Allergy To Plants

[GSDowner]

Almost every year my german shepherd gets an allergy. Last year we were lucky - he was fine.

This year the allergy came back with a vengeance. I am reluctant to take him to the vet,

as he gets cortisone (small blue tablets). The side effects are horrible: urinating everywhere (incontinence) and my

dog lives at home. He becomes apathetic and irritable and his hair falls out. I am also worried as he is already 11

(Apparently cortisone shortens dogs' life).

I was listening to a talk back radio and a vet was recommending avil. I gave my dog 2 tablets a day (morning and evening)

Not sure it is helping.

I don't know what to do.

It looks like cortisone is the only remedy;

I would be so grateful if anybody could suggest some other solution for this problem.

[persephone]

please go to another vet - and perhaps ask what anti histamine or other drug would be the most use for your particular dog.?

Do not give OTC/Human drugs unless you have good experienced people /vets advising you.

For 10 years I had a dog on cortisone/antihistamine almost every day dosage ... he did not suffer any of the symptoms your dog displayed ....

It is a very individual thing .. some drugs can be fantastic .. if the dose is worked out correctly - other dogs cannot tolerate some drugs.

[cannibalgoldfish]

My poor boy is 11 as well and has developed what the vet calls "seasonal allergies" He also gets irritable and bald. He gets cortisone but doesn't have any problems with it, so I'm not really any help .The only thing I can say is that it has gotten worse each year as he gets older.

But I can sympathise with you

[Florise]

Almost every year my german shepherd gets an allergy. Last year we were lucky - he was fine.

This year the allergy came back with a vengeance. I am reluctant to take him to the vet,

as he gets cortisone (small blue tablets). The side effects are horrible: urinating everywhere (incontinence) and my

dog lives at home. He becomes apathetic and irritable and his hair falls out. I am also worried as he is already 11

(Apparently cortisone shortens dogs' life).

I was listening to a talk back radio and a vet was recommending avil. I gave my dog 2 tablets a day (morning and evening)

Not sure it is helping.

I don't know what to do.

It looks like cortisone is the only remedy;

I would be so grateful if anybody could suggest some other solution for this problem.

Cortisone is not the only remedy. it is a dangerous drug and should not be handed out freely by vets unless it is absolutely necessary. The blue ones are 20mg? If so, that is a huge dose and will cause major side effects over a short time. Google it.

Go and see a canine dermatologist and find out the cause of the allergy. It's also pretty silly to give your dog meds based on talk back radio.

[GSDowner]

Well, not really silly, as the vet in question is a well known vet.

As far as my dog is concerned he was diagnosed with a plant and grass allergy.

[*Avanti*]

Well, not really silly, as the vet in question is a well known vet.

As far as my dog is concerned he was diagnosed with a plant and grass allergy.

My dog was on vet prescribed cortisone long-term for a grass allergy and I had to take her off it because she developed severe pancreatitis. A second vet suggested the cortisone most likely caused the pancreatitis. I have to keep her completely away from the grass she is allergic to now. Apparently these allergies tend to get worse as they age.

If you do stop the cortisone get vet advice because it cannot be stopped suddenly. Good luck with finding better ways to manage it.

PS This thread really belongs in the Health / Nutrition / Grooming section. You might also find more info if you search there. :)

Edited September 18, 2013 by LabTested

[Dogsfevr]

Many vets now suggest Zyrtec(sp) .

[alpha bet]

When you say his allergies are back with a vengence....

Please describe..... more details needed.

It is easy for a vet to just generalise and say he is allergic to some unknown plant.... but has he had any testing....

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

I put a tarp, peg it down, and a towel on top - out on my lawn each day - and my dog, if she feels like sunbaking on the lawn, parks herself on that.

Since I started doing that, her seasonal grass rash has reduced dramatically.

If it does get a bit out of hand I apply some aloe vera goo wiped on directly from a split cactus leaf. Tastes yuck so it discourages her licking too.

Sometimes the grass rash is really a mite rash ie it's caused by some tiny bug that lives on the grass. Sometimes it's the grass, sometimes its the flowers in the grass... Sometimes changing the grass type to something else helps. Eg a soft leaf buffalo vs kikuyu

[karly101]

Cortisone isn't the only option. There's desensitizing vaccines to the specific allergy, there's cyclosporine which is expensive but effective and long term safer than cortisone. You could also replace the grass if she is diagnosed allergic to the type you have. See a dermatologist and go from there.

[Nekhbet]

I gave my rottweiler Zyrtec and Phenergen (warning, Phenergen can knock them out for a few hours) when he got severe allergies to food.

It's histamine released that is the primary cause of the redness, swelling and itching, so I don't understand why vets don't give antihistamines more often. I also don't understand why high doses of cortisone are given as an only way to sort allergies.

I would look into things like Rusty Bucket suggested, as well as look into allergy body suits and barrier creams if you find it's localised. Diet too to help the immune system and skin particularly at this older age when more support is needed would be a good idea.

[Florise]

Well, not really silly, as the vet in question is a well known vet.

As far as my dog is concerned he was diagnosed with a plant and grass allergy.

It is silly to use advice dispensed via talkback radio for OTHER dogs and assume it will apply to your dog as well. The vet in question has not examined any of these dogs so who even knows if the advice is appropriate for them either?

By the same token, your dog cannot be diagnosed by people on an internet forum. Take you dog to see a canine dermatologist.

[sas]

Cortisone is a very helpful drug and in so many cases is the only thing to give quality of life - the trick is to get the right dosage. I had an allergic dog live on it for nearly 6 years and he didn't pee anywhere etc etc.

Usually you up the dose for 3-5 days in a flare up and then lower it and then go onto pulse therapy i.e. 1 tablet every 2nd day.

You can also get a tablet that has a lower dose of Cortisone in it because it also has an anti-histamine in it.

If your dog has an environmental problem washing him down just with water everyday will help take the pollens etc off his coat/skin. Google Eqyss - I use their Shampoo + Spray / Gel and it's very helpful

If the problem is ongoing, save yourself the money and the mental strain and get a referral to a Dermatologist.

Edited September 18, 2013 by sas

[sas]

Sometimes the grass rash is really a mite rash ie it's caused by some tiny bug that lives on the grass.

Tell me more?

[Nekhbet]

Tell me more?

I know there are mites that live in the grass that can cause severe irritation to people and animals.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acomatacarus

these are mean to be the culprit in Australia, Acomatacarus australiensis is the species that attacks both humans and dogs. Odontacarus australiensis is around NSW/coastal. There's a few others too.

I got bitten once bagging grain and moving hay, OMG it burns and itches.

[sheena]

If anyone is thinking of buying Zyrtec, buy Cetirizine which is the generic form of Zyrtec & is heaps cheaper :)

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

What Nekhbet said.

We used to sponge some of our dogs down with a malathion solution to stop the mites. It stunk. But if they got into the long grass in the Adelaide Parklands - that was the best way to stop the itchies.

mites are tiny - so I guess that's why there aren't many photos of them. My garden has quite a few, but keeping the hound off the grass as much as possible seems to help.

[twodoggies2001]

Almost every year my german shepherd gets an allergy. Last year we were lucky - he was fine.

This year the allergy came back with a vengeance. I am reluctant to take him to the vet,

as he gets cortisone (small blue tablets). The side effects are horrible: urinating everywhere (incontinence) and my

dog lives at home. He becomes apathetic and irritable and his hair falls out. I am also worried as he is already 11

(Apparently cortisone shortens dogs' life).

I was listening to a talk back radio and a vet was recommending avil. I gave my dog 2 tablets a day (morning and evening)

Not sure it is helping.

I don't know what to do.

It looks like cortisone is the only remedy;

I would be so grateful if anybody could suggest some other solution for this problem.

Cortisone is not the only remedy. it is a dangerous drug and should not be handed out freely by vets unless it is absolutely necessary. The blue ones are 20mg? If so, that is a huge dose and will cause major side effects over a short time. Google it.

Go and see a canine dermatologist and find out the cause of the allergy. It's also pretty silly to give your dog meds based on talk back radio.

If the OP is from Victoria, then the vet in question is probably the well known vet from Geelong. He always adocates Avil for allergies, so there must be something to it.