allergies disappearing?

Andrea - I'd be very interested in what you find out.  I'm having what we think are allergy problems with my lab, Sassy.  Have you been using a serum antigen (allergy shots) on your dog?  I suspect that once you've given those for some time (I would think it would take longer than a year) then the dog no longer recognizes it as an allergen.  I could be wrong, but I think that's the whole point is to slowly introduce the allergen to the body until it no longer sees it as something it has to react to.  It sounds successful, but are you happy with the results?

Hi Cathy! I'm sorry to hear about the problems you and Sassy are having. It's really frustrating to diagnose something like this, isn't it?

We actually haven't been doing allergy shots. We considered them but decided to first try some natural treatments, and then try the shots if that didn't help. So, we switched food (and mixed food with some probiotics), as well as stopping heartworm/ vaccine boosters/ etc when her allergies were very severe (and they were awful at the time-- bald hindquarters and at least 5 hot spots at any given time). We also did a couple homeopathic remedies, although I don't recall the specific remedy used. It seemed to do the trick for a while, until recently when her hot spots have started to flare again (which is why we retested). So, it's very puzzling!

    Hi drea,  How confident is your vet in the accuracy of the blood testing and the skin testing for food allergies? The vet I work with was trained by an excellent dermatologist at Purdue University and he told me that skin testing does not work for food allergies and blood testing for food allergies can be unreliable. We determined that Jessie was allergic to chicken through a food elimination diet, which , according to our veterinary dermatologist, is the only accurate way to detect a food allergy. So, IMO, I would doubt the test results, based on how my veterinary dermatologist and regular vet determine food allergies. I hope someone with an experience like yours can be of more help.

So you tested for allergens and then eliminated what you could from the diet and environment?  That is very interesting and now the test shows that the allergen is gone...hmmm.  Kind of makes one question the accuracy of the allergy testing right?  I admire you for taking a different route and you may be getting as good or better results than had you gone with the allergy shots.  From what I hear, even the dogs that are getting the allergy shots still have some problems - some times of the year.  I sure wish there some reliable place to look that would tell you if you do this, your success rate will be ???, and if you do this, your success rate will be ???  All of information is very confusing and if money were no issue, I'd just pursue them all until I found the right one.  Unfortunately, money is an issue and I need to be prepared to make a decision pretty soon.

Thanks for the responses everyone!

Jessie's Mom -- I think you raise a very interesting point about the food elimination diet. We will have to revisit that given the blood results we've gotten may not be reliable.

Cathy-- I can completely relate. I wish everything didn't have to be such trial and error... it really gets so expensive and frustrating! Hang in there, I'm sure you and Sassy will find some relief soon.

Even the "allergy formulas" usually contain SOMETHING besides the listed foods.  Vitamins, minerals, preservatives...something.
 
The BEST elimination diet is going to be a home prepared one....one carb and one protein source only.  And, of course the calcium supplement...and probably the most natural one to use would be either eggshell powder OR human grade bone meal.

        drea, Glenda's right about the type of elimination diet you need to try. Did you test for environmental allergies too?  Had the vet who did the skin test done several others? It's important that someone who has a lot of experience with skin testing do it because the test is subjective. The vet has to use their own judgement in deciding if a reaction is enough to indicate an allergy when they look at the bumps on the dog's skin. Unlike the blood test, there are no numbers to go by, it's based on training and experience.

Hi all, the more I read on here the more confused I get.  Cathy even though my dog Brandy does not seem to be as bad off as Sassy, she still scratches and licks like crazy causing sores if I am not on top of things.  I just got her clipped right down to keep the skin clean and breathing and it is still cold and snow here in Ottawa, Canada.  I knew that she had recently had a couple of hot spots that I was treating the best I could with giving the lose dose steroid as a last resort and I also have creams to put on them when they are really bad.  yet I was so surprised to see these big black spots on her coat from where the hot spots were.  Does anyone know what caused the skin to go black once the hot spots heal?  Also I use solid gold on her coat, a shampoo.  What do you all think.  This was recommended to me by another allergy dog owner.  Now back to the original post.  Drea, I don't understand this testing stuff for allergies.  Like Cathy I have had it with the guessing game and started to think about getting the testing done for Brandy.  My understanding is that this all could cost well over $600. and that is not including the serum if she would have to go that route.  I did not think I would have to keep retesting.  I cannot afford that.  I am at a lost as to what to do for this poor dog.  Glenda for homecooking where do you buy human grade calcium was it? Right now Brandie has been on a vet prescribed can and kibble diet (elimination) and she got into a cuple of food things off of her diet and now what.  Did I just lose 3 weeks of the diet?? So frustrating. And the dog scratches andlicks the same amount.  Also thinking of getting her teeth cleaned for about $350. here as her breath is disgusting and healthy teeth, healthy body.  I need to marry a millionaire or a vet.  What's a girl to do???? Cindy   

Wow Cindy - I sure do know how you feel.  I wouldn't worry too much about her getting into foods off the diet, but I'd sure try to prevent it.  It may set you back a bit, but it's like any diet, you just have to plug on with it.  We've been like hawks with Sassy.  I cooked some pork chops last weekend and my husband said "hey, we can actually give Sassy some of this right?"  I almost said "yes" and then remembered I used olive oil, garlic and white wine to saute them, and so decided it just wasn't safe to try.  It's a huge pain, but I'm hoping it'll pay off.  It's been 4 weeks now and I'm not bending for 8 more weeks [].
I've read a little about skin discolorations after infections, so that may be what's going on with your girl.  Next time you're at your vet, I'd ask about it.  I use the Nu Sal T shampoo and have had great results with it.  We tried others and they didn't do a thing, so we've stuck with it. I really don't know anything about Solid Gold.  I found that using a solution of strong tea to wipe down the feet really helped.  My vet also recommended a final bath rinse of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water. 
The retesting for allergies is confusing to me too, so I'm anxious to hear more about that.  I'm concerned about the cost but won't mind it if it's the answer to the problems.  I just wish the vet were more enthusiastic about it.  I think she just wants to see how the infections clear up before she makes a final detirmination.  Guess that's better than jumping the gun and wasting time and money.
I wish you could give Brandy a raw bone to help clean her teeth but I guess that wouldn't be a good idea on the prescription diet.  I am a believer now that it helps so much and the best part is they love it too.  Is a dental cleaning really $350??  Wow, that seems steep but I guess it's because of the anesthesia, etc.  I've only had one animals teeth cleaned in my life, and that was my cat.  She never got to come home and died 2 days later.  It broke my heart and I vowed never to do it again unless it was absolutely necessary.  Is it possible that brushing them will help?  I don't mean to scare you about it and I'm sure most animals do fine with it, but I just had a very bad experience.

Thanks everyone. How long will it take on the elimination diet to be able to tell what's causing a reaction and what isn't? Also, is there a set rule on how much calcium supplement, etc (for a 13-lb dog)?

     Cindy,  drea's post is the first time I've heard about retesting for allergies. Maybe she'll explain it better. Jessie was tested once, both blood and skin test, and then she started on immunotherapy. She is now getting a shot once every two weeks, but her vaccination schedule can vary according to her symptoms. She sees the dermatology vet about every three months to see how things are going. I can make an apointment sooner if I think it's necessary. If she is having any allergy symptoms,  her vaccination schedule can be changed. The fall is Jessie's worst time, and she gets a shot once a week from September to about November. So, her vaccination schedule can be adjusted according to her needs, but I've never heard of testing a dog over and over.
      I've seen some people on  this board say that they've heard that allergy testing and treatment can be unreliable. In order for it to work, you must stay in contact with your veterinary dermatologist to make sure your dog is on an optimum treatment schedule. If your dog has been doing well and starts becoming itchy, you need to see the dermatologist to see if the vaccination schedule needs adjusting. The allergy testing and the vaccine are expensive, but once you are on a maintenace schedule you only need to buy the vaccine a few times a year. We were often spending over $200.00 a month in vet bills for Jessie's skin infections.
     I hope you find out what the black spots are. I haven't tried the shampoo you mentioned. I understand your frustration about trying to find out what your dog needs to feel better and trying to decide the best way to help her.

Andrea - my vet says it takes 12 weeks to really know.  I've also read that now a few times too.  I've also seen articles that say 8 weeks, so I'd plan for at least 8 weeks and hopefully you'll know if you want to continue or not.  My vet and others also said not to worry about supplementing with anything during the elimination diet but if I was really insistent, I could use a human grade multi-vitamin (all natural only).  I have been cutting one in half and adding it to Sassy's morning meal 2-3 times a week.  She's 77 lbs though, so I think you'd need to find a children's vitamin and maybe cut it in half or even less.  You might just want to omit any vitamins at all though for the elimination trial period.

 drea, an elimination diet should last for twelve weeks. Glenda should know about the calcium supplement.

I use 1/2 tsp of eggshell powder per pound of boneless meat.  I'm not sure what amount of human bone meal you would use.  Just save your eggshells, rinse them out and when you have a dozen, put them on a baking sheet and dry them in the oven for a few minutes, then POWDER them in the blender.