Allergy symptoms in my dog- red bumps, odor from skin, slightly swollen paws?
All of a sudden, my 5-year-old maltese mix had small, hard red bumps appear on his back. This area of his body is sensitive, and he reacts to the slightest touch. A strange, tar-and-horse-like odor began to get emitted from his back.
He keeps scratching his ears and licking his feet. His paws have swollen up a bit and are more pink than usual.
Whack-job vet told us to get the dog a flea collar and didn’t do much else but charge us insanely for the “check-up.”
These symptoms seem characteristic of an allergy, but we’re not sure if these are caused by his diet or fleas/ticks.
Would antihistamines help my dog? What is exactly the matter with him?
This does sound like an allergy, though he should be tested for various forms of mange if he hasn’t been already. If he doesn’t have fleas, you should change his food. You should be sure his food has no wheat, corn, or soy, Like Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets. If you’ve already made this step, go completely grain free, like Solid Gold Barking at the Moon, or Innova Evo. It may take up to 8 weeks to see the effects of diet changes. Antihistamines don’t often help dogs much, though some respond well. Your dog can take Benadryl, probably a pediatric dose for a dog that small, about 1mg/lb every 6 hours.
Dray the TMAU Service dog being trained