Question by Jenn: Dog skin problem! Mange or allergies?
I noticed that my dog has gotten some bad mats on her hind legs from fleas and itching, so I trimmed them. I’m using scissors, but I can’t tell if I sheared too close or if they’re bald spots. They’re not red. I can see a couple flea bites here and there, but it’s nothing like an open sore.

It worries me, though. She looks horrible and mangy!! I switched her to cheap food because of a budget pinch (went from Avoderm to Purina Little Bites). Started her that back in August. I noticed this month she has been getting very itchy and her skin is oily and hot to the touch. Her belly is red. She chews on her feet and her back legs and licks her stomach a lot. Her eyes are clear and don’t seem scaly or scummy. Her nose is fine, too. She stinks, though. Kinda sour like that dirty wet dog smell.

Is this an allergy or mange? I’m calling the vet first thing tomorrow morning, so don’t worry about that. I also shoveled out some good cash and started her on Orijen dog food.
Her skin seems flaky in places, mainly her rump by her tail where it’s most dry, but her actual skin is still taut on her body and not wrinkled.
Don’t really know how to explain it. It flakes up in places, but it’s oily to the touch. Weird.

Best answer:

Answer by Sarah B
It’s hard to tell with just a discription, but from my experience allergies usually cause dry skin, not oily.. So it’s quite possible it’s mange. Is the skin cracked or appear wrinklier than usual? This is another sign it’s likely mange.
Good luck!

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Question by hardhead: need help with dog allergy problem please ?
I have a 7 month old 70 lb black German Shepherd. We bought him at 4 months old , He was fine soon after we got him home he started scratching ALOT. He has scratched off almost all his hair on his underside. He also has bare spots on his butt area and the hair is thinning around his eyes. He does not come in the house so we can eliminate carpet etc…
Soon after he came here we put Frontline on him and got his final set of puppy shots, could he be allergic to the Frontline ???.
We spray our yard (5acres) for tics and fleas and bugs once a year just did it the other day for this year could the spray from last year still be in the ground enough to bother him ???
I am also going to change his food to a hydrolyzed protein food something for allergy dogs what can I buy that is not SO EXPENSIVE . He eats close to 20 lbs every couple weeks !!!
We have taken him to the vet and he has had a allergy shot and vet gave us some oatmeal based spray for itching, neither has made any difference

Best answer:

Answer by Beth G
I have a lab that has a ton of allergies.
I give her MSM and since then have no problems with her.

You can buy the MSM at a health food store. Give it twice a day. In a few days you will see a great improvement.

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Question by sweetsuzeeqz: My dog has a very bad odor problem and very dry skin. Can chlorophyll supplements help?
Every time I bathe her, the problem seems to intensify. I use oatmeal based dog shampoo for her skin and she smells better until she lays out in the sun. She is part pit bull and part black lab with short to medium length fur is mostly black with gold & brown brindle. Someone told me @ one time that black labs have glands that give them a naturally bad odor but I’ve had pure bred black labs previously that never had this problem. I’ve changed her food to help her skin but after 4 weeks there is no improvement there either so I’m considering anti-allergy food from my health food store or vet. Knowledgable suggestions are welcome! Thank-you!
We live in central Florida, have a nice lawn with no pesticides and dirt rather than sand. She has no fleas and no rashes but she does dig and lay in the dirt. She scratches and chews on herself quite a bit so I know she is uncomfortable and not just having developed a bad habit. A good brushing takes away the loose skin and brings up more but does not seem to help alleviate the dry skin. She sheds some but isn’t losing any appreciable amount of fur.
I have considered the possibility of her needing her anal glands expressed by the vet as a possible cause of the odor problem. She is spayed. I don’t bathe her very often as she hates water-seems she’s more pit than lab! And she does not like to go out in the rain if she can avoid it! She hates going to the vet but I’m thinking this is likely the best answer at this point! I would love it if Eukanuba would resolve her probs as it’s less expensive than the prescription formula from the vet! Thank-you all for your suggestions!

Best answer:

Answer by jordan
get it nudered

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Question by nova30180: Do you have a remedy for any kind of common problem?
Many remedies and cures are not commonly known or accepted, yet we know they work. Here are some I know personally that work, and I hope you’ll add yours no matter how unorthodox they may seem.

A simple cure for fleas (dogs love it):
Sprinkle garlic powder on your dogs food and mix it in. He may turn up his nose the first couple of times, but then quickly love it. It gets into the dog’s blood stream and when fleas bite and they taste it they won’t stay on him. Please stop using those toxic collars and pills and use this natural method.

A clove of fresh garlic stuck into the soil of indoor plants will repel all insects.

Do your children have warts?
Give them natural vitamin E capsules and they will disappear in a few weeks.

Freeze your children’s stuffed toys once a month to kill all the dust mites they collect. Very helpful if your child has allergies or asthma.

Ants in the kitchen?
Wash counters with white vinegar & water weekly.

Please share yours with us.

Best answer:

Answer by needifference
I have a remedy for a burn. I have used this on many relatives and friends who have had a bad sunburn and they all said it was the best thing ever. Get egg whites and whip them like you were making pie topping. Put this on your burn. Let it dry or “cook” on your skin. You will feel it tighten. Rinse it off with cool water. Do not use soap. The egg somehow pulls the heat out and it does not hurt anymore.

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Question by Bryanna B: Possible causes for my dog’s skin problem?
My dog seems to get a seasonal itching and hair loss problem. It starts up in May and then stops in the fall. I really doubt it is fleas because we put Frontline on him monthly. I think the hair loss is caused from all his itching. I have taken him to the vet and he said it might be some kind of allergies to fleas, but if he doesn’t have fleas this shouldn’t be a problem. Has anyone else had this problem with their dog and found a solution? The vet gave me pills to give to my dog, but the pills didn’t seem to help enough.
Someone suggest Benadryl… do you just give him Benadryl for humans or what? And how much? He is 60 pounds.

Best answer:

Answer by threedogmomma
The dog probably has seasonal, airborne allergies. Generally the only way to treat it is with Benedryl during the months that she has problems.

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