Allergies - environmental or food?

[awkwardturtle]

6 year old cavapoo has developed allergies over the last few years. General ear scratching, paw licking, licking vulva etc. She's just had investigations for vaginitis and following treatment that is slightly improving, but I hate seeing her in so much discomfort. We've tried Piriton and now Cytopoint for the last few months but I'm not certain that it's helping and it's very expensive. Vet says there is no point testing for environmental allergies because they can't be avoided. Next step is a strict hypoallergenic diet to see if it's food allergies.

My question is, has anyone discovered the cause of their dog's allergies? Or have you tried an exclusion diet and had success? Is there an alternative using a commercial hydrolysed protein kibble?

Sorry this is a long post but any thoughts would be much appreciated!

Is it definitely allergies? Just asking as my DDog came to us with those symptoms and also scaly skin. It just turned out that she really doesn't like being left or not being walked.

Once she was in a toy robe with us, the symptoms went away. It does help that DH works mainly from home so she's seldom left.

She's very rarely alone so I do think it's allergies rather than stress

Dont know if still recommended but we did Intradermal skin testing (IDST) on a labrador years ago. We had already done a very thorough elimination diet and could find no allergies that way

It helped us as she was allergic to clover and specific grasses. We couldnt totally avoid the grass and clover but it gave us choices - moors walk or beach? Beach was always way better in the summer months and moors were fine in the winter.

We got to a stage where she only needed topical medication infrequently.

That's interesting. Thanks. I will ask the vet about it.

“Vet says there is no point testing for environmental allergies because they can't be avoided.”

I mean... that depends what they are, surely?

When I had skin testing for allergies done on my last dog at the dermatologist’s they tested for both food and common environmental ones.

Good point. I might ask for a referral to a dermatologist but I doubt it will be covered by pet insurance. I'll have to find out as I imagine it's v expensive.

Don’t see why it wouldn’t be covered by insurance tbh, mine wasn’t insured anymore by then because it was rubbish insurance that raised the price after claims and we’d already claimed so much that it was cheaper to just pay for treatment.

I think it was about 6 or 7 years ago? And about £700 so not that expensive tbh.

Ours was covered by insurance fingers crossed yours is too.