Allergies

Question
Hi!  I have a miniture schnauzer, Annabelle.  She will be 4 years in December.  I think she has allergies.  She is treated with Revolution all year long.  The tech at the vet said that Annabelle can't have fleas.  I have a flea phobia.  LOL  She scratch, I scratch.  She does shake her body, licks her paws and the region near her tail and butt.  I was reading that I could give her benadryl.  How long can you give benadryl to a dog?  Thank you....

Answer
First of all, a vet tech is NOT a veterinarian, and I would take anything one says to you with a grain of salt; she is not the one who went to school for X-years and got that DVM degree.

If you live in a year-round warm climate that doesn't get heavy freezes, yes, fleas would be a perennial problem. Advantage, and all similar products, kill fleas after they get on the dog (and probably get in a couple good bites before dying), and that would be enough to set off a dog's allergies if it was allergic to fleas. Once all fleas are eliminated from the area, and there are no more fleas available to get on the dog, flea allergies would stop. This is why it is always recommended to also treat the surrounding area (house, car, yard) if a dog has fleas. Also if a dog is constantly bombarded by fleas and is on the same product year-round, those fleas can build up an immunity to the product to the point where it is no longer effective. So, in a somewhat large nutshell, your dog *could* still have fleas, however, if you see absolutely no evidence of fleas (bites, flea dirt), then you should look elsewhere for the source of your dog's allergies. http://www.fleascontrol.com/

Allergies are either environmental or dietary, with food allergies making up about 30% of allergens in dogs. A dog can be allergic to absolutely *ANYTHING*, so the best way to narrow things down is to have allergy testing done to try to determine the source(s) of the problems. If allergies persist year-round, it is usually because of food allergies; if they wax and wane depending on the time of the year, they are usually due to environmental triggers (ie. pollen). Of course, a dog could have both. With food allergies, the #1 allergen is protein (with beef being the highest), then wheat, and then corn.

A friend of mine has an older schnauzer (rescue) that has severe allergies to many, many things (mostly food in her case). She was on a very restricted diet for many years, without a lot of help. The last few months the owner has been taking her to a holistic vet who has been doing acupuncture on the dog, and the results have been *amazing*. The dog is now happy, "healthy", and one wouldn't even know she has a problem.

As to the benedryl, that is intended for occasional use only and it is not something I would give a dog except in emergency situations; it is certainly not anything I would have a dog on long-term. (And I would avoid the use of cortisone entirely if at all possible.)

Also, if your dog does have allergies, I would inform your breeder as allergies are hereditary.

http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/medical/canine-allergies.html
http://www.thepetcenter.com/gen/itch.html