Skin allergies
 Its bad enough I have to do it all day at work, but if that is what it takes I will do it. She asked me if I know of the the skin allergys we encounter with our sheepies, I said I did not really know, I had never encountered anything with any of mine until now. So I told her I would ask you guys and drop the info off to her tommorrow. Could any of you guys help me out with some of the names of the allergies sheepies often suffer from? I would really appreciate it.  |
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| Dixie had allergies really bad for months....but it was more her itching all over. She did lick her feet, too, but she had ear infections etc at the same time. I put her on fish/potaoe food and NO TREATS other than veggies and fruit. Plus I made sure that her food had no wheat..actually, no grain period...No rice, nothing but straight fish and potatoe. Months later, along with all her other problems, she was cleared up.
Licking feet is often an environmental allergy, like grass, pollen...and sometimes comes and goes with the weather. Stacy (Willowsprite) gave some great information on yeast infections and the problems that yeast causes...and that includes licking feet. |
Quote: Licking feet is often an environmental allergy, like grass, pollen...and sometimes comes and goes with the weather.
Two of mine have RAST tested positive for certain molds and dust mites. We've given Darby shots for 2 years but with no obvious benefits. Shot #1 Dust/Dust Mites (given 1x per month, now giving 1x per WEEK) 50% D. pteronyssinus 50% D. farinae Shot #2 (given 1x per month, now giving 1x per WEEK) Alternaria Aspergillus Fumigatus Clad. sphaerospermum Mixed penicillium contains 2 equal parts: chrysogenum, notatum Panda is doing well but I have no idea if this is because I finally got the yeast under control (she was on antibiotics for 5 straight months plus on and off them at times the previous year due to that bladder defect that was surgically corrected in February) or if the shots are benefiting her. Shot #1 (1x per month) D. Farinae Shot #2 (1x per month) Aspergillus Fumigatus Clad. sphaerospermum Fusarium Mixed Penicillium contains 2 equal parts: chrysogenum, notatum I've lost faith in RAST test results... for Darby anyway. We repeated the test a few weeks ago on Darby and the vet mentioned this morning one of the new allergens has to do with cats (skin/saliva from licking). I recalculated it and it's been about 8 years since there's been a cat in the house. The reason this makes NO sense (to ME anyway) is because her allergies are bad from mid-August until it freezes... about 4 months. This was her in June and there was NO evidence of allergies... she's looking a the camera- http://oesusa.com/EmmaDarby-Ball.jpg The symptoms reappeared for the 3rd consecutive year and again it was in August. I received a second call from the receptionist saying doc spoke with the MSU allergy doctor and we should go down to MSU for the intradermal skin testing. Sigh. I'm not sure what our next step will be... we saw an holistic vet earlier this week for a second opinion and are trying some things he's recommended for now. I AM NOT A VET... THIS IS SIMPLY MY OPINION BASED ON MY LIMITED EXPERIENCE. If I had this all over again, I'd demand a test for yeast first. Yeast can often be mistaken for allergies... it happened with Panda and my own vets earlier this year. Sometimes yeast and allergies go hand in hand due to all the licking- http://oesusa.com/Yeast/index.4.jpg and the yeast makes it all the itchier. The magic cure? Malaseb shampoo and pledgets IF it's yeast along with a good food (we use Eagle Pack Holistic Select dry food). Then I'd do a food trial to rule out food allergies. If after 10 weeks on a strict hypoallergenic diet I saw no improvement- this means not even one minuscule treat outside the prescribed diet- I'd go straight to a board certified veterinary dermatologist. There is no cure for allergies other than avoidance of the offending allergen or possibly desensitization from what I've read. Sorry for going on... and on... and on. I'm so frustrated that my sweet, goofy girl has this problem and that all the shots, testing, etc. have given us no good results. If any of the holistic stuff works, I'll let you know. Best wishes to you and Elliott... I really hope it's a food allergy so you can easily avoid the cause of his problem. |
Thanks all you guys, I am going to take all the replies I get between tonight and in the morning and drop them off at her office tommorrow. She is such a good vet and really was interested in what you guys had to say. She was actually was going to see what info she could get tonight and asked me if I knew others with sheepies, and I told her about the forum and she wanted to know what any of you guys had been through with your babies and was thrilled I had a great group of people to collaberate with. Nice to have a vet with an open mind and is willing to take suggestions from people who have actually had problems with their dogs. Thanks soooooooooooo much I'll let everyone know how we make out. Maybe I'll get a few more replies before tomorrow afternoon  |
6Girls wrote: Sometimes yeast and allergies go hand in hand due to all the licking- http://oesusa.com/Yeast/index.4.jpg and the yeast makes it all the itchier. The magic cure? Malaseb shampoo and pledgets
Poor kids. So awful to suffer from allergies and not be able to find relief despite your best efforts. I don't blame you. I'd be frustrated, too. I'm curious - the discoloration of the hair - is that just from the licking or from the yeast - or a combination of both? What is malaseb shampoo and pledgets?  |
| I use California Natural for Finnigan, the chicken and brown rice formula, and he does great with it. I had a similar problem w/him this summer with licking at paws and biting his hindquarters, and it has resolved. We went through the routine of a course of prednisone, visteril, benadryl, medicated shampoo. His ears flare from time to time, too.
My vet did not go through the testing at that point, but if it flares that is the next step. Interesting enough, last week he had goopy eyes and we ended up @ the vets, and came home w/ tobramycin drops. It resolved quickly, but I took him to my brothers last night and he was out in the newly hayed field, and guess what we had this morning...goopy eyes! My guess is that my sensitive guy has a hay/grass allergy. I am wondering if you have the same problem. I got long winded, but I hope you get some solutions! Good luck |
Quote: the discoloration of the hair - is that just from the licking or from the yeast - or a combination of both? Just MY opinion... I think it's actually from both but the yeast is brown between the toes. When sheepies lick a lot it turns the fur more of a pinkish color. I keep the feet trimmed real short because my thinking is that the area gets better air circulation if the dog has problems. They dry off much faster too. Poor Panda had frantic licking due to the yeast caused by too many antibiotics. Every morning she did this to her feet... she would wake up early and start. http://oesusa.com/Yeast/1.jpg It made her nervous. We sought medical help but the diagnosis was missed. The yeast looked like this... it's moist, it's brown, the skin is often a little irritated looking... a friend who has a half sister to Darby describes the skin between the pads as "reddish and puffy" looking. When we started treatment: http://oesusa.com/Yeast/3.jpg After a recurrence: http://oesusa.com/Yeast/BackLeftFoot-071507.jpg Diane's sheepie (3Shaggies) with diagnosed yeast problems back in January- http://oesusa.com/Yeast/BeeblesFeet/1-17-07.jpg Here's a little dog with a very severe case- http://www.vet.ed.ac.uk/vclins/research/dermatol.htm It was recommended we increase the frequency of Panda's allergy shots to one injection per week. She receives two different shots/serums... they can't be mixed into one so that's two shots per week. We were given an antihistamine cocktail consisting of 3 antihistamines to be taken together- Diphenhydramine (up to 12 in 24 hours), Hydroxyzine Pamoate (up to 3 in 24 hours), Chlorpheniramine (up to 6 in 24 hours). We picked up the antihistamines and gave them to Panda once and said this is freaking NUTS! I spent SO many hours searching online to try to find a solution for this insane licking/chewing. It was Diane who said her vet diagnosed it as yeast. I decided to take a different route to treat this but first got the ok from the vets that it would cause no harm. We were told, "It's going to get worse before it gets better." One of the vets later said we had hit the nail on the head about it being yeast. Sigh. When we had Darby in to the holistic vet, one of the things he did was swab her foot for yeast. There was no yeast present because of the Malaseb we had treated her with. (BTW... the holistic vet said to continue using the Malaseb products.) Quote: What is malaseb shampoo and pledgets? It's an antimicrobial product... see below... http://www.dvmpharmaceuticals.com/pf_malaseb.html Quote: Malaseb Shampoo is ideal for generalized or multifocal therapy of dermatitis in dogs, cats and horses. Malaseb Shampoo contains Miconazole – an antifungal with potent activity against fungi and yeast – and Chlorhexidine Gluconate – a proven antimicrobial agent active against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. This synergistic formulation effectively removes scales, degreases the skin and kills cutaneous microorganisms that primarily or secondarily cause dermatitis. Clinical trials show Malaseb to be an effective treatment and control of Seborrheic dermatitis associated with Malassezia pachydermatitis and Staph intermedius. Malaseb is free from dyes and perfumes to reduce possible exacerbation of skin problems and its innovative surfactant base removes damaged lipids without stripping the coat.
You need to leave it on for about 10 minutes so it has a chance to work. We were bathing every 3-5 days at first but no longer bathe that frequently. They make pledgets... like little round towelettes. They also make a spray. I've found after the yeast has been killed, it begins to peel off. VetAmerica.com had a good price on it since I buy it by the gallon. 
Again, just my personal observation after over 2 years in dealing with this but I think it's a vicious cycle of a dog itching, so the dog licks/chews, it leaves the feet damp and with bacteria, the yeast has a good environment to grow, which it makes the feet more itchy, etc. If any of my dogs needed to be on an antibiotic full time again, I'd be certain they were getting a probiotic... and not simply yogurt... the yogurt didn't protect Panda. I never knew the importance of a digestive enzyme until this year. The entire pack now gets a probiotic and digestive enzyme with each meal.
Just a side note but Darby's having a good day today and the holistic vet's office called today to see how she was doing.
I know I go on and on and I apologize. It's just if someone else has a dog suffering like this maybe it will give them a direction to consider in their attempt to make things better. |
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