# New Anti-itch, allergy medication for dogs.



## dianaloren (Jan 6, 2014)

Hello folks,

Our rescue dog which we have had for about two months was itching constantly. She bit and licked her feet to the point that her fur stained red, and she scabbed up her belly. She'd wake up 3Am, itching like crazy, and I'd give her Benadryl to get her back to sleep. We are not yet sure what she is allergic to. It could be food or environmental or both. 

We switch her diet to Orijen six fish. It gave her great energy and stamina, and her hair grew a bit. She also beefed up, and gained about two pounds, but we didn't see an improvement in the itching. In all fairness, she has only been on Orijen one month, which isn't that long for a food trial. And I know there is a "secret santa" in the house who slips her table scraps (including wheat products) which could be confounding the situation. I also tried the Eqyss Micro-Tek shampoo and spray, and those just irritated her sensitive skin horribly. The reviews on Amazon were glowing and wonderful -and that's great if the product has worked for other people - but it didnt work for us. 


I took her to a vet who recommended a short course of steroids to get the symptoms under control. The steroids worked, but caused the side effects that no one likes. So I wanted to get a second opinion on the itching. I have also been reading though a ton of stuff on this forum about how others have dealt with itching. 

Anyways, we got second opinion and the new vet recommended trying a hydrolyzed protein dog food for a couple months to see if she has a food allergy (we got hills prescription diet z/d). He also recommended this new drug called Apoquel which just got released last month. In my understanding of it, the drug works by inhibiting the transmission of nerve signals (itch signals) from the skin cells to the brain. 

We have only been on the Apoquel 5 days, and it's made a huge improvement. The itching isn't 100% gone, but it is at a manageable level. The vet said in a couple months, if the new dog food helps her sufficiently, we'll get off the Apoquel and try introducing meat proteins, one by one, back into her diet. But in the meantime, I think she needs the relief, and her skin and fur need to heal. So far I haven't noticed any real negative side effects, but it's still early on. She might be a tad more sleepy than usual, and she's definitely sleeping better at night (no more 3AM wake ups). But she's still a very high energy, playful dog, and the fact that she is now sleeping more soundly isn't really a bad thing. I'll update this post if anything changes.

So far so good. Only problem is, it isn't cheap :-(. I know this must sound like some sort of promo for a drug company, but it seems like itching is such a common, chronic problem, that I decided to put this out there. 

Hope this Helps!
Cheers!


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## crossgjh (Feb 12, 2014)

*Your Dog sounds like my Dog*

*I just rescued my poodle about 1 1/2 months ago. I found that he had nasty ears and when I took him to the vet to have him checked out I found it to be yeast infection and then his skin started itching as your dog. I have spent a bundle already at the vet and am getting worried because he still has all the same symptoms. I am considering just cooking his food.*


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

In my experience, taking them to a veterinary dermatologist saved a lot of money and grief. Yes it costs more to start, but they are really better at evaluating and treating then the regular vet, so you save money by getting effective treatment more quickly. They draw quite a bit from human medicine that your regular vet won't have knowledge of our access to!


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## dianaloren (Jan 6, 2014)

crossgjh said:


> *I just rescued my poodle about 1 1/2 months ago. I found that he had nasty ears and when I took him to the vet to have him checked out I found it to be yeast infection and then his skin started itching as your dog. I have spent a bundle already at the vet and am getting worried because he still has all the same symptoms. I am considering just cooking his food.*


my poo had yeast in her ears as well, the ears have cleared up and we're improving with the itching.


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## dianaloren (Jan 6, 2014)

Tiny Poodles said:


> In my experience, taking them to a veterinary dermatologist saved a lot of money and grief. Yes it costs more to start, but they are really better at evaluating and treating then the regular vet, so you save money by getting effective treatment more quickly. They draw quite a bit from human medicine that your regular vet won't have knowledge of our access to!
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


yes I have considered that. I actually found out about the Apoquel medication by reading the blog of a veterinary dermatologist. Here is a link to the article I read Apoquel? | Dermatology for Animals - Part 1. If I dont get results with this vet we're seeing now, I will take her to that clinic since it is close to where I live.
.


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

For shampoo and skin products, give C-Derm a try. It's a little harder to find, but I used throughout my last poodle's life, as he had allergies. The stuff is great (shampoo) and my groomer even complimented the formula as I would bring it with for her when he was groomed, and she uses CC shampoos. It really made a difference for us!

http://www.thepetonline.com/shampoo-cderm-shampoo-c-1106_9_639.html


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

crossgjh said:


> *I just rescued my poodle about 1 1/2 months ago. I found that he had nasty ears and when I took him to the vet to have him checked out I found it to be yeast infection and then his skin started itching as your dog. I have spent a bundle already at the vet and am getting worried because he still has all the same symptoms. I am considering just cooking his food.*


Put a few drops of grape seed extract in his water, daily. You may be surprised with the results. It works from the inside, is inexpensive and really works.


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## HighJump (Oct 26, 2013)

Tiny Poodles said:


> In my experience, taking them to a veterinary dermatologist saved a lot of money and grief. Yes it costs more to start, but they are really better at evaluating and treating then the regular vet, so you save money by getting effective treatment more quickly. They draw quite a bit from human medicine that your regular vet won't have knowledge of our access to!
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I'm just curious...what state you live in and how you found a veterinarian that specializes in just dermatology?


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## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

HighJump said:


> how you found a veterinarian that specializes in just dermatology?


This is one way to locate a specialist. https://www.acvd.org/locator/locator.asp Another is to ask your vet. I'm sure the OP will have more info for you. I went this route to help a friend find a dermatologist for her dog and she was well satisfied with him.


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## HighJump (Oct 26, 2013)

Chagall's mom said:


> This is one way to locate a specialist. https://www.acvd.org/locator/locator.asp Another is to ask your vet. I'm sure the OP will have more info for you. I went this route to help a friend find a dermatologist for her dog and she was well satisfied with him.


Thank you for information--just bookmarked in my favorites 

BTW, love your silver mini. Where abouts did you find her (or she find you, lol)?


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