Please help with severe skin allergies

[3dogsmom]

I have a 6 yr old yorkie. She has had allergies with skin problems for awhile and they seem to be getting worse each year. In years past we have gotten by with seasonal use of Temeril P or Bendryl, sprays, creams, and anitibiotics. This year they took a turn for the worse and Temeril P didnt even help. While on Temeril P, she developed hives from something and had to be hospitalized. She was sent home on Prednisone, antibiotics, and what they called a sedative (amitriptylline, which is actually an old anti depressant, used I guess in dogs for anxiety and itching sometimes).
She was on this for about 3 weeks and developed severe intestinal ulcers and almost died. She was in the hospital for a week and it cost over $2000.
She came home from this latest incident on a whole host of other meds and did okay for awhile. Now her allergies are back and they say we cant use steriods. The vet wants to try Cyclosporin which I read about and while it helps some the side effects sound awful.,especially the gastronintestinal side effects, vomiting and diarrhea. I also read it can cause more serious issues. Plus I also read it can cost alot of money.
I dont know what to do. She is my life but she is also costing me everything I have, money wise. It is always one thing or another with her and frankly she seems miserable alot of the time.
I have considered allergy tests and shots but read most dogs end up testing postive to everything and that the shots only work 50% of the time. If this was going to help, Id try to find a way to do it, but I cant throw money away.
I have no idea if these are enviornmental or food allergies. Several years ago I started home feeding because of the allergies. She gets a very limited diet, chicken or turkey, rice, vegies. I would love to stop home feeding because the vet says she is probably not getting everythign she needs from this diet. Plus, even though she has been on it for years, I wonder if she could be allergic to the chicken or turkey. I recently tried to switch slowly to Blue Buffalo small breed with lamb but she wouldnt touch it. I have also tried stage one baby food beef as another clean protein but I didnt notice any difference.
So please help me figure out what to do. Has anyone had luck with Cyclosporin? What about the side effects?Any other ideas. I am ordered some fish oil and vitamins and will supplement with that as I figure this out.
Thanks so much. I feel desperate.

[Ellie May]

It really does sound like a dermatologist would be a good option. Atopica (cyclosporine) is a good drug and one that should be tried, esp. if your vet isn't very concerned about stomach irritation (because you are right, it can irritate their stomachs - but then all drugs can). It can be started with an anti-emetic for the first week or so to try and stop any potential vomiting. My girl was on it briefly. She has a horrible stomach and did fine.

Atopica use and food elimination trials would have you going in two opposite directions. Atopica doesn't really work for food allergies. So I'd do one at a time. You are right. The diet is unbalanced and could cause major medical issues. If you homecook, the recipe needs to be balanced by a veterinary nutritionist. If you dn't want to, then there is nothing wrong with feeding dog food. You can use a food made for allergies with hydrolyzed protein sources. It takes two to three months on the allergy diet (with no chews or treats) to be able to tell if it's helping at all.

[Mollysmom411999]

Hi, I am no expert but I spent well over 6000.00 total on many vets and things and once I eliminated the things they said were safe she cleared up. In the allergy season , we did fine on benadryl, but I eliminated rice, yes rice , the safe bet, and fed only Blue Buffalo. I also bought the soft blue buffalo and mixed a tablespoon of it in the hard kibble and she ate it. They eventually will eat it, I was told they will not starve. My Molly had skin biopsies etc. It was really a miserable 7 yrs. for sure. I miss that little girl so......

[KimInMD]

Don't you mean Blue Buffalo Wilderness? That's the one that's grain free. We've had great luck with both the BB Wilderness and another grain free brand named Taste of the Wild. Chicken can also cause problems. Switch slowly, and be persistent. Eventually, they will get hungry and eat the new food. Best wishes to you. Allergies can be such a tough issue to tackle.

[Wylie's Mom]

Marcel is on Atopica, he's 3.5lbs (small), and he does great with it! He's been on it for a couple years. Before Atopica, he'd sometimes wake up in the middle of the night to chew/lick or his paws bc the pollens were getting to him. About a week after starting Atopica, I've never seen him do that again.

I would def recommend seeing a Vet Derm. We LOVE our Vet Derm -- they really know their stuff, and can help w/ simplifying a skin allergy situation and explaining the different options.

Keep us posted, I hope your kiddo feels better soon .

[miriamgibson]

I'm pretty sure Bentley has allergies too. He licks and chews at his paws. I've tried grain free food but it upset his little tummy. I was reading on here that Benedryl is ok. How much do you give? He weighs a little over 5 pounds.
I sure hope your little feels better soon.

[ritapatt]

Our wheaten terrier is now 11. We went thru more foods, meds, baths and money than I care to remember. A few years ago I started homecooking Rice,(potato would have been better) fish and greens adding vitamins and probiotics. We finally made a difference- Her smell went away along with that nasty greasy feel, the constant ear infections, and anal gland problems cleared up too!
She is now on Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream(it has probiotics in it), no treats,but occassional fresh boiled chicken and green beans or egg or yogurt( only a tablespoon on her kibble for a 32 lb dog ) She no longer gets any shots or flea meds-I feed two small meals a day making sure not to overfeed.We have not had a bout of diaharea or vomiting or grass eating frenzy in over a year! Her coat looks like a three year old dog- Too bad it took all those years to figure it out. I think the probiotics were the biggest help, all the meds had killed the good stuff in her digestive system.

[caw]

Wellness Simple Solutions works like a charm for me.....Blue Buffalo did not...too many thinbs in it a dog could be allergic to. Natural Balance LID works for my dog too. Atopica did not....as she had food allergies

[lynzy420]

Does anyone have any updates on their allergic yorkies?
My yorkie has the same problem, and has been on steroids too much lately. She just finished the antibiotic and steroid and sure enough they are back....
My dog Ms. Mini, also receives Varl shots and all was perfect until about 3 months ago. We started the Varl in May. I am at my wits end here. I am embarassed to tell anyone how much we spend on this poor baby, but we will go the distance...Please help!

[3dogsmom]

Thanks for the answers. I did get the name and number of a vet derm today and will call Monday. I hate to leave my regular vet because they have tried so hard to help, plus I fear the derm vet will be expensive and right now money is a concern. However, after Chrismas if this can wait this long I may have to find a way.
I read today that only about 15% of canine allergies are food related so Im assuming these are more enviornmentally based, though not certain, of course.
As far as the Cyclosporin, the stomach issues are my main concern. She has had pancreatitis 3 times, HGE a couple of times, and numerous more minor stomach issues. The last thing with the ulcers almost killed her. They think it was the steroids that did it but of course they dont know. Its too bad because the steroids worked so well and she usually only needed one course and then things were stable for awhile. One of the vets mentioned that if we gave her steroids we could give something to protect the stomach. the main vet said he wouldnt take the chance.
So I am left with the choice of the Cyclosporin and possible stomach issues or steroids which might cause worse problems.
I guess the derm vet is worth a visit.
I am aware her diet is off which is why I wanted to go back to regular dog food. She has eaten some of the blue buffalo chicken so as long as she is not allergic to that I may try and continue.
She used to have the most beautiful coat and now her skin is all flaky. She is losing hair and has these pimple like things everywhere.

[okiescooter]

I too am looking for answers on how to help my Yorkie with her allergies. I just keep thinking that with all the dog allergies, someone would have hit upon some sort of remedy. I have done everything to get her off steroids but we're still having to use them. She has been allergy tested and took shots for about 9 mos. She was allergic to 26 things--pollen, mold, etc.
The shots helped some--but we're back to Prednisone on a maintenance level. She gets secondary infections-and seems miserable a good part of the time. I give her baths often when her allergies are the worst, fish oil, Benedryl, soda rinses and all sorts of anti itch creams and sprays. Does anyone have something they do that relieves their pet's allergies and itching. Surely--someone~somewhere knows of something!! I'd so appreciate anyone sharing what they have tried. Using the steroids seems like a cruel thing to do--however, there doesn't seem to be a choice at this point.
Thanks.

[sbgooljar]

I am taking Romeo to a specialist on Friday as I cannot bear to see my little boy being uncomfortable any longer. He refuses to take any kind of medicine and the one shot of cortisone he received did provide relief but I refuse to let him be injected every 2 weeks.

I am praying his allergies are easy to treat however I know I am in for a challenge because he does not eat dog food.

[zowiandnikasmom]

Originally Posted by okiescooter

I too am looking for answers on how to help my Yorkie with her allergies. I just keep thinking that with all the dog allergies, someone would have hit upon some sort of remedy. I have done everything to get her off steroids but we're still having to use them. She has been allergy tested and took shots for about 9 mos. She was allergic to 26 things--pollen, mold, etc.
The shots helped some--but we're back to Prednisone on a maintenance level. She gets secondary infections-and seems miserable a good part of the time. I give her baths often when her allergies are the worst, fish oil, Benedryl, soda rinses and all sorts of anti itch creams and sprays. Does anyone have something they do that relieves their pet's allergies and itching. Surely--someone~somewhere knows of something!! I'd so appreciate anyone sharing what they have tried. Using the steroids seems like a cruel thing to do--however, there doesn't seem to be a choice at this point.
Thanks.

hello and welcome to yorkie talk. i am sorry to hear that you and your pup are dealing with this. please start your own thread in the sick injured emergencies or yorkie health and diet part of this forum and you will get more views and responses. if this was my pup, i would want to consult with a vet dermatologist if you have not already done so. your general vet could refer you to one in your area or you could also find one by clicking on this link.
ACVIM

truly wishing you and your pup the best at getting to the bottom of this!