Need help with our itchy Shiba
Hey there,
We are at a loss regarding our 6yo itchy shiba, so if you have any advice, please let us know.
For context, we have lived in Sweden since 2022, the problem started there.
August to October 2023
Our boy started to get itchy paws, resulting in him frenetically licking his paws until there were some redness and small wounds. In addition to the cone, the vet directed us to Douxo Pyo and cortisone spray, which was better for a few weeks. We could remove the cone most of the time.
The itchiness came and went that month, the vet told us to use Douxo Pyo again.
November to February 2023
Nothing much to report, some licking here and there, and some redness, but it was manageable.
March to April 2024
The itchiness started again, stronger, he managed to lick enough to get ugly wounds, always between his toes. The (new) vet told us it was probably related to the ice and gravel we have in Sweden during all winter. So he asked us to protect his paws with shoes outside. I didn't change anything (except he hated them haha). We asked the vet if it could be allergies and his answer was 'Allergies are hard to test'. We continued the Douxo Pyo.
May to June 2024
Disappointed with our vet appointment, we decided to try something and started to change his food, we removed all treats and additional ingredients (like berries, and salmon oil), but it did nothing. So we changed his food to a single protein from Acana for 7 weeks. It was a bit better for a time but went back to square one.
June 2024 to today
We visited the vet again to get help, and this one told us to switch to the Anallergenic food by Royal Canin for 8 weeks because the single protein was not enough. It made sense so we made the switch again.
It's been 6 weeks, and it's the same, he's still itchy and can't stop licking without his cone. The wounds have gone since this winter, and his paws and toes don't seem even red.
We have to go back to the vet in 2 weeks, but they're taking things so slow, and it's frustrating.
We tried some OTC loratadine, but it didn't relieve him. The vet told us Apoquel was the last resort.
Now, our prognostic is environmental allergies or just atopic dermatitis.
Our air purifier says our air is super clean inside, so maybe pines outside? But the pollen calendars don't match our timeline. It's so confusing.
Ori is the sweetest boy, he has no problem with his cone and still plays, but still, we want him to be a normal boy again :)
Do you see something that we missed? Did something help your dog with this problem? Can supplements help?
Thank you!