We give Obi a tin of sardines daily. Can't say if it helps but he likes them! He is a dog with allergy prone skin and we have to monitor it. Getting wet is a trigger (makes the skin more porous) though sea water seems fine (but probably because the allergens aren't in coastal areas). When Obi got itchy in the first Spring we had him we went to our vet who consulted with the vet dermatologist at the practice. But just to address the question of over the counter meds....Some human antihistamines can be effective in dogs (think about 30% of dogs so def not the majority) and it'll be different brands for different dogs. Very much hit and miss. After researching I tried Zyrtec with Obi (2 tablets in the mornings) and we were lucky - it definitely helps as a kind of maintenance drug. It doesn't cut it if he goes swimming though - then he needs a steroid tablet. As I said, we were lucky with the Zyrtec and we did it all in consultation with the vet. I do very much second/third/fourth the advice to see a specialist. If you delay effective treatment it can lead to permanent thickening of the skin, so it's best to work with an expert where itchiness is concerned.
@Oberon and @drjs@5 - my thoughts, exactly, until traditional western medicine failed us. By chance my neighbour, a Vet, had had two client dogs with the same symptoms as Oban (extreme diarrhoea) and her traditional western medicine failed them too. The Holistic Integrative Vet saved the lives of all three dogs where tested, approved, double blind studies etc. drugs had failed. It's a big step for me, to support TCM. I worked for big Pharma, a company that made/makes human and veterinary meds. TCM, acupuncture and traditional meds. different ones, (integrative means western medicine is used too) worked. I'm a convert. Yes, there are no standards, no testing of ingredients. With traditional food and med ingredients sourced from countries with dubious standards unfortunately I think the playing field has narrowed.
Good luck and please report back what you find with your approach and when you visit the vet. My boy is four years old and has had allergies since he was about three months old. He was scratching when we got him, so maybe he always had allergies (we thought it was the collar that was irritating him). We kind of pinpointed the onset of his allergies to when he was stung by a bee at 3 months -- apparently the severe allergic response can continue to cause allergic responses, so I have been told by various vets. I later learned that his mother is also allergic -- a so-called reputable breeder and she omitted to tell me this when I made all the other health enquiries, which were supported with the correct medical certificates (hips, elbows, eyes). Thankfully she has spayed her bitch, so no more allergic puppies... I do give my boy salmon oil capsules every day and he has a glorious coat (people often comment), but he does continue to scratch. He has never had dandruff but he does get very red "angry" skin from all the licking and scratching. As a puppy he had little pimples on his stomach that a vet said was impetigo and to treat with added oil in his food, which seemed to do the trick. Then I used olive oil; now I give salmon oil because it is high in omega 3s. (I have heard krill oil is also very good.) We have resisted treating him for fleas because 1) we don't see fleas on him, and 2) he is very sensitive -- had a seizure after giving a dewormer and also after giving Allergex (antihistamine) -- he is epileptic and we (incl vet!) did not know then that Allergex should not be given to epileptic dogs. However, just this morning we gave him Bravecto because we were away in a tick-infested area and are worried he will get biliary (still keep finding ticks on him even though I diligently inspect him and pick them off). Funnily enough he has not been particularly itchy these past few days, so I won't know if the Bravecto has helped against itchiness from bites (am hoping it won't bring on a seizure!). One thing I have learned is this: I really am not sure what causes his itchiness!! We don't have access here to the allergy tests someone wrote about higher up in this post, and my vet said that previously they believed that a dog was allergic to just one allergen; now they believe that an allergic dog will be allergic to several allergens, so you can't just treat for one. We are doing our best and our vet says for an allergic dog he is not so bad, so what we've been doing has no doubt helped. We try to keep things simple: raw food, salmon oil, clean bedding, clean skin and fur (bathing), brushing, keep ears clean, regular exercise. However, I am not as strict as I once was because I am happier being more relaxed, eg if I'm at a café, I will share my toasted cheese with him!
We've just started giving Pongo salmon oil (high quality, from CSJ) and it does seem to have helped with his itchiness on belly and at base of tail. And his coat is now absolutely GLORIOUS.
I posted on Friday that we gave Snowie Bravecto -- an oral chewable tablet, an insecticide and acaricide (kills ticks and mites) that lasts three months. Scary all that poison in his system!! Thankfully it does not appear to have had ill effects and I am delighted to report that he has dramatically reduced scratching (it is now Sunday). I did notice that his itchiness was much reduced before we gave him the Bravecto and we have never been able to detect fleas on him (diligent combing and no flea "dirt" to be seen at all). But I now suspect he might've been bitten by mites. Up till he was two years old we used the spot on treatments Frontline, Advantix, and Revolution -- alternated each month -- but he was still very itchy then. He hated the spot on treatments and would run a mile when he caught a whiff of them. After the last time of having to clamp him between my knees in order to get it on, I decided to stop because he was so itchy regardless of using it. I will report back if his itchiness comes back or not.
