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Originally Posted by Vinniedoggy  Thanks for the info on the nutritionists. Unfortunately, none are in my area, but I'd be willing to make a day trip somewhere. I am going to try and gradually transition Alex onto Nature's Variety. It has worked so well for my other dog and that's probably the best shot at getting him on a normal, healthy, balanced diet.
I will definitely ask the vet about Zyrtec or Claritin. I have a friend who mentioned that he gave his dog Claritin and it worked wonders. The foster mom had been giving him Benadryl and she said it helped, but she stopped using it. Antihistamines like Benadryl often have a nasty rebound effect (that is, they make you feel better at first, but then when you stop taking it, the itching comes back). From my own personal experience, Claritan and Zyrtec do not have that effect. I know he has been given steroids in the past, but I do not want to go down that path again (and from what his records indicate, they were of no help anyway).
He has only itched a slight bit today. I gave him an oatmeal bath this evening, put his little onsie back on, and he is sleeping soundly. We've been with him all day and his itching has been very minimal, just a little more than your average dog would itch on an average summer day. Therefore, I'm incredibly optimistic that we're on the right course, but will consult with the vet regardless this Friday.
Oh, and my other dog LOVES Stella & Chewy's. It's so nice that there are a growing number of natural dog stores (at least there are in the DC area) that carry these wholesome, dog-appropriate foods! |
Almost all the nutritionists do phone consults
- I'm sorry, I should have clarified that!
It's just wonderful that he's had such a symptom reduction *already* - I mean, if you can heal him without meds, that's just ideal. Ya know, they also have Colloidal Oatmeal Sprays (for btwn baths), too. A supplement you might think about is Coconut Oil (ie CocoTherapy) or Fish Oil (Ark Naturals) as the Omegas in these have anti-inflam properties and can help w/ skin issues.
Oh, almost forgot this -- just fyi, NaturesV does contain flax. Some dogs w/ allergy issues are also sensitive to flax. Many of the Primal formulas do not contain any flax whatsoever. Not sure about Stella or Bravo though.
My Marcel is on Atopica and he went from waking up in the night to chew his paws (from pollens), to having almost no symptoms at all (maybe occasional breakthrough on very high pollen days).