Seasonal Allergies

Morning vets looking for some advice. I have a 2 year old Boston Terrier who has been spayed. Little background last year in July she had a reaction to a seresto collar which lead to pyoderma and hair loss, once the collar was removed and she was given antibiotics by vet she started to get better this happen through the summer last year. She now has Bravecto as the spot on makes her itch a lot. This year in June she started lifting her head and scooting a little (wasn’t anal sack related) I kept an eye on her and then one day she was doing it like crazy which seemed to coincide with a farmer turning a field over just round the corner. I went to her vets and explained and said I think she has an environmental allergy since I have been giving her 1/2 a Remidime 10mg tablet which has helped. I started keeping a diary of the little bum scoots and continued with the Remidine tablets until end of August. Her hair has thinned from behind her ears, down her shoulders and sides, she doesn’t itch all the time but tends to be worse first thing in the morning. We live in Cyprus which is very hot in summer so she has to be walked at first light but it is very humid and this seems to be when it affects her the most. I am 99% it is a pollen/seasonal allergy as now we are coming to end of summer her hair is starting to come back, also watching how she has been in summer when someone has there garden done. I have started using Duoxo Calm shampoo and mousse as per recommendation of bottle which has helped and also giving an omega supplement for a month. I wipe her feet when she returns from outside. I will be discussing this with her vet at her next appointment and asking for a plan for next summer, what options are there? I don’t want to put her on Apoquel or Cytopoint because of the side affects. She is on a limited ingredient food and vet agrees not food related as she doesn’t get ear infections, diarrhoea and is not sick. Thanks for advice in advance

Hello!   First off, as you have undoubtedly gathered, allergies are lifelong and do return and often worsen.   Anal gland disease is often a symptom of allergy, and usually presents as scooting - Im sure that your vet would check the anal sacs.   In the past we always used to empty them, but with a changed understanding of what may be causing the problem, many vets no longer do that.  Ear infections are actually quite rare;  most of those 'gammy ears' we see are down to skin allergy too (it's just that the ear lining cells produce wax when they are inflamed).  Allergy manifests in many, many ways and the fact is that different dogs - in particular, differently shaped dogs - show different symptoms.   I don't think that diarrhoea, sickness or ear infections are compulsory for dogs with food allergies.

A handy peice of preventative advice I have for dogs with pollen allergies, is to bathe them after a walk and to walk them through a foot-bath, or rinse their feet, as dogs do tend to take pollen home with them on their fur.  Depending on the safety of this and on your position in Cyprus, I have heard that a quick salt-water dip before going back into the house can be helpful in this regard.

It is important to keep up with antipatasiticide, even if you don't see fleas, as a single one can cause havoc in dogs with allergies.   Regarding drugs, however, it is up to your vet to recommend the appropriate ones for your pet.  In the past vets in the UK used to give out too many steroids for allergies, but a wide range of far more specific, less harmful drugs is now available and your vet will work with you to find the right one.

Thank you Liz for your reply, I make sure I wipe her feet down when she comes home from a walk I have a bottle mixed up with an anti itch shampoo and water but may try bathing to see if that helps. Will be talking to the vet re option at her next vaccination.  I have changed her to Bravecto and make sure it is done every three months.