 Barked: Wed Dec 19, '12 7:13am PST |
 | |  | | My 9-year-old Doberman mix has exhibited mild allergies for years, such as licking paws and scratching around the face and ears. Recently, though, the scratching has intensified, apparently the cause of scabs on the nose and around the eyes and ears. Often, immediately after eating, he sneezes once or twice, and rubs his head/ears against furniture in a scratching gesture. Worse yet, recently the gulping / anxiety / grass eating (“GAG”) symptoms have kicked in – and as with Koorazh’s guardian – in the wee hours. Since food allergies can manifest immediately after eating as well as hours later, and itching / scratching accompanies it, I’m 99.9 percent certain allergy is the problem we are dealing with. (Itching is not a GI or bacterial-infection symptom, for example.)
@ Koorazh’s guardian: Your dog’s symptoms very closely match those of my dog’s, with the only-at-night enigma. The only difference is that my dog additionally hacks, sneezes and scratches, and has scabs on his face. But that further convinces me that the “GAG” / itching relates to food allergy – not infection or other condition. And you say relief came -- though not completely -- with a home diet mixed with Natural Balance LID. You may have done a strict elimination diet, but did not specifically say so. If not, I’m wondering if the LID or one of the elements of the home diet contain an irritant that rears its head occasionally, as you indicate. Maybe it is advised to start with, say, rice and cottage cheese for a week . . . then add only one ingredient every couple days to watch for any symptoms that would flag that ingredient. I am dong that now, but still have uncertainty. For example, I started with rice and chicken. He violently reacted that night. So I went to rice and cottage cheese. Same problem. But I’m told that it takes about 5 days to cleanse the system of the previous irritant. So it is necessary to not move to multiple / varied elements until at least one safe ingredient is established for 5 days.
Also, for any others having this problem, I have found that – when my dog awakens me at night with an “episode”—10-30 minutes after administering 2 Benadryl (he is 50 pounds) and a Pepsid AC (20 mg) symptoms resolve. That said, I do not know how long he would suffer had I not given him the meds. Can’t stand to withhold them just to learn the answer.
Sorry for the wordiness here. Just hoping that others with this problem can compare notes, as has Koorazh’s guardian, to share what works and doesn't work. It certainly doesn’t seem to be a thing that veterinarians have a handle on |  |  | |  |
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