My dog has recurring skin infections from allergies. What helps?

Question

What is the best treatment plan for bacterial and fungal skin issues in dogs with allergies. My dog has had three rounds of antibiotics, antifungal and itch suppressing medications. The dog has been on citerizine continuously since March 2017. I need some other options to discuss with my vet . I am looking for a solution that will clear the skin infection for good. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Female | spayed | 11 years and 7 months old | 185 lbs

Rodrigo Roca, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello, sorry to hear about AVA. Allergic skin disease can be very stressful and frustrating for owners, pets and veterinarians. As you probably know by now, allergies in dogs can arise for 3 sources. However, one must rule out non-allergic causes for itchiness such as mite infestations and ringworm. Flea allergy dermatitis (FAD) is one that causes very severe itchiness over their back and tail base. Ava should be on strict, monthly flea preventative and your environment should be treated with insecticide at least once monthly especially during the spring and summer months. Remember, you don't need to see fleas on your dog in order for her to have FAD. A single flea bite can produce enough flea saliva to induce an allergic reaction. About 75% of the dogs that do not have FAD, have an allergy to something in the environment. i.e pollen, grasses, cat dander, human dander, trees, house mites, flies, etc. These are the hardest to diagnose and typically involve doing an expensive allergy test. There is a blood allergy test and skin allergy test for this. Once we have obtained results for this test, we typically recommend following up with desensitization injections which work by injecting a small dose of the allergens AVA may be reactive to with the goal of creating immunity so that she no longer responds with an allergic reaction. Treatment for this may last up to 8 months and the success rate is about 60-70%. The remainder 30% have also shown reduce degree of an allergic reaction. The last category involves food allergies. These are typically the least common kind of allergy in dogs and require a food trial with a novel protein diet (something your dog has never beed offered such as rabbit, duck, lamb, venison, or kangaroo) or a hydrolyzed protein diet. Diet trials should be administered for a period of 6-8 weeks without any other food source. (no treats, table scraps, or different kinds of food). Clearly, determining which kind of allergy your dog may have can take severe weeks to a few months. Therefore, in the interim, allergic pets should again be on strict flea preventative, allergy medications such apoquel, atopica, steroids, Cytopoint injections or antihistamines. Any secondary yeast or bacterial infections should be treated as well with antibiotics and anti-fungals. Best of luck and hope this helps.

My dog has recurring skin infections from allergies. What helps?

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