My dog has severe skin allergies and hates baths. How to help?

Question

Hi, I hope to find a veterinarian who can give me advice on how to care for my dog who has severe skin allergies since the weather has gotten warmer. The problem is that it has been difficult to take a bath for him as he is very stubborn. He hates water and refuses any hygienic care involving liquids. At the moment, I believe a calming or sedation medication is the only solution to get him clean enough to heal his wounds. This has never occurred before so I am very desperate. Pet's info: Dog | Shiba Inu | Male | neutered | 4 years and 7 months old | 60 lbs

Dr. Strydom, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. Allergies are extremely difficult to manage especially with a dog that is not amenable to treatment. The strongest oral sedatives available can only be gotten from your veterinarian. They cannot be purchased over the counter without a prescription. The best over the counter medication I have seen work well is called Zylkene. It is not cheap but I think it is worth a try. He would need the large dog size and would get one per day. I would give one per day and use it everyday until the bottle runs out (30 days) and if it works, great, you can keep him on it. If it doesn't work, then you can stop. ( https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/223965_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=115875 ) I would also recommend a leave-on mousse instead of a shampoo. These are medicated and work very well either in between baths or for dogs that are not amenable to bathing. I would use the "CALM" when he has no lesions on his skin. If he does have lesions on the skin (hot spots, etc) then I would use the S3 PYO until the lesions are healed and then go back to the CALM. You don't have to do his whole body - just the major affected areas. You need to make sure it gets on his skin and not just on the hair. You can use it every day if necessary - you will just need to see how he is doing which will dictate how often to apply it. ( https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/223965_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=153532 ) ( https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/223965_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=145608 ) Finally, I would recommend putting him on a fatty acid supplement if he is not already on one. This helps to maintain the integrity of the skin. I like this one: ( https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/223965_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=118404 ) Honestly, the best option is to take him to your vet and discuss with them a medication called Apoquel. It works great at keeping allergies under control, it is an oral tablet so typically easy to give and it will keep him from scratching and itching and having all the allergy symptoms. This way he is comfortable and you don't have to force topical treatments on him. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

My dog has severe skin allergies and hates baths. How to help?

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