How Can I Treat My Dog's Allergies Without Expensive Drugs or Tests?

We used to have a Boxer who was allergic to just about everything. He would break out in hives all the time and scratch himself until he bled. What our vet recommended at the time was to take him off of his normal dog food, and make him rice and boiled chicken. We fed him that for a week and the hives went away. Then we began adding in other items one by one (boiled eggs, carrots, cottage cheese, etc). It was a huge hassle to have to cook for the dog, and because he was 85 pounds, he ate a lot, but it was better than taking him to the vet all the time. After that whenever he broke out in hives, we knew it wasn't food (or if it was, it was some random thing he ate outdoors) - so we would give him Benadryl and he would feel better. Also, be aware that if your dog sleeps on a dog bed, he may even be allergic to your laundry soap or dryer sheets!

Regular, pink Benadryl. I used to give it to my dog. our vet said a half tablet for every 50 pounds. Works great!!

Pamela,
WE have some weeds or grass in the back yard that our dogs are allergic to. It is in all the places you described. The vet said we could give them benadryl. It would be for the itching only. It was two full childrens tablets for our 65 pound pitt bull, and only a half tablet for our little ones. We also have a spray the vet prescribes for us called Genesis. It is not very expensive and lasts a long time.
W. M.

I assume that you've ruled out mites that live under the skin or some oher problem that causes the itch like fertilizer or pesticides in the lawn which get on the feet then the dog licks and now the problem is on the mouth or gets on the stomach from laying in the grass.

If it is allergies it might be from the food the dog eats. Try a single source food. Also, sometimes dogs have an allergy to GRAINS. Most dog food has grain in it ex. wheat or it's by-products. Our dog has sensitive skin and generally scratches. He gets hot spots too, that's another problem- think diluted hydrogen peroxide and apple cider vinegar- spray on hot spots. We have been switching him to NO GRAIN food. You can find them in a well stocked pet store. Canadae (sp?)is a high quality product that has both grain and grain free choices.

We have been buying "Taste of the Wild" which is also grain free. It comes in 3 flavors that I know of: Salmon, Bison, and a Fowl variety. This is a high protein, high quality, excellent dog food. We tried the bison first, then the salmon (has good omegas for the skin) Both our dogs LOVE it. Given a choice of regular dry food and Taste of the Wild in a bowl, thay will pick out theTaste of the Wild food!!! It does cost more than other brands but you are getting MEAT. We have large dogs (100 + lbs)so I understand the cost factor however it costs less than a vet bill. We've noticed him scratching MUCH less as we've made the switch. He's almost completely on "Taste of the Wild" now.

Be sure to introduce the new food slowly, and one flovor at a time, as a quick change of any food can cause loose poop. Try a scoop of the old with a scoop of the new, then less and less of the old. Because the food has no fillers you might notice he eats less and poops less too. Whole meat is more filling and more throughly digested.

Hope this helps. Good Luck.

Does your dog spend a lot of time in the yard or outside? Our dog has been itching for a month or so and it's because of those poky weeds and we didn't mow them for a few week. He walks in them and eats the grass around him and he then itches.
We got meds from the vet, but she said it won't help unless we get rid of the weeds. We also use Septiderm-V Skin Care Lotion on his paws, which helps a little.
I feel your pain, it's so sad to watch them itch like that.
Best of luck,
C.