[Basset Momma]

First off I do not need dosing information... and I do not need to be told to call the vet- I already have and hence my questions. Our Jake has allergies- not horribly severe and currently controlled by a very low dose of temaril- P- which has a bit of prednisone in it. We have several options the vet has given us and are simply wanting to know if others have had good or bad experiences so we can decide what is best. We are debating having Jake allergy tested and getting the allergy shots. There are pros and cons to this... our vet said that depending upon what he is allergic to is how well the shots would work- might not help at all even or could be the perfect cure. To get him allergy tested we have to have him off the prednisone at least a month- but I will have to wean him and get him on something else for allergies until we are able to do the testing. We were offered clorampheneramine (an antihistamine I am sure I mispelled) )- I also inquired about the claritin- they had not heard that one but called back later to say it was an option but the information they found said it did not work in all situations. My question is should we just leave well enough alone- keep him on the Temaril- P (prednisone dose ranges from 1-2 mg per day depending upon how much I give him)- go for the allergy testing- or try something different that does not have the prednisone. From the research I've done the prednisone is so low that we should not have problems with Cushings or other drug induced disease- something I worry about.

 

[Betsy Iole]

Allergy shots are claimed to help about 1/2 the time and IMO, that's an optimistic assessment. Antihistamines in perhaps 20-30%. Neither worked for my dog.

 

[Barbara Winters]

I wasn't impressed with the results of allergy shots in one of my dogs and after he got very sick for no reason after an injection from a new batch off serum, I never gave it again. I've never heard anyone really rave about the results of allergy shots, though I'm sure there must be someone out there. I think antihistamines work mainly because the dog is too tired to scratch as much.

Another thing I would do would be to ask my vet about testing for food allergies by feeding a one protein source prescription diet and see if it helps. The dog that didn't do well with allergy shots did improve with a duck and potato food formulation.

 

[biscuit]

entirely anecdotal and only tangentially related, but i'm the only person in my family who didn't have allergy shots and, over the years, my allergies have been much more easily managed than anyone else's in the family.

i've seen the same with friends and acquaintances.

we're allergy heck here and allergy shots have proven a bust for humans in these parts.

just a bit of something to toss into the brew here ...

 

[shallhb]

Well, this isn't going to help a lot, but Pearl has been on allergy shots for a year. I think her allergies are *better*, but they are sure not gone. By better I mean that I only bath her (usually) every two weeks, instead of every week. And, last month, we were back to every week for a while since something was in bloom. And I gave her an OTC human antihistamine part of the time--that does help, but makes her dopey...It wasn't benadryl, either. Chlor..something

Hard to say what's going on, too, because we moved about the time that she started the shots, so her exposure has changed.
Sharon Hall

 

[AmyB]

OK, I know this is a late reply (I've been busy!) but I'd thought I'd add my 2 cents. Spencer has been getting allery shots every 5 days for about 6 years now. For him, they have worked wonderfully. However, his allergies are an ongoing challenge. When he was 1st tested, he showed to be allergic to 8 different kinds of trees & grasses. After about 4 years on shots, he began to itch pretty bad again. I had him re-tested & he showed to be allergic to many additional things, including a very severe allergy to dust & dust mites. He was so allergic, they debated on him having 2 shots because there was so much that needed to go into the serum. I opted to treat his most severe allergies with new serum & at the present time, he is doing well. During certain times of the year, he needs additional help with Temaril-P, which also works well for him. In addition, he has an allergy to wheat, so he is a challenge! Good luck to you, allergies can be frustrating & as I said, it is an ongoing challenge (for us anyway!)