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ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
by William Stromer

We have an 8 year old female and have had a difficult time with what appears to be allergies - constant scratching and chewing. We have never seen a flea on her and feel that this might be diet related. We will take her to the vet for cortical steriod shots every 4 weeks which help temporarily. However, within a few days she is back at it - scratching an chewing to the point of bleeding. If anyone has experience with this, we would appreciate any advise.

DISCUSSION:

Sorry I haven't expierienced that yet because I haven't recieved my bundle of joy yet, but I think maybe.. Have you put any objects or things in your house that maybe could start her allergies, or has she been like this for a long time? And if the vet can't seem to tell you what it is then who knows? Sorry if I'm not much Help Nikki
-Nikki from New York

If your dog is 8 and just now having problems, I would look at any new cleaners I was using on my carpets and floors, any new plants in the house, shampoos I was using on her, washing detergents I was using on my clothes or beding, etc. I have one dog with sudden allergies that have given her ear problems, but she takes a pill by mouth. In trying to locate what she is allergic to, I found that if I use baby shampoo instead of the dog shampoo I have been using for a couple of months now, the allergy goes away. Might be something simple.
-Marsha A.

We have a three year old female Maltese who was diagnosed with atopic dermatitis (pollen allergies) when she was about 8 months old. She is currently under the care of the dermatologists at a university vet teaching hospital. We have tried everything to relieve her symptoms...special diets, antihistamines, antidepressants, special shampoos, etc. The only thing that helped was Prednisone, which as you know, cannot be used long term. She was blood and skin tested for allergies which showed she was sensitive to quite a varitey of trees, grasses, weeds, etc. She has been on allergy shots for over a year, but, I am sorry to say, we see no improvement. To keep her from mutilating herself from all the chewing and licking, we keep her in an Elizabethan collar at night and when we aren't around to keep an eye on her. The vets have told us this type of allergy is quite common in the Maltese breed and tends to run in families. We have also been told dogs with this allergy are usually very allergic to flea bites so it's very important to keep them in a flea free environment. Perhaps you should think about asking your vet about referring your dog to a vet dermatologist for allergy testing. It's always possible your dog doesn't have pollen allergies but, as another poster suggested, is sensitive to one particular thing in your house.
-Alice

Our 8 year old maltese also has allergies. Our vet recommended putting Aveeno anti-itch cream on her. Available anywhere. It is for people but works on her very well. Hope it works for your dog too.
-Sandi