Allergies Continue

Ralphie has been battling allergies all summer and now that fall is here...he STILL has problems with hair loss along his back.

Picture taken today.  Ralphie's spotted back.

I'm at wits end trying to figure this out.  I've tried shampoos and creams (NuStock) and at times I felt that it was getting better...and then it flairs up again.  (Sigh)

The vet doc looked at it, but didn't have much to say.  Last year he gave me some antibiotics which I didn't need to use because it eventually cleared.  But now I'm thinking I should use them.  I read that other Vizslas used antibiotics which cleared it temporarily but then the problem came back.  

The doc never mentioned changing food.  But I read that can be the problem.  I had Ralphie on Natures Domain, grain free, from Costco.  On dogfoodavisor.com it's rated quite high, almost 5 stars. But Ralphie was losing interest in his food, which concerned me.  So I changed to Zignature Duck, a limited ingredient kibble.  Ralphie loves it.  If it's a food allergy that he has, this food should help.

I'm also trying coconut oil.  I've been reading this oil is supposed to help with pet's skin allergies.  Today I'm starting him out slow, a half teaspoon twice a day.  I've also made a coconut oil rinse for external use.

I'm so frustrated! I'll give this two weeks, if this doesn't work I'll have to use the antibiotics.  But I really want a permanent fix.  Someone mentioned steroid shots ... but no way ... that can't be good, it doesn't even sound good.  

I pray that my boy would just kick this allergy.  (Sigh)