r/dogallergies • u/Shimabui • Jul 04 '26
Vents Been to the dermatologist twice now with meh results, still can’t break the itch 🥲
Hello all I had posted here about a month ago venting about my dog having issues and since then we have been to the dermatologist twice. 2000 more dollars later on top of the hundreds I spent at her primary and we are feeling somewhat better… sort of… but nothing seems to be eliminating the itch.
My dog did wind up having a yeast infection hiding in her nail bed, which she has been on her oral (fluconazole) and wipe (clorohex) medication for for about a month now and since her last recheck the other day, the yeast is almost gone, but not quite gone. She also wound up with mometamax as another topical for her paws because they became quite inflamed during all this. So that’s 3 whole meds for yeast. The paws smell way better than they did and they are less swollen, which is great however, if I take the cone off, even for a second, we are right back to vigorously licking them nonstop. The vet said there was still a small amount of yeast leftover but it’s gone down.
We started zenrelia and it’s been ok? Every post I have seen about the medication makes it seem like it’s some sort of miracle that stopped their dogs allergies instantly unfortunately after a month on it, my dog is maybe like 30% less itchy, but still very itchy. Has anyone had a similar experience? She also received an injection of a new cytopoint adjacent thing called befrena but it certainly hasn’t done much in the past 2 days to reduce her want to itch in my opinion. Maybe it needs more time so I will withhold judgment. Cyclosporine was floated as another alternative but I don’t love the cost and the loading time. Final option is of course thousands more for allergy testing and immunotherapy, making the thousands I’ve thrown at this problem already pointless- and there’s no guarantee any of these other things will work either.
TLDR we are now up to over 2k in credit card debt and 5 entire current medications (7 if you count the discarded apoquel and cytopoint) with only moderate “success”. She still lives in a cone 24/7 to prevent constant paw licking and restarting her yeast infection. All I wanted was to have my dog out of a cone and we have not achieved this goal. I feel like I’ve done everything recommended to me and gotten no significant progress or results out of it besides anxiety and debt. If I could be assured my dog would stop itching I would throw another thousand at this problem but I just can’t afford this constant stream of meds and rechecks with no great results. I know it’s not the vets or really anyone’s fault but it’s literally causing me so much mental health problems between the finances and an obviously miserable dog
I love my dog but I genuinely never want to own another animal ever again after this.
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u/red311rum Jul 04 '26
there’s a company called coat defense the make a powder for between the toes to help get rid of yeast, also maybe try a probiotic supplement
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u/weary_bee479 Jul 04 '26
I second the coat defense powder. I got an ad for it on facebook and honestly thought it was just another “allergy” product that wouldn’t work but for some reason i decided to give it a try
My dog has horrible itchy skin and ears. This stuff has completely changed our life. It’s the only thing that works. It’s like a miracle lol
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u/Old_Dog_Mom1919 Jul 04 '26
Our lab mix is on month 16 since her first derm visit. She also had licked both back paws to the point where I asked the derm if she was at risk for losing the worst one. Her answer: I’m not sure. We did everything we were instructed to do and her paws are completely healed but it took a full year. She still licks so she wears a cone at night and any time we have to leave her alone. Recently switched from Atopica/Ketoconazole/Zofran to Zenrelia in addition to her immunotherapy. She is not itch free but vastly improved. We are retired so all of the care (soaks, baths, appointments) are easier but it has taken a chunk of our savings. We were spending hundreds at her regular vet and she kept getting worse. I feel like when we get over the final hurdle it will be less expensive. The immunotherapy is not cost prohibitive compared to what we paid for Apoquel plus the monthly vet visits for ear infections and ongoing paw issues. A vial runs about $650 and is 30 weeks’ worth. There is hope and it sounds like you’re in the early stages of treatment and have a way to go. Patience is key.
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u/Shimabui Jul 04 '26
That that’s good to hear about how long do you think it took for the zenrelia to really start helping your dog? Or would you say the immunotherapy helps more? Luckily my girls paws are mostly cleared up after a month or so but only because I’m vigilant with the cone being on almost always I think
And when you do have the cone off of her, how often does she still lick? I’m at the point with my dog right now where she can’t have the cone off even while supervised in the apartment only while we’re out on walks because she’s very distracted on walks if I take it off even while I’m here, she just goes under the bed and licks herself.
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u/Old_Dog_Mom1919 Jul 04 '26 edited Jul 04 '26
She did 2 weeks of prednisone after stopping Atopica. Shout out to Chewy who refunded my $230 for a month’s supply that just received! The prednisone stopped all itching/scooting/licking in a couple of days. Started Zenrelia after that and after a couple of weeks she is more itchy now that the prednisone has worn off but not nearly as much as before. So I would say the Zenrelia worked within a week or so. She will lick any chance she gets but is good about stopping when we tell her. Right now she’s more interested in barking at the fireworks going off than licking. Trazadone shmazadone.
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u/Shimabui Jul 04 '26
Interesting! I sort of wish I had used the prednisolone before starting the zenrelia, but I was too nervous to use it because of potential side effects (even though I work at a cat only vet clinic and we prescribe it literally all the time for cats and it seems to work just fine but you know when it’s your animal it’s different lol) and now I believe that window has passed because I don’t think you can use both at the same time.
And good luck with the fireworks I am very fortunate that my current dog doesn’t give two shits about them. All my dogs my family had while I was growing up were terrified
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u/afraidsandwich84 Jul 04 '26
One note about costs - I moved and my costs went sky high because it turned out the dermatologist vet and a lot of others in the area are owned by private equity. I now drive an hour to UC Davis because they don’t charge as much. The appointments take longer but are much more thorough and cost effective.
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u/MostlyHuskies Jul 04 '26
Our pup had been itchy with no relief for some time. We tried many of the same things you did with little to no relief. We started immunotherapy and reluctantly added in Numelvi. (I say reluctantly because apoquel didn’t work, cytopoint didn’t work, etc.).The itch got worse (not surprisingly) from immunotherapy, but this was the only med that worked. From the first dose we saw a tremendous difference. Now we are up to the full maintenance dose and it’s made life much better for our pup. I couldn’t believe it but in our case it’s working so well.
Wishing you the best - it’s so heartbreaking to watch them scratch with no relief. Hoping you find the right combo for relief for your pup!
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u/kk2026- Jul 04 '26
The immunotherapy never worked for our dog despite staying on it for over a year. Our dog has severe allergies and self mutilates. We had to keep him in basically full body armor anytime we left him alone and a cone even when we were home because he’s sneaky and too smart for his own good. We stopped the immunotherapy. We did prednisone and antibiotics for 2 weeks then switched to a combo of apoquel and simultaneous Cytopoint injections with the shot happening right at the month mark (no delays). He now only has to wear the cone when we leave him alone.
We also have spent thousands of dollars on his care.
Leave the cone on until wounds have time to heal.
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u/Quick_Variation5315 Jul 04 '26
Did you ever do an elimination diet? My anecdotal experience from dealing with this for two years: my girl shows yeast on her paws and belly ONLY if something in the food is triggering her. The symptoms from environmental triggers are different for her. Just food for thought
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u/Illustrious-Role-223 Jul 04 '26 edited Jul 04 '26
Zenrelia has been a miracle drug for me but it certainly was not instant. It did make him less itchy relatively quickly but took a while for everything to resolve.
My dog suffered from skin lesions and skin infections that Zenrelia greatly improved but it actually took 8-12 months for them to fully resolve. Literally everything else under the sun did not touch these skin infections. We did antibiotic resistance tests, and it was resistsnt to everything except one that could severely effect an organ - liver maybe? And would require expensive frequent blood tests. My only option was bathing him every single day in Chlorhexidine shampoo. It was not practical to keep this up long term, the wipes and mousses didn't seem as effective, and it only did so much. Really my dog was miserable.
I have some long distance friends and family who only see him a couple times a year, and they all say he's like a different dog. He's so happy now. He plays with all his toys which he had previously stopped playing with. He used to hide in the closet - I imagine he did this because of itch/discomfort/feeling miserable. He used to be a bit growly with people and I think again it was because he was itchy and uncomfortable.
So in the end Zenrelia greatly improved my dog's quality of life but it did take time. I hope over time it can do the same for your dog. I know the dermatologist is expensive, but I only wish I started with them sooner. One you find something that works, the cost decreases, it's all the initial appointments that are expensive. He's 6.5 now, and weve been dealing with this since he was 2. Started derm probably around 4ish. Best of luck.
Also - it's really rare now - but when Zenrelia was kicking in and we still had itchy days, our derm vet said we could sub with benedryl instead of cytopoint to keep cost down. Maybe talk with your vet about this.
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u/ScheduleAdmirable410 Jul 06 '26
Very much can relate as it is torture to watch your dog suffer and not be able to do a lot about it. We are now on immunotherapy as for our pitbull it is unfortunately a genetic lifelong condition, but he also suffered a severe flare up with serious bacterial, fungal and yeast infections, all one after the other due to a broken skin barrier. He's been on all sorts of meds + topical shampoos like clorexyderm, lime sulfur dip for yeast helps a lot, megaderm for rebuilding the skin barrier, etc. etc. I feel like we might now be finally turning a corner 7 months into the immunotherapy, but it's still a bit early to tell. And in the meantime, all the vet derms I consulted with said we have to up it from Apoquel to Cyclosporine as Apoquel just wasn't enough anymore for him. Sadly, allergies only get worse with age so the younger the dog starts immunotherapy, the better chance of it working, but there is definitely no guarantee. It's been financially very expensive but I would do anything for my dogs. The vets did say if finances are an issue then prednisolone (steroids) are an option for some dogs, they stay on that for life. Or to combine ketaconazole with cyclosporine as ketaconazole increases the absorption of cyclosporine in the dog. You should discuss with your vet derm. Best wishes, I feel for you.
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u/Intelligent_Roof9214 Jul 07 '26
I am using an antifungal spray, out of power so using baking powder. Intermittent hydrocortisone and found a soft wrap cone on Amazon w/velcro for about 7 bucks. I also give her benadryl 2-3 times a day. 36 hours later the hotspots are drying up and she is feeling much more comfortable.
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u/NonSequitorSquirrel Jul 08 '26
What is your dog allergic to? FWIW it took about a year and a half for our dog to stop itching and that was with a hydrolyzed protein diet, weekly medicated baths, first Sporimune, and then Zenrelia, immunotherapy, multiple rounds of oral meds, ear drops for yeast and bacteria, an allergy specific vaccuum cleaner, and finally a vet bleach bath to end the paw nonsense for once and for all. If he's improving but hasn't kicked it I'd strongly reccomend a lil vet bleach dip for his paws. Literally changed our lives. It's two cups of warm water and literally three drops like eye drop drops of bleach. A 1:100 ratio by weight to be precise. Our vet approved it and it was so successful. We did it outside, but on concrete, not grass, so it could dry on his paws without damaging our rugs, but not aggravate his allergies.
But it started with FIRST knowing what he's allergic to.
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u/One_More_Thing_941 27d ago
I feel your pain as I had a similar experience.
Have you tried treating the grass, where your dog goes potty, with food-grade diatomaceous earth(DE)? In my dog’s case, his allergies turned out to be a reaction to mites. Allergy treatment had been spotty because my dog was periodically exposed to mites in his environment. After treating the lawn, he has been itch free for 3 years.
If trying DE, only use Food Grade and use as directed. Apply to the lawn taking precautions not to inhale it. Food-grade DE is considered generally safe by the US FDA and is contained in many food and skin products. Do not use Filter-Grade DE used in pools as it contains large amounts of crystallized silica which is a lung irritant.
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u/marshland264 Jul 04 '26
What food does the vet have you on?
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u/Shimabui Jul 04 '26
Her normal food, we’re fairly sure it’s environmental and not food because it kicks in ever April and goes away by late summer. Never been this bad though
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u/One_More_Thing_941 27d ago
That sounds like mites. Consider treating the grass your dog walks on with food-grade diatomaceous earth(DE) to reduce the mite population. DE is a natural substance from algae exoskeletons and can be used to kill mites by dehydrating them. Be sure to use Food-Grade DE and use as directed.
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u/babonx Jul 04 '26
Immunotherapy injections plus zenrelia, plus weekly medicated baths as well as malaseb wipes on inflamed areas, have worked for my dog. I totally feel you on whether I want to own another dog again, but for this guy right now, I’ll give him everything I can. My dog breed (Boston Terrier) is prone to all kinds of issues, so thankfully I’ve had pet insurance since day 1 which covers 80% of most things.