Has any one any experience of using this product please? Its supposed to help dogs with itchy skins and I just wonder if it works.
thanks
Anndee

My dogs are on Atopica is this similar??

I've used it for my wire fox terrier - in the early days of her pollen allergy, when I was trying to find a solution that didn't involve using steroids throughout the pollen season. Used it for a couple of months, and there wasn't any improvement at all, so gave up on it.

Claire

Thanks Claire for that. I did wonder how good it is. I've been using it on my TT for about 2 weeks now and if anything she's scratching worse around her chin since been on it!! that has decided me to now take her off it. Its not cheap either, is it?
Can I ask you if you have found something that does work for your dog? Other than steroids! Don't want to resort to Piriton all the time either.
I'm wondering abouty Wendal Herbs No Itch liquid??
Thanks again
Anne

Anndee,

It was rather expensive - but the lack of any improvement at all made me give up on it. What works other than steroids?... in our case - not much. I have found that Malaseb shampoo is a lifesaver, and can give good relief from itching and is especially good once the skin is broken and infected. Twice a week when things are bad, lather and leave on for 10mins, then rinse. I actually only use Malaseb for bathing Bracken, and make sure I have a good supply when the pollen season starts. Of course that isn't cheap either.

However, it isn't enough for Bracken and, although each year I try to avoid the use of steroids, I always end up taking her in for them. It's three injections, which last (in our case) for a few months. Last year, for the first time, I had to take her back in late summer to get the injections repeated.

I use Fuciderm gel on itchy patches between her pads, and put on cotton booties to stop her licking it off, and Piriton too, throughout the pollen season, but they make her sleepy and seem to give her a poorly tummy. I've also tried homeopathic remedies (from the vet), vitamin tablets and fish oils (to improve her skin), but these didn't help. We had allergy testing done, which told us what she was allergic to (grass pollen), and I discussed having allergy injections with the vet, but he told me that it didn't have a high rate of success in his experience. The sheer number and frequency of the injections in the early part of the treatment made me decide not to go this route, as I don't live very near this vet, and Bracken makes a horrendous fuss about injections even though the vet is gentle and kind with her. I think, if the situation arose again with another dog, I would try the allergy injections, but not with Bracken now.

In the end, it's the steroids which stop the itch-scratch cycle and allow the hot spots and sore spots to heal.  I'm lucky because once the frost comes the pollen goes, so Bracken is not constantly on the steriods, but it won't be long now before the itchies start again.

There are plenty of downsides to the steroids - they don't make her drowsy (except the first few days), but they do affect the appetite, and she becomes intensely interested in eating anything she can get her paws on. She is never satisfied with her meals and steals food if we aren't careful. It got worse this year after the 2nd steroid dose.

I don't know how old your TT is, but Bracken's skin was much worse when the allergy first manifested itself (she was about a year old when it did). Open sores over most of her body, hair greasy and smelly, really horrid in fact. She has improved as she has got older, although that may be because we are onto things as soon as the allergy starts up. In the end, I just can't stand watching her scratch, and her having to spend day and night in cotton boots to stop her licking and chewing her feet off. The steriods pretty much stop it dead. Early in the pollen season and late in the pollen season we get by with Malaseb, Piriton, Fuciderm and booties. Don't know how I would feel if I had to keep her on steroids all year round.

Sorry for writing such a novel. Allergies are such an awful thing for our dogs - they don't understand when we try to stop them scratching and biting - the look on Bracken's face sometimes, when she is itchy and I'm constantly holding her away from biting her feet, upsets me. I hope you can find a workable solution. Keep trying.

Claire

Hi Claire. It sound like you have a much bigger problem with poor Bracken than I do with my TT.
She doesn't have any open sores or coat problems, just scratches her chin quite a lot. I feel that the shampoo's only scratch the surface (pardon the pun) and I need to get something internal. She can't have steriods as they give her mouth ulcers!! she had an steriod injection to help as she got campylobactor a year last Nov, and she was in such a state i would never let her have them again. She gets severe secondary problems with lots of things. I think I will get some Wendals Stop Itch when I go down to Crufts and see if that helps. Its due to something she is eating I'm sure, but as she is on Hill's I/D, Z/D & D/D, all are  hypoallergenic foods I'm not entirely sure where to go at times.
Hey Ho!! ;o)
Anne

Have you had allergy testing done? It is the single best thing we did towards sorting the problem - knowing what is causing it is such a relief! My first vet simply told me that the dog had food allergies, because "lots of pedigree dogs have them". No testing. He told me to put her on a vet-supplied diet, and that it would be the only thing she would be able to eat for the rest of her life. I refused, because we didn't actually know that it was a food allergy, words ensued, I decided never to go back to him again. My current vet just said "let's get allergy testing done", which we did. Simple (if expensive!) and it wasn't a food allergy! Grass pollen - timothy grass pollen to be exact. Timothy grass is used for hay, we live next to a stud farm - lots of timothy grass in the fields. A lightbulb moment! I thought it was a food allergy, the breeder thought it would be a food allergy, but it wasn't.

It is really unfortunate about the mouth ulcers. There are lots of different steroids - did she have just one, or several? I know Bracken has one quick acting, and one slower acting (longer lasting one). I also recall that the first steroid she had (from our first vet) made her really miserable. The steroids the current vet uses don't have this effect at all.

I haven't heard of Wendals Stop Itch, so I will look into it.

Claire

Yes we've gone down the testing route, a few years ago. Result, allergic to everything bar chicken pork and oats, and I don't think she tolerates chicken very well now.
She has had this problem since I started to wean her at 3/4 weeks old. Mum has no problems whatso ever. Bless her. Only one in the litter to have these issues, so its been a long learning curve with her, in fact I've been on here several times regarding her problems ;o) Search 'Safi' and you'll see :OD!!!
I'm on top of it most of the time but its always good to get a second opinion on something.
Actually she doesn't seem to be too bad with the chin scratching at the moment but I am just doing small changes to her diet. Mind you I have to do this on a reg. basis due to her becoming intolerant to foods.
The only reason I asked about the Phytopica was because I was given a couple of samples to try and thought if its any good I'll buy some when I'm down at Crufts. To be honest I wasn't giving her the full dosage amount anyway of it, so it wasn't getting a fair trial.
To look at her you wouldn't think there was a problem with her. She's in full coat and looks well but I know when she's not on top form.
I wasn't a great believer in Hill prescription diets but I DO have to eat humble cake as they do seem to be better for her. I try and mix others in with it like Wafcol salmon & potato or PAH salmon & potato. she tolerats salmon much better than meats.
If you do get some Wendals Stop Itch let me know how you get on with it. By the way hyperdrug sell it in powder or liquid form. Wendals aren't having a stand at Crufts but HyperDrug are.
By the way, I sorted out the mouth ulcers with homeopathic remedies. All gone in 24hours :O) Don't know which one the vet used but I don't like steroids given any way unless its critical and a last resort.
Thanks
Anne