Steriod question

Oh I guess my main question is NOT what you think is wrong with the Westie but Why would a Steriod give him NO RELIEF?
 
I thought Steriods gave relief???
 
thanks Kim

The few times my younger goldens ever took them for hot spots (before my vet showed me how to really care for them at home) they worked just great.  thanks goodness, we rarely  have a hot spot now.  I have no idea why the steroids will not work.

She's in LA and this is on belly area?  St. Augustine sod!  He's laying in it daily so the steroid won't help because it is contantly new irritation.
 
Aloe should help (scrape the goo out of split leaves) -- but the only way they could tell is bathe him in a benzoyl peroxide shampoo (good grease cutter and it will help heal) and NOT let him contact the floor at all (it's on their rugs and everything -- it's a contact allergy and 2d or 3rd contact is just as nasty as walking thru it).  So put him in baby onzies and socks and spread white sheets on the floor  and keep him on them totally (so it can't rub thru the onzie) and see if aloe gives relief and healing.  Short of making him sore that will help elminate that potential allergen. 
 
We just ripped up our entire yard and spent thousands to put in an irrigation system and Flori-tam sod.  So we'll eat rice for a while -- I'm SO tired of ST. Augustine woes.  *sigh*

So put him in baby onzies and socks

That works, here! I just have to find some little shoes that are appropriate for everyday wear. I'm afraid that Teenie's allergies are probably contributing to her foot sores and foot shredding (why not? It made sores on her chest, before she was covered up all the time).

I'd probably shave the kid, so I could wash him, easily, every couple of days. It makes a real difference, with the contact allergies.

Is it an oral steroidal hormonal medication or an injection? It would make a big difference.
Also do you know which one was used (?)
The injection should work even when the oral does not. It goes back to absorption.
Many dogs with immune issues have poor intestinal absorption due to inflammation of the lining.
Often injections work better until the inflammation improves and then the dog can go on oral medication, as was the case with my dog.
 

Callie she is Fairhope, Alabama 
Im going to copy what you wrote and send it to her....
 
If she gives Mulligan and prednisone pill it won't stop his horrible itching. She did finally but baby tee shirts on him so he can lick and dig at himself. Mulli is a Rescue so we don't know his history but she has owned him for 4 years now.
 
As for a Steriod injection I will as Janie if she has done this with him or not. But Steriods aren't what we want to do ... we want to get to the bottom of this..... It has everyone stumped.....
 
thanks for your input and if you have anymore thoughts I'll keep checking back here...
 
Kim
 
 

so he can lick and dig at himself.

 
That was supposed to be so HE CAN"T lick and dig at himself... Im horrible about proof reading and my cat is climbing on me as I type... LOL so bare with my post at times...LOL

She'll need to put onezies on him -- depending on the size either baby or toddler onzies or "jammies" work well -- you can put the tail thru the boy's placket and put a slit in it for the penis (just tack it under with craft glue if nothing more). 
 
Keeping an allergy dog covered often helps in any event and sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do in order to get past the critical period.  She's got to find out *what* specifically is bothering him in order to make a plan to deal with it. 
 
A dog allergic to St. Augustine has to be walked on concrete -- sometimes you have to fence off a specific part of the lawn and either just put down wood chips or something like concrete.  Then you have to be super conscious of where he lays -- you shampoo your carpet with a good degreaser and then FOREVER you require everyone to leave their shoes at the door and walk in sock-feet.  It surely can be done but doing some investigating before can help you figure out what to do longer term. 
 
It's like going hiking in the spring -- you come home and don't even KNOW you walked thru poison ivy -- but next spring you clean that closet where those old boots are, pull out the boots and then scratch your nose with your fingers -- and YOU get poison ivy on your face!  How'd I get that???  It's called "secondary contact". 
 
You have a co-worker at work who has a Wandering Jew plant at her desk -- leaves drop off and onto the floor and you step on one.  But then you cross your ankles and your shoe rubs onto the fabric of your slacks.  You change your shoes when you get home BUT the dog leans against you and rubs his face on your slacks?  That's "tertiary contact". 
 
Wandering Jew and Night Blooming Jasmine are horrific contact allergens even for people.  I've seen my husband out hacking down the creepers off our back fence (which are largely those two plants) and he'll come in with his arms a mass of bumps just from the oil debris flying all over as he chops the stuff up!!!  If you look in any gardening description, it describes both of them as a serious irritant.  And it's even worse for a dog who is actually allergic to it. 

I think what Sophia says makes sense.  They put Sassy on 2 weeks of oral steroids last spring.  It was the first (and only) time we've ever used it and it did absolutely nothing for her too.  The vet was a bit perplexed because she too said if it was allergies, she should've had a positive response.  We've since had Sassy allergy tested and she's highly allergic to just about everything.  We're using Atopica right now, which is similar to steroids, and it's working beautifully.  It could be a combination of what Callie says, the dogs still being exposed daily to the allergen and the oral steroids just aren't strong enough. 

Here is Janies reply...... she is the one that Iv been asking about....
 

Wow, Kim we do have St. Augustine in the back yard.  It is the only thing that will grow in the shade.  I don't know that I can do everything they say.  Sheets on the floors, etc.  I will try to find some aloe vera plant to use. I found the statement about not being able to adsorb the steroids due to imflamation of the stomach lining interesting.  We didn't do a shot.  After the allergy test are over, I might ask for one shot for some quick relief.  His belly looks like hamburger.  AWWWWKKK   

When you have a dog sensitive to St. Augustine it get really overwhelming really fast.  But even if they put the dog in onzies it WILL help enormously.  Then you can do the other stuff as you can.  It looks silly but it helps SO much.  But it sounds SO like contact allergy it's not funny.
 
You can buy aloe, but it's not as good as the plant.  But tell her it needs to be 100% aloe vera if she buys it -- NOT a gel or cream with aloe *in* it.  That wont work.  Tell her good luck.  C

My first thought is contact allergies. What does she use as a detergent for bedding, to clean the floors with, clean the carpet with (what type carpet, what is it made from, nylon, wool, etc.), anything this dog comes in contact with could cause an allergic reaction. I work with a Veterinary Dermatologist who sends people home with an "allergic profile" to fill out over the period of a week. She can often isolate triggers from this list. Also what antihistamines has this dog been one, just because one doesn't work, doesn't mean another wouldn't work great. My Newf/Lab mix responded great with Hydroxyzine but nothing else would work, including steriods either oral or injectable.