[Connie Sutherland]

Allergies manifesting in itchy skin:

I read new research last week from the International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP) about the combination of Omega 3 EFAs and certain antihistamines.

QUOTE:
Antihistamines fell out of favor years ago for treatment of Atopic Dermatitis. They were widely dismissed as useless until recently when new studies showed considerable benefits. The human antihistamines chlorpheniramine, hydroxy[z]ine and clemastine have all been shown in tests to be beneficial.

Antihistamines are now known to potentiate the effect of essential fatty acids. This means that the antihistamines work in synergy with them and using combination therapy works better than using either alone. END QUOTE

Based on this, I decided to get an RX for hydroxyzine from the vet and try it in place of the Benadryl I was using. (I manage the skin itchies with one dog by giving fish oil and vitamin E, washing grass, pollen, etc., off his paws, feeding raw, and using antihistamines.)

I see a big difference with the hydroxzyine. The redness on his paws from licking is about 50-75% decreased, and the itching behavior is now infrequent instead of a couple of times a day.

This is a big discovery for me. Allergies usually require that every tool be used to some degree or other, IME, and the antihistamine tool is now much more effective (in conjunction with Omega 3 EFAs and vitamin E).

 

[Mike Armstrong]

I have a left-over bottle of 25mg Hydoxyzine HCl tabs that I used on my previous GSD. The label says 2 twice a day, but I don't recall using that much, but I may have in the pre-raw diet days. I used to use these in conjuction with prednisone.

Switching to raw eliminated about 95% of the problems, but I kept this stuff on hand to use "as needed" for the rare flareups.

So what dosages of Hydoxyzine/Omega 3/E seem to be working, and for what size dog?

 

[Connie Sutherland]

I have a left-over bottle of 25mg Hydoxyzine HCl tabs that I used on my previous GSD. The label says 2 twice a day, but I don't recall using that much, but I may have in the pre-raw diet days. I used to use these in conjuction with prednisone.

Switching to raw eliminated about 95% of the problems, but I kept this stuff on hand to use "as needed" for the rare flareups.

So what dosages of Hydoxyzine/Omega 3/E seem to be working, and for what size dog?

Sorry, Mike -- I missed this, somehow!

25 mg. Hydoxyzine twice a day, plus fish oil. There is a vet in Marietta, GA, who recommends 1,000 mg. fish oil per 10 pounds of dog weight for a dog who needs more Omega 3s, which I make out to be 1 tsp./day per 50 lbs. of dog.

Per my bottle, a tsp. is 5,000 mg. (5 grams). My GSD is about 1.25 teaspoons fish oil, which I started very slowly with (1/2 tsp. to start).