Allergies: Cocker Spaniel

For hot spots you can use Gold Bond Medicated powder.  To help prevent ear infections you can use the Blue Power Ear Treatment (not until after your vet's treatment).
http://www.itsfortheanimals.com/Adobe/Blue%20Power%20Ear%20Treatment.pdf

Be sure to give probiotics 2-3 hours after the antibiotic.  The antibiotics kill the good "guys" along with the bad stuff.  If you don't flood the digestive tract with probiotics, the bad "guys" that are not killed by the antibiotic can overpopulate and cause digestive troubles. 

The good "guys" are also responsible for part of the digestion, so probiotics help with that, too.

Have you considered switching him to raw?  Dogs can even be allergic to cooked chicken, but not to raw chicken. 

Steph - we probably need to talk on the phone.  I do a ton of things to cope with Billy's allergies -- homeopathics really help.

Honestly I would have the vet do a culture and sensitivity AFTER the course of antibiotics (after about 2-3 days, NO MORE) and find out *for sure* what specific bacteria are in the ears.  YOu can have quite a chorus of bacterium and then you may not be getting them resolved. 

The blue power ear treatment is the BEST for maintenance unless you use Zymox faithfully EVERY day (twice a day).  In fact I tend to rotate those two and it keeps Billy's ears great.  And remember -- when we took him his ears were SO bad they were swelled shut and I thot he was already deaf!!

But if we can talk about the pattern of where the skin is bad (and it DOES make a difference) I can suggest some stuff.

Frequent bathing helps a lot -- and keeping him in a pretty close (NOT shaved) cut -- keep the ears BARE inside and out.  It helps them ventilate better. 

If you will dip his paws in tea -- just plain black tea -- and then use it to wipe him down.  That helps.  Also -- with the raw paws ... use just plain aloe (either harvest the goo from the inside of the leaves or use aloe liquid like you'd drink) ANYWHERE on the skin and that too will help dry up the skin and soothe the inflammation.

PUt a shirt on him -- ALL THE TIME -- Billy wears a shirt constantly and it is THE biggest help of anything.  It reduces the "itchies" big time.  Put it on tag under his chin -- and use a ponytail holder at the side to bunch up the excess and keep it tight.  Billy wears a youth XS -- change it at least once a day. 

Don't let him go 'out' barefoot -- put baby socks on him (you can get like 7 pair for $5 or so -- and buy one of those little zipper net bags to wash them in) -- it's probably partly a contact allergy.  I've been known to buy rubber cement -- put the socks over the top of a bottle and then paint rubber cement on them and let them dry so it makes it a big water resistant.  But that way he won't break his neck on flooring -- change them often. 

I give mine parboiled chicken backs (i.e. I don't 'cook' them -- I just plunge in boiling water to kill bacteria) -- backs crack off more plaque than anything else.

If you can find a health store (and down here some grocery stores carry it) I use Similisan's "Pink Eye" formula -- it really helps.  Billy has some dry eye so I also put an eye moistener (and I just use Systene or something similar that does NOT have "preservatives" in it -- it's a gel) and that helps.

 I also get a triple antibiotic ointment with some little bit of steroid in it for when the redness crosses the line from temporary to "inflamed".  The other thing my vet gives him is Black Current Seed  Oil capsules and that can help with the dry eye.  You can give them cyclsoporine eye drops but after the IMHA I will do almost anything to avoid that. 

But I even use the Similisan myself -- it is SUPER to help relieve pain in the eyes

calliecritturs

Steph - we probably need to talk on the phone.  I do a ton of things to cope with Billy's allergies -- homeopathics really help.

I'll have to give you a call Sunday late afternoon- is that OK? I'll be in NH Saturday and Maine Sunday morning through the afternoon.

calliecritturs

But if we can talk about the pattern of where the skin is bad (and it DOES make a difference) I can suggest some stuff.

He has psoriasis on his chest and back, and hotspots on his belly and near his boy part.

I also have those booties from Ruffwear that fit Molson (bought them for Patty for in the winter)- would those help like socks? He doesn't like them, but he'll keep them on (at least while I'm watching him).

I forgot to add he's also had anal gland issues. They usually need to be expressed almost everytime he's groomed (so every 3 months or so).

I'm thinking about raw for him because I heard it helps dogs with allergies so much. I just don't know how to get started really. Any good sites?

I haven't read other responses, & I don't have a cocker, but Shooter is an allergy dog.  We used to deal with ear infections, skin infections, hot spots, & icky funky feet.  I spent an arm & a leg on ear drops, antihistamines, antibiotics, & an assortment of other stuff to try to help "fix" him.  I finally broke down, took him to a dermatologist, & had him allergy tested.  We did intradermal allergy testing, determined exactly what he was allergic to, & started desensitization.  Shooter has been getting a weekly injection of antigen for the past year & a half.  So far, he has had no flare ups. 

The allergy testing was expensive, but, for us, it was well worth it.  We spend around $300 a year for Shooter's antigen.  Before starting desensitization, we spent $300 every few months to try to stop his itching & infections.

BEVOLASVEGAS

Before starting desensitization, we spent $300 every few months to try to stop his itching & infections.

That's roughly what we spend now, but only in the spring and fall. *sigh* Mo's such a good dog, I hate to see him suffer like this. A derm might just be what we need considering what we're spending lately. I've just heard so many things about allergies changing often so that you really can't pin point what they're allergic to when it's an environmental allergy.

We already know he's allergic to- or at least doesn't do well on- chicken, beef, soy, corn....there's a few others I just can't think right now, but they're the usual common food allergies.

Later in the afternoon on Sunday would be great.  It's a full weekend here but that will work very well!

Before you decide on allergy testing call around -- call Angell, call Tufts, etc and compare -- it's amazing how different the different places will charge.  I know Cornell in NY State is unbelievably reasonable (or was a few years ago).

Poor little guy---he sounds miserable.  I second the notion of seeing a derm vet.

In the meantime, I would do a few easy things.  We battled environmental allergies last fall---our holistic vet suggested a diet based on tcvm principles---I am going to simplify this to save time---Basically, an allergy dog is in a state of damp heat, and should be fed a diet that is dry and cool--that means a cooked diet with a "cooling" meat---her suggestions for meats were turkey, duck and whitefish (I would take Molson off of the NB fish as it contains salmon---a warming fish---the NB duck formula may be a better bet).  She really liked the Sojos Complete Formula (it contains turkey) with added cooked turkey---the formulation of fruits and veggies in the Sojos are all cooling---and it's easy to use (if you don't want to cook).  We had great luck with the Sojos as well as Stella and Chewy's Duck/Goose freeze dried raw.  In addition to the diet change we added colostrum to his diet on a daily basis.  The combination seems to have done the trick for us---no allergy battles this spring or fall. ( I have also been able to go back to feeding raw, along with a cooked diet).  Molson's condition seems far more advanced, but a change in diet may ease some symptoms.

Callie's suggestion of the Similisan eye drops is great---they work well for allergy, goopy eyes.  For ears, we had great luck with Mometamax--not so much with Zymox.   For the yeasty feet, we had the best results with Douxo wipes--anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal-----easy to use and to get in between paw pads---you can order it online or get it from your vet.  We tried the black tea, and aloe, among other natural remedies to no avail--go figure.  As for the anal gland issue, a diet change may help that, as well.

Good Luck

BEVOLASVEGAS

.  I finally broke down, took him to a dermatologist, & had him allergy tested.  We did intradermal allergy testing, determined exactly what he was allergic to, & started desensitization.  Shooter has been getting a weekly injection of antigen for the past year & a half.  So far, he has had no flare ups

  Amanda, I didn't know you had a dog on desensitization too;  Jessie's been getting the shots about five years now, and they really do help. Before she started the shots, she used to need antibiotics fairly often, to the point where it became impossible to coax her to take any pills, even Benedryl, no matter what they were hidden in. Even Liverwurst didn't work.

BlackLabbie

I've just heard so many things about allergies changing often so that you really can't pin point what they're allergic to when it's an environmental allergy

  Actually, you don't need to retest them for allergies unless they are having flare ups. Jessie started having flare ups after four years on desensitization ( allergen immunotherapy)  so we had her retested last year, and she had become allergic to some molds. She improved quickly after the mix of allergens in her serum was changed. They can pinpoint exactly what your dog is allergic to through testing; which weeds, grasses, etc.; even fabrics. I'm so sorry your baby's suffering so much; (((hugs))).