summer itch

I have a lab and in the summer he gets very bad sores on him , he licks it raw and it smell bad. and he looses his fur around the spots , its back by his tail , in his arm pits and front of his chest , and when he gets wet his skin is red and smells , he loves to swim , we live right on the ocean , so I have been keeping him out of the salt water , it seemed that that was causing it ,I am not sure what to do anymore and now he is gettign sores around his eyes and they swollen up . I had him to the vet and they put him on predizon and antibiotic , it never really helped, ever since he was on the predizon he has been the same. and the vet said to bath him 3 times a week, I am not sure if I am helping with that cause he get really sore all over . and the vet said we can put him on something else for allergys (allergies) but its 400.00 month and they aren;t sure if it will work . and in the winter he is fine. do u have any suggestions?

[Kimberly Coyner, D.V.M., DACVD]

Summer itch in dogs is consistent with either flea allergy or pollen/dust allergies. Please make sure that your dog (and all your pets) are on a good monthly flea preventative such as Frontline, Advantage, or Revolution. If the itch persists despite strict flea control, then it is most likely pollen/dust allergies. Dogs with allergies commonly develop secondary skin and ear infections (bacterial or yeast) that make the itch worse and make the itch not respond to steroids, and if your dog has a current rash/sores/odor then your veterinarian can examine your dog and prescribe a 3-4 week course of oral antibiotics and antiyeast medications. Options for treatment of the allergies are to treat the symptoms with medications (antihistamines, fatty acids, frequent bathing, occasional steroids for severe itch, these options are acceptable if the itch lasts < 3 months/year), or if symptoms last longer than a few months out of the year (when we worry about the side effect of steroids) to perform allergy testing and desensitization injections to identify and treat the cause of the itch/infections, and try to reduce the need for other medications.
Allergy testing can be done with a blood test (which is more convenient and can be performed by most primary care veterinarians, but may be less accurate than skin testing), or by intradermal/skin testing (usually performed by veterinary dermatologists, it requires a light sedative and shaving, and is considered the “gold standard” of allergy testing). Allergy hyposensitization injections are given every 1-4 weeks (the dose and frequency of the vaccine are different for every pet), and are helpful in 70-75% of allergic pets to reduce symptoms and needs for medications. Allergy immunotherapy is usually a lifelong treatment and the degree of response to therapy varies with each individual animal; some pets only need the hyposensitization vaccine, some still need some symptomatic medications such as antihistamines, and some still need steroids, but at lower doses, less often or only during certain seasons. Allergy hyposensitization injections address the cause of a pet’s itchy skin by changing/calming down the hyperactive immune response to the environmental allergens, but require time (2-12 months) for effect, so symptomatic medications are continued while immunotherapy has time for effect.
Although the initial cost of allergy testing is usually several hundred dollars, the typical cost of a vial of allergy vaccine is about $30-50/mo in my practice, and I think you may have misunderstood the cost of the test and treatment. Please talk to your veterinarian about your concerns, and I'm sure they can clarify, or if needed refer you to a veterinary dermatologist (www.acvd.org).
Hope that helps,
Kimberly Coyner, DVM
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Dermatology
www.dermvet.com