# Dust Mite Allergies



## BertUK (Jan 19, 2010)

Hi all,

New user here, trying to find help for our poor Golden Retriever, Dylan.

Before I start, I'll just point out that he isn't exposed to any specific plantlife as far as I know and we feed him Burns Chicken/Duck & Brown Rice dry food. We used to feet him Wainwrights dry food (PAH own brand) when he was younger and we switched to this brand in the hope that things would improve, but they sadly didn't.

Anyway, here he is in all his glory...










So, at about 3 months of age (about 2 weeks after this photo) we started to notice he was scratching and biting a lot at his belly and soon afterwards we noticed there was definite irritaion there. He would nibble and lick a lot, to the point where it was always a bit raw, and there are sometimes very small scabs and areas where he's obviously broken the skin around his abdomen and groin.

Off to the vet he went and, after almost 2 months of visits, various tests and a biopsy, the result was that he is allergic to dust mites.

The vet recommended that we bath him twice a week, indefinitely, with a shampoo that they gave us. We're quite happy to do this and we have been for 8 weeks now but, even though it appears to slightly alleviate the symptoms for a day or two, it certainly doesn't help enough to stop Dylan from being uncomfortable.

I assume the vet will have a couple of other tricks up his sleeve but I don't want to keep buying expensive remedies from the vet that may not help, while we lose money and Dylan still suffers. Sometimes I get the feeling that they push certain products on people because they are more expensive, but perhaps I'm being too synical.

So before I carry and try their next suggestion, I wondered if anybody else here has had a similar problem and had found a good solution for it?

I'm looking into dust mite sprays for use on sofas and rugs (we have no carpets) and also at something called Atopica, but I understand this isn't without risk.

Or should I just trust the vet and see what they suggest next?

Thanks in advance,

Rob


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## Inkdog (Dec 5, 2009)

First of all let me say that Dylan is gorgeous!

But I also wanted to say that I can identify with your concerns and your dilemmas. My own dog, Bingley, is allergic to both dust mites and grass pollen, so I have some idea of what you're going through.

The good news about a dust mite allergy is that it should ease somewhat in the summer: once you have the central heating turned off, the windows open, and the house becomes less humid and less of a dust mite factory.

There are a few things you can do to reduce the dust mite population in the house, such as removing floor coverings, soft furnishings and keeping him out of the bedrooms. But how effective this will be is debatable and it certainly didn't make any difference for us. Shampoo's and skin creams only helped in the short term; changing his diet didn't make any difference at all.

One skin cream which I would recommend is Dermatcon, but it almost certainly won't be a long term solution in your case. What you need to do is to take Dylan to a dermatologist.

Unless you're fortunate to have a vet whose specialism is dermatology, or unless your vet practice is large enough to include a dermatologist, your current vet should be able to refer you. It's rather like visiting your GP; your doctor can't be expected to know everything about everything, but they should know when to send you to a specialist when it's required.

Our dermatologist turned out to be wonderful and once she'd identified the key allergens, she gave us two options. Option one was to address the problem medically and, for example, to use steroids to control the issue. That would be effective but would have potentially very unpleasant side effects. The second option was a course of injections, once a month and for as long as it takes, of Artuvetrin; and this is the method we chose. Essentially we're injecting Bingley with the very allergens to which he's allergic, with the hope that we can encourage his system to develop its own resistance. There's a 70+% success rate with this approach, but results can take a long time to achieve.

Bingely's condition began to appear at around 3 months, which is a typical scenario. We spent several months eliminating the obvious, which I imagine is the stage your vet has you going through at the moment. We then had our first consultation with the dermatologist and shortly after began the Artu injections. 18 months later and there's been some improvement, albeit slight; but we're still very much in the early stages. I say this just to suggest that you might be facing a long, and at times heartbreaking, job.

Bingley has been on two courses of Atopica over the past couple of years; last year was the first summer we haven't had to use it (so there's definitely been some improvement!). It's a very effective steroid, with fewer potential side effects than conventional steroids, and when his condition was at its worse it was the only thing which made any difference. But it's both VERY expensive and should only be used as a short term solution.

This is a bit of a ramble and I've probably forgotten to mention things. But as someone who's spent nearly three years living with this I have some idea of what you're going through. Identifying the allergen is a great start, having done that you'll find that you've got a number of options available to you. (Hopefully you've got pet insurance!)

I certainly hope Dylan is feeling better soon. (That's a lovely photo!)


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## BertUK (Jan 19, 2010)

Thanks very much for the detailed reply. I've been ill for a few days so haven't been able to get back on and check for responses.

We have wooden and tile floors for the entire downstairs area, and Dylan isn't allowed upstairs at all (at least until he's old enough and isn't growing anymore!). We have one rug and one sofa, which he spends a lot of time on!

I will have to speak to my wife about the extent of the investigation that the vet performed. She took him back at least 6 or 7 times. They did take a biopsy and it was analysed but I'm not sure if this was done by a specialist/dermatologist or not. 

Thanks for the suggestions of Atopica and the injections. I will try and arrange for another visit to see which the vet suggests we try first. 

I was going to try some sprays which are supposed to kill dust mites but I understand these are largely ineffective, if at all.

We have Dylan on PetPlan insurance, which I understand is one of the best (I hope so, anyway!) so I would have thought that he will be covered if it is a lifelong treatment kind of deal.

Thanks for all of your help and I hope Bingley continues to improve


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## MoodyMare (Jun 15, 2009)

Hi there, have you tried Piriton or any other type of 'human' antihistamine? I once had a horse that had an allergy that caused severe itching and hives an after lots of tests and treatments it turned out that Piriton was the most effective treatment, the vet said it was safe to use on animals, i'm not to sure what dose you would give a young dog but the horse had 3 tablets a day, good luck x


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## paddyjulie (May 9, 2009)

MoodyMare said:


> Hi there, have you tried Piriton or any other type of 'human' antihistamine? I once had a horse that had an allergy that caused severe itching and hives an after lots of tests and treatments it turned out that Piriton was the most effective treatment, the vet said it was safe to use on animals, i'm not to sure what dose you would give a young dog but the horse had 3 tablets a day, good luck x


Mavis is allergic to dust mites...she is pretty bad at the moment as said by Inkdog, i believe it to be caused by the central heating, come summer her skin is so much better, except for her grass allergy..i give Mavis piriton when she is really bad , twice a day and it does help, but as your dog is insured seriously think about the injections i have heard of some great results with them

juliex


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## Inkdog (Dec 5, 2009)

Using Piriton is a great suggestion! Although Bingley's condition lasts all year round, it's significantly worse in the summer. Last year a fairly heavy dose of Piriton (8mg 3x daily) helped to keep things _just _on the right side of tolerable; and although by the end of August I was convinced that we'd be back on Atopica before the end of summer, as things turned out we didn't need to do that after all. Yay!

However, as is the case with most medical options, I wouldn't want to use even Piriton as a long term solution. But it's definitely worth trying if and when things get particularly bad.

Just for the sake of thoroughness, Ill mention that I've also used a topical steroid called Cortavance. This comes as either a spray or a cream, and I used it to great effect when Bingley's leg chewing began to break the skin.

His ears have always been particularly sensitive and I found Canaural ear drops helped to ease things slightly. Thornit powder is recommended by a number of people, but sadly it didn't help with Bingley's ears.

There are a huge number of variables at play here, and your vet should be able to advise you on the best strategies for Dylan. As I mentioned, after extensive discussions we chose to use injections of Artuvetrin and that approach does seem to be taking effect. But dogs can also grow out of this condition over time, so simply controlling Dylan's allergies up until that point _might _be an option; though if his condition is anything like Bingley's then I know that I wouldn't want to do that.

As far as Im concerned dust mite sprays, etc. are a waste of money. You only have to consider the way in which dust mites populate the house to realise that its nigh on impossible to control their proliferation. Installing a high quality air conditioning system in order to keep the house cool and dry would very likely help. But sadly for most of us that isnt a viable option!


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## paddyjulie (May 9, 2009)

I have also been told that Dust mites can be in the Dried Food??? so it is a good idea a to freeze portions to kill off the mites before feeding it to the dog

Juliex


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## Inkdog (Dec 5, 2009)

I too have seen reports which suggest that dried dog food might contain storage mites which may adversely affect dogs suffering with Atopic dermatitis. Although Bingley's allergy screening didn't indicate a problem in this area, I've always kept his dried food in an airtight container rather than just scooping it out of the bag. I also think that the surplus food should always be kept in a cool, dry place if possible. I hadn't thought about freezing portions of the food before dishing it up, but I agree that it could be worth considering if you think storage mites might be an issue.

On another note: as part of the ongoing battle against dust mites, I think that buying a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter is a good idea.


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## noogsy (Aug 20, 2009)

hi my lab has allergies to,
he is on steriods,
we have malaseb shampoo from the vets,
he has cream for his toes cos he chews his feet.
he has a rash all over his underside.
my dog smells a bit sweaty:crying:
so im following the cold room theory just now we are on week 2.
he is in the kitchen with the radiator switched of
the rest of the house is heated though
and he has improved.
i also wash the floor everyday with boiling water from the kettle.
i just want my dog to be well.i would settle for improved.
noogsy x


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## paddyjulie (May 9, 2009)

The vet told us that the best place for Mavis would be outside in a kennel  

She is having a bad time with her bum at the moment, it gets very sore from her rubbing it on the ground when it is itching, had to rub some sudocreme onto it this morning.....the things we have to do for our dogshmy: hmy:

juliex


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## Skeeter (Jan 3, 2013)

I know this was posted in 2010, but thought if anyone is looking for onfo I could update what I've found. Dust mites and Food Storage Mites are in almost all dry kibble type dog foods. Even if you get a "grain free" dog food, there are most likely contaminants (exoskeletons from the mites) from the other dog food that have grains in them, because the ingredients are often stored in the same warehouse.
If you can, feed raw home made dog food, or if you don't have access to a raw food supplier, try feeding canned dog food & stay away from chicken based commercial dog foods. It's the MOST used ingredient in dog food, so you dog is more likely to have an intollerance to it. I mean the commercial grade dog food with chicken in it. It's over processed. I use chicken in my raw food for my Boxers and they do well on it. I always try to change up their food to another protien source like turkey or beef so they don't develop an intolerance for one type of protien.
Hope this info helps.


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## mrsLF (May 6, 2013)

Inkdog said:


> First of all let me say that Dylan is gorgeous!
> 
> But I also wanted to say that I can identify with your concerns and your dilemmas. My own dog, Bingley, is allergic to both dust mites and grass pollen, so I have some idea of what youre going through.
> 
> ...


I realise this post is pretty old now, but can I ask if you had any success with helping your dog with the mite allergies?

We have a Vizsla who is allergic to both storage & house dust mites, along with a tree pollen. We are 5 months into a course of immunotherapy, having tried everything else to help her. She is on steroids, and they make her nearly unbearable to live with, as she is so 'wired' and thinks of nothing but scavenging food all day, but then taking her off them means she is in agony for the constant licking and nibbling and scratching. Without the steroids, her tummy is either raw, or covered with thick scaly skin that looks like elephant hide. Every 4-6 weeks I try and wean her from the steroids, but almost immediately, she is back to licking and scratching.

The house has laminate flooring, the sofas are leather etc., we use the Indorex spray bought from the vets to kill off mites, and she has anti allergy vet-bed to sleep on. She was originally on a dry food (until we realised it was part of the problem) and so having tried raw food (which was fine, but gave her very 'jelly-like' poos!), she now copes best on cans of Chappie, of all things.

She is only 4 (although it has been 4 long years of trying to get to the bottom of the problem) and if the immunotherapy doesn't work, I can't keep her on steroids, just to watch them wreck her. Has your vet recommended anything else since? Ours have said that if the injections don't work, the only other treatment is medication that will cost £100 a month.

I just don't know what else to do, and really need straight-talking advice!! What are our options?


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## smudgebiscuit (Jan 25, 2011)

Our Molly too has a severe dust mite allergy ( also storage mites/beef/pork/lamb & dairy) She has been having immunotherapy injections for around 9 months now with quite good success. Below is what we do to keep our Molly almost allergy free

hoover everyday
wash her bedding every week at 60 degrees in non bio 
she has no food or treats containing wheat or gluten
has 15ml of salmon oil per day
2 x teaspoons of bionic Biotic Powder per day
piriton 3 x per day if she has a 'flare up'

Presume the other treatment your vet is recommending is Atopica.......you can get this cheaper from an online drug store, you'd need his prescription but would still work out cheaper.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

Acclaim 2000 which was originally mostly used as an environmental flea spray is now licensed as a prodct to kill dust mites, its not wildly expensive so may well be worth a go to see if it helps.

http://www.vetuk.co.uk/flea-treatme...m-acclaim-household-flea-spray-500ml-can-p-16

Shop around if you decide to give it a go you may get it cheaper, infact Boots I think even did it at one time.

Biolife do lots of things that are natural too to help in the home to control and netralise dust mite allergens might be worth looking on there.

Allergy Preventatives - Bio-Life International Ltd

Dermacton, shampoo bar, spray or cream to help itchy skin problems has worked too on a lot of dogs,

Dermacton - Skin Relief for Dogs with Itchy Skin

None of which are overly expensive so may be worth a try.

Viacutan plus is a vet strength skin supplement you can buy on line too.

http://www.vetuk.co.uk/dog-suppleme...c-5_15/viacutan-plus-capsules-550mg-efa-p-344

Efavet is another vet strength supplement and often used in for allergy skin problems
http://www.vetuk.co.uk/dog-suppleme...5_15/efavet-330-efavet-660-efa-capsules-p-322


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## Clarabel22 (Mar 28, 2013)

Hi I am also completely confused about my dogs allergy. After treating him for Demodex for over a year, it became apparent that the demodex may have gone and an allergy taken over. So skin scrapes and bloods later, He has a negative reading for demodex (woohoo!!!) had all the allergy tests done and he has proven positive to storage mites only. The reason I am stumped is my dog is fed a very careful RAW diet and my understanding is the majority of the problem comes from dry kibble? All his treats are also either fresh cooked liver, Chicken pieces or small bits of veg.

Can anyone shed any light on where else he may be exposed to them?

At the moment he is on a low dose of steroids but the vet wants to ween him off over the next couple of weeks. He said immunotherapy would be a waste of time at this stage as we can try and tackle it ourselves and see what happens. Hence why I'm after any advise to keep these critters to an absolute minimum!


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## Clarabel22 (Mar 28, 2013)

Hi I am also completely confused about my dogs allergy. After treating him for Demodex for over a year, it became apparent that the demodex may have gone and an allergy taken over. So skin scrapes and bloods later, He has a negative reading for demodex (woohoo!!!) had all the allergy tests done and he has proven positive to storage mites only. The reason I am stumped is my dog is fed a very careful RAW diet and my understanding is the majority of the problem comes from dry kibble? All his treats are also either fresh cooked liver, Chicken pieces or small bits of veg.

Can anyone shed any light on where else he may be exposed to them?

At the moment he is on a low dose of steroids but the vet wants to ween him off over the next couple of weeks. He said immunotherapy would be a waste of time at this stage as we can try and tackle it ourselves and see what happens. Hence why I'm after any advise to keep these critters to an absolute minimum!


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