Hey everyone! I was wondering if anyone here has given their dogs allergy shots? When I was living in Dallas I was giving my dogs allergy shots for about 6 months but then I moved to another city and wasnt able to provide the shots for them anymore because I had to change the formula, or something like that, every time you move. However, now that Im finishing up school in December and moving back home to CA, I will be able to give them shots again. Has anyone tried these and do they work? When I tried them, I only did it for about 6 months before I had to move and it didnt seem like they worked all that well. I heard from some other people though that it takes longer than 6 months to see results, about a year. Any suggestions, opinions, etc??
Pet Allergy Shots
- Thread starter nprotundo
- Start date
I've heard of these but we've never had any need for them. Definitely check with your current vet like Couturegirl suggested and see a) what his/her opinion on the shots is and b) what would be involved in changing the formula.
I know that it takes a while for my allergy meds to kick in and I have to "pre-load" for a couple weeks so to speak before I go home to the kitties... Prepping your dog for the allergens he will be coming back into contact with may be a good idea as well.
I know that it takes a while for my allergy meds to kick in and I have to "pre-load" for a couple weeks so to speak before I go home to the kitties... Prepping your dog for the allergens he will be coming back into contact with may be a good idea as well.
My vet was the one that suggested the shots. I mean, I didnt just decide on my own to get them and go to some backalley vet. I see an animal allergy specialist and he does the formulas for me; however, since I move a lot the vet suggested to wait until I settle down to continue with them since the formula is specifically mixed for allergens the dog is allergic to in that particular region. I was just curious if someone had done these and if its worth the time and effort. Thanks anyway.
Hi there! I am currently doing these now. We started July 17th and after a visit to the holistic vet I wanted to try an alternative to the monthly steroid shots, etc which he has never been on. We started off the first two weeks having to do the shots every other day which was a huge pain (literally, for him 
). Then we spaced them out to every three days and then five and now finally he's getting them at 10 days apart! They say you don't see an improvement usually for a couple of months.
I can tell you that in the middle of August his allergies were horrible. I had to take him back to the vet where they gave me very low dose prednisone. It did the trick and now I am vigilant about staying on top of his allergies and making sure he doesn't scratch. I think the scratching was becoming more of a habit for a little while and they were getting so red and scary looking, I felt bad. He was losing hair under his arm pits and his chest and his little belly was red.
When he goes into the back yard I usually make sure he has a t-shirt on. They also gave me a malaseb shampoo which I was actually using every day (as per vets suggestion) for two weeks...now about once a week. I bought the malaseb spray though off of amazon and that seems to help.
The allergy test we got was the "full spectrum" allergy tests and they were also the ones who provided me with the serums, etc. What was your dog allergic to in the first place? Toby was allergic to about 14 (can't remember the exact number) different types of grasses and oats, kelp, cat fur!!!, venison, cockroaches, and a bunch of other things...he came from an apt in the city so I think that's where the cockroach allergy comes in
). Then we spaced them out to every three days and then five and now finally he's getting them at 10 days apart! They say you don't see an improvement usually for a couple of months. I can tell you that in the middle of August his allergies were horrible. I had to take him back to the vet where they gave me very low dose prednisone. It did the trick and now I am vigilant about staying on top of his allergies and making sure he doesn't scratch. I think the scratching was becoming more of a habit for a little while and they were getting so red and scary looking, I felt bad. He was losing hair under his arm pits and his chest and his little belly was red.
When he goes into the back yard I usually make sure he has a t-shirt on. They also gave me a malaseb shampoo which I was actually using every day (as per vets suggestion) for two weeks...now about once a week. I bought the malaseb spray though off of amazon and that seems to help.
The allergy test we got was the "full spectrum" allergy tests and they were also the ones who provided me with the serums, etc. What was your dog allergic to in the first place? Toby was allergic to about 14 (can't remember the exact number) different types of grasses and oats, kelp, cat fur!!!, venison, cockroaches, and a bunch of other things...he came from an apt in the city so I think that's where the cockroach allergy comes in
Hi there! I am currently doing these now. We started July 17th and after a visit to the holistic vet I wanted to try an alternative to the monthly steroid shots, etc which he has never been on. We started off the first two weeks having to do the shots every other day which was a huge pain (literally, for him
I can tell you that in the middle of August his allergies were horrible. I had to take him back to the vet where they gave me very low dose prednisone. It did the trick and now I am vigilant about staying on top of his allergies and making sure he doesn't scratch. I think the scratching was becoming more of a habit for a little while and they were getting so red and scary looking, I felt bad. He was losing hair under his arm pits and his chest and his little belly was red.
When he goes into the back yard I usually make sure he has a t-shirt on. They also gave me a malaseb shampoo which I was actually using every day (as per vets suggestion) for two weeks...now about once a week. I bought the malaseb spray though off of amazon and that seems to help.
The allergy test we got was the "full spectrum" allergy tests and they were also the ones who provided me with the serums, etc. What was your dog allergic to in the first place? Toby was allergic to about 14 (can't remember the exact number) different types of grasses and oats, kelp, cat fur!!!, venison, cockroaches, and a bunch of other things...he came from an apt in the city so I think that's where the cockroach allergy comes in
Yes! My dogs were allergic to almost everything. However, one of the dogs allergies is manageable as long as she gets some benedryl every now and then. However, for my cocker spaniel...it gets bad. Its more of a breathing thing though. He gets to where he has asthma attacks or something very similar to it. Its horrible! He has been fine since taking him off his shots but we do give him benedryl and plan on putting him back on the shots. Thanks for letting me know about yours. Its almost like he gets these attacks out of the blue when he gets excited or after a strenuous walk (which is why we dont walk him anymore than down the block now).
Hi Npro-
I'm assuming you're talking about the long-term hyposensitization therapy. There are several compnaies that develop a custom program for your dog based on a serum sample to determine which allergens are the culprits. I've only done this with a few patients...but I have to say, the results haven't been great. I've had one respond completely, and a few not at all. Talk to your vet about "Atopica" and hypoallergenic diets. I'm sorry you have to deal with this-allergy dogs are so hard!
I'm assuming you're talking about the long-term hyposensitization therapy. There are several compnaies that develop a custom program for your dog based on a serum sample to determine which allergens are the culprits. I've only done this with a few patients...but I have to say, the results haven't been great. I've had one respond completely, and a few not at all. Talk to your vet about "Atopica" and hypoallergenic diets. I'm sorry you have to deal with this-allergy dogs are so hard!