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Ellie May · 06-19-2008, 08:58 AM

I'm sorry.

I would have been very hesitant to treat for mange without a positive diagnosis because if the vet used Ivermectin, it is an off-label dose. That doesn't mean it's the wrong thing to do but proceed cautiously.

It could be food allergies especially if she is scratching her ears and her paws itch. The ONLY way to see if this is the case is to do an elimination diet. Allergy tests for food are considered unreliable by some vets. Personally, I wouldn't do it for food allergies. What are you feeding besides Science Diet? Any treats? What did you feed before Science Diet? If it were me, I'd go to a homecooked diet of only 3 or 4 ingredients with no treats whatsoever unless they are an ingredient in the food. This diet should have ingredients that she has never had before and I would lean toward giving something like sweet potato for carbs instead of grains. You might need to talk to a nutritionist about balancing this with vitamins and minerals. This should be fed for at least 60-90 days. If there is no improvement, it probably isn't food allergies. If there is improvement then you slowly add other ingredients until she starts scratching again and you have found the allergen. Sometimes you can feed a veterinary diet for this but it doesn't work for all dogs. Some dogs are still itchy on veterinary diets.

Testing for environmental allergies might be worth it.
What blood work has been done? Has her thyroid been checked? How about her liver?

06-19-2008, 08:58 AM	#2
Ellie May And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI Posts: 17,928	I'm sorry. I would have been very hesitant to treat for mange without a positive diagnosis because if the vet used Ivermectin, it is an off-label dose. That doesn't mean it's the wrong thing to do but proceed cautiously. It could be food allergies especially if she is scratching her ears and her paws itch. The ONLY way to see if this is the case is to do an elimination diet. Allergy tests for food are considered unreliable by some vets. Personally, I wouldn't do it for food allergies. What are you feeding besides Science Diet? Any treats? What did you feed before Science Diet? If it were me, I'd go to a homecooked diet of only 3 or 4 ingredients with no treats whatsoever unless they are an ingredient in the food. This diet should have ingredients that she has never had before and I would lean toward giving something like sweet potato for carbs instead of grains. You might need to talk to a nutritionist about balancing this with vitamins and minerals. This should be fed for at least 60-90 days. If there is no improvement, it probably isn't food allergies. If there is improvement then you slowly add other ingredients until she starts scratching again and you have found the allergen. Sometimes you can feed a veterinary diet for this but it doesn't work for all dogs. Some dogs are still itchy on veterinary diets. Testing for environmental allergies might be worth it. What blood work has been done? Has her thyroid been checked? How about her liver? __________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶 Last edited by Ellie May; 06-19-2008 at 08:59 AM.