Dr. Doug-Opinion on Atopica

The Temaril P (not sure spelling) and clindamycin combo is working great. He's MUCH better, including his attitude and appetite. He needs another good bath but with the slew of bad weather we've had up here and time constraints it's had to wait until this weekend. He's on the mend and soooooo much happier. We've still got a while before this course of the steroids is done and we'll see what happens then to decide on the next course of action. My biggest concern is a suppressed immune system on the steroids as we will need to board him in August to attend a wedding.

I feel for you and the pup. Allergies can be a real nightmare. It's so hard to figure out exactly what is causing the problem. Hope things get better.

No immune deficiency. This only happens from spring to fall when the outer allergens are at it. We thought he was allergic to chicken but we're not even sure about that now. The PedEdge outlet is just on the other side of town. Might be time to take a stroll through there. We've been giving Jesse baths with betadine (iodine) mixed with shampoo and that seems to be working well.

Crowe wrote:
Antibiotics did nothing (except maybe save him from an infection). This is an allergic reaction to some sort of seasonal outdoor allergen. We get the same effectiveness from washing him in an iodine solution as we do with medicated shampoo (at a lot less money!). The Genesis worked pretty well but it was a short term solution that can't be repeated and the spots came right back. I've been hoping to avoid any type of steroid use but I think we've hit the wall.

You aren't too far from PetEdge Outlet - they carry the Davis chlorhexidine shampoo. I think it's $5.49 for a 12 oz bottle. Might be worth a try. And it might even be a bit cheaper at the Outlet Store.

Are you sure the dog doesn't have an immune deficiency? We had a dog once with hellacious skin issues. We got him straightened out and adopted. The poor dog was allergic to everything. He got better in the kennel environment where he was inside the building or on cement in his outside run. After he was adopted, there was grass in the yard and he had a serious set back. Adopter took him to a specialist. They did a series of allergy shots and all kinds of stuff. In the end, he was that bad, it was time to end his suffering. General concensus amongst the vets was that he had an immune deficiency.

Antibiotics did nothing (except maybe save him from an infection). This is an allergic reaction to some sort of seasonal outdoor allergen. We get the same effectiveness from washing him in an iodine solution as we do with medicated shampoo (at a lot less money!). The Genesis worked pretty well but it was a short term solution that can't be repeated and the spots came right back. I've been hoping to avoid any type of steroid use but I think we've hit the wall.

In addition to the antibiotics have you tried any of the shampoos with chlorhexidine gluconate in them?

Malaseb used to be a life saver with skin issues, but then it was not available for a long time. I've tried the Davis version and it's a good substitute for the malaseb. Might be worth a try.

Davis Chlorhexidine Shampoo

Thanks-seems most drugs have gotten outrageous. It will be worth it if his skin clears up.

Most patients I have seen that have used Atopica have been prescribed by a dermatologist. It certainly is worth a try. One problem is that it also is expensive.

The problem with doxycycline costs have to do with production and supply. I don't know if there is a real reason, or if this is a game being played by mfg companies to increase income. Right now we were notified that IV fluids (like saline) were not available and when it does become available it will be 6X the cost.

Come on, it's salt and water...

Our 12 year old Golden Retriever has had recurrent bouts of reactive histiocytosis over the past six or seven years. The go to drug in the past has been doxycycline, and it was always effective...until this time. (The doxy has also gone from $35 for a 30 day supply to $400, which is highway robbery for a generic drug.)

After a month on the doxy and having more and more bumps that got larger and larger, our canine dermatologist put Gus on Atopica. It only took five days to show marked improvement and in less than three weeks the lesions were totally gone. We saw the doctor yesterday, and she has cut the dosage from once a day to once every other day for the next 30 days. If he does well on that, she will cut the dosage even further until we find the minimum dose that will be effective.

For Gus it was a miracle drug.