# How to Tell a Food Allergy v. Environmental Allergy?



## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

How do you tell whether your dog has a food allergy or an environmental allergy (e.g. pollen, fleas)? Or no allergy? About a month ago, Zulu began scratching like mad. Then it slowed down but he started biting himself more (I think he had scratched so hard he caused bleeding, then bit the scabs off). He's pretty much back to normal now, but I have no idea what caused it in the first place. When he was in the worst of it, I took him off chicken, beef, and lamb foods, bathed him frequently, dusted him with DE, and wiped him down when he came in the house from outside.


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## Tobi (Mar 18, 2011)

Allergy testing is about the only fool proof way imo. did you change detergents or anything, and wash their bedding in it maybe?
or if you can think of anything else that possibly changed?


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## KittyKat (Feb 11, 2011)

Tobi said:


> Allergy testing is about the only fool proof way imo. did you change detergents or anything, and wash their bedding in it maybe?
> or if you can think of anything else that possibly changed?


Agreed... anything new in the house could be the cause, dryer sheets, cleaners etc. Could be exterior allergies too. Anything in their food changed?


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## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

No, nothing changed in food or detergents/cleansers. To be on the safe side, when he started scratching I also began washing everything exclusively in a hypo-allergenic detergent. All household cleaners remained the same.


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## lily (May 16, 2011)

its a real mine field ,ive been feeding annie raw for almost 8 months now hoping its food related ,i did switch her back to kibble but it only lasted 2 weeks as her face was a mess ,so back onto raw,i know she reacts to wool so we dont let her come into contact with it and yet she still scratches!!,we have cleared any moisture from where she sleeps ,we dont smoke in the house,i wash all her bedding on the highest heat ,i only clean the floors with boiling water ,she sleeps on cotton bedding ,she has no yeast or fleas but still the itchy problem ,the only place she itches is her belly and pits,no paw chewing ,but she sheds so much all the time,ive asked about testing but my vet reckons it throws too many false/positives and would be a waste of money,perhaps shes allergic to humans lol,its very frustrating ,karen


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## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

It is frustrating, Karen. As his symptoms decrease, I may add in the foods I took out of rotation and see how he does. I've been treating him with lamb lung, so I doubt it's the lamb or beef. When I add chicken back into the rotation, that will answer that question.


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## Jack Monzon (Jul 25, 2010)

My regular vet told me food-related allergies tend to involve more face itching -- rubbing the face on the carpet, rubbing it with their arms, etc. He acknowledged that this is just what he observed, and there's no proof to it.

Most allergies are environmental. Chances are, some kind of pollen or weed put him over his threshold.


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## hmbutler (Aug 4, 2011)

I've been wondering about this as well, as Duke has been scratching/licking/chewing around his groin (where he has a bit of a rash) and down his back legs, to the point where he has a few scabby scratches. I'm assuming from the fur that he has been biting the top of his tail too. He doesnt have any fleas, but he's been doing it since about the beginning of Spring, so I'm putting it down to environmental allergy. I've been told by a vet nurse friend there isn't a lot to do except some injections that she gives her dog for allergies (I'd rather avoid that though) and nappy rash cream on the rash itself... At this point, I'm just trying to distract him when I notice him licking or chewing the areas! But it is very frustrating, not knowing what it is, how long/often it annoys him and where it came from :frown:


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## Khan (Jan 17, 2010)

I don't know if there is a "Fool proof" way of testing for them. When I was first doing the elimination process and moving through the kibble before finding raw, I had already found a few food items that Khan was sensitive/allergic to, and my vet told me that even if I had had the testing, it would never have given me the results for a couple of those items because they don't even test for them! The test was 300 bucks for both food and environment and still you end up with very broad and inconclusive findings. Glad I opted to just do the work myself!
I think about the only thing you can do for sure is get the food allergy under control. For me/Khan that is the variable that always is in check. I know exactly what he's getting ALL the time. IF something new is given and there is a reaction, pretty obvious that was the culprit. Because I know the food is controlled the environmental ones are not as hard to spot. As an example, I don't "know" for sure what pollen, grass, tree is the specific cause; but I do know that during the spring/summer there is something, or a combination of some things that cause him an allergic reaction. I keep him on an OTC allergy pill (this year it was Zyrtec) for about 6 months. This routine seems to keep him comfortable and the symptoms under control. Whatever is in the air during those months is not around during the fall/winter, so he's been off the pills since October. It may not be perfect but again because the symptoms are under control when there is a flare up, I can usually tell what caused the problem. As an example, he was symptom free when I bought a new dog bed. Within a couple days his eyes were red, his ears, tummy and inner thighs were starting to get read and blotchy. The bed had some cedar in it, and that was the problem. Once I took that away so did the symptoms. Again, may not be a perfect system; but I've come to know the early signs and can usually get them under control while figuring out what the cause was.
hmbutler, I've had to take him in for a shot a couple times, when the symptoms were too far ahead of me for the OTC pill to kick in. It at least calms things down quickly and gives him relief a lot faster. The bed was a good example of when he needed a shot. I agree that it's not something I want to do all the time.


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## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

Gina - what dosage of Zyrtec do you use for Khan? I'm going to put chicken back in the rotation this week to see if he flares up, but I tend to think it was an environmental allergy and I want to be prepared for next time.


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## twoisplenty (Nov 12, 2008)

We've done the Benedryl for a couple of our guys ( 1mg per lb). We have had success with rubber boats on our one girl. She seems to have a contact allergy to grass, so as soon as the snow melts she never goes outside without her rubber boots. It has significantly helped, her feet use to get super red and raw looking. We did allergy testing for food and it came back clear but she does like to rub her chin on the carpet, so I dont know whats going on there. We raw feed, dont use any scented detergents and only use hot water and vinegar to clean. We wash bedding weekly in a hypo allergenic shampoo.

I am also interested in the Zyrtec dosage as I would like to give that one a try next year.

Allergies are a pain in the butt but seem to more and more common as the years pass. I know some people believe they are hereditary, others arent so sure. We refuse to breed any dog that is showing signs of allergies just in case. What are your views on the hereditary or not debate?


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## Jack Monzon (Jul 25, 2010)

twoisplenty said:


> I am also interested in the Zyrtec dosage as I would like to give that one a try next year.


My vet instructed me to give up to 1.25 pills per meal (twice daily). I can't remember the mg offhand -- I think each pill is 10mg.

My dog weighs 52 lbs. and is 2 years old.


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## lily (May 16, 2011)

antihistamines have no effect on annie at all,its strange that she only scratches her pits and belly especially her nipples!!,all i so is treat the symptoms now,nappy rash cream and a tshirt at night to avoid any secondary infections,i too wanted a litter off annie but thats out of the question now,id like to get her spayed but due to the itching she would do a lot of damage on the operation site,i cant figure out why she doesnt chew her paws ,perhaps its airborn as she sneezes a lot ,karen


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## Jack Monzon (Jul 25, 2010)

Lily: Have you tried every antihistamine available? There are also two or three prescription antihistamines available.


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## Khan (Jan 17, 2010)

SpooOwner said:


> Gina - what dosage of Zyrtec do you use for Khan? I'm going to put chicken back in the rotation this week to see if he flares up, but I tend to think it was an environmental allergy and I want to be prepared for next time.


I used the 24hr dosage, so I would give him 1 pill every morning. I think the pills were 25-30mgs and at 120lbs, that's pretty low, since "technically" he could have 1mg per pound. 
Just remember that all allergy pills are not created equal. Last year the Zyrtecs did nothing, so I used Walmart generic Benadryl. This year however the Walmart generic Zyrtec worked great. Just like some people have better luck with Claritan, Allegra, etc. The dogs seem to be the same. If you use one for about a week without seeing any results, I would try another brand.

Hopefully that helps.


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## hmbutler (Aug 4, 2011)

Khan said:


> I used the 24hr dosage, so I would give him 1 pill every morning. I think the pills were 25-30mgs and at 120lbs, that's pretty low, since "technically" he could have 1mg per pound.
> Just remember that all allergy pills are not created equal. Last year the Zyrtecs did nothing, so I used Walmart generic Benadryl. This year however the Walmart generic Zyrtec worked great. Just like some people have better luck with Claritan, Allegra, etc. The dogs seem to be the same. If you use one for about a week without seeing any results, I would try another brand.
> 
> Hopefully that helps.


So these are just human grade hayfever/antihistamine tablets? Is there anything in particular I need to watch out for, or could I try any of them on Duke? I'd much rather give him something like this than an injection. I assume as there are no real health concerns for humans taking antihistamine each day, it's ok for a dog too?


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## Khan (Jan 17, 2010)

hmbutler said:


> So these are just human grade hayfever/antihistamine tablets? Is there anything in particular I need to watch out for, or could I try any of them on Duke? I'd much rather give him something like this than an injection. I assume as there are no real health concerns for humans taking antihistamine each day, it's ok for a dog too?


Yep, these are just the allergy pills that are on all the store shelves. Most all of the adult tablets will be 25mg (1mg per lb) If you give a 12hr tablet, I would give 2 pills in the morning and 2 pills in the evening. I just throw it in Khan's food bowl, and he's got no idea they are there. If you are giving a 24hr pill you should be able to give 1 pill a day and that should do the trick. 

I don't have any concerns about using them. It's a cheap, easy, and non steroid fix, for his environmental allergies 6 months out of the year. The only concern I have is what one will work, when they are out of the one I'm using!
Like I said, last year this one didn't work, this year however, it worked perfectly.


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## hmbutler (Aug 4, 2011)

Khan said:


> Yep, these are just the allergy pills that are on all the store shelves. Most all of the adult tablets will be 25mg (1mg per lb) If you give a 12hr tablet, I would give 2 pills in the morning and 2 pills in the evening. I just throw it in Khan's food bowl, and he's got no idea they are there. If you are giving a 24hr pill you should be able to give 1 pill a day and that should do the trick.
> 
> I don't have any concerns about using them. It's a cheap, easy, and non steroid fix, for his environmental allergies 6 months out of the year. The only concern I have is what one will work, when they are out of the one I'm using!
> Like I said, last year this one didn't work, this year however, it worked perfectly.


Thanks heaps for that, I never even considered using human medicines on dogs before reading how many people do it on here! I'm going overseas for a week on Thursday, so I might start it when I get back (I would like to keep an eye on him and see if it helps, rather than ask my friend to do it). Fingers crossed I can get one that works for him! Poor bugger keeps chewing his rashes, must be so itchy!


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## lily (May 16, 2011)

Jack Monzon said:


> Lily: Have you tried every antihistamine available? There are also two or three prescription antihistamines available.


yes i have a stock of them lol,even the vet prescription one does nothing so i dont give them to her now,karen


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## Jack Monzon (Jul 25, 2010)

hmbutler said:


> So these are just human grade hayfever/antihistamine tablets? Is there anything in particular I need to watch out for, or could I try any of them on Duke? I'd much rather give him something like this than an injection. I assume as there are no real health concerns for humans taking antihistamine each day, it's ok for a dog too?


Antihistamines and allergy shots are apples and oranges. One alleviates symptoms; one desensitizes the subject to the allergens.

Yes, there are things you need to watch out for. Do not give any antihistamines to your dog that contain anything other than the main ingredient. I.e., some contain pseudoephedrine, which is harmful. You should really be talking to your vet about this.


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## Khan (Jan 17, 2010)

Jack Monzon said:


> Antihistamines and allergy shots are apples and oranges. One alleviates symptoms; one desensitizes the subject to the allergens.
> 
> Yes, there are things you need to watch out for. Do not give any antihistamines to your dog that contain anything other than the main ingredient. I.e., some contain pseudoephedrine, which is harmful. You should really be talking to your vet about this.


Thank you! I guess I "assumed" that the OTC allergy pills would NOT be containing any pseudophedrine. We can only get that kind of medicine here BEHIND the pharmacy counter!! Thanks for pointing that out!!


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