Allergy testing - costs, best type?

I had always heard that skin testing was a lot more expensive, because they test individual things,,,but honestly I don't know.   We had Ollie blood tested which worked out really good.  I don't know what Mike paid though...I know he said no more than going to the vet anyway....but I will try to find out. Problem is he never answers phone calls or emails....but I will try.  Plus my neighbor took her Molly to the same doctor, don't know if she was tested or not,,,I will ask her.
I don't blame you for finally doing it! Poor Sassy!  It all helped Ollie soooo much,,,,I sure hope it works for you!

Thanks Dyan.  I was hoping you'd see this.  I guess I honestly don't care about the cost at this point (heck, spent close to $1,000 trying to clear up the tummy infection - which happens to look worse tonight []).  I was just curious about what to expect.  Sassy's been doing the stand on 3 legs and itch with the back one a lot the last few weeks.  Tonight she was also pawing at her eyes and her nose is super drippy.  On top of all that, I gave her the Benadryl and she usually doesn't notice it, but it broke in the food and she was visibly disgusted by the taste and looked at me like "mom, what are you putting in this food?"  I'm just sick of it and I know she is too.

Poor Sassy!  She sounds miserable.  And I KNOW you are also, because of it. I know how I was with Ollie.   He just was always scratching and taking medicine..and it always came right back.      He had blood tests and they tauht Mike to give the shots weekly.   He could have taken him in for them but decided he could do it.    Benadryl never  made a difference with him.  Now, he hardly scratches at all. 

Now, he hardly scratches at all.

Music to my ears.  My husband is an EMT, so he could handle the shots.  I am totally needle-phobic, so I'll pass.  I can't even look when they do Sassy's heartworm test.  It's like an empathetic thing for me...I can actually feel the pain of the needle going in.  Good thing I've got an office job [].

  First visit-$392 total; That included $104 for the initial exam(she charged $25 for each time after that), thyroid test(they sent it to Michigan State), urinalysis, skin cultures, a prescription antihistamine, an ointment for her feet(worked great), and the blood test for allergens, which was $110.

Second visit $388 total; That included the intradermal skin test -$140, office visit $25 , sedation for skin test $36, and the imunotherapy vaccine, which was $167. There was a $20 pharmacy charge too. Although I paid for the vaccine it wasn't ready for about a week. They showed me how to give the injection and had me do it to see if I could. Whether or not you give the shots is up to you; they give you printed instructions about how to store the vial, measure the vaccine, and give the injection. I did the shots for about four weeks; then Jessie, who had never whined or yelped when she had shots before, started yelping when I gave her a shot, and even though I knew I was doing them right it made me nervous. I started taking her to the vet for the shots.They charge $10, which isn't bad, and keep the vaccine there. I give her a treat just before and after the shot as per the vet's suggestion.

So the two visits cost $780. Now she only goes in for rechecks about three times a year and the charge is $25. She is on the maintenance dose of the vaccine and one vial lasts about six months and costs $167.

The cost of the blood and skin test are about the same, but you need to factor in the anesthesia for the skin test. The skin test is considered more reliable because the dog is injected with allergens to see which ones he reacts to and to what extent ( they use a scale to gauge the size of the wheals). The blood test is also a good indicator. My regular vet doesn't do the skin test but has good results with the blood test.  My derm vet did the blood test first and used the results to judge which allergens to use for the skin test. She then based her decision on which allergens to include in the vaccine by the reactions from the skin test. Also, a few of the numbers for allergens were so high from the blood test that she did not include them in the skin test to avoid a severe systemic allergic reaction.
  You won't be able to give Sassy antihistamines for about two weeks prior to each test. I didn't give Jessie steroids but did use a spray with a steroid and I couldn't use that for 21 days prior to the tests.They told me that it could take as long as six months to see improvement in Jessie, but about a month after we started the shots she bagan improving and after two months she was doing very well. I hope that Sassy responds quickly when treatment is begun. Good luck!
  I should mention that the derm vet I see is at a veterinary teaching hospital and a private derm vet may charge more. One example is the Bactoderm ointment she prescibed; I paid $12 dollars for it but my regular vet charges $25 dollars.



 

gosh, I do puppy shots, all my dogs shots except rabies......my cocker Rusty needed IV fluids every other day and I did that too.  When I was in college a few years back (not that I'm THAT young) I was every nursing students favorite when they were trying to get their draws in to sit for the certification exam.  The only sticks that bothered me were the ones in my one hand.

Thanks Janice!! That was very helpful and actually less than I expected.  I checked with UC Davis which is nearby and they said they charge about as much as any derm vet, so that was good to know.  I also really like this vet and she seems genuinely concerned about Sassy (and has a lab puppy herself).  I'm very ready to be on the road to resolving this, so I think I'll make the call tomorrow.  I thought they told me I'd have to stop antihistamines for the skin test but not for the blood test, but I'll ask when I call.

Glenda- folks like you are my hero!  I hope (believe) I'd rise to the occasion if I absolutely had to give shots to myself or anyone I loved, including my dogs.  I just know that when I was a dental asst. and had the opportunity to become an oral surgery asst, but I'd have to start all the IVs, I realized it just wasn't something I could do.  They say "you get used to it" and maybe you do, but to this day, needles make my stomach flip flop. 

For Candy, (I'm looking at the sheet here from 2002) it was $880 for the skin test/exam. I think it varies from practice to practice.
I it was $330 for the initial exam, and alltogether $425 for the sedation/actual allergy test, and then $125 for the actual serum.
Just a little asside- I had to leave the room when they were doing the test because Candy was out cold, and I guess I just couldn't bear to see her laying there in that state. I got nauseous.
 
It took about 3-4 months before we saw improvement, but by that time, she had a whole lot of other problems going on, so her skin was not our first concern. I am glad though that she passed away with hair on her tail. She was bald before she started the shots.

Honestly, the BIG IV needle bothered me alot, cuz I knew it had to hurt my sweet, "I'll do anything for Mom" boy.  But it had to be done.

Thanks Laura - I feel the same way about most medical stuff.  It scares me in a strange way (yet, I'm addicted to medical shows like ER - go figure).  So you did see some results in Candy?  I'm so sorry to hear that she passed away shortly afterwards.  I worry that Sassy is like that. She just seems so prone to every infection and those are the things we can see.  I have no idea what's going on inside her body, but I do worry about it.
I know that some folks talk about the dangers (cancer) of the allergy shots but if you have a dog who's everyday seems miserable, it doesn't seem like there are many options.  Sassy is probably about 6 and hopefully has at least 6-7 years left with us, and I'd like to make those as healthy and happy as possible.

http://www.varlallergy.com/aboutus.html

Dogtor J has reccomended this one to me. I know that I can give allergy shots to Emma, and I'm *almost* to the point of accepting that I'm going to have to just get over it and do the testing. If she'd just quit having freak illnesses, maybe I could have the money on hand to have it done.

I know that some folks talk about the dangers (cancer) of the allergy shots but if you have a dog who's everyday seems miserable, it doesn't seem like there are many options. Sassy is probably about 6 and hopefully has at least 6-7 years left with us, and I'd like to make those as healthy and happy as possible

I think the possible connection to allergy shots and cancer comes from Martin Goldstein's book, "The Nature of Animal healing". I read the book and although I enjoyed it I found his reasoning about allergy shots and cancer to be faulty. His explanation was that since Goldens are known for having allergies and also have a fair amount of cancer, there could be a link between allergen immunotherapy and cancer. You don't need to be a scientist to see that is rather flimsy reasoning.
 
  Also, you could be right about giving antihistamines before the blood test but not the skin test; it's been over a year since Jessie went through the testing so my memory about it is probably wrong.

Thanks Jennie.  That looks interesting and is here in California, so I'll definitely print it out and take it when I go to the vet.  I like to be as informed as possible and this looks promising.
I definitely know what you mean about the freak illnesses and trying to get those under control first.  I've barely been able to get a handle on this skin infection and so it's that and the other symtoms that are making me feel the urgency to get the allergy testing done.  For all I know, she's allergic to our carpet and laying on it every day.

Cathy, did you get the pm I sent you with a link to read? 
 
I did get in touch with my neighbor who took her dog to the skin specialist we took Ollie to,,, she said:

Molly got blood test and they did scrapings of the skin also, seems to me if I remember correctly it     cost me somewhere around $170.

 
About cancer and allergy shots...I really hadn't read that, only people on this board talking about it. Not that I don't believe it, but I also believe that vaccinations and pesticides we are giving and putting on our dogs are also causing problems such as cancer.. so to think of NOT trying to help them thru their lives with allergy shots while they are suffering so...it not the right thing to do. FOR ME that is.   If they can not be comfortable in their lives, its very sad thing. AND we don't know if they will cause cancer and we don't know what the other things we are doing will  cause it either.  Just my opinion.