Itchy dog needs HELP... breaking my heart
When we got home he peed a lot and scratched a lot, and nobody thought the scratching was a big deal other than me. I mentioned it to our vet who checked him over, saw no skin issues, and said to monitor it. Then he got some orange coloured raised areas where he scratched the most, and started gnawing on those too. I took him back to the vet, who did a scratch test for parasites, and said that came back negative. She prescribed novo lexin for the skin, and he came home. He still scratched after that. It was slightly less (and his skin cleared up) but still clearly an issue. We went back and another vet at our clinic (there are three excellent vets I see) gave another round of novo lexin and added fish oil capsules. After a few weeks, no change, and our house smelled like dead fish. We went back to our vet (and saw our regular, hard to get to see vet - kind of our favourite I guess), who suggested two shots for mites. It was Decto something, and they were two weeks apart. I can't say it helped at all. This past Saturday my husband freaked, claiming to have seen a flea (he wasn't wearing his glasses, and can't see spaghetti sauce spilled on a counter, but insisted it was most definitely a flea). I checked and found no evidence, and find it highly unlikely that we've been dealing with fleas for four months with no evidence, and that no one noticed at the vet either. I booked an appointment for Tuesday. We saw the first vet again on Tuesday, and she checked thoroughly. No fleas, lots of scabs and irritated areas, and she got to see him scratch and scratch and scratch. There doesn't seem to be any particular area that's itchy. It's all over. (Normally he didn't scratch much at the vet's office - too excited). So, again we left with novo-lexin, and this time he is on antihistamines. After one dose, he fell asleep for a few hours (nice, as the itching had been waking him up constantly). When he awoke he began scratching frantically. And he's been doing so ever since. I called Wed morning and she said that we could move to steriods, but that they are not great for puppies, and they can do some serious damage. She also said we could wait it out and see, as antihistamines CAN'T cause this reaction. Well, it's Thursday evening and he's still scratching like mad. Other than the areas with sores he's raised, the rest of his skin looks fine. There's no flaking or redness. He scratches everywhere, and it kept him up last night (and thus, me too). You can hear it like a big base drum in his plastic crate. I've left a message and am sure that she'll call back and tell me to bring him in right away, but this is really freaking me out. Does anyone know of any breed specific causes we may have overlooked? And what about steriods? Do we really want to put him on something the vet says is so "dangerous?" Is there an alternative? We haven't bathed him in over a month. The last time we did he did get very itchy, and she advised not bathing him again until after this is under control. I'm at a complete loss, and welcome any and all advice. I don't know how to help him, and it's breaking my heart to see him so uncomfortable. Thanks in advance. |
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| My first question is what are you feeding him, then the scratching could be linked to the food and that he is alergic to something in the food. Secondly does he have a rug in his cage if so please check that the colouring is not causing the alergic reaction. Thirdly if you wash him this could be caused by the shampoo irritating his skin. We hope you find out soon what it is and get help to heal the problem. |
| Great questions...
He's on a turkey and barley food. Our older dog, Portage, cannot have wheat products (skin allergies), so all the food and treats are wheat free. Hudson was on a different food when he arrived, and was itchy then, too, so it seems unlikely that would be the cause. We have two different crates (different areas of the house) and both have one hundred percent cotton towels in them. He always pushes them to the corner and sleeps right on the plastic, but I do think it's because he's too hot. We avoid brightly coloured towels, and use white/light ones, so I can't imagine it's the dyes. We have not washed him in an extended amount of time to rule out the possibility that it is the shampoo, so that's out, too. Our vet was confident that the antihistamines would help, and should at least slow things down if he WAS reacting to any of the above...but they appear to have done the opposite. I'm sure looking for a magic wand here. If it WAS a food allergy, wouldn't the antihistamines most likely still show some improvement, rather than be making him worse? Sigh...I can hear him scratching in his crate in the next room. And I'm tearing up for him. |
| Have them do a skin punch test for inhalant allergies. Most vets will insist that young dogs just can't show signs of inhalant allergies until at least 2 years of age. NOT TRUE!!! One of my dogs exhibited signs at the age of 5 months. By the time we did the ritual of food, antihistimines, skin scrapings for mange, shots of ivermectine, prednisone (not a cure)....my vet finally agreed to my suggestion of seeing an allergy/dermatologist vet specialist who diganosed an inhalant allergy within 2 visits (wanted to definitley rule out food allergy first), put us on a regimin of shots to desensitize my dog to the allergens & she lived a long, healthy, very active & most importantly COMFORTABLE life. Had I gone to her first off, we'd have saved $$$ & 8 months of "hit & miss" treatments & had her on the way to desensitization 8 months earlier. This type of allergy is genetically transmitted. So if you do find this is the problem, you will want to let the breeder know. |
| Marley has food sensitivities and no relief from antihistimines. |
| Have you read A cure for an itchy dog? |
I hate the "itchy twitchies"!  Both Oscar, and our first sheepie, Quincy, suffered from skin allergies. Is Hudson on Benadryl (diphenhydramine)? There are other antihistamines out there (Atarax, for one), that might work better for Hudson alone or in conjunction with Benadryl. Jaci (6Girls) has a combo that I think she uses for Panda. She might be able to help with some ideas/products.
My vet gave me Chlorhexiderm Shampoo for both pups, which seems to help calm some of the itching, in addition to quelling any potential bacterial issues. I bathe Oscar every other week, and more frequently if he's particularly miserable. We did the RAST testing with Quincy and gave him allergy shots for two years, with no apparent difference in his skin conditions. It just didn't work for him. As much as I hate the steroid route, sometimes it is necessary as a last resort to quell the inflammation. The problem is, if you don't get to the root cause, then you are just treating symptoms, and the whole mess will re-occur once the steroid wears off. It's so frustrating....trust me, I know. First off, I would get a shampoo recommendation from your vet, something medicated, or oatmeal, something to help with the itching. If it is indeed an inhalant allergy that is seasonal (pollen, trees, grass, etc.), then bathing will actually help by getting that stuff out of his fur periodically. (I have horrible ragweed allergies, and sometimes, if I'm outside too long in the fall, I have to wash my hair before bed so all of that pollen in my hair doesn't end up on my pillow. My allergist recommended this and it seems to help so I don't wake up with my eyes swollen shut.) I would also see if there is another combo of antihistamines that might work better for Hudson. Poor pup. I hope you can get to the bottom of this quickly. Laurie and Oscar |
| have they tried temaril-P? maybe do a soothing shampoo instead like something with oatmeal or relief shampoo from your vet. does he have overly dry skin maybe and is flaky? I would suggest allergy testing at a dermatologist not your regular vets office if you do decide to do this. Good luck! |
Our GSD and Beau are allergic to wheat. Beau is also allergic to corn. Do you know how hard it is to find dog food with out either in  Almost every dog food has one or both in. |
| It's a process of elimination which is horribly frustrating to both the owner and the dog. There are several people here who have dealt with allergies/itchy problems in their Old English Sheepdog. Food trials, skin scrapings, eliminating flea and contact sensitivities as possible causes, allergy testing (I'd do intradermal or skin testing if at all possible), then avoidance or trying to desensitize the dog with allergy shots/immunotherapy. IF there is an environmental or inhalant allergy, it's the only hope of getting the dog stabilized (it's not a cure but rather a control IF it works) and also avoidance if at all possible. Adding supplements and frequent bathing every 3-5 days may also help.
These articles may help to give you some ideas- http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm ... icleid=143 http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm ... icleid=503 One thing I would do is to wash his bedding in a hypoallergenic detergent or something without a scent... no softener. I'd use a 100% cotton blanket for his bed that can be washed in hot water every other day. Do you use any of the carpet freshener that you sprinkle on the carpet and vacuum off? The vet recommended my sister euthanize their pup because she would have a lifetime of problems but it turned out she had a sensitivity to the carpet freshener. The dog was fine once is was thoroughly removed. Here's more info- http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm ... icleid=508 We are currently doing hydroxyzine (3 per day), clemastine (4 per day) and elavil (2 in the AM) spaced throughout the day. I've given allergy shots for close to 4 years but Darby continues to suffer severe seasonal allergies. Frequent bathing is probably the most soothing of all treatments options. Spraying with Listerine has also helped some... ask your vet first though. I've also used Caladryl Gel on Darby's head when she scratched so hard she drew blood. We did an Aveno oatmeal and colloidal silver bath this morning... left it on for about 10 minutes and rinsed most but not all off. I usually dry my girls after a bath... she was trying to rub her head on everything at first but she was less itchy soon after. The wet cool fur soothed her warm, itchy skin. Some dogs are extremely sensitive to flea bites. Yes, here's yet another article- http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?articleid=594 I found a flea on Kaytee's head the other day (yes, I'm telling my one-flea- story, Kathy!  ). Everyone got flea treated, all bedding and cloth stuff was washed including OURS and I vacuumed thoroughly and mopped. We seldom have a flea problem but it has to be eliminated as a possible cause. http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm ... icleid=591
I would avoid steroids especially if this is a puppy. Unless the cause has been found and addressed, the symptoms often recur when the steroid is stopped. This said, there are times when steroids are the kindest option... it becomes all about quality of life. No one wants their dog to be miserable and suffering. Here is one steroid exception we experienced. Maybe we were due for an easy fix for an allergy problem! We discovered a couple of months ago that our Schip-mix is terribly allergic to paint fumes. Twice she had to go on a short course of steroids, each time after we had painted rooms with Bare paint. She's again fine but she was horribly itchy and the inside of her ears were red the first time because of something in the paint. We recognized it sooner the second time and she only had to be on Prednisone for a very short time. Not sure if anything here will help. Hang in there and keep a log or diary of the things you've tried and whether they're successful. Good luck to you! |
Quote: Our GSD and Beau are allergic to wheat. Beau is also allergic to corn. Do you know how hard it is to find dog food with out either in Shocked Almost every dog food has one or both in.
If you ever need to find another brand, you might check into Eagle Pack Holistic Select- http://eaglepack.com/Pages/HS_Dog.html http://eaglepack.com/Pages/HS_Ingredients.html |
| I know your pain!
Our dog Barney suffers from the itchies and it can get bad. He's chewed off all the skin on his groin area and thighs and his paws get discolored from the chewing. When he gets started, he gets manic and there's nothing to do to stop him--he'll growl at you if you try to physically stop him. We tried changing foods (several times), checked for fleas, parasites, etc., did the fish oil, did Benedryl, claritin, etc., stopped giving him any treats aside from natural things like carrots or a piece of cheese or apple. Nothing helped. The only thing that helps him that we've found so far are steroids. Which I hate to give him because they're not good for him at all. But neither is chewing on yourself until you bleed. So we gave him a round of antibiotics to clear up the infection and a round of steroids to stop the chewing, and now we're on a long-term course, but very low dose...maybe 1 pill every 3 days or so. We just moved into a brand new house last year, so I'm hoping that as it gets older maybe that helps--maybe he's allergic to the building materials or something. Good luck to you. The itchies can be awful. |
| We had a similar problem with our older sheepie he was scratching a lot so we put him on Eukanuba Sensative Skin and with really good results. It may be worth a try to see if it helps your boy. |
| Sounds like a mange thing to me, a mild case would cause the intense itching etc but not necessarily the "mangy dog" look you'd expect to see.
The only way to absolutely sure you can rule it out is to biopsy the skin. They need to take a sample deep enough down as often nothing is seen on the skin, even microscopically. I would NOT try steroids until you have ruled everything out as they will affect the test results and prevent you from getting any real answers. Prednisone can work miracles for lots of conditions, but yes, there are always risks involved. I would use it as a last resort, and if you must use it try to keep it to as short a duration as possible and wean off of it. It can prevent certain hormones from functioning normally as it fools the body into thinking there is enough. When people or animals don't wean off of it, those don't kick back in again an that can case more problems. |
| I have inherited a dog which I've now had for 5 months. He scratches constantly. It's pitiful! Vet visits, meds, baths, food changes, steroids, antibx, skin scrapings, etc., etc., etc. Nothing has helped. I'm considering euthanasia. It doesn't seem just to allow an innocent animal to suffer constantly, and there's nothing HE can do about it. Any opinions? |
| I'm so sorry your dog is having this problem.
Has this been a life long problem for the dog or did the itching/scratching start after he arrived? Just wondering if it might be something in his new environment. Have you spoken with a homeopathic or holistic vet? They sometimes can offer a different approach that might help. |
Anonymous wrote: I have inherited a dog which I've now had for 5 months. He scratches constantly. It's pitiful! Vet visits, meds, baths, food changes, steroids, antibx, skin scrapings, etc., etc., etc. Nothing has helped. I'm considering euthanasia. It doesn't seem just to allow an innocent animal to suffer constantly, and there's nothing HE can do about it. Any opinions?
Find an allergy/dermatology veterinary specialist & get him an appointment. He may have an inhalant allergy which requires a skin punch test to detect. If so, it can be controlled very simply by desensitizing him to the things he is allergic to. Also could be a food allergy. This type of specialist can nail down the culprit much faster & will have a solution for you much quicker. I had a dog with an inhalant allergy & she lived a good, long life, completed her AKC Championship & also got her CD title in obedience. |
| Hi there I also have issues w my dogs 1) happy, 11 yrs old collie shepard, he had allergies in the past, and some of the drug really helped him in one year and they would stop working the next year. So when happy was 4 years old I stopped goving him any medications to tough him out And he had some scratches but at after 1 year, he never scratch again. Yay!! Now move on yo the sad story. I have a 2-3 year old jack Russell terrier. Cute as heck but she has been scratching when she was 1. It started in the summer time then it would last till winter and all years. The fall would be worse tan other times but she would scratchlike there is no tomorrow. She got the allergy shot last year and this year. The shots would work on her for a fewdays or a week then she would be back scratching again. I have changed her diet and cleaned up the floor and carpets. And I have no idea what else would have cause her itchiness. This year has been the worst. She started scratching 1 week after her allergic shot. Spat manticoreally. She's red in the eyes and red skinned everywhere. She has no chest hair at this point. Some area have turned into spot spot  (.oh forgot to mention that her sister has no allergy reactions at all. Poor thing would sit and scratch all day. I am thinking of going back to get another shot fromThe vet and hopefully it wiuld help Any suggestions?? Thank you Tiff |
| You might want to check out the website Cherval International. It is a holistic site that deals with dogs and horses. I use there supplements for coat enhancement (black horses) and a something to stop the bug bites and reactions (has garlic in it). They make a supplement for itchy coats and reactions to allergies. It is all natural and the people are nice and answered all of my questions. I don't have the link but you can do a google search for the company. Hope it helps. |
| Thanx. I will try that Lemon has a vet appt tomorrow so we will see what he says about the matter Currently I have the cone on her head so she doesn't scratch her wounds but she still manages grrr!! Also I have her on benadryl as well Also she takes oil supplements already so i can't wait till tomorrows vet appt Thanx for the suggestion. Will look into it |
| Could it be yeast infection? And or some dogs are prone to skin conditions poodles especially if there skin is pink. |
| My dog, Rossco, has a terrible itching problem. After trying everything, like you, I decided to try a steroid called PREDNISONE. It works wonders for him. There are risks so I put him on the minimum dose that still has a effect. I beleive my dog was born with a auto immune defecency disease. |
Guest wrote: My dog, Rossco, has a terrible itching problem. After trying everything, like you, I decided to try a steroid called PREDNISONE. It works wonders for him. There are risks so I put him on the minimum dose that still has a effect. I believe my dog was born with a auto immune defecency disease. Predisone relieves the itch but at the same time it also closes down the immune system. It is a good drug to use for short term but if your dog is not elderly, I would suggest seeking the advice of a veterinary allergy dermatology specialist. They will be able to determine exactly what is making your dog itch & come up with a solution to desensitize him. |
| I'm no Vet, just shooting from the hip with best guesses. Sounds like your dog is suffering, that's tough on your dog, you, and your family. It also sounds like your dog needs to be seen by a Dermatologist. Lord only knows what the source of the scratching is; of course it could be allergies, or any one of the other conditions that were already named, or one of those conditions that has led to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. We've been through the scratching, allergies, and paw licking, and the suggestions of our dog's two primary care Vets, two Dermatologists, a DVM/Nutritionist, and a DVM/Behavioralist all follow the same principles: (1) An allergy-free food must replace whatever your dog is eating. Our dog's Nutritionist doesn't particularly like Prescription Diet ZD (she says it tastes like cardboard to dogs), but it's one of the food options she says that she knows is "pure" and free of contaminants/allergens. If my memory is right, she suggested a few human foods, like Chick Peas, instead of ZD, but the key is to eliminate ALL foods (including treats, etc). until you and your dog get through the two or three month food trial; (2) Every conceivable source of allergens in your home needs to go, from your dog's shampoo, to his/her bedding, etc. We wash our dog's bedding in HOT water at least once a week; (3) If our dog were where your dog is right now, we'd be heading towards a course of Prednisone (injection and tablets), just to calm things down. As said above, it will likely make your dog feel a lot better, but it may mask the source of the scratching; (4) If the Dermatologist suggests allergy testing, I'd go for it, but be forewarned; your dog will have to be off of Prednisone, antihistamines and some other drugs for a while before they test him/her. (5) We found that our dog was scratching for a variety of reasons, including foods, airborne allergens, and the cleaner that we were using on our floors. It has taken a lot of work to make our dog comfortable, but we're finally there. I found a great set of instructions somewhere on the Internet a few weeks ago to prepare dog owners for allergy testing. If I can find it again, I'll post it for you. It was far superior to the instructions that our Dermatologist gave us. Good luck. |
| Here are links to two great resources: http://cvm.msu.edu/hospital/services/de ... letter.pdf http://www.snhvrh.com/uploads/allergy%2 ... letter.pdf |
| UPDATED links to documents: Here are links to two great resources: http://cvm.msu.edu/hospital/services/de ... letter.pdf http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... PuNdr3dCFQ wjsVT wrote: Here are links to two great resources: http://cvm.msu.edu/hospital/services/de ... letter.pdf http://www.snhvrh.com/uploads/allergy%2 ... letter.pdf |
| Thank you! |
| I highly recommend allergy testing. I have tried to diagnose but each dog is different. One of mine was found thru testing to be allergic to: mould, fungus, mosquitoes, duck, potato and corn. You will save a great deal of stress, money on drugs and probably your dog's liver by doing the blood work. TeaTree dilution sprayed on foot pads, avoiding oatmeal based designer shampoos, and working with the right dog food should work. |
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