Of all the things I’ve ever written about in this space, Cooper’s IHT is the topic that gets the most questions by far. Every single week I hear from someone whose dog started tremoring, they googled the condition, and found our story. While it makes me feel good that I can provide a resource to folks facing the same thing with their dog, it also makes me sad that so many dogs are experiencing this.
The second-most-repeated question is, and I’m paraphrasing here: What is Cooper eating these days? I think the other way people find this space is by googling something like: HALP OMG my dog has allergies! Or: why is my dog so itchy? Or: seriously, wtf is wrong with my dog’s skin?
So, I’m hoping this post can be a bit of a resource. If your dog doesn’t have IHT or your dog doesn’t have allergies, feel free to skim (you never know what might spark a great idea for your pup!) or come back another day. If your dog does have IHT or your dog does have allergies, I’d LOVE for you to weigh in on your diet and routine in the comments. This community grows so strong by sharing our experiences on how best to care for our beloved family members.
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PLEASE NOTE: I’m not a vet. I’m not a vet tech. I’m not involved in any useful medical field in any way. I’m not a dietitian, nor am I anything skilled in any way other than being a writer who obsessively researches ways to take better care of my dog. So, please read this post from that place, knowing I’m sharing my experience. My first recommendation in all things health, diet, routine, and behavior is to see your vet.
How we manage Cooper’s health with diet and routine:
Here’s why I’m lumping together a conversation around allergies and IHT: I theorize that, in Cooper at least, the two are related. I believe that his weak immune system contributes to both, and that when his allergies flare up, his IHT flares up, as well. This is simply a correlation, of course, but an example of this is right now. His eyes are pouring goop, and I can see his ears starting to get itchy… and he’s had two tremors in the last week.
This post isn’t specifically about his bobble-headedness, but if you want to learn more about that, check out these two resources:
- Start here with our FAQ
- Then continue with our Everything You Need to Know
What this post is specifically about is how we manage Cooper’s health through his diet and routine. It relates to the IHT and it relates to his allergies because, for full transparency, if he didn’t have those conditions, we’d probably have a much simpler, much cheaper routine. So, here we go:
Diet
We are generally strong proponents of healthy eating around here, and that includes the animals. For a long time, we cooked for Cooper. IF you find your dog is experiencing food sensitivities or allergies, I strongly recommend talking to your vet about an elimination diet. It’s a massive pain in the ass. Truly, a nearly-impossible feat to accomplish (WHY are there half-finished sandwiches on sidewalks?), but it was so, so worth it for us. We figured out many of the things that were causing him big problems and were able to cut them out completely. No more bloody stools! Yay! 🙂 If you’re interested in home cooking, here are a couple resources:
That said, we’re not home cooking for him currently. At some point during our home-cooking adventures, The Honest Kitchen launched a line of limited-ingredient foods. One of the formulas was nearly identical to what we were home cooking, and we gave it a whirl. Thankfully, it worked out, and he’s been happily eating The Honest Kitchen Brave ever since. It saved us a TON of time, though it’s more expensive than cooking, but the time, oh lordy, the time it took to cook… That said, IF he ever needs to switch for any reason, I’m grateful we now know what to do!
Supplements
We’ve tried a zillion supplements, and the key is finding ones that don’t have flavoring from his allergens (like, so many come with beef liver flavoring, which he simply can’t have). So, here’s what he’s on now, how often, and my favorite resource for each:
- Every morning at breakfast:
- Apoquel
- One big scoop of Udo’s Choice, which is basically a vegetarian (no allergens!) multi-vitamin
- Two tiny scoops of Super Snouts Joint Powder, which is joint support from 100% green-lipped mussels
- One scoop of Only Natural Pet Complete Gut Health Digestive Complex
- Occasionally we’ll add Shroom Immune
- Every night at dinner:
- A heap of coconut oil (I like this one from Target but any is fine… try to buy in glass jars instead of plastic, though!)
- One more scoop of Only Natural Pet Complete Gut Health Digestive Complex
It looks like a lot, but it goes pretty fast, and we actually share the probiotic and the coconut oil with the kitties, too. (Maybe a post on their routine? Let me know if that’s of interest…)
Exercise and Training
Cooper gets a ton of exercise. He runs with John. He “runs” with me on occasion in nice weather if it’s not too hot but it’s slightly cloudy so as not to be too sunny and I don’t have anything better to do. We hike weekly. I want him lean and strong, so we make sure he gets a ton of physical exercise.
But.
Since this is Cooper we’re talking about, training is important, too, since he flips out when we’re out and about if he sees a scary person (in other words… a person…) or dog. So we do tons and tons and tons of training with him, which sort of is counter to the healthy diet and exercise because it takes a lot of treats. If it’s stuff around the house or yard, or when we’re out and know we won’t see anyone (like, if it’s raining), we use a dehydrated fish treat. If it’s any other scenario–like, there might be people or dogs around–we use squeeze cheese.
Yep.
Exactly what you’re imagining.
It’s easy to carry, easy to dispense, and extremely high-value for him. It’s also disgusting, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.
Vaccines and Meds
Recently, someone commented that I’d turned my dog into a druggie who was going to die of cancer. Why? Because I give him Apoquel AND I vaccinate him. I want to be super-duper-crystal-clear here: YOU have to decide what’s right for YOUR dog. You should make those decisions in consultation with an expert and by conducting your own thorough research (i.e. not relying only on the first result in a Google query).
That said, yes, Cooper takes Apoquel daily. His skin used to crack and bleed, now it doesn’t. I get that there are side effects, but as with any medication in the world for pets or people, it comes down to weighing potential side effects against potential benefits. In the case of Cooper and Apoquel, the benefits tipped the scale.
He’s also on a flea and tick medication about 10 months out of the year. We hike a lot. We live in a tick-dense area with high incidences of tick-borne illnesses. I’m not willing to let his compromised immune system try to do battle with something as serious as say, lyme disease, so we prevent the risk.
Same with vaccines: I vaccinate Cooper. I believe strongly in vaccines for people and pets. I think that fear and opinion have clouded the science-based discussion around vaccines (another post for another day perhaps???), but it’s the best choice for our family. Plus, Cooper goes to doggy daycare and we do occasionally board him at the same daycare. It’s for his protection, and for the other dogs at daycare.
Other Considerations
I’ve heard amazing things about veterinary chiropractic care recently, and I’ve also been interested in integrative medicine–combining traditional with western medicine, including food and supplements, etc.–and found a practice nearby that we’re going to try very soon. If you guys are interested, I can share our experiences with that.
In conclusion…
I hope this sparked some ideas for you and your pet. If your dog suffers from allergies or IHT, know that I’m here for you to bounce ideas! It’s taken literally FIVE YEARS of trial-and-error to nail down this routine, so I sure hope this helps someone with similar struggles.
If I didn’t cover it all, or if you’re left with questions, please do leave them in the comments below!
Thank you so much for spending your time with me reading all this!! I appreciate you so much!
Crystle Minor
There was a ton of good info in this post. Thank you!
Rom is also on Apoquil but only during the “allergy” months…which is just about to start according to the thumping I heard last night….
Someone actually told you he was going to get cancer??? Clearly they are not a follower – its a terrible thing to say in general – let alone to a family that has the history you do…..GRRRRR…..
Konadog
Apoquel’s website states Apoquel may enlarge existing tumors. See the link below and read the section “Important Safety Information”
https://www.zoetisus.com/products/dogs/apoquel/index.aspx#safety
Perhaps the person was being dramatic about the risk however it is a bad thing to say to someone.
Maggie
I think that’s a SUPER important distinction that–we hope–our vets will be savvy to. If a dog already has cancer, already has tumors, then this might not be the right drug. The conversation with your medical team MUST be different depending on your dog’s current medical conditions.
Lindsay
Great post, Maggie. Ace also has itchy skin and allergies and an autoimmune disease called panniculitis that causes skin lesions. (Fun!) So, I keep him on a low dose of a medication called Atopica. I’m also familiar with Apoquel, Ace took that for a while too.
Maggie
Thanks so much, Lindsay. Poor Ace… that must be a lot to manage, but it sounds like you have it under control. He is SUCH a sweet boy, and I just adore seeing his face peeking out of my social and blog feed. 🙂
Shadow and Ducky's Mom
I’m with Crystle; but I also know that some people just cannot help themselves – they have to be insensitive, self-righteous jerks – so it’s up to us to just brush aside their comments and not take them personally.
But that aside, thank you for this wonderful, informative post! Like you said, when it comes to many of the things we do for or give to our pets, we have to weigh the potential risks against the potential benefits. Just like with our own care. I really don’t like having to feed my girls the food I do; BUT it’s the only food that doesn’t aggravate their IBS so I “suck it up” and use it. A dog mom’s gotta do what a dog mom’s gotta do.
I’d love to join you tonight; but I’m not sure I’ll be able to. So, here’s to a fun FB Live session and a great weekend! Belly rubs for Cooper, ear rubs for the kitties, kisses for Violet, and hugs to you and John!
Maggie
THIS —->>>> “A dog mom’s gotta do what a dog mom’s gotta do.” Amen. Thank you SO much for making that point!! I think I need that on a T-shirt or something! 🙂
Mary
“I think that fear and opinion have clouded the science-based discussion around vaccines …”
YES! I completely agree with this statement. Of course as with all medications, vaccines are not completely risk-free. Unfortunately, a tiny percentage of animals (and humans) that are given a vaccine will have an adverse reaction. But on the whole, vaccines are extremely beneficial. I am old enough to remember the days before the human polio vaccine existed. People lived in fear of contracting polio. I was extremely ill when I contracted measles as a child (again, before the measles vaccine existed) as was my older sister. I believe that many young adults do not fully appreciate the benefits of vaccines because they never experienced these infectious diseases during pre-vaccine times.
I am happy that you were able to find a diet that works well for Cooper. My previous dog had IBD and was very reactive (“flipped out”) to everything and everybody, so I can identify with the challenges you have had with Cooper. I found that a good diet and lots of positive reinforcement training when out and about really helped my boy, and it sounds as if you have found the same with Cooper.
I have been reading your blog for years, and want you to know how much I enjoy your posts. Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful family (human and animal!) with us!
Maggie
Thank you so very much for the kind words! I really appreciate that, and I am so grateful for you taking the time to share your experience… that is SUCH a critical point you made with the polio example. If we saw people suffering from the disease today, we’d probably be more grateful for the vaccine. I think that’s a really valuable and insightful comparison, and I really appreciate you took the time to weigh in.
On a side note: For your IBD dog who “flipped out,” too, I’m actually researching some interesting connections being made at vet hospitals between gut health and behavior… more to come…
Konadog
I understand Apoquel’s success for your dog (it was the same for my dog) however Apoquel states on their website that it may enlarge existing tumors. My dog’s oncologist did not recommend Apoquel however there is a new injectable drug called “Cytopoint” that relieves symptoms without the dangerous side effects and daily dosing. If you have time perhaps consider it.
Maggie
This is a valuable point. Every single stage in our pets’ lives needs to be taken into consideration. Way back when Emmett was diagnosed with cancer, we evaluated every single medication he was taking with his oncologist. They added in a few, so we needed to adjust what we were doing. With Cooper, he’s a young(ish), thankfully very healthy pup, so we stay on top of his regular checkups and maintain the routine I outlined above. IF something in his medical history were to change, per your point, we’d reevaluate his protocol. Your story is an excellent reminder to be vigilant constantly and adjust as things change. Heck, that was the same experience with my own cancer history and chemo protocol. Thanks so much for sharing! I hope your pup is feeling well!
Denise's Dog Dish
So many great points and terrific information. I love and will be quoting Big Dog Mom for… oh maybe forever, “We are all on parallel sides of the coin trying to do what is best for our furry family members” (paraphrased). I’ve started using the phrase “Researched Based Pet Parenting” (coined after my practice of researched based medicine for my day job). There is no one size fits all and we love them so much we only want to do what is best for them! I’ll buy the T-shirt “A Dog Moms Gotta Do what a Dog Moms Gotta Do” 😉 Sign me up!
Tracey
Hi Maggie, what breed is Cooper?
Maggie
Hi, Tracey! Cooper is an American Staffordshire Terrier Mix! We actually had his DNA tested a couple years ago, and the results are actually kind of hysterical. If you’re interested, here’s where I shared that info: https://ohmydogblog.com/2015/06/coopers-dna-test-results/.
Hope that helps!!
Andrea
I had read one of your other pages and left a comment kind of saying a little about what we have been going through at the beginning of our journey of head tremors. And some concerns I have personally had about vaccines and apoquel. I then read this page and felt I needed to add a disclaimer to my previous comment. I am truly grateful for the info you have shared. And I in no way meant any disrespect to you or anyone who uses apoquel it obviously works for many animals or it wouldnt be so widely prescribed. It didnt work for my bulldog being he had chronic ear infections and I didnt have as much knowledge as I should have. And that tends to move apoquel into the cancer arena very fast. And I will carry that guilt forever. But as with all medical stuff i think that’s between you your doc or your vet. So I just wanted to put it out there that I didnt mean disrespect to anyone. And again am very very grateful for the info you have provided.