Ask the Veterinarian - Allergies Again
lorihuntdvm May 17th, 2008
I have a 1 1/2yr old male Frenchie named Bandit.
Bandit has allergies and according to my vet, it’s an inhalant allergy, so he is on Temaril-P. He has been on this medication for approx 4 months and he takes 2 in the am and 1 in the pm. It seems to work for the 1st 3 weeks then he starts to itch again and get teary eyes.
I’m concerned about keeping him on this medication and it’s quite expensive. I was wondering if you could recommend some other remedy that would make Bandit comfortable during the allergy season. I noticed that his allergies started in the fall through spring, he seemed ok in the summer.
Can I give him “human” allergy medicine, like Benadryl or Zyrtec?
Dr. Lori writes -
Hi.
I sort of addressed this in answer to a question from China’s mom. Bandit is a young dog, so it may behoove you to do some allergy testing on him, to find out exactly what is at the root of his allergies.
If possible, I would like to see him not have to be on Temaril-P (the “p” stands for prednisone) as it can have some long term effects if he has to be on it for the rest of his life. You can certainly try Benadryl at a dose of 1 mg/lb in place of the Temaril-P.
So if Bandit is an average 25# frenchie, he can get one tablet 3-4 times a day.
Lori Hunt, DVM
French Bulldogs d’Assisi
Another Allergy Question -
I have a 3 year old frenchie named Tank. About a year ago his skin started getting red raw areas that would scab and the hair would fall out. Mostly on his under belly, legs, groin area. but he would get scab like bumps on his head and in between his eyes too. I started using revolution b/c I noticed he had fleas. I thought that was the cause of his skin irritation. My mother took him up to Michigan for six months last summer and his skin cleared up (still licked his paws) and he was happy again!
We brought him back down to FL in November and he stayed fine until the summer came around again. He doesn’t have any fleas and his skin is horrible again! He has the sores again and bumps on the head. He seems miserable. I have to bathe him twice a week in vinegar & water to keep it from not getting so RED and irritated. We also have a one year old daughter and its not easy to keep up with the baths. Not to mention the fact that he hates baths.
Did I mention we have a high strung jack russell 
I’ve read some things online and it seems like a common problem with this breed. I think its the combination of the grass and bugs down here in Florida. Our jack russell has no issues whatsoever. Do you reccomend anything? We took him to the vet last time and they gave us a shampoo that didn’t work. And wanted him to go on antibiotics, I really don’t like antibiotics for dogs or humans. Please let me know any solutions you might have, we’re desparate. I don’t want to have to send him to Michigan again w/my mom. He’s a huge part of our family.
Also, I feed him Canine Caviar, its a holistic dog food. Its the only food that doesn’t give him horrible gas:)
Dr. Lori writes -
I am sorry to hear of the trouble you are having with Tank. Unfortunately, skin issues in Frenchies, actually any dog, can often be hard to control and diagnose and can require extensive diagnostics.
From your stories, it does appear that he is perhaps allergic to something in Florida where you are living, although I am not suer if it is the same seasons (i.e., he was at your mom’s in winter and your house in summer). I suspect you need to visit a dermatologist or at least have some allergy testing done to try and determine what the causes are. If he has sores on his body, I believe a round of antibiotics would definitely be in the best interest of Tank. You could try a new food as well, with a novel protein and/or carbohydrate source.
I have written an article about skin issues in Frenchies, and I believe it may help you understand what could be happening to Tank.
Lori Hunt, DVM
French Bulldogs d’Assisi
(editor’s note: Lori’s article on skin issues in French Bulldogs will be published on the website soon)
