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Itchy Dog
Our puppy has been scratching and biting at himself for weeks now and its driving us mad! I feel bad for the guy. i have tried itching shampoo (only once), changed dog food and he doesnt have fleas. He is shedding really bad from it also. He seems really dry- I am to the point that i just want to poor Olive oil over him just so he has some relief.
Please Help!
Please Help!
TOTW is excellent food......You need to incorporate some of their canned for moisture and highere nutrition.....If there is nothing else (Skin wise) going on such as Parasites, Yeast, Fungus, etc., then you should see a difference in about 6 weeks....Hang in there! Karla
If the HS spray is helping, then by all means, use it......I would think that it was a drying agent....However, in this case, it evidently isn't..... :)
If the HS spray is helping, then by all means, use it......I would think that it was a drying agent....However, in this case, it evidently isn't..... :)
I am feeding Harley Taste of the wild dog food with Roasted Lamb. link posted below.
http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/products/dogs/dry_food/sierra_mountain_canine_formula/
How long does it take for a dog food to completely be in a dogs system? or i guess how long will it take for the food with grain in it to get out of his system.
The hot spot spray is suppose to dry them out? Its really oily & says on the bottle for itchy dry skin... He seems to be doing a little better with it too.
Yes, you can continue w/the fish oil.....If this indeed is just dry skin, then he needs more moisture in his diet.....That would include canned food at least 1 meal a day.....Hopefully, you have selected a high quality food & their canned would be even better because it's not as highly processed as kibble.....Moisture is the key to dry skin!
Because of his background & still being a puppy, You should have a skin scrape done to rule out Mange...It's very common with these situations & does cause intense itching!!! The test is simple & treatment is cut & dry.....You need to rule mange out before anything else......
Any Hot spot spray would be designed to DRY OUT a hot spot.....This is the opposite of what your dog needs...I would not use it any longer....
You can buy some Organic Coconut oil (At a health food store) and rub it on any or all of his skin...You can also feed it to him for his omega 3's instead of the fish oil.....It's antibacterial & Antifungal and harmless if ingested.....Keep us updated on his progress......Karla
Because of his background & still being a puppy, You should have a skin scrape done to rule out Mange...It's very common with these situations & does cause intense itching!!! The test is simple & treatment is cut & dry.....You need to rule mange out before anything else......
Any Hot spot spray would be designed to DRY OUT a hot spot.....This is the opposite of what your dog needs...I would not use it any longer....
You can buy some Organic Coconut oil (At a health food store) and rub it on any or all of his skin...You can also feed it to him for his omega 3's instead of the fish oil.....It's antibacterial & Antifungal and harmless if ingested.....Keep us updated on his progress......Karla
Not familiar with Hot Spot Spray so had to look it up. Looks like mostly oils.
What food did you get and what type of meat or fish content?
I had a couple of dogs that got hot spots and as soon as I saw them (knowing the problem wasn't fleas) , I used to use Betadine but it sounds like you are dealing with a larger area.
I think I would stop everything but the new food. With skin issues, it can be trial and error, take time and keep a journal.
Honestly, if it were me, and you haven't already done so, and it has been going on for so long, I would take him to the Vet and get some blood work and a skin scraping done.
Skin issues can be such a pain to deal with.
Good luck and keep us posted.
What food did you get and what type of meat or fish content?
I had a couple of dogs that got hot spots and as soon as I saw them (knowing the problem wasn't fleas) , I used to use Betadine but it sounds like you are dealing with a larger area.
I think I would stop everything but the new food. With skin issues, it can be trial and error, take time and keep a journal.
Honestly, if it were me, and you haven't already done so, and it has been going on for so long, I would take him to the Vet and get some blood work and a skin scraping done.
Skin issues can be such a pain to deal with.
Good luck and keep us posted.
Harley update- I bought him a grain free dog food and he has been on that for about 6 days now & he loves it! I still put fish oil over his dog food... should i continue this or no? I bought him a new dog bed and threw out his old one. He is not an outside dog so is only in the grass when he goes to the bathroom or if we go to the park. I noticed yesterday that his lower back is really bad :( It looks like he is losing fur and when the hair falls off him there are little white specks attached to each strand... im guessing dry skin. I did pick up some Hot Spot spray at the store yesterday and have sprayed his lower back three times now. His skin is just so dry and i feel so bad for him.
we did find out what kind of dog he is.... We looked up some pictures of a German Shepherd Pitbull mix and he looks just like one.
we did find out what kind of dog he is.... We looked up some pictures of a German Shepherd Pitbull mix and he looks just like one.
Ok, pretty sure it is not fleas then.
If you can't find the right bed, just use terry cloth towels or an old cotton blanket to cover his bed with. Check the discount stores, Good Will, etc. just wash in hot water and do a vinegar then clear water rinse.
I'd use use plastic bowls, replace them with ceramic or stainless.
I would also stop the fish oil fir now. Get a good grain free food. Transition over for a few days and no treats.
Skin issues are so hard to pin down.
Is he on the grass a lot or have you sprayed the yard or house with anything?
Good luck. He still may need some blood work and skin scrapings done.
If you can't find the right bed, just use terry cloth towels or an old cotton blanket to cover his bed with. Check the discount stores, Good Will, etc. just wash in hot water and do a vinegar then clear water rinse.
I'd use use plastic bowls, replace them with ceramic or stainless.
I would also stop the fish oil fir now. Get a good grain free food. Transition over for a few days and no treats.
Skin issues are so hard to pin down.
Is he on the grass a lot or have you sprayed the yard or house with anything?
Good luck. He still may need some blood work and skin scrapings done.
Thank you for all your help! I looked at Harleys skin and it looks fine. I have him a bath with oatmeal shampoo and i have been putting fish oil over his food to help with his skin. The bed he does have now is kind of nylon material- i was going to head to the store this afternoon for a new bed. His dog food is almost out so I will try a grain free dog food and see how that does. I wish these things will help right away but i know it will take some time to notice what is and what is not working.
I will keep you posted :)
I will keep you posted :)
Oh, the famous skin issues and they can drive you and the dog nuts. I would have asked the same questions as Karla. Personally, I have never been a fan of lamb foods but that is only based on my own experience with my own dogs over the years.
Yes, what brand of Salmon food? I would try a new "grain free" food maybe with chicken, beef, etc. most of the smaller pet stores carry the higher quality foods. I would also withhold treats.
Take a fine tooth comb and slowly run it against the lay of the fur so you can see down to the skin, pay particular attention to the base of the tail, behind the ears and groin area. You may or may not see fleas or flea dirt.
Other suggestion would be a Vet exam and possible skin scraping to check for mites, etc to at least rule that out. Possibly have some blood work done and check his thyroid
What is he laying or sleeping on? If a synthetic or nylon material, I would change that out to terry cloth or 100% cotton materials.
Next time you bath him, use a mild oatmeal shampoo for dogs and try a diluted vinegar rinse. Let that set fir a couple of minutes then rinse well. This helps to strip residue from the coat and can also act as an anti bacterial. No, your dog will not smell like a tossed salad.
Good luck. These skin issues can be hard and take time to figure out.
Yes, what brand of Salmon food? I would try a new "grain free" food maybe with chicken, beef, etc. most of the smaller pet stores carry the higher quality foods. I would also withhold treats.
Take a fine tooth comb and slowly run it against the lay of the fur so you can see down to the skin, pay particular attention to the base of the tail, behind the ears and groin area. You may or may not see fleas or flea dirt.
Other suggestion would be a Vet exam and possible skin scraping to check for mites, etc to at least rule that out. Possibly have some blood work done and check his thyroid
What is he laying or sleeping on? If a synthetic or nylon material, I would change that out to terry cloth or 100% cotton materials.
Next time you bath him, use a mild oatmeal shampoo for dogs and try a diluted vinegar rinse. Let that set fir a couple of minutes then rinse well. This helps to strip residue from the coat and can also act as an anti bacterial. No, your dog will not smell like a tossed salad.
Good luck. These skin issues can be hard and take time to figure out.
What BRAND of Lamb & Rice or Salmon Food? Is this a large breed or a small breed? Also, is the biting mainly the back end & legs toward the tail area? Karla
have you took to vet. he might need a shot to calm his skin down so he can heal
We adopted Harley a few months back we think he is around 10 months old, we are unsure of the breed. He is biting everywhere... his back, legs and scratching everywhere. He is shedding from him scratching, not really big chunks though. No redness or crusting anywhere just dry. We have looked through his fur a number of times and couldnt see any fleas... also i put a white piece of paper under him while scratching him to see if there were any red dots ont he paper (flea eggs) and there was nothing.
we are feeind him Lamb and rice food, prior to that it was Salmon food.
we are feeind him Lamb and rice food, prior to that it was Salmon food.
Hi Britt.....We would need more information to be able to help you.....
How old is this guy?
Where is the biting? Any particular area?
You already mentioned hair loss, are there patches missing & where?
Other than dry skin, any redness, crusting or lesions?
How do you know it's not fleas?
What are you feeding him?
Anything else you can think of would be helpful......Karla
How old is this guy?
Where is the biting? Any particular area?
You already mentioned hair loss, are there patches missing & where?
Other than dry skin, any redness, crusting or lesions?
How do you know it's not fleas?
What are you feeding him?
Anything else you can think of would be helpful......Karla
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