# What is it Your Vizsla is allergic to?????Please



## hotmischief

Last weekend we were enjoying a walk in Windsor Great Park and within 10 minutes of the dogs running and playing in long grass Boris was covered in Bumps and I mean covered. We thought he must have run through a bunch on nettles.

Bye the time we got home 45 minutes later most of the bumps had gone. However, the next morning we came down to find him covered in bumps again. His nose and ears were twice the size and his eyes all red. We took him to the emergency vet (these things always happen on public holidays). Yet again the bumps had virtually disappeared, with the exception of his ears and eyes. The vet said it was probably a secondary reaction to whatever had caused it the day before. He gave him a steriod injection and a piriton.

Since then we have some bumps on his body, an extra pink nose and thick and red ears and eyes. Piriton seems to abate the symptoms. I now realise the red around the eyes(which he quite frequently has) which I thought was due to tiredness was obviously due to an allergy. On the Piriton his eyes have no redness and the lower lid is tight.

Today we went to see our own vet. He thinks that the incident at the weekend was due to something he ingested and is still clearing his system. So we keep him on 2 - 3 Piriton a day for a week. Then we need to try and notice things in his enviroment that might be causing the red eyes. 

I have checked back on some earlier posts on the forum on allergies. Being a first time V owner I wonder if some of you who have Vs with allergies could give me a few hints on what your Vs are allergic to. *Ozkar* the grass is in seed, along with everything else at the moment - did you get anywhere with your grass theory? He is not particularly itchy or uncomfortable so it may not be skin related.

I only use non toxic cleaning products and will change my washing detergent to an eco friendly one as they are milder. What else should I be looking to change or remove???

Any suggestions would be gratefully received.


----------



## flynnandlunasmom

*Re: What is is Vizsla allergic to?????Please*

Hi there,

Sorry you're dealing with this! I have posted before that we have experienced the bumps (hives) too. We had a lot of tests done at the Vet and we did food elimination diets and we never could find out what it was. For Flynn, it's seasonal. Happens every spring and we're pretty much convinced it's something growing. We don't think it's food, even though the Vet originally thought so because nothing changed in his diet when the bumps started. We did a lot of cool, oatmeal-wash baths, Benadryl and when it got so bad we were worried about his throat swelling we did have to do a short course of Prednisone. It would come and go but it went away completely after a couple of weeks each time.


----------



## Vizsla Baby

*Re: What is it Vizsla allergic to?????Please*

We are having the same problem, I posted about 2 weeks ago about it. 

I think its grass. We haven't taken Sadie back out to our farm (been waiting for the grass to be cut & turned to hay). She hasn't broken out since she was last out there. 

We might go out tonight & we'll see what happens. If she breaks out - then bingo - it's the tall hay grass.

Sadie has been put on 50 mg of Benadryl twice a day.


----------



## hotmischief

*Re: What is it Vizsla allergic to?????Please*

Thanks Flynn - that's very interesting. Our vet advised against running any test for a while as he said it was unlikely the tests would show up anything conclusive. They test for about 100 things - so it is rather a lucky dip as to whether the one he is allergic to is one of the things they test for!! 

I suspect that Boris's red eyes are probably seasonal, but we will have to wait and see.

How long do Flynns symptoms last and I am presumming your talking about spring time.

His breeder was very helpful, although she had no experience of allergies, she suspected something like pollen.

Thanks for replying


----------



## hotmischief

Vizsla Baby - that is very interesting - I am keeping him away from the fields where I keep the horses and am trying to walk them over heathland for the next few weeks, to see whether that helps.

I would really appreciate it if you could let me know what happens when you take Sadie back out to the farm.

Just a thought, my vet was saying a lot of dogs, like horses are allergic to rape seed (which is in bloom at the moment)/ or grenola if your an aussie. That might be something else for you to consider. 

Thank you for posting.


----------



## flynnandlunasmom

Hotmischief, I do think the tests were kind of a waste. It came back with a few things he was HIGHLY allergic to but he hadn't been exposed to those things (i.e. plants that only grow in Texas and live in Massachusetts). We even took him to a doggie-Dermatologist and still got nowhere. 

We suspect it may be grass as well, the long grass when it is seeding. But we're not completely convinced. 

In total, the whole episode would happen for about 3-4 weeks, but in that time the hives would come and go. Sometimes lasting for hours. Benadryl helped at first but eventually wasn't working so we had to do Prednisone (which we hated to do because of the nasty side effects). But, it's a short course and it does help.

The dermatology Vet felt that it was an autoimmune related allergy in Flynn's case, as he has had other autoimmune issues over the years. The fact that the Benadryl didn't really help but the Prednisone did was the thing that made him think this. Plus, this spring the hives didn't happen and it was not really a surprise because Flynn was on an immuno-suppressant for an illness he developed in the fall. So basically, the meds stopped the allergic reaction from happening.

It does not sound like your Boris, or Sadie have an autoimmune allergy related issue though, since they respond to the Benadryl. My boy is just a handful, I guess


----------



## flynnandlunasmom

By the way, I'm no expert and I don't want to mislead anyone. From what I understand, all allergies are autoimmune related. So, what I meant is that, in Flynn's case his reaction may have been worse because he has been diagnosed with auto-immue disease - and the symptoms only went away when he was on immuno-suppressive drugs. That' snto the case if the dog responds to Bendaryl.


----------



## hobbsy1010

Hotmischeif, we had a red sore rash with Brook. Which went in to a yellow green spotty rash, we treated it with tea tree oil and aloe vera, along with washing the skin. We put it down to the long grass and the algae forming in the water, effecting the young skin.(All the Vizsla puppies around at the time had the same rash, even from different litters)

Brook had severe hives after eating a mushroom(found at side of the road), which needed emergency vet treatment for poisoning, and took several weeks to clear up, which we treated with oatmeal wash. One of the hives he itch so much it caused some damage on the end of his tail, resulting in a bald patch, which splits.

We have also seen him getting the face and ear swelling from house dust mites, he got behind some furniture twice, and on each occasion the lumpy hives appeared. treated with piriton.

We had previously gone through hives turning in to face severe swelling with our daughter, they ran test on her and found no real allergy's, slight mould and dust mites, but hardly a reaction.

It seems to be a combination of feeling unwell soar throat and some thing else. The doctors thought it might be the medicine? So all she is allowed is liquid calpol. She has had reactions after taken tablet paracetamol and ibuprofen. She actually had a reaction yesterday, and after taking piriton, taking a shower and changing her clothes it went away quickly.

The point being they grow out of it (usually) so if its not too severe, Know how to treat it and live with it or avoid it.

Mrs Hobbsy


----------



## hotmischief

Thanks Mrs Hobbsy - how did you know that it was house mites? Areas where you can't vacuum regularly? I think I might rule that out because our living room has just been redecorated and the carpets professionally cleaned, everything moved and cleaned - so I hope it has minimised the little critters.

I think the vet feels that the huge reaction he had over the bank holiday was down to something like a mouldy mushroom that he had eaten  But he wasn't ill or itchy.

I certainly hope he grows out of it and as you say we will learn to manage it, but I would like to try and narrow it down to something like dust mites, pollen, detergent - what ever.

Thank you for your post and it does help to know that you have been there with Brook. I hope your daughter has now out grown her allergies.


----------



## Coya

Coya has been having similar issues. Hives popping up here and there out of the blue. We think that she has a grass allergy. We have been treating with benedryl. 

A simple tip that has seemed to help is giving her a quick washing with the hose after taking her into the trails/tall grass areas near where we are.

Another huge issue we've been having is the high levels of bacteria in the ponds. She has just started taking a liking to the water and has had 2 staph infections in her hair follicles. Poor pup. We have been paying close attention to the water we allow her to swim in...trying to keep it to fresh, moving water.

Good luck with your V...hope you figure out the allergies soon.


----------



## hotmischief

Coya, thanks for your reply.

It is interesting that quite a few members think the allergies are grass related. Is Coya okay in the winter? Does the allergy only show up at seeding time. At the moment everything is in bloom and pollen everywhere.

Thanks for the tip about washing him down after walks. I will definitley try that. My sister has a poodle that is allergic to a kot of the native plant pollens in Australia ,washes her dog frequently and uses a cleaner to get pollens out of her ears, which all reduces the itching.


----------



## Ozkar

Ozkar has grass allergies. More intense in spring/summer. I try and finish our walks with a dip in the dam or creek which really minimises any itching or discomfort. Aussie grass effects lots of dogs, not just V's.


----------



## LaVidaLoca

Hey *hotmischief*

I'm having the same issue with our pup. Few weeks ago she had everywhere rashes on her belly and got some big bumps on her neck. I went to the Vet. He said that's typical for puppies. Can caused by many factors. He gave an injection and said that this allergy might come again. It got better with the injection and for 3 weeks she was fine. Last weekend my husband went on the field again and when they came back she had these rashes again. Mostly on the chest. The rashes got dry and flaky now. ...really weird. We used to go on this field all the time. So I guess must be a special grass here. I don't have another explanation. He gave me a Spray called *ATOP 7 Spray* _( Dermoscent / Animal Dermo - Care )_ .

It's an Soothing emulsion for dogs and really good. Only natural ingredients and made in France. So I spray it on her skin when she's having bad rashes.

Or I put on some Aloe Vera oil which is really good to. The bumps and rashes doesn't disappear but helps a little bit I think.


----------



## LaVidaLoca

PS: I've got also from the Vet a Spot product. Again form *Dermoscen*t_ Animal Dermo-care_
These Pipettes you give once in a week for 8 weeks . Purifies, soothes while supporting the skin barrier function. The patented plant extract PhytoC-2 enriched with essential oils and Essential Fatty Acids helps maintain or restore the skin flora.

A really good product and I can recommend it for any skin related problems.


----------



## Vizsla Baby

hotmischief. My daughter and a friend took Sadie out to our farm yesterday for about 3-4 hours. She played with a lab, swam (YES, she finally, officially swam!) and ran through the woods & the very tall (waist high) grass. 

She came home, had dinner as normal, I gave her the benadryl and the antibiotic she is on and so far this morning, no break outs.

Either the benadryl is working or it wasn't the grass at the farm or the algae in the pond that made her break out. Either way, I'm pleased because I can take her out there without worry now.

The mystery continues.....


----------



## hotmischief

LaVidaLoca, oh the problems of owning a puppy!!! Interesting that Vida got the rash after going through the long grass. If she had been okay in that field previously, is it possible they might have sprayed recently with a pestacide that Vida has reacted to?? Is the grass in seed - could she have breathed in seeds from the grass which she has reacted to.

Hopefully they will both grow out of this problem. The hives on Boris are now mainly in his ears they go down while he is on the Periton, but get red and lumpy toward the time he needs another tablet. I sometimes wonder if I will ever know what is causing it. 

Vizsla Baby - so pleased that you have the problem under control and that Sadie can enjoy the farm once more - and a big well done to Sadie for learning to swim.


----------



## Coya

This was her first winter, and she had no issues. She came down with her first case of staph, due to the allergies, in March and is just finishing up her dose on anti biotics for her second case. We're hoping this isn't a re-occuring event because if so it will be a not so fun summer for Coya, and for us 

If it persists we will probably get an allergy test done and put her on allergy meds.


----------



## Janders

I think our little guy has some kind of skin allergy. He breaks out when he gets in tall grass and brush. The bumps go away pretty quickly after washing him. I did notice, though, that the tiny almost blister like bumps inside his ears (the flap not the actual ear canal) have not disappeared. We noticed them yesterday. I'm trying to decide if I should take him to the vet or just give him a Benadryl. If Benadryl - how much - he's 40 pounds & 5 months old.


----------



## BelleReve

It could be chiggers, tiny mites no bigger than the head of a pin. These mites hang on to tall grasses and then attach when something red-blooded comes by. Benadryl is good choice. Good luck!


----------



## Bob Engelhardt

Janders said:


> ... I'm trying to decide if I should take him to the vet or just give him a Benadryl. If Benadryl - how much - he's 40 pounds & 5 months old.


Try it & if it's going to work, it should do it quickly. If it doesn't, then vet.

According to the "Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook", the dosage is 2 mg per pound, every 8 hours. That would be 3 - 25mg tablets every 8 hours. Which sounds like a LOT to me. I'd start smaller.

Bob


----------



## lilyloo

We are lucky that our girl has no apparent allergies. 

I would start with one benadryl. I know people are different but I know if I take 2 I feel horrible.


----------



## mlwindc

Bob said:


> Janders said:
> 
> 
> 
> ... I'm trying to decide if I should take him to the vet or just give him a Benadryl. If Benadryl - how much - he's 40 pounds & 5 months old.
> 
> 
> 
> Try it & if it's going to work, it should do it quickly. If it doesn't, then vet.
> 
> According to the "Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook", the dosage is 2 mg per pound, every 8 hours. That would be 3 - 25mg tablets every 8 hours. Which sounds like a LOT to me. I'd start smaller.
> 
> Our vet says one MG / pound. So, when W was 50 lbs, we gave him two 25 mg tablets.
> 
> Bob
Click to expand...


----------



## Janders

I ended up taking Gus to the vet. He has Demotex which is mites. She assured me that this was common in puppies because their immune system has not fully developed. It doesn't bother him at all but he is starting to look pitiful! The inside of his ears is full of tiny red bumps. He's also starting to get spots on his head, face, and shoulders. She applied a topical solution called Advantage. She said we would do that every 2 weeks until they're gone. She gave me enough for 3 applications. Has anyone experienced this? She didn't say how long it would take to start noticing results. We're spending a week at the lake at the end of June. I hope his hair starts coming back before then.


----------



## Emily1970

I can relate to all of you. It's been a very tough spring for Riley. We had him allergy tested and out of 80+ items tested he is moderately to severely allergic to well over 60. The shots did not work. The sublingual drops did not work. The specialist said that we would try Apoquel, but there's been a severe availability issue on the product so we've been winging it and treating the symptoms. 3 Benadryl in the morning, 3 at noon, 3 at bedtime, eye ointment at night, eye drops in the morning, Ketaconazole 3x a week, and anti-yeast medicated wipes 2x a day. We just got the call yesterday that they had managed to get some Apoquel for Riley so we go in tonight. He has to be infection free in order to go on it and I'm not sure that we are infection free so we'll see. There's so much he's allergic to we can't very well put him in a bubble so we just play it day to day. Seems like our poor V's are prone to allergies.


----------



## Bob Engelhardt

Emily1970 said:


> ... It's been a very tough spring for Riley. ...


Oh, my! Poor Riley, and poor you. 'Hope the Apoquel works.


----------



## jld640

"Tough spring" is an understatement with a list like that! Hope the Apoquel works!


----------



## timowalk

Vip was allergic to grasses, though it's possible that it wasn't really an allergy. Grasses contain long silica crystals that make you itchy just like fiberglass does. Consider that many Vizslas are not as tall as the grass they run through, so they can get those irritating crystals all over themselves. This will happen in the fall/winter as well as any other time, so you can probably distinguish it from an actual pollen allergy. 

Molds are out there, too.

When Vip's ears got yeasty it would set off itchiness on the rest of his body.

His really serious allergy, though, was to rubber and latex. Raquetballls and tennis balls would give him quarter-sized hives, and it took me a long time to realize they were the source. Try toys by Zygoflex, Orca (the blue translucent stuff), and others. Latex is a common enough allergy in humans, and plants make latex to discourage herbivory... makes sense that it'd be irritating stuff.

Best bet for skin irritants vs actual allergens is get your dog accustomed to bathing, and bathe it after it's run through grass etc.


----------



## stefanessa

Help! 

Poor Jax has been having an allergic reaction since Tuesday of last week. We have been to the vet twice and have been put in Benadryl and hydrocortisone shampoo baths. 

Has anyone seen reactions like these? Started on back paws, then front, then nose. Chest and arm pits came today.


----------



## stefanessa

Forgot to attach picture.


----------



## rudolph

I came here today to ask the same question! About a week ago, we moved to a new house with 3 fenced acres, and Barnaby has been in heaven running off leash. There was no problem until yesterday morning, when he woke up with lumps all over his body -- maybe they are hives, but most of them were really large (see the picture). 

I washed all the sheets, dog beds, and the couch cushion covers in case there were mites or something like my new lotion or shampoo was causing the reaction, and also gave him a bath. The lumps receded and went away for the afternoon, then came back with the same severity in the evening. This morning they were mostly gone, and we've been walking him on-leash today in case it is something in the yard. 

Since there wasn't a problem for the first week, if it is something in the yard, I assume it's because it's blooming or seeding or something like that. There is some tall grass, but that's never caused him problems before (and he's run around in a lot of it). 

Edit: He's not particularly itchy and it's not affecting his eyes, mouth, mucous membranes, or his breathing.


----------



## hobbsy1010

Ticks!!!!!!

Found another of the buggers 'corkscrewed' into my pup this evening!!! :-\


----------

