Allergy testing - to do or not to do?

Hiya guys

Most of you that have read my previous posts probably already know that demi is very poorly. She's better than she was but still a long way from good.

A quick recap, 3 vet visits, first was told allergy, second time it was yeast and third time it was demodex. That was all in the space of 3 weeks. Demodex treatment (Aludex) gave her SERIOUS reactions. Our new vet then spoke to animal health trust in Newmarket and was advised to give Panamec. She is on this now and on the full recommended dose, this had to be done gradually in case she reacted. She's been on that dose for 8 days and I know she needs to be on the medication from anywhere between 4 and 12 weeks to get rid of the Demodex. She was on antibiotics but finished those a week ago, all her symptoms had calmed down but were still quite bad. When I first got her, the reason I took her to the vets was because she was going nuts scratching at her ear and chewing her paws. This has never stopped.
I'm having to put one of those cone shape collars on her at bedtime every night so she doesn't scratch holes in her ear, it's only her left ear. I'm also using all kinds of supplements in her food and using ear drops to clean her ears regularly, they were checked by a vet about a month ago and I was told they were dirty but her ear drums are clear. I'm also giving her medicated baths every other day, and wiping her wrinkles and toes with a 50/50 solution of Apple cider vinegar and water.
I've also changed her to raw so she's not getting anything I know she's allergic to food wise.

But that ear is still really getting to her and its ALWAYS worse first thing in the morning, every morning I have to sit on the floor rubbing her ears just so she doesn't scratch them.
When I clean them her right ear is nearly always spotless but that left ear has dark brown muck in everyday.

So my question is do I do the allergy testing or do you think this is something else?
French Bulldogs from what I've read up are prone to problems with their ears anyway but this is really worrying. Even when she is alert I've noticed that ear isn't sitting right on top of her head anymore like the other one it's very slightly to the side.

I was going to have the allergy testing done at the beginning but was advised by the vet that it would just be a broad spectrum test and further tests would need doing and he said that may still not give me the answers I need. Is this the case?

Sorry for the long post. Any ideas?

Sara,
Am exhausted just reading that, the poor wee girl Sorry can't advise on the allergy test but I sure hope you find answers soon xx

Lol sorry I didn't mean to drone on, no one listens to me in my house so I take it out on you lot

On a serious note she has been through it bless her, I just want her to be better

Ah no you weren't droning on, just the list of things you and your wee dog have to deal with had me exhausted. I think you're amazing

I recommend you get them done, I never regretted getting them carried out on either the dogs or the cat. At least we know what to avoid both environment and food wise

I would rather know exactly what she can't have or what's causing the problems and take the guess work away BUT the test they wanted to do isn't the test I've read other people have had done. I would rather her have the grid test done so they can give me a list of what she's allergic too but the test they wanted to do they said it was broad spectrum and that they would take blood while she was awake and do the testing on that but I've not read anywhere online that anyone did the tests this way?
Do you mind me asking what test/tests you had done?

My previous gsd was just like your poor dog when I rescued him at 5 years old. He'd been treated since he was a tiny puppy, he was in a terrible, terrible state and would have been pts if I hadn't come along.

We tried it all, a low dose daily steroid (medrone-v) eventually seemed to do the trick. Hundreds were spent on allergy testing, only to find he was allergic to just about everything, so what do you do, take him out wrapped in bubble wrap?

Ears always goes with bad skin, it's a well known fact, any vet will tell you that. I had his ears thoroughly cleaned out under aneasthetic because they thought the infection had gone through to the bone and they would have had to do a bone scrape - turned out not to be the case. The most important thing is to keep them clean. One day they would look clean, and then the next, I would see this bright orange, brown yuk pouring out of one or both! I used the Cleanaural from the vets and squeazed a load of that into there religeously each week and they seemed to improve.

I bathed him in diluted hibiscrub, and then I'd use the oatmeal based vet shampoo Sebomild (not the Malaseb, that did nothing for him).

Eventually, when he got cushings at around 12, he got permanent demodectic mange. According to the vet, this was because his immune system was non existent and all dogs have this mange, whereas most dog's immune system can always fight it off, not with him though. His underbelly, groin and thighs would be covered in crusty brown rings, the smell was awful, it would erupt every now and again, and he would get bathed twice a week if not more.

My vet used to prescribe for this, some very expensive ab's, and he was on them for months, almost a year I think in total, but he said they were demodectic mange specific and would help it, which they did.

The best you can do is to keep those ears clean with the Cleanaural, keep a big bottle of hibiscrub in the house at all times, and for when his skin is red and raging and sore, then the Sebomild will help calm it all down. Steroids really do help with this kind of thing.

The very expensive Atopica (I think that's right?) pills did not work for him and they cost £10 a day!!! The ONLY thing that worked were the medrone-v's every day. The prednisolone did not work, even though one vet told me they were the same thing, they can't be, because one worked and one didn't.

Oh I do feel for you, I had 7 years of this with my previous dog, I felt so very sorry for him at times, so helpless, and back up to the vet we'd go, but unbetween flare ups with my help I could keep it stable for longer periods. Before I got him this poor dog of mine was at the vets twice or 3 times a week, but I could go 3 months in some instances. There always comes a time when you're fighting a losing battle dealing with the outside of the problem, you need some help from the vet with the INSIDE of your poor dog. I do hope they find something to help you out, so good luck.

If it is always worse first thing in the morning could it be what she sleeps on at night? Something in the material, blanket, carpet, foam bed etc. or whatever she sleeps on. Or even what you wash that item with or put on it to clean it, like shake 'n vac.

a [a social network] friend has frenchies and she had her baby allergy teated and she has said since following the results her frenchie is doing so much better - i think she went to the medicine man and i think you can find him on FB but i'll check for you ps she is in UK

just checked - look for 'the natural medicine man'
good luck

Most definitely it could. Could be the detergent/conditioner you use for washing or the material of the blankets. You really need to keep a couple of cotton covers (maybe duvet covers) that you can wash quite regularly, they will be cool for lying on and nice and smooth causing no irritation. This is what I did with my boy.

Once you've bathed him, make sure the bedding is clean. Sometimes those nasty little mites that you can't see hang around. They bury themselves under the skin and cause horrendous itching for dogs. You've just got to eliminate everything that could cause distress and discomfort and do the best you can.

I know what a nightmare this can be, I really feel for you and your dog, and I'm sure you will do everything you can to get it all under control.