Allergies

What do you give your labs for allergies? She’s going crazy scratching and sneezing.
Thanks

Benadryl

I’ve tried that. I gave her half a pill twice a day for 5 days and didn’t seem to help. Maybe i need to continue for a couple more days.

I was told by the vet to give 1mg per pound. So depending on your dogs weight you may haven't been giving enough to the dog.

My lab weighs about 75 lbs so I would be giving 3 pills twice a day. I doubt your lab weighs 13 lbs so I would try upping the dosage first.

Start with benadryl as mattyg said - 1mg/lb - most benadrly comes in 25mg tablets.

If benadryl doesn't work there are some pretty good allergy meds available...we used Apoquel for a while..made a big difference. Our labs allergies have settled down quite a bit so we're back to just giving benadryl when needed...which here lately it's been a lot - just that time of year.

Apoquel worked great for our dog that needed to clear up some skin allergies prior to getting surgery one time. Benadryl works great, and as the others have said, you probably weren’t giving your dog enough. It’s a very safe drug for humans and dogs.

Thanks for all the help. I’ll up the dosage.

ask your vet about CYTOPOINT.......My English setter was same way I tried giving a bendaryll pill everyday for a few weeks, but that didn't help much. Took him to the vet they gave him a shot of "cytopoint"
cleared him up instantly, and didnt have any problems for about 6 months until the itching returned then had to take him in again for another shot and hes all better again within a day or two.

I started using Vetoquinol Care Triglycdride Omega small breed. One 600mg capsule per day on my JRT has made a big difference. I started using it 6 months ago now when what I was using Apoquel that was costing about $65/month. I have had the same results with Omega-3 capsules as I did with the Apoquel. The Omega-3 costs for are a bit less for a yearly amount vs the cost of Apoquel for a month.

Apoquel is a life saver. My Vizsla has horrible allergies and we tried everything. I give her a shot every two weeks to try and get her immune to the 20 or so different things she is allergic to. The apoquel has been the only thing that works short of steroids. Expensive though.

what kind of dog food, this time of year, with all the outside crap going on the ingredients in dog food can also be a factor

This, for years i have had dogs with allergies, Took my new lab to a Holistic Vet. She said food was 90% of the issue. Any food with Corn Glueten meal is bad. My lab is almost 10 and has never chewed scratched of had hot spots. Feed her nothing but Wellness canned food with Muenster Natural food.

This is what my vet has me trying to help out with my labs allergies. Has me using a limited ingredient dog food that’s not chicken or beef.

Anyone know of a vet in Ft Worth where I can get my lab allergy shots?

Don’t know if any in Ft Worth. I go to Dr. Garfield off of the DNT and was told he was one of the best in Dallas. They will shave an area and give your dog about 36 separate little injections just sub q and then look at them under a black light about 45 min later. From there your doc will be able to tell you exactly what the dog is illergic to and they will mix you up a specific vial of it for your dog. Then you will give the shots yourself in the soft skin/nape around neck. (It’s really easy). This process will set you back prob $300 or more for testing and then every vial of antivenin will set you back another $150. Vials last a few months.

I did this with a golden a long time ago and it fixed him up after about 2 years. No more allergy probs at all. I’m about a year and a half in with my Vizsla and she still itches like crazy if not on the apoquel.

I can’t say enough positive things about what the apoquel has done for us.

Good luck!

Thanks. I’m going to a new vet tomorrow here in Granbury.