Advice/opinions please from anyone with experience of allergies (doggy or human!)

I'm sure I've been boring everyone to tears with the saga of my puppies allergies on another thread, but I have a more specific problem/question. Our Beagle pup is only 10 months old and has been showing symptoms very typical of atopy for the past three months.

On the first trip to the vet we were given piriton, malaseb shampoo and antibiotics for a mild outbreak of pyoderma.

On the second trip they took blood and sent it away for HESKA tests. The first round of tests apparantly came back saying positive for "indoor allergens" and borderline for tree pollens. I authorised a second round of tests to find out exactly which indoor allergens and tree pollens.

I've just collected the second lot of results from the vets. There is no mention of indoor allergens, but quite a few positive results under both "Tree Allergens" and "Common Outdoor Panel".

Common Outdoor Panel
Timothy - 182
Cocksfoot - 215
Meadow Grass - 419
Sheep Sorrel - 362
Nettle - 225

Tree Allergen Panel
Oak - 398
Beech - 252
Sycamore - 230
Willow - 312

Apparantly the lab advised against imunotherapy as these allergies are seasonal. (February to September with this collection according to the UK allergy site!). Also as she's young she's expected to devlop stronger reactions to more allergens over time. The recommendation is to treat her with omega 3, piriton and regular shampooing. So far it doesn't seem to be helping much, so that gives me cause for concern over what will happen when she becomes more allergic. And what's the point of doing tests if you aren't going to act on them?

Can we even trust these results given that the first report said she didn't have allergies to common outdoor allergens? And why should the first test show that she had a significant response to common indoor allergens and yet the more specific tests show nothing?

We simply don't see any pattern to support these results. Beanie's always better when she spends a lot of time OUTSIDE! And these allergies should surely be settling down at this time of year - they aren't.

All the resources I've found (including the HESKA website) recommend a whole host of tests prior to blood testing. Beanie has had none of these.

At present, Beanie isn't suffering so we're reluctant to force anyone's hand and put her through a lot of unpleasant tests. But if it really is in her best interests to have these tests then we want her to have them.

Beanie's insured, so money isn't a problem in that sense. But to a vet she's a guaranteed source of income with a life-long problem like allergies. I could get a referal to a dermatologist, but the same is true of them. I have no cause to misstrust our vet, but I just feel it's so important to do the right thing for our puppy now as that could determine the quality of the rest of her life.

Any thoughts, opinions, resources or experiences welcome!

Just something you mentioned - regular shampooing. Is this with Malaseb?

We were advised to do this with Finn but I found the Malaseb irritated his skin as well. It used to make his skin itchy and pink looking after a bath. I only use it on his feet now as a last resort.

I see what you mean about the low levels

One of my dogs is on this imunotherapy & it has worked wonders he shows no sign of an allergy unless we are late with his vaccine he gets it monthly,
he used to chew his feet to bits he's allergic to grass, fleas & dustmites & this treatment is a god send,
please note as your vet will tell you it does not work for all pets mine is one of the lucky ones.

My allergies manifest themselves in eczema and asthma, and the most severe eczema flare-up I've had lasted from November until February and was only controlled by UVB treatment. I was never allergy-tested despite severe respiratory and dermatological reactions, as the tests were deemed, by 3 GPs and two consultant dermaologists, as being too unreliable and therefore, pointless.

So I guess I'm just providing a bit of information on my allergies and treatment so you can compare them with Beanie's! I know dogs are completley different to us, but I find it interesting that an allergy test, whilst deemed too unreliable in humans (on the NHS), is embraced by veterinarians?

Sorry i forgot to add what tests he had,
firstly skin scrape to check for mites etc this was negative,

secondly tests were performed on a shaved area of the skin,
dog is in no discomfort they are sedated slightly for it,
dogs must be of ALL medication such as creams, piriton etc for a few weeks prior to the test to get proper results
no blood tests were needed,
hope this helps.

Yes know what you mean there & there's my dog cured & yet humans in this day & age are struggling with allergies.

It's very odd.. Is the treatment your dog is receiving related to the allergies highlighted on the test, or is it a more general treatment? I just wonder whether the NHS won't do it as it's not cost effective, or whether vets are doing them and charging their clients regardless of its reliability?

The vaccine is made up for each individual dog covering what they are allergic to,
the only thing i have to do is make sure flea repellent is up to date,
you know after the first course of nearly 6 months if it has worked or not,
mine has been on the treatment for well over a year now,
it is very expensive but i'd rather try anything first as you don't want a young dog on steroids.

The vet has said that the lab aren't recommending the allergy shots for Beanie because the allergies are seasonal, and also because she's young and likely to become more allergic to these allergens and develop new allergies as she gets older. I can understand the reasoning for not treating a seasonal allergy if a dog only suffers for 2 months out of a year, but Beanie's range of allergies take her from Feb - Sept.....and that's assuming there's not something we don't know about that will keep her scratching through the winter.

Does that make sense to anyone? I would have thought that if she got the immunotherapy now it will stop her from getting stronger reactions to these allergens? And if she develops new allergens then they could change the allergy shots accordingly..no?

I'm just concerned because something doesn't seem right. Why do tests (costing nearly £400 and causing my pup a bit of discomfort taking the blood) if you're not going to act on the results? They haven't even provided info on how to minimise contact with these allergens.

Not sure what to think here....is rather odd,
if you do look for a second opinion try & find a vet highly recommended in allergy problems,
my vet is a large practice & has it's own vet dermatologist & have to say she has been excellant all the way from the start.