First GSD - allergies, we think
 

Charlie is our very first GSD and she is just the sweetest, smartest lady ever!! I feel horrible for her, as she is itching non-stop!

She started this itching about a year and a half ago, late summer and it really wasn't bad. We just thought it was the heat at the end of the summer. Then winter came and it wasn't so bad, in the beginning of the season. By the end, she was itching regularly, and the tips of her ears began showing the wear.

We went to the vet, and we discussed possible allergies. They gave us oral steroids to use for two weeks. She had relief of the itchiness, until the steroids wore off. We then were sent to another vet that "knew a lot about allergies" and we paid through the nose for pretty much nothing. We discussed food, and what to try first, etc. And he scraped her ears to see if it was scabies (it was not).

We began the long trial and error process of different proteins in the foods, grain-free, etc. She is currently getting Natural Choice Venison, but it is not the grain-free. We have tried the grain-free, too, with no change.

Now her itching is 100 times worse, and she has goopy eyes almost every day and she is now practically chewing her tail off.

We have never had a pet with allergies, so we are practically clueless as to what to ask, try, do for her. I have an appointment tomorrow for her with our original vet to see what we can do for her.

Any suggestions? Is there allergy testing that can be done for dogs, as with humans? Anything that might be helpful to ask the vet?

:help:

I appreciate any and all feedback - I feel so helpless for her!
Thank you!
~Jen

Have you tried addressing it with diet? A lot of folks have had great success on a raw diet.

There's a lady on this forum who has a website that can get you started: Why You Should Feed a Raw Diet.

I like this one, as well. Super simple: Raw Fed Dogs.

i would get a second opinion from another vet just to be sure nothing was missed.

In my experience, seeing a good specialist will save you a lot of money and trouble.

Could be fleas (some dogs need just one flea to start itching like crazy).
Could be sarcoptic mange
Could be allergies....

Definitely worth seeing a veterinary dermatologist.

Wow Jen, you basically described down to the nail my oldest GSD, Kobe. He started itching late last year and is gradually getting worse. I have switched to every dry food I can find in my area and nothing seems to help. He has done a little better on 4Health turkey and potato, but the problem is still ongoing. I'm thinking I am going to have to find a new vet. My current vet only wants to give steroid shots every visit which only gives temporary relief. They're not good for the dog anyway. Some vets do offer allergy tests on dogs, but I'm not sure exactly the cost. That is my next step I believe. I know there's one test where they draw blood from the dog and perform the test this way. They also can shave a spot on the dog and inject the dog with possible allergens in which they monitor any reactions. I'm not sure which is more effective.

We have a dog with allergies and it is on going. We had her blood tested, but since I've heard both good and bad in regards to its accuracy. They certainly can be allergic to foods, but we noticed with ours, its mostly environmental. We started with steroids, which helped in the short term, but can cause serious problems down the road. We now have her on cyclosporine. It works, but its pricey. We attempted to ween her down to every third day but her symptoms returned, so back to every other day again.

There are some things you can try like feeding some local raw honey, bathing more often, and organic cold pressed coconut oil. All helps a little , but the coconut oil was the most noticeable for us. Good luck.

What is Cyclosporine?

Atopica: A Dangerous Path To Take Dogs Naturally Magazine

Try Bovine colostrum:)