seasonal allergies

[kasia]

My Mooi seems to have developed seasonal allergies - since april, he's had a runny nose, and has been lately licking his paws. he's raw fed (no veggies at all), and i haven't given him anything new recently, so i'm assuming it's not diet related. since it's been so nice outside, we also have been going to the park and sitting out in the garden more. i've been wiping him every time we get home from outside, but is there anything i can do to reduce the paw itching? (i've been spraying his paws with bitter apple which does deter him from licking them, but he's still itchy so that doesn't solve the problem). thanks in advance for any advice, kasia

[imogene]

How old is Mooi ? Belzie didn't have her first real allergy season until she was about 8-9 months old, and she was pretty miserable that first year. She was not too bad last year, but we keep antihistamines handy just in case she has a flare up. Both Belzie and Sam have had some bad days this year, but we are pretty far into Allergy season where we are.

I would talk to your vet about an antihistamine. You can use benadryl (over the counter) but we have a 10 mg antihistamine that works well for Belzie without turning her into a dope head. If Mooi's paws are really red, and smelly I would take him to the vet to have them checked out. It could be a yeast or bacterial infection - and infections usually require a topical treatment to eliminate them.

Oh the dosage for Benadryl is 1 mg for every lb. but you can start with half that and see if it is enough to make a difference.

It may be coincidental but I noticed an improvement in the redness once I started Belzie on Coconut oil.

[kasia]

thanks for the advice. mooi will be 10 months old next week. toronto has had a really warm april but things are beginning to grow pretty rapidly now (my own allergies are kicking in:)). his paws are not smelly, so i don't think there is any infection yet. i've been checking paws and belly every day to detect any changes - it doesn't seem to be getting worse yet, but the areas are definitely pinker than before. he also has a pretty runny nose which he didn't before (as much as i know i shouldn't enjoy his misery, the runny nose is kind of endearing. can these dogs be anymore like kids:) ).

thanks for the advice on the antihistamines, i will talk to the vet if his symptoms worsen.

[kasia]

imogene,

one last question - the antihistamines you're using are prescribed, not over the counter stuff?

[imogene]

The vet prescribed Novo Hydroxyzin - her first prescription was 20 mg - but it made her really sleepy so I asked our vet to lower the dosage so now she has 10 mg - which is enough to help her itchiness, but not be so tired. If she gets really bad I give her 2 pills a day. She needed some daily in April, but has been okay since then. I try not to medicate her unless she is really uncomfortable.

Since Mooi is 9 months you're in the same boat as we were with Belzie. This is his first real allergy season. Once it started to warm up and she was exposed to grass she got hives and red paws, itching and sneezing, ear infections. Thankfully her second Summer was not as bad - she puffed up a couple times but I think it was from bug bites not seasonal allergies. Hopefully next year wont be as hard on him.

[kasia]

thanks, i hope you're right and next summer will be easier. it's the saddest thing to see a dog dying to go to the park and then sneezing for hours after:(