We Are Itching for Advice

Visiting grand-dog, Brady is not having fun. I've posted before about this guy's terrible skin allergies. He's highly reactive to grass (among other things) and spring time makes his itchiness flare to an alarming degree.

By the way, lest you think Brady's "parents" have lost their minds, they keep a shirt on him to discourage licking and chewing. He has one side pretty bare and still tries to chew through the shirt to do even more damage. However, nothing can keep socks on his feet. If you look closely you can see that Brady has chewed all the fur off his front paws. His eyes are dull and matted.

Brady and his regular vet have frequent visits. He also sees a doggie dermatologist and takes a plethora of expensive prescription medications to little avail. According to the docs, the allergies are not related to food.

I think we're willing to try about anything, from holistic remedies to anecdotal reports of success. I found a website for a product called Derma-Paws, but know nothing about it other than what the makers claim.

Help! Does ANYBODY know what to do for a dog with constant skin allergies/itches?

Help Needed for Seasonal Allergies

Most everyone loves spring. The grass greens, the flowers burst into bloom, and brilliant color dots the landscape. Such a sight can't help but brighten both the scenery and the soul. After a cold, damp and gray winter, what's not to like about spring?

How about seasonal allergies?

Perhaps due to the excessive rain, you've probably noticed that pollen is everywhere. Even after only 24 hours, if you wipe an outside table you'll see just how quickly and heavily the pollen has collected. As a result, there's an epidemic of sneezing, coughing, and watery eyes.

Critters have problems with allergies, too. While some dogs have symptoms similar to humans, my son's dog is the prime example of allergies that manifest as skin problems. Brady has always tended to be itchy, but in the spring, his troubles go far beyond the ordinary.

Here's how the poor guy looked on Mother's Day.

He's licked and chewed each side of himself literally bald.  And when not licking his sides, he rubs his eyes raw against the carpet. Fortunately, Brady's doing better now with the help of antihistamines and steroids prescribed by his vet. A few years ago, Brady went to a doggie dermatologist for a while, but the array of injections, medications, and weekly appointments soon became cost prohibitive.

Many Critter Alley readers are experienced dog people. Does anyone know of a natural, effective treatment for spring skin allergies for dogs that won't break the bank?

 We're itching to find an answer!

Get Out the Checkbook

Brady in his chubbier days.

Our son's dog, Brady, is back at our house to stay for a few days while he's out of town on business. Yep, we are still the doggie hotel.

He's had the dog for a couple of months now, and is spending a small fortune on vet bills due to various health issues. First of all, the 4 year old Cairn Terrier was extremely overweight. So Brady's food has been cut back and he's being walked regularly. The pounds are slowly coming off.

His allergies are not so easy to solve. Brady went to the doggie dermatologist and after testing, it was determined that he is allergic to 17 different things (grass, mold, dust, etc., etc.). So, $450 later, the vet recommends allergy shots 3x per week to desensitize him. My son has to administer the shots. This treatment will run about $600 per year.

If the allergy shots don't work, not to worry. The vet has a new wonder drug that he'll try next. It only costs $100 per month to keep Brady from chewing his toes off.

Yikes! Brady seems to be on his way to becoming a pretty pricey pooch. Perhaps that's the reason why his previous owners decided to give him up.

I think he's a darn lucky dog to be where he is now.