Dog Allergies

Yes, my eyes have been itchy too with a little matter build up. I've noticed Midgie's had a little matter build up too. I don't think that there ears are really bothering them, but I do think the allergens are irritating their eyes. I've had some sinuse inflamation and the first thing I do is hold my forehead because of the terrible headache which led me to believe that our little chi's might also have some sinuse irritation going on as well. This is what scares me because I know how easy my sinuses can get infected, so if Midgie's gets infected, I'll have no choice but to take her to the vet for antibiotics. I'm like you, and tired of running her around to the doctors and trying to do everything holistically. I've even taken her off her immunotherapy shots every week. Not sure if I'm doing the right thing, but they didn't seem to help her, just agitate her and make her itch more. She does itch to the point she makes herself raw but hasn't lately.
She she sleeps with us, I try to make it a point to keep my sheets changed out regularly because she's allergic to dust mites. The one thing I did take from her Dermatologist is to bathe her weekly (which I do during the summer), but not as much during the winter. I alternate bathing with a moisturizing dog shampoo called Hylite and Aveeno Oatmeal bath soak which helps to soothe her itchy, iritated skin. I can tell she always feels much better after the bathes. She actually due for one now! lol

Gizmo's mom said:

Oh those baths sound nice! I may get him some aveno oatmeal baths. Maybe it will help with the itchy ears and face.

We don't get any buildup, but before his benedryl, his Face is all wet from tears.

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Yea, the tears are a buildup of allergens and the chis body working over-time to rid their systems of the intruders. A wet warm washcloth wiped across their eyes makes them feel so much better. My chi gets excited when she sees me get the wash cloth out. haha
The Aveeno Oatmeal bath soaks are very nice and you could use them too. I buy the box of 6 packets at Walmart for about $6.00. Since I give Midgie her soak in the sink, I only use about half of 1 packet, so I get 2 soaks out of 1 packet. Don't rinse the soak off. Fill the tub or sink with luke warm water (the cooler the better without freezing Gismo) then let the Aveeno dissolve in the water. Take a cup and keep pouring it over Gizmo and I usually take my fingers and massage it into her skin just incase the soak is rolling off her. Do that for about 10 min. then just dry him off. (DO NOT RINSE THE SOAK OFF! as you will be defeating the purpose) then you go and take a nice soak!! lol

The way I understood it, based on what my vet told me, dogs rarely get the itchy/watery eyes or runny noses that we see in humans who have airborne allergies. Instead, allergies manifest in their skin-- hives, hot spots, rashes, full-body itchiness, yeast, etc. If I had to guess, your Chi is just getting the typical runny eyes associated with short-nosed breeds. Teddy has no allergies but frequently rubs his eyes with his paws because they are wet.

My Jack Russell had allergies. I tried the Benedryl but it didn't really help and I hated medicating her like that. Instead I followed my vet's recommendation of bathing her once a week with a colloidal oatmeal shampoo AND cream rinse, in cool water, allowing the oatmeal cream rinse to stay rubbed into the skin and fur for a few minutes before rinsing it off. Water should be room temperature or so, not too warm. That was the only thing that helped with her hot spots.

You can also treat hot spots with a neem oil/tea tree oil spray or rub 100% aloe vera in to soothe the itch and provide relief.

Have you ruled out physical causes such as trichiasis (where hairs will lie on and irritate the eye) or bacterial infections such as conjunctivitis? Could his eyelashes be irritating his eye? All these can cause itching that might be remedied temporarily by benadryl.

Is there any redness to the eye? Can you see the "third eyelid" (the white or pink tissue that closes in at the corner of the eye)? Is there any thick or colored discharge in the eye? The redness could coincide with allergies but the other symptoms are indicative of a more serious condition. Allergies can cause conjunctivitis so it's important that you monitor him and go to a vet if discharge shows up or he has trouble opening his eyes. A bacterial infection such as conjunctivitis is best treated with medicated eye drops from the vet.

Until then, you could try to use a saline rinse for sensitive eyes to flush his eyes in case there is any bacteria or debris (such as dust, dirt, or hair) in them. Doing that once or twice a day may help.

eye problems in dogs; red, swollen, itchy, watery eyes | Dr. Carols Naturally Healthy Pets Blog

Third eyelid:

I buy discounted meat in my grocery stores. Check your meat section. They usually discount meat that can't be sold full price after sold date. There's nothing wrong with this meat but it's discounted half price or more. Another cheap cheap alternative is Chicken livers--I pay about $1.00 for a tub of chicken livers and because I'm afraid of raw, I slightly cook, leaving inside raw, the tub and divide it into 3 batches. When I make a batch of Honest Kitchen, I add one batch of the livers, which I don't have to because the HK has meat in it already, but I like giving her real meat with the hydrated meat. Although ZiwiPeak and HK sounds pricey, when you break down how long it last and how many feedings you get, it boild down to less than $2.00 a dog per day, not to mention the improvement of the dogs health (less vet trips) more money to invest in better quality food! I always buy the 10 lb box of HK and now that I've shown how good this food is have convinced my brother to feed his 3 boxers, so now when I order, I buy the 4-10 lb boxes (1 for me/3 for my brother) which boils down to a $12.00 a box savings. (A box at about $72.00 cost now $61.00).
Buying in quantity is usually the cheapest and best way. After I cook the whole tub of livers and use 1 portion, I freeze the other 2 til I'm ready for them. They thaw out quickly when I add them to the HK so there's no waiting. Ziwipeak is pretty expensive, but since I don't give Midgie treats except for an occasional Candy Cane (lol), she LOVES this food and I believe it has teeth cleaning potential. Just my opinion.