scotty dog and spring allergies

Question
I have a female scotty that is breaking out on her belly and legs from what I guess is an allergy to something in the grass right now.  She scratches herself to death and keeps us up at nite.  Right now I wash her frequently and put hydrcortisone creme on the spots plus a baby aspirin.  also used bactine to soothe the redness and inflamation.  It works for a time then wears off in a couple hours.  Seems to work fine during the day but is a problem at nite.  Please help!
Thanks, Robin  

Answer
I would caution against using topical hydrocortisone (steroid) and giving aspirin (non-steroidal) together as the topical medication is absorbed and could lead to stomach ulcers in combo with the aspirin.

Anti-histamines are your best bet...try Benadryl at a dose of 1 mg per pound 2-3 X a day.

Bath her with an oatmeal based shampoo.  We use HISTACALM shampoo quite frequently for these cases and it works well.

If she has any signs of pimples, that is infection and will need to be treated with oral antibiotics.  Often times secondary skin infections make itching worse, therefore, I would highly recommend a trip to the vet.

I also recommend feeding a fish-based diet as the extra fatty acids help nourish the skin and reduce inflammation naturally.  I feed our one allergic beagle Verus Fish and Potato, however, there are other brands such as Flint River Ranch, Wellness and Natural Balance that make fish diets (these are all natural as well).