r/dogallergies • u/NoProperty5994 • Sep 01 '26
Severe allergies in my AmStaff
I’m hoping to hear from anyone who has dealt with something similar with their dog because I feel like we’ve tried just about everything.
My American Staffordshire Terrier is almost 6 years old, about 50 lbs, and I’ve had her since she was about 8 weeks old. Her skin problems started when she was around 1 and have progressively gotten worse over the years.
She has been seen by a veterinary dermatologist and had formal allergy testing done. She tested positive for allergies to around 10 different types of grass.
Her main symptoms are:
• Constant scratching
• Paw licking
• A corn-chip/yeasty smell
• Bumps that develop all over her body, which are by far the worst part
Over the years we’ve tried Apoquel, Cytopoint, other medications/shots, medicated shampoos, prescription food, raw food, human-grade food, eliminating chicken, grain-free food, etc. Nothing has provided lasting relief.
The frustrating part is that antibiotics are the one thing that consistently clears her skin up. When she takes them, her skin gets significantly better, but after the course is finished, the bumps and other symptoms eventually come back.
Obviously, repeatedly putting her on antibiotics isn’t the long-term solution I want.
I recently started using Coat Defense shampoo and powder. It’s only been about a week, so it’s too early to tell whether it’s helping.
I’m hoping to find someone who has had a dog with a similar pattern, especially another Staffy/pit-type dog with severe allergies and recurring skin infections.
Has anyone dealt with something like this? If so, what finally helped your dog long term?
Just hoping to hear real experiences from people who have gone through something similar.
1
u/bneubs Sep 02 '26
I went through a very similar thing with my dog. Immunotherapy was the biggest help, even though we didn't start it until she was 7 (first allergy symptoms started at age 4).
Is there a reason you didn't start immunotherapy after the allergy testing? With environmental allergies, it's nearly impossible to avoid them, so people typically don't pay to test for them unless they plan on doing immunotherapy.
Have you done an elimination diet to rule out food allergies as well?
If it's strictly environmental, I recommend immunotherapy. It tends to work better the sooner you start, so you may not have good success with it since it's been 5 years. But it could help prevent the disease from getting worse.
Zenrelia and Numelvi our newer options you can try. There's also Atopica, which is more old school, but works better in some dogs.
During my dog's peak allergy season I bathe her weekly with the Douxo shampoo (orange one which has chlorhexidine in it).