How can you tell what is causing a skin allergy?

Questions and Answers

can anyone tell me if they know what kind of skin allergy i have?, I just recently got a skin allergy I believe it is and I been to the doctor but they just gave me some little purple pills. I took them and it went away but as soon as I ran out it came back. I just stop getting refills and for a while I was always itchy not only in one spot but all over. Depending how I scratch that determines how big the bump is and it gets red. I need to know if it`s curable or am I going to have it for the rest of my life. Also what is causing it and the name of this allergy if it even is an allergy. No I am not allergic to any type of food I get it usually when I sweat.

You need to call your doc and find out what he felt the problem was aka what was his diagnosis. If he felt it was an allergy then see an allergist and get tested to find out what you are allergic to. You really need to get this info from the doc though.

skin allergy in dogs?, my shih tzu has a skin allergy, vet said. its only by his rear, and he is biting that area silly to the point where they're raw and red. i took him to the vet and he prescribed clavamox pills and children's benedryl.

only, it doesn't seem to be working. its been almost 2 weeks [he's due back for a checkup next wednesday] and there doesn't seem to be any improvement what-so-ever.

i don't want to take him back and the vet prescribe other pointless meds and waste our money, because we suspect that that vet clinic is overpricing us.

so im wondering if there's anything i can do? vet didn't tell us what was the cause of his skin allergy, so i'm wondering if there's anyway we can find out?

also, we're feeding him beneful, (i know it's bad, we're switching as soon as it runs out) and he's been eating that for maybe about 5, 6 years now and im thinking it might be that, but i need to know for sure. does beneful have a history of causing skin allergy in dogs? and in the meantime is getting

Yes, I'd switch his food to something that doesn't contain corn or grains. Both can cause skin problems in dogs, and neither ingredient is necessary or even good for a dog. Here's a website:

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com

Short-term, YES, get the E-collar for him. Poor guy, he must be so uncomfortable!

I have a suggestion ... why don't you post this question in the "dogs" section of YA! There are lots of good, helpful people who frequent that category, and they can probably give you some useful advice!

Good Luck ... hope you get the problem sorted out!

is stress and depression can cause skin allergy?, last year my husband got involved with another girl and he admitted to me that he loved this girl very much and she is pregnant. he admitted it to me bec they want to live together and ask me to allow him not to come home at least 2 days in a wk. that was very painful to me but i ask him first that i want to meet this girl that he's keeping to me already for about 2 yrs, when i meet this girl i realized why my husband is crazy for her bec she is sexy beautiful and very young only 15 when my husband got her and she is now 17 yrs old. my husband is already 37 when they met. i told to my husband that i cant accept were 2 in his life thats why i told him to choosed, he chooses me but i know he did that only bec of our 2 kids. until now even though i know they did not seeing each other he still misses her and that hurts me so much. then this allergy came out and really causing me so much trouble my skin become ugly and very itchy.

Stress is a major cause of various illnesses like migraines, stroke and may weaken the immune system.Noise pollution, hectic lifestyle and chronic illness are some of the major factors causing stress .Breathing techniques, self understanding, exercise and meditation are some of the popular stress management techniques used. More details and remedies at http://mshn.org/

Possible skin allergies in dogs?, My 2 y/o Jack Russell/Shih Tzu mix scratches, bites and licks at his back almost constantly to the point of having bald patches. There is no sign of him having any fleas and nothing has changed in the household. His diet consists of mainly Alpo canned which I have checked and it contains no red dye #40 which I have been told can cause skin problems in the shih tzu breed. Any suggestions of what may be causing his skin problem or what I can do to alleviate it or at least improve his condition.

My best guess is a food allergy, but you really want to consult a vet on this issue.
The red flag here is that you are feeding Alpo. Here are the ingredients:

http://forums.dogfoodproject.com/showfla...

Ground yellow corn, beef and bone meal, soybean meal, beef tallow (preserved with BHA), animal digest, salt, choline chloride, zinc sulfate, vitamin E supplement, ferrous sulfate, added color (red 40, yellow 5, blue 2), manganese sulfate, niacin, vitamin A supplement, calcium carbonate, brewers dried yeast, copper sulfate, calcium pantothenate, natural flavor, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin B12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin D3 supplement, riboflavin supplement, calcium iodate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K activity), folic acid, biotin, sodium selenite

Nearly all or ANY of these ingredients could be negatively affecting your dog. Corn, by-products, soy and so on can all create issues in your dog.
I would suggest you look in to something of a higher-quality. And yes, you CAN afford something better!!!

How about these:

Merrick
Innova
California Natural
Natural Balance

Heck, even Nature's Recipe might be best for your dog!

Please do some research in to dog food and the ingredients you should avoid. The best place to start is here:

www.dogfoodproject.com

Good luck!

Can dog food cause skin allergies?, My dog is eight years old. Over the last 6 months he seems to be constantly itching. I know that it is not fleas ticks etc. He is on Advantix and the vet who was convinced it was fleas couldnt find one and cant seem to help me with this problem. His answers is simply keep giving him benedryl.... Someone told me it could be the food I am feeding him. I switched him to Purina One Healthy weight formula about 8 months ago from Benefull. Could this be the problem and can anyone suggest a good reasonably priced food to switch to.

lt could be the food, but dogs can be allergic to many different thinks. lt sounds like you should see another vet, this one doesn't sound very helpful.
The vet should check to find out if it is an allergy, and if it is, then determine what's causing the problem.
My Lab suffers from a dust allergy and also seasonal allergies, similar to hayfever.
Antihistamines helps, and also an antiseptic cooling spray that helps to cleanse and sooth the hot spots.
You could try changing the food, if that doesn't work, then see another vet.

l feed my Lab James Wellbeloved, which is a good quality food, it is made from all natural products, it doesn't contain any addatives, fillers or animal by products.

Can a 1 year old eat prawns and mushrooms and what nutrients do they provide ?, I've always wanted my son to try some other kinds of meat other than the usual chicken, pork, beef,turkey and fish but some says prawns can cause skin allergies so I was told to wait till his much older .Is that true ?Should I wait ? My son has no allergies and no skin problems.

yes usually they say wait on any type of shell fish... most babies/ toddlers are allergic.. just like most are allergic to nuts,,,, wait on those... as for mushrooms.... in the Gerber spaghetti and meatballs.. for stage 2 they say ion the Ingredients mushrooms.. and i know in the jar sauce i now use are mushrooms also.. so i am think my daughter is safe with that... you might wanna try a small amount and watch and see you you child takes to it.. watch for rash. fever.. trouble swallowing... that kinda thing.. good luck!

What is best treatment for skin allergy, excessive licking and sometimes smelly ears in springer spaniel dog?, My Vet has prescibed predisone 25 mg for 52 lb. dog. To be taken periodically for what we think is an allergy. Vet said to give dog break from meds, then resume in a month or so. It takes about 6 weeks for the dog to develop symtoms again. Tresaderm is prescribed for the ears. I also use a preventitive ear Flush.
He eats Maximum Nutrition Lamb and Rice for adult dogs, 2 to 3 cups a day. He is somewhat lethargic now, could be due to the time of year - winter - which means we don't go out on as long of a walk as in summer. But the licking has caused his hair to be brown on paws. I am told this is due to an ensyme in the saliva. He is white and liver and tan normally. When he is allowed to run free outdoors he will eat duck, horse and chicken droppings and eggs from our free range poultry. He will go after and eat toads, squirrels and anything he finds. Now it is winter, so those "treats" are not available to him. So tell me; Is he lacking something in his diet?

I used to have a lab that was alergic to everything...Here are some of the things that I did to ease his itching:

Aveno makes an oatmeal bath. I used it on him every 2 weeks. It doesn't smell the best, but sure helped his itching!

I switched to "Clear" (Perfume and dye free) laundry detergent and fabric softener - This turned out to help the most - Poor guy was alergic to the stuff his bedding was being washed with!

can anyone who has a maltese tell me about skin problems?, I have a maltese and a cocker with food allergies. The cocker has the most problems. Causing inflammed ears and scratching. He gets an allergy shot every 6 weeks. both dogs did great on royal canine mini 30 food for 2 months. Thier coat was beautiful no stains around thier eyes from tearing or pink in thier white coat from biting themselves, and all of a sudden the maltese started biteing herself on the tale, back legs and anal area. there were also times her skin seemed brighter pink or more red than usual. I also had not had the maltese's anal glands cleaned in a while, so i did the same day i changed them from the royal canine mini 30 to natural balance duck and potatoe.I thought she had developed an allergy to corn or something in the royal canine mini 30 they were eaing. didn't think it could be because of her anal glands. what would cause her skin to be brighter pink or red at times? is it normal? was the royal canine mini 30 ok for the cocker with allergies?

All skin conditions are NOT allergy related. This must not be overlooked. It is very easy to look at a Westie and say "allergies. There could be an underlying thyroid condition, or the dog could have lice, sarcoptic or demodetic mange mites. Blood tests, skin scraping or biopsies may be required to diagnose these problems.
It does sound like your Maltese may have a yeast infection.
Whatever the cause, dogs with chronic skin problems need to have an ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS and APPROPRIATE TREATMENT. See your vet.

Whats the best way to find the cause of a skin allergy?, Okay it all started about 3 years ago and stayed with me for just over 2 years. At the start I was working with fibreglass but even after I quit I was still itching my skin red raw for a long year.
It suddenly stopped, then returned quite recently really badly. I take allergy tablets daily costing me a lot and making me somewhat drowsy now and then. I mean the irritation caused by a strand of hair brushed across my skin can start it.
Is it my food? Soaps? Detergents? Nails?
I have changed to simple non allergy products, all natural household products. Changed materials to natural, still there. Then I thought maybe I have a unnoticeable fungal infection in my nails? I don't know? All I do know is I want it gone. It feels like little needles spiking me all over in random places.Urh. When I itch the skin inflames a real lot and for a long time, it heats up like I'm stood next to an open fire, and sometimes has the distinct colour of yellow. A hard lump sometimes when it gets really bad will appear. The pores in my skin are clearly visible to the naked eye. It looks shocking. I will get a photo up asap on here. Please if you have a story to tell or any suggestions please don't hesitate as I'm at my wits end. I would really appreciate your kind help. Thank you.

I have a kind of eczema on the back of my hands that causes them to be scaly, dry and cracked; I have also seen yellowish firm areas that are kind of lumpy (I thought it was a wart once and it was not). It's kind of like a callus. I control mine with just 1% hydrocortisone - which means it's itchy, dry, scaly every day but usually not cracked deep or bleeding, unless I aggravate it.

I did some research online and found it is most likely this: pompholyx dyshidrotic eczema Take a look (search for pictures) and see if it matches your rash.

It is common for scratching to heat up the rash. You are making it much worse by scratching, especially to bleeding, because you not only enflame your skin and make the itchiness MUCH worse, but you can open it for infection, making it much harder to cure. I know it sucks, I have had uncontrollable itching and I am fortunate I discovered the cause (foods and dust mites, some environmental also) and so I'm down to tolerable itchiness that I can control.

It's very important to control the itching as best you can - Aside from possible allergies, it sounds like you are having a problem with your hands mostly, can you confirm? You may have microscopic bits of fiberglass in your hands - essentially irritating splinters. See a doctor to find if it is this - I don't know anything about what can be done, but maybe someone else does.

As for allergies, you can be tested with a general panel to see what may be causing it, and do secondary panels on whatever areas seem to be a problem, i.e. foods, trees, etc..

You should not take over the counter allergy medications long-term. I would recommend seeing a regular physician first, who can recommend you see an allergist or dermatologist depending on their thoughts.

There are also problems where your skin can be ultra-sensitive, and moreso in various situations, things like cold, heat... . I'm sorry I don't remember what I read about it, but I think it was an immunologic condition, so I apologize for bringing it up without much knowledge. Just something to consider.

My hands itch when handling raw chicken (or cooked on the bone), most shampoos/soaps, any chemical stuff... even from eating some foods. I also get rashes from most adhesives (i.e. bandages with adhesive)... not sure what else...

Hope you feel better, if I see a picture/update and I have some additional thoughts I'll add on. I know what it's like to have itching and rash drive you crazy.. if you read some of my other answers you will know what I mean...