# Allergic to bullysticks?



## adrino

Is there any chance that Elza could be allergic to bullysticks?

Recently, a few weeks now Elza has had some redness on her chest, little half a small pea size raised 'spots' (rash?) on her neck (only 2-3 each time). Then if they go down she would have some blackish thing (sorry forgot what's it called) left on it and sort of loss of hair. Not bald I think but less than normal. 
She seems to be scratching more than before too. So I guess she's itchy. 

I'm trying to put the puzzle together if it has started since I first gave her a bully stick. Its quite hard since I wasn't paying attention to it and probably only noticed the rash later on. 
We have walked her in other parks, woods than in our every day life but cannot really see the connection there....
The rash is only on her belly front, nothing on her ears, back or the outside of her legs. 

I am still not convinced this could be a grass allergy. 

This morning although she had some redness I think it was ok. Came home from work tonight and she had a few spots on her chest, belly and it was defo more red too. When I left for work I gave her a stick plus turned out my partner gave her one later on in the afternoon. This is why I was thinking about the bully sticks. 

I know many of you has plenty experience with allergies and rashes so it would be great to hear your thoughts. 
We are thinking of taking her to the vet on Monday, maybe Friday if my partner has time. 
Also is there anything I could give her to ease her itchiness or shall I just leave it? I haven't given her anything so far.

Oh by the way, her poopoo is absolutely normal.


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## WillowyndRanch

How old is she? Sound like it could be just Puppy dermatitis.

Ken


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## hotmischief

Adrino,

I haven't got a lot of time as off to Burghley Horse Trials in a minute.

However, maybe you are right as Boris has the same and he is really itchy at the moment. Red spots on his chest, red eyes. My vet recommends 1 Piriton 3x a day. This seems to settle it down and the rash goes. Yesterday he was good, but this morning he is bad again, so will does with a Piriton.

He hasn't had a bully stick in a 3-4 days. but I won't discount them as the problem as my vet said if it is something like food that they ingest it can take up to 3 weeks to clear the system. Maybe it is something in the air at the moment that is causing it. My vet recommended not testing for minor allergies as he said it was highly unlikely we would hit on the one or so that is causing the problem and they are very expensive. I have been hoping he will grow out of it as he gets a strong immune system.

We have stop using any cleaning products that have chemicals or scent in them - for me this was only the kitchen floor as I use Method which are all natural and I wash all his bedding towels, etc in Sure. So have been trying to eliminate things.

Might be worth stopping the Bully sticks for a few weeks and see if there is any improvement - me too.

Must go, but will be in contact re a meet up. Haven't forgotten!!!


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## adrino

*Ken* Elza is 9 1/2 months old. She hasn't had anything like this up until now. It's the end of summer here in the UK so I'm even more so puzzled by it. I thought any grass/pollen allergy would affect dogs earlier in the spring/summer time. 

I did look up dermatitis and true, some of the symptoms fit in my description. This morning when I checked her chest I found two spots with yellow-white middle. That's new! ???

Anybody else with some ideas?

I use the same cleaning products ever since we got her but I started to wash her bedding more often... :-\ just to keep things clean. Could it be that??? I didn't change her bed yesterday though but are these cleaning products could affect her for days?


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## threefsh

Have you used any new flea/tick products on her? We tried the Advantix II drops on Riley and she broke out in puss-filled hives all over her front legs and chest. 

We gave her Benadryl for a few weeks, which helped with the itching but didn't clear up the spots. It took about a month for them all to heal.


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## kristen

Odin started getting some sort of allergic reaction and having dry scaly spots on his skin (when he was 2-3 months old maybe?) My aunt who is a vet tech suggested we do an elimination diet, and one of the first things she suggested was to get rid of bully sticks. She says lots of dogs have reactions to them. It ended up being a gluten allergy for us, but Bully Sticks may be the cause. Rawhide is also a common one, and it strangely enough causes ear infections as well (so much yeast).

Benedryl helps with the itching.


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## adrino

I actually have, but she already had the rash on her chest when I did so that's not it. Thanks for the suggestion threefsh. 
Just normal human Benadryl or Piriton? 

Hotmischief it's weird that Boris has similar rash as Elza. Now I wonder what could it be. The sticks she had is still her first bag, the smelly ones so its not the one you suggested to me. 
This really makes me think though, maybe there is something in the air or some plants...

Thanks for any suggestions!


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## threefsh

> Just normal human Benadryl or Piriton?


Normal human benadryl. We can give Riley up to 50 milligrams twice a day, if necessary and she weighs about 40lbs. I would consult your vet on the exact dose. Don't buy the benadryl from the vet. It's much more expensive.


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## adrino

Thank you so much! 

My partner will take her to the Vet tmrrw (i gotta work, he will call in sick) if they have a slot free. 

There's something I forgot to mention about this rash. Not sure if it's the same thing but she also has a very red mark on her lady bit. It's not swollen, it looks like a scratch on it but now I know it's not. It's been there for a while and I think she's keep licking at it so it must bother her. It's about 1 cm long and it's just right around her 'bean' :-[ , the skin actually looks shiny there. I didn't dare to touch it. :-[
Could it be cos of too much licking? Or she just licks it cos it's bothering her? I wish I could take a pic of it but it's almost impossible as she always curls up. Awake she would just keep moving around...


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## hotmischief

Adrino, firstly I would have to say Boris has always been a bit itchy. However, the past week he has been a lot worse and quite a lot of red hives on his tummy and in particular underneath his arm pits. I have been wondering about the bully sticks but the other thing which might have add to the problem is the buscuit marrow bones. We always give our Dane one of these last thing at night and now Boris goes crazy for them too. I am sure they have flour in, so as I think he is also grain intolerant I thought it might be those causing the problem.

I have decided to cut both out (bully sticks and marrow bones) for a good month and see whether it helps. I gave him a piriton before I went out yesterday and his rash has gone and so far he isn't itching this morning. Don't be fooled by the fact that she has been alright with things before now. Allergies can start very suddenly to things she has been in contact with daily. Read Born36's post on Mac and his allergies at a year old that started very suddenly. I would start with things like the bully sticks and anything new that you use in the house, etc as they are the most obvious, but don't discount other things if the hives continue after 3 weeks.

Like you I have been wondering if it is something in the air here in the UK, I know the farmers have been harvesting and making hay the past couple of weeks so whether there are a lot of dust particles in the air who knows.

Re the Benadryl or Piriton - it would seem that US vets recommend Benadryl and UK vets recommend Piriton. I know Born36's vet put Mac on Piriton. I can only say that Boris has been vastly improved on the Piriton and it doesn't make him sleepy (which apparently it can do).

I am hoping that a lot of these allergies might settle down over the winter, but if they get any worse I will certainly see my vet about testing as he is insured and I don't want to see him scratching himself to the point he is soar.

Let me know how Elza is progressing.


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## adrino

Thanks for all this information hotmischief! 

We might wait with the vet then. I'll get my other half to get some tablets and try it out. We have the weekend to see if it at least calms it down a bit. 

Elza has never been an ichy dog so the scratching must be because of the rash. 
I'm a bit annoyed with myself because I'm trying to think all the dates when we changed her food and what else we have been doing and I just can't remember. :-[ 
I haven't ruled out her new food either but it's hypoallergenic duck and rice and most of the treats are the same. 
Such a hard thing the elimination. :-\

I hope Boris gets over it soon too.


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## adrino

Last night when I got back from work Elza had a terrible rash on her chest, a lot worse than before. I gave her 1 Piriton then and 1 this morning. I don't see much change for now. 

I wonder though that it might be something in one of the parks we are taking her. She was out with my partner in this particular park yesterday afternoon running in higher grass or other plants. Some of them are still blooming so could it be the pollen from that? She also has some spots on her bum, maybe sitting on the grass?! :-\ 
I'm lost to be honest. Not sure if it's worth going to the vet...


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## hotmischief

Adrino, I am sorry to hear that Elza's rash is no better. I was reading some articles on allergic reactions in Vizsla's on the internet this past weekend which said that most allergies in the Vizsla are food related especially grain intolerance. I know with Boris the first time he broke out in hives was after running through very long grass. However, he has run through long grass since then with no rash. Our vet did say he thought it was something he had eaten and he had stolen a lump of cheddar cheese that morning so now we avoid diary products. We haven't had a major out break since then just red rashes on his chest and tummy.

It is very much a process of elimination. If you do go to your vets, when you make the appointment ask if they have a vet that specialise s in allergies. We had to take our Dane for a skin irritation a couple of weeks ago. The vet we saw said she thought it was an infection, but if the anitbiotics didn't work to make an appointment to see this other vet who was a skin specialist. Fortunately, the antibiotics seem to have worked, but otherwise that would have cost us another consultation.

Keep in touch.


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