Did you get the blood test or the skin test?
My regular vet is a "wait and see what happens" kind of guy. I think he's been doing this so long that he's gotten complacent, because he sees so many dogs. At the beginning of spring, I took Allie in twice in one month for horrible hot spots and hair loss. We walked out with a steroid shot each time. He mentioned that she shouldn't get these shots very often, so his suggestion was allergy testing her to see exactly what she's allergic to. Unfortunately, he only wanted to refer me to a university vet - that was his only solution. No support, just "here's a shot she can't have very often, go get tested."
I went to get a second opinion at a clinic where a friend works. They actually drew her blood, gave her a steroid shot (that she's allergic to), and sent me home with enough cephalexin and prednisone to last until they got the results back.
Results:
Positive Reacting Allergens
Grasses:
Orchard
Timothy
Rye
Weeds:
Lamb's quarters
Marsh elder
English Plantain
Russian thistle
Trees:
Mulberry
Oak
Hazelnut
Fungi:
Aspergillus
Cladosporium
Rhizopus
Nigrospora
Saccharomyces
Housedust:
Dust Mites
Foods:
Pork
Corn
Rice
Brewers Yeast
Kelp
Carrots
Green Peas
Indoor:
Tobacco smoke
Insect:
Cockroaches
Mosquitoes
Borderline Positive Reactive Allergens:
Grasses:
Bermuda
Weeds:
Sage
Trees:
Sycamore
Food:
Poultry Mix (chicken/turkey)
Indoor:
Kapok (I have no clue what this is)
Staph:
Staph
Needless to say, I'm pretty sure my dog is almost allergic to life. I'm glad she's not allergic to what I was fearing - dogs, cats, and humans.
The nice part about this test is that they actually provide food recommendations - canned, treats, and dry. And it's not just the prescription stuff either, it's some of the brands not necessarily found in the main chain stores, like Pinnacle, Honest Kitchen, etc.
What has your experience been? New vet's recommendation is a series of shots she'll need to get year round, plus avoidance. Apparently I need to become a better housekeeper too.
My regular vet is a "wait and see what happens" kind of guy. I think he's been doing this so long that he's gotten complacent, because he sees so many dogs. At the beginning of spring, I took Allie in twice in one month for horrible hot spots and hair loss. We walked out with a steroid shot each time. He mentioned that she shouldn't get these shots very often, so his suggestion was allergy testing her to see exactly what she's allergic to. Unfortunately, he only wanted to refer me to a university vet - that was his only solution. No support, just "here's a shot she can't have very often, go get tested."
I went to get a second opinion at a clinic where a friend works. They actually drew her blood, gave her a steroid shot (that she's allergic to), and sent me home with enough cephalexin and prednisone to last until they got the results back.
Results:
Positive Reacting Allergens
Grasses:
Orchard
Timothy
Rye
Weeds:
Lamb's quarters
Marsh elder
English Plantain
Russian thistle
Trees:
Mulberry
Oak
Hazelnut
Fungi:
Aspergillus
Cladosporium
Rhizopus
Nigrospora
Saccharomyces
Housedust:
Dust Mites
Foods:
Pork
Corn
Rice
Brewers Yeast
Kelp
Carrots
Green Peas
Indoor:
Tobacco smoke
Insect:
Cockroaches
Mosquitoes
Borderline Positive Reactive Allergens:
Grasses:
Bermuda
Weeds:
Sage
Trees:
Sycamore
Food:
Poultry Mix (chicken/turkey)
Indoor:
Kapok (I have no clue what this is)
Staph:
Staph
Needless to say, I'm pretty sure my dog is almost allergic to life. I'm glad she's not allergic to what I was fearing - dogs, cats, and humans.
The nice part about this test is that they actually provide food recommendations - canned, treats, and dry. And it's not just the prescription stuff either, it's some of the brands not necessarily found in the main chain stores, like Pinnacle, Honest Kitchen, etc.
What has your experience been? New vet's recommendation is a series of shots she'll need to get year round, plus avoidance. Apparently I need to become a better housekeeper too.