itching dog

[jenjen08]

Ok i have a lab golden retriever mix he is a good dog other then the itching!!
He has been itching himself to the point where he has no fur on the lower part
of his back i have tried everything the vet said but it doesnt seem as if anything
is working with him because he is still digging i have put flea meds on him i have bathed him in the
dog oatmeal shampoo like his vet said but he is still continuing to dig
is there anything else that may help him stop digging and grow his hair back?
any ideals would be greatly appricated as his back is looking very gross

[jenjen08]

yes his food has beef in it i had no idea that could affect his itching but thanks for the advice im going to take him off the food and switch him to something else i have been putting the vasaline on there and its starting to get better so hopefully switching his food and the vasaline will help him not itch so much

[catarific]

Does your dog eat beef or any beef type treats?  Try cutting out all beef.  We got our dog from a shelter.  He seemed fine for the first week.  We were giving him dog biscuits and treats that contained beef and after about 7 days - he was scratching and biting himself non-stop. He was previously before getting him was treated for fleas and we had no fleas in our home.

We tried spraying him with hot spot spray and using the oatmeal shampoo and conditioner and neither helped.  We brought him to the vet and asked for some prednisone pills to stop the itch cycle.  Our vet said the dog could have seasonal allergies or a beef allergy which he explained that many dogs seem to have.  He suggested before using the prednisone (to use as a last resort) to stop giving him anything with beef. If that didn't work, he might have seasonal allergies and would need to be treated accordingly.

We bought all chicken type dog food (Science Diet Ideal Balance- Chicken and Brown Rice Dinner and Purina One Smartblend - Chicken and Rice Formula) as well as buying all treats that were chicken based with no beef) and fed him that.  After two days, his itching subsided and now he no longer itches.

What do you have to loose - if you are feeding your dog beef - try eliminating it and see if after a week or so he is doing better.  Hopefully this will work for your pup as it has worked for mine.

[jenjen08]

she said that she thought he was digging so much because of the fleas she said that if i put vasaline on there then the fleas wouldnt be able to get to where he has already dug at and would help him grow his fur back. she said just to put it on there one time a day unless he seems as if he is getting better without licking or scrating the vasaline off.

i looked up the hot spots online and that doesnt look like what he has that looks worse then anything he has ever had so im not sure whats going on with him

[Margot49]

Did you look up hot spots on the Internet?  Check the photos

[Margot49]

Understand the financial issues.  If you can try switching to Pro Plan Salmon for sensitive skin.  You can add some Omrga 3.  
I have seen many dogs have problems with OTC flea meds.  Are fleas a major problem there?  I used to use Advantage topical from the Vet.  There is a monthly oral flea med, Comfortis, also from the Vet. Stay away from foods with corn in it.  I always feed twice a day.  Used to feed the Greyhounds 4 cups a day.
I have used Vasaline for different things but I think that area needs to be exposed to the air.  I would be concerned about a moist dermatitis but if your Vet suggested it, you can try it.

[jenjen08]

and as well the vet also told me to add vasaline to his back where the area looks raw from him digging at and that should help as well has anyone heard of this

[jenjen08]

He has been to the vet maltiple times and she has looked for the mites she said she didnt see anything that was seriously wrong with him i told her that i was using the hartz flea drops and she said it could have been something in that that dried his skin out and she told me to wash him with this oatmeal shampoo i got from her but she also told me that because hes an inside dog not to bath him to much with it maybe once a month which today is his bath day i had him on the benadryl and it wasnt helping much with the itching ither but everytime she puts frontline on him he grows his hair back and usually doesnt have this problem to much but i dont have the money to buy the frontline due to his privious vet bills we are still trying to finish paying up she did also mention getting him a cone so that he would stop itching after the bath and she said that should help him as well but i want to be able to stop him from itching all together with or without the cone has anyone ever used the oatmeal shampoo and a different form other then frontline and the cheap brands of flea drops and it helped

with the both of our dogs being skinny we have takein them to the vet as well (all are dogs go to the same vet) and she told me to put them on vitamins but the vitamins that she gave didnt work as good as the one that was the store bought brand worked with the store bought brand they were putting weight on greatly but now everytime i go to that store they dont have those ones anymore right now i have them on old yeller dog food which is dry food. I have tried adding gravy with that and it seems that they put a decent amount of weight on and as soon as they go outside to use the rest room they are back to being skinny again they have been checked by their vet and all she says is she thinks they have a high motabalism becuase they are completely healthy dogs

does anyone think that maybe if i change them to eating twice a day rather then once and i give them dry food in the morning and beans and rice in the evening and the vitamins the vet gave them do you think they will put weight on?

thanks for all the answers

[Margot49]

This can be typical from fleas, even one.  What ate you using for flea prevention?  Get a comb and go through the coat slowly looking for fleas or flea dirt close to the skin.

Agree that a skin scraping might be a good idea.  

Did the Vet happen to mention Hot Spot?  Off the cuff, without seeing it, that might be my guess. You can look that up and see some photos to compare.  You don't want it to get infected and the Vet may decide to give some antibiotics.  I would try to hold off on steroids.  You do want to address it so you don't end up with a bacterial infection

Of course, with skin issues the question is what food are you feeding,many thing new?

I had a Sheltie that would have this problem this time of year.  I was always on top of any kind of flea problem.

I am NOT a Vet but can tell you what I used to do.  I would clip the area around the spot so air could get to it.  I would wash with a mild or antiseptic soap and rinse well.  An old breeder friend of mine Todd me to use Betadine.  I would dilute that, maybe half and half,
take a Q-tip and apply it to the spot twice a day, then repeat that daily.  You do have to keep them from licking and scratching even if it means an E collar or I think they sell collars now that will prevent the dog from turning around to lick.  Unless you are around and can be vigilant.  It worked here but that is just a "guess".  You might want to discuss that with your Vet who may also give you a topical cortisone cream or spray to use.
Good luck and keep us posted.

[aheart]

And? How did the steroids work? Do the steroids get to the original problem?  It does sound like mites or something microscopic that they pick up outside. I would try the simple treatments first before I resorted to steroids as they can cause problems later for some dogs. Good luck I love goldens!

[lindapalm]

My son had to put his itching lab on Benedryl, and when that didn't work they had do a five day course of steriods.  

[ginger899]

You could ask for a skin scraping to be taken to see if this itching is caused by mites. They burrow under the skin. They can be caught out in grass or fields. Sometimes these mites are spread by wildlife.
Once I had a dog who had that. An injection cured him.

Lean is good....but not skinny. A good high quality food, maybe home-cooked, including some very good quality ingredients such as fresh meat or fish, sweet potato, or brown rice with some vegetables like carrot, cabbage, peas or beans. No salt, no onions, no garlic or seasonings. Gravy can be made from meat juices and cooking-water and  a little vegetable water thickened with cornflour.
Also you could include a very good quality dry dog food if you like, to make sure certain vitamins and minerals dogs need are in the diet. Don't use any commercial store-bought kibble. Research online for a very good quality food, and see if you can get it delivered. Buying in bulk can save money, and often shipping is free over a certain amount spent.

There are many different opinions about diets for dogs. Some say dry food is bad for them, as it can cause chronic dehydration. But if your dogs get plenty of moisture and gravy with their home cooked food, and drink water well too, that should be OK.

[jenjen08]

also he doesnt get fat
he stays skinny and so does my other boxer lab
when i took them to the vet she said they had a high motabolism
any ideas on how to get them to gain more weight