Why are my dog's feet red and itchy despite allergy meds?

Before looking for a remedy, look for the cause. Have the skin scraped to check her for Demodex mites as they will common infest the feet. Scabies mites can also infest the feet but are difficult to diagnose on a skin scrape. I recommend to start her on an oral flea product such as Simparica or Nexgard as they will treat scabies. If it goes away within 4-8 weeks, then you know it was mites. Food allergies will also present as itchy feet. Discuss a food trial with your veterinarian. This is the only way to diagnose a food allergy. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I'm sorry to hear that Miles is having all of these skin problems. How frustrating! It sounds like you are on the right track with the diet trial and the allergy testing. He may be a good candidate for an allergy medication called Apoquel. It controls the itching very well and doesn't have the side effects frequently seen with steroids. Medicated shampoo to bathe the paws can help. So can simply wiping the paws with a damp rag every time he comes in from outside. This physically removes allergens from the environment. I hope this information helps!

Red skin can be caused by several things including parasites, allergies to something in the environment, food allergy, contact allergies or endocrine disease. Each one of these problems is detected and addressed differently and I recommend to discuss with your veterinarian which one to start hunting down first. Parasites are often ruled out with an oral medication like Simparica or a skin scrape. Food allergy is best ruled out with a diet trial using a hydrolyzed protein. Endocrine diseases are detected with blood work. Environmental allergies are a little more difficult to detect but a response to therapy or a blood test can give an indication. Contact allergies are addressed by keeping pets away from things they are allergic to. Once you figure out and address the underlying cause, the redness should not come back. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Also protect the area from trauma by having Luka wear an elizabethan collar if needed. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Poor guy! I can certainly see a good bit of inflammation in between Hercules' toes. I assume (given this appearance and being a Frenchie) that your vet discussed the likelihood of allergies causing these issues. The challenge is that allergies cannot be managed with a one-size-fits-all approach, as what works for one dog may not do the trick for Hercules. There are numerous medications available like Apoquel, Cytopoint, or allergy injections that can help with the long term management of allergies. However, if a skin infection is also present, they won't work, as the infection would need to be managed first. I think you should schedule a recheck appointment for Hercules with your vet to assess his feet and to make sure he doesn't also have a skin infection. In the meantime, you can use an e-collar (cone) to prevent him from licking at his feet, as this will only exacerbate the issue. You can also try Epsom salt foot soaks twice a day, as this may temporarily minimize his discomfort. I hope that everything goes well!

You can call the vet and ask about using an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs if this does not interfere with the new protein. Prevent him from licking the feet by having him wear an elizabethan collar at all times. Do not walk him and make sure that he is only walking on soft surfaces. You can wash the feet daily with soap and rinse well. Once it is dried, you can apply a dab of organic coconut oil and rub it in well. Make sure he does not lick this as it can cause GI upset. You may also call your veterinarian and ask about a medication like Apoquel or Cytopoint which will help with itching the most. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

This sounds like an environment or food allergy. The red is due to yeast proliferation from moistness in the hair. I would recommend a novel protein elimination diet for 40 days. Benadryl is a good anti-histamine but may not work as it only improves a certain type of allergy. Neosporin can be damaging to the kidneys so I would avoid using it. It also only contains antibiotics and so would not be helpful. Fish oils can also be very helpful at lowering inflammation in the body and improving skin and joint health.

Oh my. Poor girl. Only a very small percentage of dogs actually have a grain allergy. Allergies to beef, chicken, turkey and lamb are more common. I would try to avoid these proteins in her food. Also food alleriges are not as common as environmental alllergies or flea allergies. Here is a website link that talks about pet skin allergies in detail. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1535 However, the best thing you can do to help her right away is to take her back to the vet and request actual allergy medication to be prescribed for her. I have the most success prescribing Apoquel to my patients, because it isn't a steroid and is fast acting (within 24 hrs). OTher choices are Temaril P and Atopica. Pet formulated fish oils (from your local pet store) can also be given in addition to the allergy medication to provide some natural skin anti-inflammatory properties. I hope that Maisy is able to get some relief from her skin allergies soon. Best wishes and take care.