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Originally Posted by 107barney  To the person whose dog is having allergies - FYI allergy testing for food is unreliable and a waste of money. The best way to see what ingredients your dog is allergic to is to conduct a strict food elimination diet. Chances are, the dog has environmental allergies, and testing for those IS reliable. There are medications that can help - my dog has been on Atopica for years - recently had to come off for other reasons temporarily - but it has been a life saver. You might want to ask your vet about it. There are also allergy shots - I think Wylie's Mom has used them for her dog (?) so you could ask her. The best bet is a vet dermatologist to do some looking into on your dog's case, that would be my starting point. |
Yes, one vet did tell me he didn't recommend allergy testing if the allergies were indeed caused by food. We were considering both food and environmental allergies at the time but I do think it's primarily a food issue. We tried different ingredients. Corn, chicken and soy appear to be the worst culprits. We switched him to a food without those ingredients and the improvement was considerable. Even so, we still limit his time outside. This is hot and humid Miami after all, and I suspect environmental allergens too.
As for bringing up the prescription diet, corn is found in I/D which is why I initially worried about a flare-up. He
is scratching and biting again, most noticeably his feet. His follow-up is tomorrow so I'll take the chance to ask the vet about possible medications and a dermatologist. Thank you for the advice.