Help Itchy Skin!
 

Snickers has been itching last few months. Vet put him on Temeril and the first prescription helped a lot. Then about three weeks off itching started again. Again a script for Temeril... This time I saw relief for first few days. He is not yet 1 1/2 years old. Vet now wants to put him on "a miracle drug" called Apoquel... His tech refers to it as miracle drug. He is fed Royal Canin Yorkie (adult food) I don't like what I've read about Apoquel. Seems like there has to be a better way. Vet assuming it's seasonal allergies or environmental allergies. Anyone who has been thru this with their pup I would really like to know what helped. I use an oatmeal and baking soda shampoo. Would rather find a more natural treatment the Apoquel requires blood tests for premed for liver and I believe heart function... So there is my concern sounds like what I've read can cause bigger problems than itching :(
Thanks!!:)

First, toss out the Oatmeal shampoo immediately - it is a myth that it helps w/ skin issue dogs, and in fact can actually exacerbate the problem. Vet Derms usually recommend Duoxo (get it on Amazon).

I would get thee back to the vet and get that Apoquel immediately - it is an utterly amazing medication!! It's a miracle for many, many dogs. Similar to Atopica (which many allergy dogs were/are on before Apoquel came along) -- it works to modulate the immune system's response to histamine reactions. It usually stops itching dead in its tracks.

If it were me, I would not hesitate to use this medication. Especially when your baby is clearly miserable and needs the support of a medication.

My Marcel has been on Atopica for about 6 years, and it's been just awesome for him. If he wasn't on Atopica, I would have him on Apoquel in a hearbeat.

Thank you Wylie's mom for responding. I'm looking at shampoo you suggested at Amazon. I'm just concerned about potential problems with Apoquel... When I look it up I'm seeing some dogs developed tumors, and/or cancerous tumors while on Apoquel. I do not want Snickers to be uncomfortable due to itching but the thought of giving medication that could stop itching but end result could develope cancer worries me. Which was just one of the possible problems with the medication. What's your opinion of Zyrtec or Claritin?

[QUOTE=Snickersmama;4593205]Thank you Wylie's mom for responding. I'm looking at shampoo you suggested at Amazon. I'm just concerned about potential problems with Apoquel... When I look it up I'm seeing some dogs developed tumors, and/or cancerous tumors while on Apoquel. I do not want Snickers to be uncomfortable due to itching but the thought of giving medication that could stop itching but end result could develope cancer worries me. Which was just one of the possible problems with the medication. What's your opinion of Zyrtec or Claritin?[/QUOTE

My Anya, who is now 13, has been on the generic Claritin for years. It has almost completely stopped her itching. My Dalmatian, who died 2 years ago, was on Claritin for most of the 12 years we had her because she was allergic to grass and meat. Her skin would turn raw and red when she went outside in the grass. Claritin helped her immensely.

I would talk with your vet about the different medications and your thoughts and concerns about the Apoquel. I know I was so upset when all my dogs were itching. Good luck.

We had a wheaten terrier that had lots of issues with itching.(I think a combo of overbreeding, overimmunization, and a run-in with lawn chemicals and recalled foods) The best shampoo was mild (we really liked minksheen) and rinsing many times more than you would think. We would pop her in the tub and just use clear water and a hard water spray if things got crazy. Altho I homecooked for her we finally did go back to dry food using a grainfree fish based protein kibble with lots of added enzymes and probiotics.

Poor little guy, I'm sorry Snickers's is going through this. I don't usually have advice to offer because Yazmin's not had any health issues until last summer. All of a sudden, out of nowhere she began having teary eyes and itching something terribly! My vet and I discussed that she may have seasonal allergies but prior to her having tests for allergies, I realized Royal Canin had made ingredient changes to the Yorkie 28 Adult Food! It took 3 weeks to slowly change her kibble from Royal Canin to Fromm (Grain Free), but the teary eyes and constant itching disappeared almost immediately! Every dog reacts differently but you may want to look into changing his food. I hope this helps Snickers, I only wish him the best!

Thanks everyone for replies and suggestions. I called the vet today but he wasn't in. He will be back tomorrow and will ask him about trying Claritin or Zyrtec first. I'd prefer that due to possible serious problems with Apoquel. I may be paranoid on meds that can cause cancer, my son has gone thru cancer treatment twice now and he's only 22. So drugs that can potentially cause cancer scare me. Supposedly food allergies only account for 10% of pet allergy problems. And I don't think it's food related, so far anyway. I asked about the shampoo that was suggested, (duoxo) vet tech said that's recommended for bacterial type skin problems but will discuss with my vet tomorrow about that or another shampoo he could suggest. Itching is progressively a little worse today :(
Here's hoping a gentler alternative is ok with him if not I guess I'll consider the Apoquel :(
If anyone else has suggestions for vet to consider I'm glad to hear it

In my experience, it's rare that Zyrtec or Claritin works for allergy dogs - but it *may* work for some...it's just rare that it actually does. But perhaps worth a try for your kiddo, I mean why not, ya know? I think the outcome, too, depends upon what they're allergic to (ie, perhaps works better for pollen allergic dogs as compared to, say, dust allergic dogs). Btw, it's recommended by Vet Derms that any OTC allergy med be tried for at least a full 10 days before evaluating.

You are correct - food allergies only account for about 10% of allergies, very rare.

On the Duoxo -- also check out their sprays - some are specifically for itch relief :).

Thanks again Wylie's mom... I'm getting frustrated with the vet he wants Snickers on Benadryl which would mean medicating up to 3 times a day and potentially a really sleepy pup. They suggested Resicort lotion diluted with water in a spray bottle after his bath. I do not want my pup uncomfortable I have no problem spending the money to keep him healthy and comfortable, maybe I'm just being paranoid on the Apoquel but it just seems to me if a safer option works why not try it? He chose Benadryl over Claritin because "he never uses Claritin" so just my opinion but if it's safe for pups and its 24 hour relief instead of 6 hour relief lets at least try it..... Sorry venting... I'm frustrated.

This is super surprising....that this vet isn't yet familiar (!!??) with using Zyrtec or Claritin in dogs??! Vet Derms use it alllll the time bc Benadryl rarely works, and you'd have to dose Benadryl every 4-6 hrs, which isn't practical for most people.

Do you need the dose for Zyrtec and Claritin? If yes, I can help you w/ it. I can even email you the OTC sheet from my own Vet Derm...if you want that, PM me your email addy :).

If this vet isn't a Derm, you may want to consider seeing one at some point as they are just utterly amazing! You can find them here: http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/die...atologist.html

After another ph call with the vet tech I got a bit firm and said look if it is safe to use I would really prefer at least trying the Claritin because it is given once a day, Benadryl would mean he would get medicated three times a day. I'm home most of the time, but good grief. Not to mention would he sleep all the time from Benadryl given that often? She then says well I'll talk to Dr and see if he thinks ok to try it. Uh makes me think she didn't bother the first time 😡. So finally yesterday late afternoon they called back and said ok to try Claritin, see if after a few days it helps. Personally I would think you would want to give it closer to a week to see if he gets relief. I'm able to watch him closely to be sure he's not getting worse. Just frustrating I've used the same vet for many years, he knows me well with 3 dogs in this house so from now on I'll just drive over there. Thx for offering tho Wylie's mom with dosage :) started Clairitin yesterday so here's hoping it works

Cody has environmental allergies, he was put on Apoquel first, it didn't help, then he was given Temeril and Apoqge for 2 weeks. Temeril 2 pills every 12 hours for four days, then one pill every 24 hours for 4 days, then one pill every other day for 4 days, The Apoquel was given 1/2 a pill a day through out the entire time. While he was on Temeril no scratching, as soon as the decreasing of every other day started the scratching started again. now he's on 1/2 a pill of Temeril and Apoquel for 30 days then back to vet for follow up. He is on a grain fee dry food. Oatmeal shampoo as Ann stated in a myth and can cause more harm then good with dogs that have allergies, my vet told my to use Hylyt shampoo, this can be used every day if necessary, I was kinda informed by another member the Hylyt shampoo can be gotten from Amazon as I was under the impression it could only be purchased at vet only. I use only the Hylyt shampoo for weekly baths.I buy it from my vet, compared Amazon price against my vet, vet charges $1.oo more then Amazon. As for the Termeril my vet does not want to keep him on this long term, she said the allergy season right now is very high in my area, follow up in 30 days.

The Vet Derms always say to try any antihistamine for 10-14 days before evaluating its effectiveness - so definitely try it longer than a few days. :)

I so hope it works for you!

Snickers is on Claritin itching isn't decreasing yet I got some hysdrocortisone spray to see if it will calm the itchy areas, I sure hope we see improvement because I don't like seeing him scratching he made his side red this morning :(
I doubt I will be able to stick to Claritin 10 days if it doesn't calm down soon because I'm afraid he's going to be making sores if it doesn't stop. Poor baby all this just started a few months ago but it's progressively a little worse. We may have to go the Apoquel route. And that really worries me

dog
 

Itching in dogs is very frustrating. I took a friends yorkie to the vet. He put her on hills science diet zd dog food. Hylyte shampoo. Said to get an antihystamine for her. Wanted her an flea med called but didn't use that yet. I had a poodle with really bad skin. Put her on venison base food she cleared up. It could be food flea or environment allergies. Keep dogs off the grass. Prayers for this itching to stop.

My chihuahua has allergies from hell. He's allergic to chicken as well as having environmental allergies (and every other health issue under the sun! Ahh!). My vet has mentioned it and I would try it for sure. His are seasonal and we're past the bad season now, but if it ever worsens and becomes year round I'd not hesitate to use the apoquil.

During the bad season there's a few things I do-

Keep a t shirt on him always. Pollen settles on his skin and causes issues. Less pollen means less itching.
Bathing in special shampoo, I do use an oatmeal one by paul mitchell and it WORKS like magic. The worst time of year he has to take these special baths weekly, because his skin is unbearable. The oils in it calm down his skin a lot. Coconut oil is also supposed to help if you rub it into the skin- I gibe them coconut with their food.
Avoid food allergens like the plague- he eats a single protein source food that is very quality.

Good luck. You may have to consider cutting his hair if it's super long until this is under control.

His hair isn't super long but it's not short either, have been keeping light weight pjs on him to try to help prevent him from doing much damage from scratching. I appreciate the prayers hate for him to be itchy and uncomfortable. Hoping I see decrease in scratching/licking very soon :(
He sleeps right against me and he's scratching a little during night too poor baby. I'll see what the next few days bring. I have coconut oil at home will try that too, and I'll look into the hylyte a couple suggested that
Thanks everyone

How many days has it been now on the Claritin? So sorry it's not working. After the full 10 day regimen, you may want to try Zyrtec. Forgot too, have you tried Temaril-P yet...?

Try not to worry yourself about the Apoquel, it would be so very unusual/rare for anything to go wrong. I know you have *very* valid reasons for your worries, and I respect that. But maybe it will go perfectly just right for you :).

Wylie's mom: today makes the 6th day on Claritin sorry I just saw your post. He was on Temeril in mid May I think it was, then off for a bit and itching started again a few weeks later (roughly) he was put on Temeril again and it worked for two or three days the second round of it then I didn't see it helping him anymore :(
So we are on 6 th day of Claritin so here's hoping. I love him to pieces he's my fur baby I'd be sick if I gave him a med that could make him really sick so huge worries about Apoquel. Unfortunately completely unrelated to my pups but I've heard rare before and it would give most people huge relief unfortunately that doesn't relieve my mind. I really wish it did... Yes I'm a tad paranoid but for very very good reason :(
Thx for asking about my little guy he's still itchy maybe slightly less it's hard to tell how much tho. Keeping pjs on him so he doesn't seem to be doing much damage. Have some hydrocortisone spray I bought a few days ago only had to use twice now. I'm hoping that's a good sign

Poor little feller...and poor you too, for having to deal with this - I completely get the frustration of allergies in dogs - they are tough to treat.

I SO hope that either Claritin or Zyrtec will work for you so that you don't even have to go down another path. We have our fingers and paws crossed for you :)!

Thanks so much! Will give it a few more days, he's still scratching or licking I don't think it's as bad but it's definitely still there

I know exactly what you are going through! I've had the same problems with my little one and tried all the same meds that you've tried. I also tried the "miracle drug", Apoquel, but it did not work for us. We eventually tried the Atopica and like Wylie's mom said, this has worked for us, thank goodness. It's awful watching our little ones itch like this. We also bathe once a week with a 4% chlorhexidine shampoo. I strongly suggest you see a vet dermatologist, if possible, and save yourself a lot of frustration and time. They are able to answer most of your questions and hopefully alleviate some of your fears about the medications. Good luck!

I had an allergy pup who was on Temeril P for years without any issues. When his allergies were less of a problem, I gave him a low dose every other day...then I would increase the dosage if he had flare ups.

There are so many RX shampoos .. I have found that some work better in some dogs than others. I keep different types on hand.

Hello all just wanted to keep you up to date. I called vet today he's scratching A Lot and if not scratching he's licking. We now have missing hair on his left eye brow and a sore spot 😢 And a tiny spot on other eyebrow. So we are going in this afternoon to do blood work and probably go on Apoquel. Which I'm not thrilled about but vet said he has a board certified dermatologist that's using Apoquel with good success as well as he is. Reading more I'm finding info on the pets that developed tumors were supposedly given high doses of Apoquel. Why in Gods name they would over medicate I do not know :confused: ...but supposedly they say it was the ones on too high a dose. So while I'm in office I will also ask about Atopica and hylyt shampoo
He mentioned he's not comfortable with long term use of Temeril P due to potential problems associated with steroids. And since I'm in the southern part of Florida it's potentially not going to be seasonal since we don't get a big season change during the "cooler months" our cooler months don't get Cold except maybe 2-3 weeks total over the winter... Max. Just wanted to say Thank you all for support and suggestions I'll keep you posted!

A lot of people feel that way about Temeril P .. the amount of steroid is very low; but that said, if the allergies are really bad and year round, yes, I would probably go with Apoquel. Lots of people are using it with success.

I have been using Apoquel since March and this has been a wonder drug for her. No more itching and I haven't had any problems with it all.

Allergies
 

Your poor boy, it is horrible when they scratch so much and you can't help them.
Don't know of this applies to your dog, but my neighbor has a Maltese who had terrible allergies and was on one of the ''A" named meds. It stopped the itching but upset her GI system, so she stopped giving it. She was thought to be allergic to grass in her yard. Due to the drought in Ca , she replaced her grass with the plastic grass, and since then the dog has had no allergic issues!
Thought this may be the issue for some dogs? I know my dog licks his paws after walks and probably is allergic to something on the ground, so I always wash his feet when I get home. That seems to help a lot.
Praying you find something that works and that your dog gets relief soon.

dog itching
 

Dee dee is finally not scratching as much. For Hotspot I use the green tea bag soaked in water. It really clears them up. I put coconut oil on her coat. It really helps. I started her on benadryl. Will bathe 2x a week. Hope all this helps

Here's hoping the Apoquel helps and doesn't cause any side effects :(
He started on it Monday evening. The spot he scratched on his eye brow is clearing up so even tho he's still scratching it must be less or that wouldn't be healing. Caught him earlier start to scratch and he didn't do it he put his foot back down! Of course he scratched later but hey I'll take every little improvement he gets! Poor little guy. Actually big guy he weighed 13.1 Monday 😂

Best of luck with the Apoquel - I so hope it gives wonderful relief to the little guy! :)