My poor dogs skin issues....need some advice.

Ok we have had Rosco our furry boy for over a year. He has had constant skin problems since I got him. He was a hot mess the day I brought him home. I don't think anyone has ever addressed his problems which is why he was always passed around. Well now he is here to stay and we want him to be comfortable!

I have been told he is allergic to grass (St. Augustine grass, which is pretty much all of FL), fleas, chicken, grain, corn, flour (so his food is limited). He has atopic dermatitis and yeast dermatitis. He is currently on 2 different meds and gets bathed 2 times a week in a medicated shampoo. He has been on the meds a month and it seems like they are working but to an extent. His arms get so inflamed so easily and I use the topical ointment which requires a wrestling match with him because he hates it. I have to trick him in every which way to get him to take his meds and to put all the meds on his skin. We keep him shaved down because it helps let his skin breath where he has the problems. He also wears shoes to go outside so he doesn't touch the grass. Yea putting shoes on him was not easy but after a week he let me finally put them all on.

Now I have been to multiple vets and they all say the same thing but it also seems like they kind of blow me off. I mean his face is so bad and he scratches at it so much that he wakes me up in the middle of the night crying. His eyes are runny from the pollen allergies so it irritates the skin that is already inflamed. Poor thing can't catch a break!!

Here are pics of his problem areas. I have used something called "toad juice" on his arms and face and it does seem to work but it's only been a week that we have used it. It's all natural essential oils and i like it BUT I can't put it on the one spot he needs something because it's so close to his eyes.


SO fellow dog owners and lovers. Have you ever seen anything like this or have you dealt with it yourself? If so please what did you use to help it along? The vet says his allergies can't be cured which is obvious but the yeast infections he gets on the regular are being triggered by something. He gets constant ear infections too but those have seem to lessen thanks to some ear wash I got from the vet. He still has itchy ears at times.

I just don't know what else to do or what else I can put on him. He eats a diet of all natural foods so there is no food he is eating that he shouldn't. His food is basically dried veggies with lamb that i cook and cut up to put it in. It's a brand called Sojo's. It's a little expensive but everything else seems to irritate him and honestly it's no different than the food I make him which is pretty much the same thing minus a couple herbs that the Sojos has.

Anyway I am just posting this to find other dog owners who have maybe dealt with similar issues. I joined a dog forum but nobody seems to post there and well vets are starting to frustrate me. It took a while to find a vet who seemed ok with taking Rosco and all his problems, many hesitated when I brought up his issues. I like our current one but I still feel like he brushes it off as well..


Here are some pics from yesterday and one today in the tub.

Side of his face.


his eyes


under arm


another under arm


you can see the pink inflammation under his eyes.


My poor boy. He doesn't let it keep him from being sweet and playful though. When he has an itch attack he jumps on my lap or my husbands and just cuddles up on you. I wipe his face with a baby wipe that is all natural with no additives. It seems to make him feel better to get something cool on his face. If I don't have wipes around i use a wet cloth.

Thanks.

reply to post by mblahnikluver



my dog used to get chronic yeast infections in his ears.
i would treat him with 1/3 2/3rd white vinegar to boiled water (cooled obviously)

that might not be of any use for this issue however
tried cortizone creams?
pets.webmd.com...

sorry i cant offer more

okamitengu
reply to post by mblahnikluver

 

my dog used to get chronic yeast infections in his ears.
i would treat him with 1/3 2/3rd white vinegar to boiled water (cooled obviously)

I use to use a mixture of vinegar/alcohol to clean his ears. It worked but they got so bad I needed actual meds. The vet gave me a nice ear flush to use. I will try this remedy without the alcohol. Thanks!

that might not be of any use for this issue however
tried cortizone creams?
pets.webmd.com...

sorry i cant offer more

The vet has me using Tinactin on his arms. I asked for something medicated but he said Tinactin is the same as the medicated and it's cheaper. It seems to work but when it's on him he needs his cone otherwise he licks it off! I have been sneaking up on him and spraying the Toad Juice on him and that seems to work but again he licks it off so he needs a cone.

He is on one anti itch pill but it's a steroid so they don't want him on it all the time but it's the only time he stops itching!!


Thanks for your reply I appreciate that you took the time to read my post.

reply to post by mblahnikluver


Sorry for your boy, he must be miserable at times. Check out dinovite.com It's a supplement that has been very helpful for lot of dogs with skin problems and allergies. Sometimes the stuff you get from vets can be even more irritating than the original problem the dog has. Worth a try. Hope Rosco will feel lots better!

Tompdx3
reply to post by mblahnikluver

 

Sorry for your boy, he must be miserable at times. Check out dinovite.com It's a supplement that has been very helpful for lot of dogs with skin problems and allergies. Sometimes the stuff you get from vets can be even more irritating than the original problem the dog has. Worth a try. Hope Rosco will feel lots better!

Oh wow thanks! I am looking at this stuff right now. We will try it and see. I mean something has to work at some point right? We have tried many different products and some worked but only short term and long term wasn't possibility due to the ingredients of the meds. This stuff seems natural and would be good for him long term.

Thanks again!!

Evening,

So sorry to hear about this.
I have a lil' dog myself and I just agonize whenever I think he's in distress.
I wish I had something meaningful to contribute besides I hope you find a solution quickly.
He looks so cute.

-Peace-

Hello!

I have a dog suffering from the same condition. Canine atopic dermatitis
same thing with the vets. They want to medicate him, with steroids, anti-inflamitories, anti-biotics, anit-fungals.
You name, it. Most of them make him miserable in other ways. I try to limit those.
He's a bit bigger than your pup, at 100 pounds. So the baths are a little tougher sometimes, he hates them!
But he gets a few per month anyway.

so in between baths, I give him a rubdown with a few warm towels...Starting with the first loaded with Oatmeal based shampoo. He loves those towel baths so much, he bows his head when he see's me coming with them. And stands there, in heaven! The next few towels, are used to move the shampoo around, then to rinse.

I did find a pretty good Premium Dog food for him, made of fish and sweet potatoes. for snacks, he gets a can of green beans. no other snacks.
I can tell when he gets into "something" that he has problems with, he will get a wave of eczema that travels over his skin, for about 4 days...That's when he absolutely gets the bath.


One thing I was able to do, was to wean him from the Prednisone.
Right now, it's winter, and the allergies are at a minimum. i give him small doses of Zyrtec. It helps him a lot.
He gets one tablet, and it lasts 24 hours. itching is at a minimum then...
then I wean him off those..and swap to Benedryl..that makes him sleepy, so I try to give it to him at night only.
It doesn't last as long, so sometimes he gets a second dose in the morning if needed.

that's how I am handling it at the moment. But i think we could swap other ideas as well..So let me know!

reply to post by mblahnikluver



the cone is going to be the biggest fix you can get!
dogs cannot resist instinct to scratch!!

another idea i had was maybe some silver nitrate gel.

I had the same problem! Seriously, contact Destiny and ask her about her "cure". I got some, and within a week the condition cleared up! I'll see if I can get pics posted.

reply to post by mblahnikluver


Hello,

Something I did with my Doberman, Nick, who had similar problems is I changed his food. I would feed him kibbles & bits and thought I was doing him a favor, but after some research I learned that food is garbage. Find you little boy some different food such as Purina One Choice. The first and main ingredient is meat not grain. It isn't the best but affordable and much healthier.

Also I add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to his drinking water. Try both of these. Don't expect to see immediate results. It took nick about 4 weeks to stop itching and flaking. I also noticed he wasn't as stinky.

Good luck.

reply to post by mblahnikluver


I find it strange the number of baths he takes, dog's skin is not the same as ours (from ph to the biota) a healthy dog rarely needs a bath (in human terms). One should brush the fur and use water to clean it and reserve baths for when he does really make a mess of himself, like rubbing into something disgusting for the smell.

Flea allergies are very problematic it requires a general and continued dis-infestation (to him and the environment) and it takes a very long time to get it done, the suckers can survive for a long time in wait for a meal. There is anti-flea medication that is given as a pill (or drops in the skin) but it stops only the reproduction of fleas.

Cortisone and other steroid are very very bad (even for people) as they may promote some forms of cancer, not unlike antibiotics one should only use them if there is no other option. Cortisone is a suppressor for the immune system, so it should be reserved not to mitigate normal responses (rash and inflammations) but abnormal behavior of the immune system.

Alcohol and ears also is a bad idea due to the changes in temperature it can promote otitis, and dries the surface promoting inflammation. Vinegar as indicated above (sider vinegar preferentially) is a good general disinfectant.

spacedoubt
reply to post by okamitengu

 

Hello!

I have a dog suffering from the same condition. Canine atopic dermatitis

That is what Rosco has!

same thing with the vets. They want to medicate him, with steroids, anti-inflamitories, anti-biotics, anit-fungals.
You name, it. Most of them make him miserable in other ways. I try to limit those.

Yea they seem to bother his tummy I now mix his meds in with his food so it doesn't upset his stomach as much. He seems to be doing better with them. I try to limit the steroids but it's the only pill that makes him not itch. It makes me so sad when he is crying in the middle of the night scratching his face. I jump right out of bed and go comfort him and then bring him to bed with me, where he usually stays til morning.

He's a bit bigger than your pup, at 100 pounds. So the baths are a little tougher sometimes, he hates them!
But he gets a few per month anyway.

Oh wow!! Yea that would be difficult! Rosco was getting one bath a week but the vet said he needed 2-3 and i told him 2 was fine but 3 was pushing it. If we have to do 3 to get things cleared up I'll take him to the groomers to get the 3rd one. I just can't do it 3 times a week. It kills my back to bathe him in the tub. He's good for it so it's not bad. I just can't bend over the tub like that.

so in between baths, I give him a rubdown with a few warm towels...Starting with the first loaded with Oatmeal based shampoo. He loves those towel baths so much, he bows his head when he see's me coming with them. And stands there, in heaven! The next few towels, are used to move the shampoo around, then to rinse.

Ok this sounds interesting.
So you put the shampoo on the towel and wet it and then rub it all over? I then assume you use another wet towel, shampoo free, and use it to rinse him off? Sounds like it could be something Rosco might enjoy in between baths.

I did find a pretty good Premium Dog food for him, made of fish and sweet potatoes. for snacks, he gets a can of green beans. no other snacks.

Yea I found great food for him, it's called Sojos. It's all natural and made in the US. If I don't have that ready I make his food. I give him green beans, zucchini, squash and lamb. I get the cheap lamb cuts like the shoulder or neck. He can't have chicken and beef we are still trying to figure out if it is an allergy. I tried a fish and sweet potato food from I believe Earth Born but he would NOT eat it!! I left it and he literally didn't eat for two days. So I had to find something else and that is when we went to the Lamb diet and that seems to work for him.

I can tell when he gets into "something" that he has problems with, he will get a wave of eczema that travels over his skin, for about 4 days...That's when he absolutely gets the bath.

I can tell when he's been into something too! He likes to lick the kitchen floor when I cook so I have to make sure he isn't getting anything he shouldn't. He use to get into the cats food which he is allergic to but that has been remedied, her food is on the porch now. I do not give him anything he isn't suppose to have and I'm very strict about others giving him food as well. I finally found some all natural treats he can eat that don't cause whim to be irritated either. I have also made him dog biscuits since it's hard to find treats for him and the ones i did find were not cheap.

One thing I was able to do, was to wean him from the Prednisone.

THAT is what he is on for itching and it's the only thing that keeps him from itching.

Right now, it's winter, and the allergies are at a minimum. i give him small doses of Zyrtec. It helps him a lot.
He gets one tablet, and it lasts 24 hours. itching is at a minimum then...
then I wean him off those..and swap to Benedryl..that makes him sleepy, so I try to give it to him at night only.
It doesn't last as long, so sometimes he gets a second dose in the morning if needed.

Is Zyrtec an allergy med? I have not tried that but will definitely look into it. We have given him benadryl but it made him sick and he passed out! I even broke one in half and he couldn't handle it. Odd thing is I can't take benadryl myself, makes me feel the same way.

that's how I am handling it at the moment. But i think we could swap other ideas as well..So let me know!

edit on 9-12-2013 by spacedoubt because: (no reason given)

Thank you so much!! I will definitely try the in-between towel baths and will also look into the Zyrtec. Rosco is only 18 lbs so I am not sure how much he would get dosage wise.

okamitengu
reply to post by mblahnikluver

 

the cone is going to be the biggest fix you can get!
dogs cannot resist instinct to scratch!!

another idea i had was maybe some silver nitrate gel.

He doesn't resist the cone! He also still plays and eats with it, he just looks so sad and silly with it on. I have thought about decorating it and making it personalized lol since it is a part of his daily life right now. When he sees it coming he just bows his head down.

I have never heard of silver nitrate gel. Is it all natural? What's it for.

Thanks!

I forgot to mention, "Fish Candies"
That's what I yell out loud, when he, and my other pup get their fish oil capsules.
They come running for those.

Fish oil Capsules every day, and a couple of Vitamin E capsules per week.

GNOarmy
reply to post by mblahnikluver

 

Hello,

Something I did with my Doberman, Nick, who had similar problems is I changed his food. I would feed him kibbles & bits and thought I was doing him a favor, but after some research I learned that food is garbage. Find you little boy some different food such as Purina One Choice. The first and main ingredient is meat not grain. It isn't the best but affordable and much healthier.

Oh he gets the best food there is. It's all natural and he gets fresh Lamb with his food.
This is what he is on. I found it at a local grooming shop I take him to and he loves it. He was on Earthborn Holistic Meadow Feast blend prior, it was also a lamb based dry food. I keep that around for in between and he is fine with that food but the Sojo's seems to be the best for him and he loves it. Heck I tasted it and it's no different than what you would make for yourself.

Also I add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to his drinking water. Try both of these. Don't expect to see immediate results. It took nick about 4 weeks to stop itching and flaking. I also noticed he wasn't as stinky.

Good luck.

I haven't heard of this one before for animals but oddly enough my moms friend drinks this daily for her own skin problems. I will definitely have to try it. Hope the cat likes it since she for some odd reason will only drink out of the dogs bowl. lol

Thanks a lot!

Vets!!!!!
I feel so sorry for your dog.
Those pics of his skin look just like what old mate had. The vets gave me so many reasons for them, and so many cures that never worked!!
One day I threw a fit and asked them why he was still suffering after six months of multiple types of treatment and all they could do was stare blankly at me.

My brother inlaw knew a guy who looked after the local fox hounds (grrrr) and he suggested we go see the guy. His advice was the skin irritation was caused by the dogs constant licking and rubbing with his paws, apparently when a dog keeps licking the same area that peice of skin will try to change to another kind of skin (I didn't understand it either), and the dog gets in a viscious cycle. His advice was stop ALL medication and let the fur grow back!
A month later my dog was fine!!!
Just because your vet has you thinking he's a good vet doesn't mean he wont take you for all he can get!
I hate vets, all they care about is money!
PLEASE take your dog to someone who understands dogs and has nothing to gain from giving you good advice.

Panic2k11
reply to post by mblahnikluver

 

I find it strange the number of baths he takes, dog's skin is not the same as ours (from ph to the biota) a healthy dog rarely needs a bath (in human terms). One should brush the fur and use water to clean it and reserve baths for when he does really make a mess of himself, like rubbing into something disgusting for the smell.

Oh he use to get bathed twice a month but with the medicated shampoo he has the vet said he needs to be bathed 2-3 times a week for 4weeks and then go down from there to help with the bacterial infection. Bathing him that much is crazy I agree but I've seen it before when I worked at a grooming shop and had dogs come in with similar problems and skin conditions.

Flea allergies are very problematic it requires a general and continued dis-infestation (to him and the environment) and it takes a very long time to get it done, the suckers can survive for a long time in wait for a meal. There is anti-flea medication that is given as a pill (or drops in the skin) but it stops only the reproduction of fleas.

He is on trifexis for fleas which helps a lot, occasionally one will hitch hike on him and i know instantly because he chews a red spot where it bit him. I put hot spot cream on when that happens and it goes away in an hour.

Cortisone and other steroid are very very bad (even for people) as they may promote some forms of cancer, not unlike antibiotics one should only use them if there is no other option. Cortisone is a suppressor for the immune system, so it should be reserved not to mitigate normal responses (rash and inflammations) but abnormal behavior of the immune system.

Yea I've had the same bottle of prednisone for months. It was to last one month but I try not to give it to him because I don't want it to damage his liver or kidney's but when he is having a major itching fit I give him one so he can have some relief. I am not a fan of meds period like that for people or animals. I think there has to be something more natural to use that would help in the same fashion besides harmful meds.

Alcohol and ears also is a bad idea due to the changes in temperature it can promote otitis, and dries the surface promoting inflammation. Vinegar as indicated above (sider vinegar preferentially) is a good general disinfectant.

edit on 9-12-2013 by Panic2k11 because: (no reason given)

Thanks for your advice and reply. I will definitely be getting the apple cider vinegar for him and myself.

Yes, the Zyrtec is an allergy med.
He gets 1 tablet per day, when he's on them.
I would think no more than a 1/4 tablet for your Rosco.
To be safe, you might want to attempt an even smaller dosage at first.
Take a look at a few "googles" of Giving dogs Zyrtec...It appears to be very safe.
but I wouldn't feel comfortable if you did it simply on my advice

I have noticed that if he is having an itch-fit, it stops within an hour after the Zyrtec.
It's faster with the Benadryl, but I think that's because he takes a nap.


And yes, on the Towels.
First one soaking wet with warm water, and oatmeal shampoo dosed into it.
Second one soaking wet, with no shampoo
the rest are barely wet, with no shampoo until he is relatively dry.
He has his own set of towels..LOL

i can't help much. but he sure is cute. those eyes looking up into the camera....

reply to post by mblahnikluver


This has worked for my bully when he gets dry and itchy.
When I feed him I add a tablespoon of virgin coconut oil to his food and when he gets his bath every 2 months we rub some of the coconut oil into his fur after drying him off.
He loves the taste and he always smells good plus the health benefits are great for them.