Dog Allergy to Human Dander

You mentioned that she was the most allergic to human dander, but not to how many other items she is allergic to. That may account for the poor prognosis for desensitizing her, and the suggestion to try Atopica. Atopica (or cyclosporine) is the drug used to prevent an organ transplant from being rejected. It is a very powerful suppressant to the body’s immune system.

At 5 years of age, I am curious if she has had a long history of skin problems, other allergy problems or any other medical illnesses such as frequent ear or bladder infections? In other words, how healthy is she?

To start her on a drug such as Atopica, which would suppress her immune system even further, would not be beneficial to her overall well being, that is, for her to lead a long and healthy life.

Providing her with a fresh and wholesome diet (see finding the right dog food diet), minimal to NO vaccinations for her at this time (see our dog vaccination schedule page), using oatmeal shampoos to minimize itching, Rescue Remedy to calm down her skin, aloe vera juice to decrease the redness, and locating a holistic veterinarian to improve her health so she is NOT susceptible to allergies would be the best options for her.

Please keep us posted by coming back to this page and clicking the ‘click here to add your own comments’ link below.

Take care,
Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

DISCLAIMER: This educational advice is based on the depth of your question and the picture you submitted. The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

Here first steroid shot was 6/6/07 for bilateral hot spots – since then she has had 12 shots – for itching around her tails, conjunctivitis, full anal glands, itchy bumps around her head and itchy skin.

She was put on Zyrtek 6/4/10, got a hot spot on 6/28 and was allergy tested on 7/29 (and received a steriod shot that day).

Allergy test 1 is very low level, 2 is low level, 3 is high level, 4 is very high level and 5 & 6 are ultra high levels (she didn’t have any 5 or 6’s). Human dander was the only 4. The 3’s are: giant ragweed, plantain, Rye grass, D.pteronyssinus (house dust mites), Mucor and Rhizopus Molds.

We feed her Taste of the Wild dog food and oatmeal baths. Your thoughts?

Thank you for the quick return with more information. So, the allergy testing shows a total of 7 allergens to which she responded with an allergic reaction (the human dander being the highest). I believe that if there are more than 3 or 4 allergens contributing to the allergy, it is very unlikely that desensitization will be effective. And if she averaged a steroid injection every 3 months for 3 years, she is not very healthy.

All of the problems she has had over the past 3 years are allergy related: itching around her tail, conjunctivitis, full anal glands, itchy bumps around her head, hot spots/itchy skin.

Taste of the Wild is a good food, but a gradual transition to a raw dog food diet might be helpful: Primal, Nature’s Variety, Nature’s Logic, AuntJeni, or Barfworld are examples.

The addition of Omega 3 fish oils would also help to decrease inflammation and provide moisture to the skin from the inside. Antronex by Standard Process is a natural glandular supplement that helps the liver remove histamine from the tissues. So it will ‘act’ like an antihistamine. Continue the oatmeal shampoos one to two times per week to keep her comfortable.

Please keep us posted by coming back to this page and clicking the ‘click here to add your own comments’ link below.

Take care,
Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

DISCLAIMER: This educational advice is based on the depth of your question and the picture you submitted. The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

Related Pages:
– Dog Skin Conditions,
– Dog Itchy Skin,
– Dog Skin Rash,
– Dog Skin Allergies,
– Ask a Vet Online Library – Dog Skin Rashes, Marks, Spots, Lesions & Patches (including itchy skin and mange) Section

Thank you very much for your time and your help.