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I was wondering if anyone with an allergic beagle has used Advantix. As a synthetic pyrethroid is permethrin more likely to cause irritation? (My vet once made a comment about the old pyrethin based treatments causing reactions in allergic dogs)

Also, I was wondering what kinds of allergy treatments people have had success with. My pup has been doing ok on chlorpheniramine 4mg/2xday but only after getting things under control first with a steroid shot (we had made the mistake of trying 2 weeks off of antihistamines...). She's also on a fatty acid supplement, b-complex and zinc, and tea tree oil lotion when her skin gets really pink (even though it's pH balanced for humans, it has stopped the folliculitis from returning).

My own vet was concerned about Advantix for my dogs, but not for allergy reasons. She just thought the chemical was too harsh since other flea and tick methods were working.

I don't have much experience with dogs with allergies, but I do hope someone can help you.
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PHReign
Email me: HReign@pethobbyist.com" target="_blank">PHReign@pethobbyist.com
Dear dog,
I can not buy anything larger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think that I will continue to sleep on the couch to ensure your comfort. Look at videos of dogs sleeping, they can actually curl up in a ball. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to your fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straigt out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space used is nothing more than doggy sarcasm.

Thanks for your response. What flea/tick prevention do you use? I've been using Frontline Top Spot on Cayce for the past few months and it's time to get a new pack, but at 21 lbs Cayce is right at the border between 2 doses. Initially I was going to get Advantix instead of Frontline, but I was getting it at the vet and they didn't carry it for dogs under 20 lbs. I liked the idea that it's supposed to repel ticks - my sister's dog got Lyme disease despite Frontline and being regularly checked for ticks.

>>I was wondering if anyone with an allergic beagle has used Advantix. As a synthetic pyrethroid is permethrin more likely to cause irritation? (My vet once made a comment about the old pyrethin based treatments causing reactions in allergic dogs)
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>>Also, I was wondering what kinds of allergy treatments people have had success with. My pup has been doing ok on chlorpheniramine 4mg/2xday but only after getting things under control first with a steroid shot (we had made the mistake of trying 2 weeks off of antihistamines...). She's also on a fatty acid supplement, b-complex and zinc, and tea tree oil lotion when her skin gets really pink (even though it's pH balanced for humans, it has stopped the folliculitis from returning).

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Be sure to have your dog completely checked for hypothyroidism, a major cause of skin allergies. The blood needs to go to one of the OFA-approved laboratories (listed at www.offa.org--Cornell and Michigan State are both on the list) and the values that need to be checked are total T4, Free T4 by Equilibrium Dialysis and TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone). If the dog is hypothyroid, proper thyroid supplementation will work wonders on the skin problems.

As to the flea and tick control, I've used plain Advantage and it is excellent, as well as mild. You need to know that none of these products are to be used right after a bath. The skin needs a least a day or so to restore natural oils after a bath before the product is applied.

In K9 Advantix, the one that also kills ticks, the permethrin would be toxic to cats and should not be used if you have cats in the home. But just on dogs it is not a problem. It's one of the mildest things that works well on ticks, and I feel much safer with K9 Advantix than with Frontline. I used permethrin spray for years as the flea and tick control for my dogs, and none of them ever had problems from it.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47

Thanks for your response. Her thyroid checked out normal back in August. We haven't done allergy testing yet, but at this point the only thing against allergies is her age... It's not just her skin, she gets runny eyes and nasal congestion too. It's steroid responsive and seems to improve with antihistamines and rain. We did an elimination diet and we're highly suspicious of corn and possibly chicken, but more in that they seem to give her diarrhea.

Glad to hear that your dogs haven't had any problems with permethrin. It's conceptually a little frightening, all of these products have to be somewhat nasty to repel/kill insects. Thanks for the tips regarding application.

>>Thanks for your response. Her thyroid checked out normal back in August. We haven't done allergy testing yet, but at this point the only thing against allergies is her age... It's not just her skin, she gets runny eyes and nasal congestion too. It's steroid responsive and seems to improve with antihistamines and rain. We did an elimination diet and we're highly suspicious of corn and possibly chicken, but more in that they seem to give her diarrhea.
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>>Glad to hear that your dogs haven't had any problems with permethrin. It's conceptually a little frightening, all of these products have to be somewhat nasty to repel/kill insects. Thanks for the tips regarding application.
>>

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Steroids turn off the immune system. When you stop the steroids, the allergies often come back worse than before. So steroids are short-term first aid only, until something safer can work.

How old is this puppy? I would take her to a veterinary dermatology specialist if you have not done so. It is time, and then some.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47