Itching For Answers

Back in 2018-2019 Holly was living in a cone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Not because she was injured, or to do with anything you might initially guess, but because she was itchy. Her allergies were so out of control that if she was left for even a couple of minutes without a cone she would chew and scratch herself until raw and bleeding. This was an absolutely horrible experience for us, and I can only imagine how miserable she was. Holly has always been a literal ray of sunshine, but over those few years she was just so itchy her quality of life was diminishing right in front of our eyes and it absolutely broke my heart to see her like this. Our poor girl couldn’t sleep, was losing her appetite and could almost never have treats because we couldn’t target what was causing these severe allergic reactions. I could see in her eyes how much pain and discomfort she was in and there was nothing I didn’t try to ease her of that pain. 

We tried it all, I spent every ounce of free time I had trying to find solutions. We tried different medications, holistic supplements, all sorts of medicated shampoos, creams and oils and even tried eliminating foods and ingredients that are common allergens. We started with grains, then chicken, then beef and when none of those helped we just kept taking things out, but eventually I ran out of options and there wasn’t any dog food that we hadn't tried and none of them stopped her itching. 

It’s currently March of 2024 as I write this and I’m so incredibly relieved to say we’ve thankfully gotten Holly’s allergies under control and she’s living a very happy, itch-free life and has been for a few years now. Getting to this point with her was no small feat, and I’ll never forget the emotional torment those years caused everyone involved in Holly’s journey. As pet parents we only want for our fur babies to be happy and healthy, so when those aspects are compromised it’s absolutely heartbreaking. Luckily, like I said before, we’ve tried it all and although I can’t promise what helped Holly will be the end-all-be-all solution for your pets, it just might help you in finding a start to your own path forward. 

I had the right ideas, but finding the right order and execution took some trial and error. If you’re really struggling I highly recommend getting your pet scanned for their allergies and intolerances. You can get a traditional allergy test at your vet, but these tests are typically pretty pricey, and in my opinion aren’t the best option. A lot of things that could be irritating your pet aren’t necessarily an allergy, but a general intolerance that causes a negative bodily reaction. The allergy test you’d pay for at the vet won’t pick up on these and because of that you could still be incorporating plenty of items that cause irritation without realizing or knowing what they are. I’ve used the Glacier Peak Holistics Wellness Scan twice now and I can’t recommend it enough. I wish I had a discount code for you, but I promise it’s worth every penny. Allergies and intolerances can change overtime, so we did the scan once in 2019 and then again in 2022 and both times we followed those results religiously. Below, you can see the results of the 2022 scan. Anything in red is a trigger and should be avoided.

In my experience, the results for pets going through a really rough time always have some pretty intimidating results and I know seeing all that red is probably overwhelming, but the important thing is now you know what to avoid. Once I knew what to avoid I really did my best to not allow anything in red into her food. It’s unlikely you can avoid everything, but avoiding what you can will help a ton as the inflammation begins to decrease and their body starts to calm and heal. Personally for the first few months I kept a journal and wrote down everything she ate to make sure I wasn’t feeding anything wrong and I could always go back and reference what she ate if she did have a flair up. At this point Holly doesn’t really have flair ups and after about a year of avoiding those red items, I was able to slowly work things back in and most of them no longer caused a negative reaction. One of the only ones she still doesn’t do well with is lamb. I couldn't tell you why, but Holly and lamb do not get along.

Getting this scan and following the results was probably the most impactful decision I made and it’s what I recommend if you’re unsure where to start, but want to just tackle the problem head on. However, it’s not the only thing that helped.

The next thing we did was visit her vet to update them on her situation. We’d been to the vet and tried everything to help Holly before the scan. The prescription diets, every medicated shampoo, steroid injections, and even Apoquel, but nothing ever really worked for more than just very temporary relief. After we eliminated the triggers from her diet, we almost immediately saw improvement. She stopped itching as much, started sleeping better and got her appetite back. It was like she finally got a moment to breathe and her vet was over the moon to see we had made some headway. She recommended Holly get a Cytopoint injection to help her over the initial hump of healing and keep her moving forward. We agreed, and this was another crucial point in Holly’s progress.

What on Earth is a Cytopoint injection? 

I’m glad you asked! Basically it’s a shot that stops your dog from itching, but if you’re like me and you need a more in-depth answer than that don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. According to the European Medicines Agency, “Cytopoint is a veterinary medicine used to treat atopic and allergic dermatitis in dogs.” It’s not a steroid or an immunosuppressant and is safe for dogs of all ages. It works by blocking the protein that sends the signal to your dog's brain that tells them there is an itch, subsequently stopping the scratching. For Holly, this gave her skin and wounds a chance to heal because she still needed time for her body to decompress after everything she’d been through. It would take a few weeks for those allergens and triggers to fully leave her body, and with a Cytopoint shot she could have that time without continuing to be itchy. 

There are a few things to consider with Cytopoint, and you should certainly consult with your vet before making a decision. Firstly, turning off the switch that allows them to be itchy sounds great, but that also means they won’t necessarily realize if something else is wrong. For example, if your dog gets a skin infection most people notice because they start scratching, but if they don’t scratch you might not notice until the infection is bad enough that you see, feel or smell it. So you’ll need to keep a closer eye on your pets skin while they’re on Cytopoint. Next, it’s not the most affordable option. I’ve paid anywhere between $117 - $170 for Cytopoint shots. So be financially prepared for that vet visit because it might be a little more than you’d hope. The dosage is done via their weight, so having a bigger dog definitely contributes to that cost. Lastly, they don’t typically last that long and I wouldn’t want to use Cytopoint as a permanent solution. We got incredibly lucky and Holly’s first Cytopoint lasted her nearly 6 months and I fully attribute that to the supportive measures we were taking to reduce her itchiness outside of the shot itself. Most families report the shot lasting anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks, so I wouldn’t expect a 6 month timeline. 

The next few changes all involve her diet. Not only did we avoid any of her triggers like the plague, we added in toppers and supplements and prioritized cooling proteins to help as well.

We were focused on immune boosting supplements and omega rich toppers that also didn’t overlap with any of her triggers. We learned about bee pollen and the benefits it brings to the bowl with its ability to help with environmental allergies and general immune support. Check out our Deep Drive post about Bee Pollen if you want to read more about it. We added in things like eggs, mussels, whole prey fish, omega oils and more to help her from the inside out. Cooling proteins were also a big focal point and we used a lot of rabbit and duck.
We also just generally improved on her diet, which not only helped with her itching, but helped improve on her health overall. We started incorporating more fresh and raw food everyday and limited kibble. Eventually we were able to take her off of kibble entirely and she is on an almost entirely raw fed diet now, but that took some time to work up to. We focused on biologically appropriate foods, treats and toppers so her body could focus on pulling the nutrients from the food and not have to fight so hard to process those unnecessary ingredients that are commonly found in standard treats and kibble. Holly’s good health is majorly attributed to her amazing diet, but even in the beginning when we were just adding in a raw egg, some raw meat and maybe a few other things here and there, she improved dramatically. Any amount of change is a good thing and it doesn’t need to be all or nothing.

Another food-based change we made was incorporating more natural chews as treats. This not only pulled out another overly processed item like standard dog biscuits as treats, but added in a ton of benefits as well. We have a few blog posts on natural chews and this one about furry chews has some great information if you’re in the mood for some extra reading. My typical focus for chews like ears, necks, feet, tracheas, etc… is their amazing ability to clean teeth and their benefits for things like hip and joint health, but the glucosamine, chondroitin, collagen, and protein are also great for their skin and coat alongside helping to boost their immune system! 

Last, but certainly not least we changed her grooming habits. I never really cared or thought about what shampoo Holly was using, but man-o-man do they have an impact. There are four main things to keep in mind during bath time:

1. The quality of your products. 

Spend the extra money on a good quality shampoo and whatever other products you want to use that you can trust. Focus on ingredients and find brands that actually care about the health and well being of your fur baby. We’ve been using Skout’s Honor since 2019 and for many years it was the only shampoo that wouldn't cause Holly to have a flair up. It’s a probiotic shampoo and my favorite one is the 2-in-1 shampoo + conditioner. All their scents are amazing, but I promise you won’t be disappointed in the honeysuckle.

2. You need to be using a conditioner.

A good shampoo, even one that already includes conditioner is an amazing start, but just like we condition our hair, you need to condition theirs too. Using a good conditioner and letting it sit for a few minutes helps to replenish their natural oils and keeps their skin and coat from getting too dry, which could make them itchy and we’re trying to avoid that. One of my favorites is the Buddy Wash Conditioner. It’s soft, silky and smells amazing, but Topiclean makes a few options that we love as well and their dashed line is definitely one of my favorites!

3. You’re probably not rinsing well enough.

I heard you say it, “I definitely rinse my dog enough”, but I’m telling you, you aren't. I spent nearly 2 years as a groomer's assistant where I basically bathed dogs all day and I can’t tell you how much residue is left over from at-home bath time due to improper rinsing. When you rinse your pet that last time, you want to keep going until it’s more than annoying and you’re 10000% sure you’ve gotten all the product off of their coat and skin. Anything left over can leave a residue which can cause irritation. That extra 5 minutes in the tub is definitely worth an itch-free dog. Rinse, rinse, rinse and then rinse again. Maybe even another time and really work your hands all over their coat looking for any places you may have missed and don’t forget their tail, behind their ears and those adorable little toe beans!

4. Lasty, dry them all the way.

Or at least as much as you possibly can. I have a hair dryer made for pets by Shernbao and it’s a life saver, but there are more affordable options as well and a regular human hair dryer works well too. It just might take a little longer. Leaving your dog wet can cause skin irritation, fungal and/or bacteria growth, infections, matting and more. So, drying your dog not only helps you get a better quality bath, it can save their skin and help their itching too. If they absolutely won’t let you use a dryer on them look into a kennel mounted dryer or at least throw some towels in the dryer to help get them a little more dry. 

Holly’s skin was already irritated and inflamed and if your dog is constantly itching, their skin probably is too and bad grooming habits only make these things worse. Making changes to bath time can definitely help ease the stress on their skin and even help aid in the healing process. I do highly recommend a vet check-up as well just to make sure there isn’t some sort of infection already setting in, because if there is you might need a special medicated shampoo to help clear that up before you can move onto the more fun, smell good stuff. 

Don’t forget about brushing either. Any hair that's loose or shed that might be stuck can also cause irritation and this isn’t just an issue for double coated or long haired dogs. Holly has pretty short hair, but she still sheds a ton. I brush her a few times a week and try to incorporate a deshed shampoo + conditioner every few baths to make sure there isn’t too much excess loose hair just hanging out on her skin and in her coat. The same goes for other general grooming activities. Make sure you’re keeping their nails trimmed and filed and keeping their ears clean in order to avoid deep scratches from their own sharp nails or ear infections from missed cleanings. 

I can’t promise that any of these things will work for your pets, but they worked for Holly and hopefully our experience can at least give you an idea on where you’d like to start. Seeing Holly in a cone for so long, watching her joy burn out and knowing how miserable she was really did break my heart and not being able to fix it made me feel like the worst dog mom ever. I would do anything for her, and if I could have just taken her itchiness and her pain and given it to myself, I would have, but unfortunately I haven't mastered super powers yet. Luckily, I didn’t give up and we found things that worked and Holly is the happiest and healthiest she has ever been. If your pet is suffering from something similar, I hope something I’ve listed helps, and I hope they find relief soon.