<p>Since May, Our 10 1/2 year old Corgi has had ongoing skin issues which result in superficial pyoderma; she has seen the vet approximately every 45 days since then. We took her to the vet again Saturday for her skin and an enlarged submandibular lymph gland which the vet thought was due to a sinus infection. A needle aspiration was done that day and the vet said it did not look like cancer. While there, we went ahead and had allergy testing done in hopes that it will help resolve her skin issues. We brought her home and began her course of antibiotics and steroids. The lymph gland doubled in size and she grew progressively worse over the weekend so my husband took her back to the vet this morning before work. They decided to keep her today, gave her light sedation and attempted to drain the infection. Now the vet says she’s not sure what it is, so she conferred with the other vets at the practice and it was decided to send off samples for pathology results. I’m keeping positivie thoughts because she just had her senior wellness bloodwork done when she had her teeth cleaned in December and it was perfectly normal. I would think if it was anything serious, it would have shown up in previous bloodwork. </p>
<p>Has anyone here ever had a pet allergy tested? If so, did the allergy shots resolve the issues your pet had? I hate to see our Sadie so miserable. She’s pitifiul when she’s sick.</p>
<p>First of all, I am really sorry about what you are going through. I know all too well what it’s like to not be able to get a clear diagnosis for a pet.</p>
<p>I have no ideas about allergy testing, but have you tried changing her food? All food arguments aside, I have heard of at least several people whose pets had very bad skin problems. They switched foods, and it worked. I would recommend to just try a grain-free, really high-quality food and see if it makes a difference. Orijen has sample packets, so you don’t have to buy a huge bag. Just don’t go for anything Science Diet - lots of vets sell them and push them, but they are no good.</p>
<p>Oh, dear. I hope the pathology is clear.
Skin issues can be so frustrating. I imagine the allergy tests will help, but sometimes they don’t. I mean, if your dog is allergic to grass, what can you do other than medicate. I do think hormonal changes that come with aging can bring on skin problems.</p>
<p>I just returned from my vet with my 10 1/2 year old Lab. He had a growth on his muzzle that might be a mast cell tumor. I won’t know until Thursday or Friday, so I’m in this boat with you! Love our doggies, don’t we?</p>
<p>We’ve never had allergy testing but we did have to change foods many times with our late pointer. He finally wound up eating, I apologize if this offends anyone, kangaroo. If he had developed an allergy to that, he would have had to have gone on a fish diet. I assume you’ve switched foods but it’s just an idea.</p>
<p>Thank you for the replies. DH has always researched foods and Sadie was on Orijen for quite some time, but we are currently trying Pioneer Naturals Grain and Potato Free Venison. The vet said that when the allergy test results come back, there will be several pages of foods that will be specifically recommended for her based on her allergies. DH asked if it was sponsored by a dog food company and the vet said no; the suggestions will include everything from the cheap stuff on up. She did say we’re probably headed in the right direction since most dogs have less allergic tendencies with venison than with chicken and beef. We’ve spent $622.66 at the vet since Saturday so I’m keeping my fingers crossed we’ll soon have an answer. Fortunately, all allergy shots and visits pertaining to them will be included in the price we’ve already paid.</p>
<p>Oh no, moonchild, I’m so sorry. I know how it feels to have to wait for the result. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for both of us that we get good news. Please report back and let us know how your dog is doing.</p>
<p>I had a wheaten terrier with severe food allergies. He spent his life on Hills ZD Ultra. Somehow the protein molecules are engineered so that the body does not react to them.
We managed to get him to age 12 when arthritis took him down. I would highly recommend switching him to ZD right away.</p>
<p>Our first Cairn was allergic to fleas. Although we used Frontline and I would spray him with a natural flea repellant before our walks, one flea bite would set him off and he would scratch off most of his hair every summer. After several years of steroid shots, DH thought we should try a naturopath vet who put the dog on a regimen of a dozen different vitamins daily. I was highly skeptical, but it actually worked. He had no problems for at least the last five years of his life.</p>
<p>Five or six years ago our current Cairn started scratching a lot, and one morning I woke up to find her head covered in blood from scratching during the night. It was not flea season. She had an allergy test done and it turned out she was allergic to a dozen different grasses and trees. I gave her allergy shots for probably less than a year. I picked up the second vial of her treatment in September, and the vet said she probably would be okay in the winter so I could space the shots out for longer periods. When she had no problems, I stopped them altogether. I figured I would probably have to start up again with the shots in the spring, but she’s never had a problem since then.</p>
<p>My dog has ha severe problems this year infections, and steroids to the the point he was losing the hair on his back. he was onHills ZD but we changed it. to fish and no grain food. he seems better(knock on wood). they switched the food within the Hills company and I think he was reacting to something in the food. Initially his stools on the Hills were runny and became more solid with the new food. We did pay for the allergy testing but they didnt test for foods and said he had no environmental allergies. Our next step was the doggie dermatologist</p>
<p>With my severely allergic standard poodle (who had all kinds of health issues, including inflammatory bowel disease), the vet recommended that I skip testing and go straight to an elimination diet. I started with boiled chicken and white rice. I added a new food every two months until we’d arrived at a fairly normal diet. The Wellness 5-ingredient diets were very helpful. Her symptoms were very clear, though–massive diarrhea if she was sensitive to a particular food. She was sensitive to all kinds of things, including salmon oil, which is quite common in dog foods. (Her list included salmon, venison, wheat, soy, corn, lamb.)</p>
<p>I would try to find a dog food that has none of the common allergens (wheat, soy, corn) and uses a protein your dog hasn’t had before. The fewer ingredients, the better.</p>
<p>One of our dogs was having recurrent skin and ear infections and the cause was traced back to hypothyroidism. Once she was started on thyroid meds, the problems have greatly improved. She also has a sensitive tummy and is doing well on Pinnacle Trout and Sweet Potato food which was recommended by a well respected pet food store.</p>
<p>Sadly, we received devastating news earlier today. Sadie has cancer. We’re just sick about it. The vet said the location of the cancer is such that he would not be able to completely excise it, so chemo would really be the only treatment option. After much discussion with two vets and with one another, DH and I have decided to just keep her comfortable and not pursue chemo. She doesn’t appear to be in pain, but is very lethargic. We will not let her suffer.</p>