What To Do With A Dog With Itchy Skin?
Posted by: Alan in Flea Allergies In Dogs, tags: Itchy, Skin, What, With
So we own a rescue mutt from Virgina who was moved to avoid the over flow of Katrina pets. We got her when she was around 8 weeks old according to the shelter. A few months after we got her she started getting itchy and loosing fur around her eyes, we took her to the vet he did every conceviable test and said its an allergy. With that knowledge we started ruling out foods and household prouduts. She has fish oil pills, salmon enriched food, baths in expensive moisturizing conditioners, and she is brushed almost 4 times a week. She has medium lenght fur, itchy skin, and flaking sort of like dandruf. We have tried everything from special food to benadryl, nothing has helped he be even close to 80% less itchy.Also she has no bugs, mites included. She has no peanut allergies and she currently takes Vectra 3D for flea and tick prevention. Has anyone had a super itchy dog and has solved the mystery? Any good ways to hydrate her skin and keep her less itchy? What should we do to make her less itchy?
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January 28th, 2010 at 12:03 pm
ummm I wonder if I rescued the puppy when I was down there for over a month? There were so many helpless animals, it was soo sad.
I have dealt with this with my Rotts they have a tendency for dry flaky skin. Here are my suggestions
This still could be an allergy that just has not showed up in the test. Did they do extensive skin test?
Is the dog overly stressed?
It could be the flee preventive you might want to try switching it. I don’t know anything about Vectra 3D
The best shampoo I have found with tons of research is Mellaluca oil Dog shampoo works Do not use any human products on dogs.
Tea Tree oil shampoos works just follow the directions. You can use the oil by itself as a skin treatment.
Don’t think I am crazy but warm olive oil treatments actually work, use for about 20 minutes before the bath. Rub it in well, my guys loved it. I have also used it in my grooming shop for severe dry skin.
Oatmeal treatments work also. Just soak some oatmeal in some cheesecloth and then poor the milky stuff over them and rub in.
As far as food,I have had great luck with Flint River salmon and sweet potato. Lamb dog foods seem to be good for dry skin also.
As a very last resort the vet can give steroid shots. Maybe just a few would clear it up enough for the other suggestions to kick in, I tried them once and my guy gained 10 pounds in a month. IMHO they are dangerous.
I have the best results when I bathe mine every 10 days or so
I hope maybe one of these things helps
One more thing have his thyroid checked. Thsi causes hair to fall out on the face and usually the base of the tail all the way down the tail. I had a malamute that looked like a possum
January 28th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
We had dogs who had a weird skin condition that would cause them to itch themselves raw. the vet didn’t know what it was. we too switched food and everything it helped a little. We actually started pouring the left over oil from when we cook into the dog food and he hasn’t had an itch since. I guess it helps his coat or something. God bless you for resucuing that dog. I would look around on the internet for possible illnesses she could have. Hope I helped.
January 28th, 2010 at 8:42 pm
Could be anything. Could also be an autoimmune disorder like pemphigus. Has she been of the flea meds for any amount of time to make sure that isn’t the cause? My best advice would be to have an allergy scratch test done so you can find out exatly what to stay away from. A visit with a dermatologist would be the best route.
January 29th, 2010 at 3:09 am
Have you tried ruling out chicken? It’s pretty common in most dog foods, and some dogs are allergic.
January 29th, 2010 at 8:23 am
It’s a dog they all itch and you need to bathe often and let it be
January 29th, 2010 at 2:28 pm
flea shmapoo
January 29th, 2010 at 8:49 pm
oatmeal shampoo for dogs works great om my dog who haw very dry skin
January 29th, 2010 at 9:30 pm
I have a cocker spaniel who has the same problems. We try to make sure he get some oils (which you have done) and we’ve had every test known to man (and so have you) and so we keep him off the grass (which seems to set it off) and we bath him in medicated shampoo and we make his food from chicken,veggies,rice,oaks and JuicePlus+ for dogs. And we give him benadryl and baby aspirin. If I don’t forget the pills he does better. I also use a lotion on his neck (which is no hair…just skin) “gloves in a bottle) and that helps his skin and the itch.
He is misserable and so are we.
January 30th, 2010 at 2:45 am
I also have a super itchy dog! My dog Duke is always scratching and chewing at his skin. He has allergies as well and atopic dermatitis!
His belly is a bronzed color because he has scratched it so much! I haven’ solved the mystery of the itchies yet but one day would like too!
i feel so bad for him but I don’t know what to do for him! I tried omega 3 tablets but they don’t help!
I have even use hydrocortisone cream becauseI read in a book that its supposed to help. But I can’t get Duke to sit still long enough for me to spread it on him! I have used a little bit on one place and it helped a little bit but nothing will cure it!
This site talks about Atopic drermatits.http://priory.com/vet/vetatop1.htm
The vet can give steroid shots but a lot of them will cause your dog to gain weight(thats what my vet told me)
January 30th, 2010 at 9:33 am
STOP putting expensive shampoos on it……..and START bathing the dog with the Gentliest baby shampoo or just start with Johnson baby shampoo—-Anything you can bathe a baby without it crying is what you should USE on this OVER-active immune system dog!
Check food:
make sure NO Gluten from wheat or corn, NO WHEAT, NO CORN, NO SOY………Maxximum Nutrition Lamb/rice from Walmart is great but can’t be found anywhere where I live right now.
My dog has Symmetrical Lupoid Onychodistrophy………
Worms: Gest Interceptor
Baths with baby shampoo…..anything else and he’ll even scratch on trees.
Fleas: Gets K-9 Advantix
Food: Maxximum Nutrition if I can find it. Right now home cooked rice/meat/other meats
Remember:
Wheat/corn/soy are bad/BAD for an Over-active Immune dog!
ONLY BABY SHAMPOO!!!!!!!!
FISH PILLS ARE GREAT AND DO TAKE THEM TOO!