MY DOG HAS A SEVERE SKIN PROBLEM (TESTED NO MANGE)

Question
HELLO!

MY DOG IS ABSOLUTELY PITIFUL.  HIS NAME IS ELVIS AND HE'S ABOUT 7 YEARS OLD.  HE HAS HAD SOME MEDICAL CONDITIONS IN THE PAST.  WHEN I RECEIVED HIM HE WAS A MUTT @ ABOUT 3 MONTHS OF AGE.  I IMMEDIATELY SCHEDULED HIS IMMUNIZATIONS BUT ON THE SATURDAY BEFORE HIS SHOTS ON TUESDAY, HE WAS DIAGNOSES AT AN ER VET WITH PARVO.  DR. ANGEL OUT OF FLORENCE KY TREATED HIM FOR THIS CONDITION AND THE DOG SURVIVED.  HE HAS ALSO BEEN STITCHED FROM MOUTH DOWN TO CHEST AND IN A Y SHAPE FROM HIS HINEY TO STOMACH AND DOWN LEG FROM A COYOTE INCIDENT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.  CURRENTLY HE IS BEEN TREATED FOR ALLERGIES BY A DOCTOR CHISM IN MT VERNON KENTUCKY.  HE GETS MONTHLY ALLERGY SHOTS BUT HE IS NOT BETTER AND HE'S MISERABLE.  HIS FUR IS GONE TO THE HIDE DOWN HIS LEGS AND ANKLES AND ESPECIALLY ON HIS HINEY AND STARTING AROUND HIS EYES AND EARS.  HIS SKIN IS VERY DEEP PINK FROM IRRITATION AND HE DIGS AND WINES AND CURRENTLY IS STARTING TO BLEED IN SOME AREAS FROM THE DIGGING.  THIS VET HAS TESTED HIM FOR PARASITES AND NONE HAVE BEEN DETECTED.  HE IS ADAMENT THAT IT IS ALLERGIES.  MY CONCERN IS WHY ISN'T THE SHOTS HELPING AND WHAT COULD I GET TO BATH HIM IN OR RUB HIM DOWN IN TO SOOTH HIS DISCOMFORT.  I HURT FOR HIM AS IF HE WERE MY CHILD.  I DO HAVE A DIGITAL CAMERA IF YOU NEED TO SEE PICUTRES BUT I THINK I'VE BEEN VERY EXPLICIT.  PLEASE HELP US.  

SINCERELY,
KAREN FUGATE

Answer
If there are allergies, then the shots should give SOME relief especially immediately after the shot.  Some shots give high cortisone levels for a few days after the shot and then the level falls off.  If the coritisone shot helps for a few days, then they may need to follow up with pills to maintain the level of cortisone.  If the level falls off, there is no benefit for the itching.

Bacterial or fungal skin infection usually goes along with allergies, so if there is an infection that is not being concurrently treated, then the dog may need 2-3 weeks of an antibiotic or an antifungal drug.

Also, even if the dog has not shown up with mange, over half of these cases go undiagnosed.  We routinely treat dogs unresponsive to cortisone for sarcoptic mange, even though the skin scrapings are clear.