very severe allergies and most of them are food related.  I home cook for her now and she is greatly improved. Joan Quinn

:This has proably been beat to death, but I have a 10 year old :Ch. lab that has developed a very serious skin disease… :This dog has been kept in the same kennel, eating the same :food, same bed, same house for 10 years and now is trying his :best to eat the skin off of his body.. He took one toe nail :completely off and now has an excellent infection in one foot… : :After three trips to the vet,we have tried and are still trying :fatty acid, anti-itching(don’t know drug name),anti-biotics, and :we are also giving the dog benadryl 3 times a day… We changed the :food for a month, with no apparent help…. : :The dog’s skin on the belly and feet looks horrible with actual :nodules on the belly skin region.. The vet gave him a cortizone :shot about a month ago and that appeared to help for a few weeks :but the skin did not clear up… we appear to be back to square one.. : :I am starting to run out of options for the dog but the suffering has :to stop…. : :Anybody on this group familar with allergy test for dogs ???? :Are they effective ???? :How about allergy treatments ??? (daily allergy shots) : :We are VERY short on vet. specialist in our area so that’s also :a problem….. : :At this point I don’t know whether we have an allergy problem, :skin disease, or what, but I really need some help on this… : S: : :I had this dogs father for 15 years so I know it’s not a family :problem……(same family for 25 years)

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > This has proably been beat to death, but I have a 10 year old > Ch. lab that has developed a very serious skin disease… > This dog has been kept in the same kennel, eating the same > food, same bed, same house for 10 years and now is trying his > best to eat the skin off of his body.. He took one toe nail > completely off and now has an excellent infection in one foot… > After three trips to the vet,we have tried and are still trying > fatty acid, anti-itching(don’t know drug name),anti-biotics, and > we are also giving the dog benadryl 3 times a day… We changed the > food for a month, with no apparent help…. > The dog’s skin on the belly and feet looks horrible with actual > nodules on the belly skin region.. The vet gave him a cortizone > shot about a month ago and that appeared to help for a few weeks > but the skin did not clear up… we appear to be back to square one.. > I am starting to run out of options for the dog but the suffering has > to stop…. > Anybody on this group familar with allergy test for dogs ???? > Are they effective ???? > How about allergy treatments ??? (daily allergy shots) > We are VERY short on vet. specialist in our area so that’s also > a problem….. > At this point I don’t know whether we have an allergy problem, > skin disease, or what, but I really need some help on this… > PS: > I had this dogs father for 15 years so I know it’s not a family > problem……(same family for 25 years)

MAYBE this is some help. My 9 year old choc.lab had skin problems for his first 3-4 years. We kept trying ointments,prednisone,cortisone, shampoos,Linatone,ect. He would have no hair on his back/but end, and red sores everywhere. After alot of vet treatment, we came to a conclusion(guess) that he was alergic to preservatives in canned dog food.Couldn’t find any "natural" canned food so, once every 2 weeks we cook up a batch of ground meat and rice to put on top of his ProPlan Turkey and Rice dry food.There was a difference with other types of dry food also,so it took time to find the best for him. He still gets dry spots and hot spots but it is 90 percent better. Sebolux shampoo seems to do the best for him.It reduces the sores and scab areas. Tom M.

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Guess I was lucky then – was quoted a minimum of $700 from a private specialist vet.  Will pay about $400 at University vet hospital. This is for initial exam and skin testing.  Any medicines/shots or follow-up would be additional from both places. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Don’t bet on low cost.  Most veterinary teaching hospitals are trying to > get their charges in line to at least cover the expenses.  Can’t do that at > 1/2 the outside dermatologist rate. > If you are considering taking your dog to a dermatologist, look into > a University near you.  Check if they have a veterinary program.  I > am taking my dog to a dermatologist at a University and the cost is > expected to be half of what it would have been at a private practice > specialist.  I have also been told that a University is a good place > to go because they should be up on all the latest treatments since > they are a teaching facility.  Good luck. > > This is also a good bit less expensive than a trip to a dermatology > vet!!!!

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If you are considering taking your dog to a dermatologist, look into a University near you.  Check if they have a veterinary program.  I am taking my dog to a dermatologist at a University and the cost is expected to be half of what it would have been at a private practice specialist.  I have also been told that a University is a good place to go because they should be up on all the latest treatments since they are a teaching facility.  Good luck. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> This is also a good bit less expensive than a trip to a dermatology vet!!!!

Response:

Don’t bet on low cost.  Most veterinary teaching hospitals are trying to get their charges in line to at least cover the expenses.  Can’t do that at 1/2 the outside dermatologist rate. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> If you are considering taking your dog to a dermatologist, look into > a University near you.  Check if they have a veterinary program.  I > am taking my dog to a dermatologist at a University and the cost is > expected to be half of what it would have been at a private practice > specialist.  I have also been told that a University is a good place > to go because they should be up on all the latest treatments since > they are a teaching facility.  Good luck. > This is also a good bit less expensive than a trip to a dermatology vet!!!!

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Greer Labs, PO Box 800, Lenoir, NC 28645 will perform an allergy test with a blood sample. These are not as definitive as skin testing but if there is sensitivity it frequently finds it. Your local vet can draw the sample and send it to them. Greer will recommend and mix an appropriate antigen solution for injection. This is also a good bit less expensive than a trip to a dermatology vet!!!! — To reply via e-mail remove ‘one’ & replace with ‘1′ in my address —— – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >Sounds like you do need a dermatology referal and consult.  >snip< > This has proably been beat to death, but I have a 10 year old > Ch. lab that has developed a very serious skin disease…>snip<

Response:

Sounds like you do need a dermatology referal and consult.  May take a road trip to get there but there aren’t too many places in the continental USA that a days drive wouldn’t likely find one.  Check with your vet to see if they know of any. Most vets are happy to refer difficult cases to specialists and usually aren’t offended by request for such. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> This has proably been beat to death, but I have a 10 year old > Ch. lab that has developed a very serious skin disease… > This dog has been kept in the same kennel, eating the same > food, same bed, same house for 10 years and now is trying his > best to eat the skin off of his body.. He took one toe nail > completely off and now has an excellent infection in one foot… > After three trips to the vet,we have tried and are still trying > fatty acid, anti-itching(don’t know drug name),anti-biotics, and > we are also giving the dog benadryl 3 times a day… We changed the > food for a month, with no apparent help…. > The dog’s skin on the belly and feet looks horrible with actual > nodules on the belly skin region.. The vet gave him a cortizone > shot about a month ago and that appeared to help for a few weeks > but the skin did not clear up… we appear to be back to square one.. > I am starting to run out of options for the dog but the suffering has > to stop…. > Anybody on this group familar with allergy test for dogs ???? > Are they effective ???? > How about allergy treatments ??? (daily allergy shots) > We are VERY short on vet. specialist in our area so that’s also > a problem….. > At this point I don’t know whether we have an allergy problem, > skin disease, or what, but I really need some help on this… > PS: > I had this dogs father for 15 years so I know it’s not a family > problem……(same family for 25 years)

Response:

This has proably been beat to death, but I have a 10 year old Ch. lab that has developed a very serious skin disease… This dog has been kept in the same kennel, eating the same food, same bed, same house for 10 years and now is trying his best to eat the skin off of his body.. He took one toe nail completely off and now has an excellent infection in one foot… After three trips to the vet,we have tried and are still trying fatty acid, anti-itching(don’t know drug name),anti-biotics, and we are also giving the dog benadryl 3 times a day… We changed the food for a month, with no apparent help…. The dog’s skin on the belly and feet looks horrible with actual nodules on the belly skin region.. The vet gave him a cortizone shot about a month ago and that appeared to help for a few weeks but the skin did not clear up… we appear to be back to square one.. I am starting to run out of options for the dog but the suffering has to stop…. Anybody on this group familar with allergy test for dogs ???? Are they effective ???? How about allergy treatments ??? (daily allergy shots) We are VERY short on vet. specialist in our area so that’s also a problem….. At this point I don’t know whether we have an allergy problem, skin disease, or what, but I really need some help on this… PS: I had this dogs father for 15 years so I know it’s not a family problem……(same family for 25 years)

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