Itchy skin on Pit mix

[timbalou]

Our 2 yrs old Pit mix has been scratching quite a bit for the last 3 month.

We had her on Temerol (sp) helped but bad reaction.  We had her on a topical spray with no results, now we have her on mite medication with no results.

Any suggestions?  She is starting to get quite a few bald spots from scratching and biting.

[Thumbelina77]

Try "dermacton" products at equinat-USA.com. They work wonderfully and I was completely amazed by the results!!! They have tons of before and after photos of dogs going through skin issues that have used dermacton and WOW you won't believe your eyes how the results turn out! Don't use any steroids! Very harmful to your pet. I've tried Benedryl to with no results. But I have been using a new med from the vet called hydroxzine and it works great for allergies, itching and scratching! Plus it's safe, no steroids! But have your vet call it in to a costco pharmacy, because at the vet it's way more expensive, at costco it's about $8 to $10. Also oatmeal shampoos n conditioners are great. I've been trying EARTHBATH TEA TREE & ALOE shampoo n spray, with the EARTHBATH OATMEAL CONDITIONER. It did work pretty good. But right now we've been using the dermacton shampoo bar, cream and spray on our dogs intense itchy areas, rashy bumps and flacks skin and it's looking great. I definently will continue with these products! Check out the website and see for urself and spread the word cuz this stuff REALLY DOES WORK:)!!!!!!!

[aleshnick]

Understand your problem. Our nearly 13 yr old Boston suddenly started frantic itching and scratching and paw and carpet licking 3 months ago. So far no relief. Have been to 7 different vets in 2 states incl. vet dermatologist and vet. neurologist. Neither was of any help. The dermatologist thought sarcoptic mange and prescribed oral ivermecdin for 6 wks. No help. Nor were any other meds (incl Benadryl and Prednisone) any more successful. The neurologist thought perhaps spinal issues, so we had a $2400 MRI that revealed absolutely nothing abnormal. Dog gets plenty of exercise, eats well, no urinary or bowel problems, no cancer, liver, or kidney problems (yet), but when night comes especially the scratching and snorting are unbearable. Also, the occasional barking. We are now with a new highly regarded vet who is doing allergy tests. The dog is deaf (I believe caused by too lengthy dental surgery at one point) and cataracts are progressing. Whether these ultimately explain the itching or not I have no clue and the pros don't seem to consider the possibility. Maybe the next step is a behviorist!  hal

[aleshnick]

Understand your problem. Our nearly 13 yr old Boston suddenly started frantic itching and scratching and paw and carpet licking 3 months ago. So far no relief. Have been to 7 different vets in 2 states incl. vet dermatologist and vet. neurologist. Neither was of any help. The dermatologist thought sarcoptic mange and prescribed oral ivermecdin for 6 wks. No help. Nor were any other meds (incl Benadryl and Prednisone) any more successful. The neurologist thought perhaps spinal issues, so we had a $2400 MRI that revealed absolutely nothing abnormal. Dog gets plenty of exercise, eats well, no urinary or bowel problems, no cancer, liver, or kidney problems (yet), but when night comes especially the scratching and snorting are unbearable. Also, the occasional barking. We are now with a new highly regarded vet who is doing allergy tests. The dog is deaf (I believe caused by too lengthy dental surgery at one point) and cataracts are progressing. Whether these ultimately explain the itching or not I have no clue and the pros don't seem to consider the possibility. Maybe the next step is a behaviorist!    Hal

[timbalou]

Thanks for all of everyones posts.

We have done the following.

1)  All natural diet.

2)  Oatmeal shampoo

3)  Prescription shampoo

4)  Mite medication

5)  Temoral P- Steroid - She had a bad reaction.  Was working, but not worth the side effects.

6)  Fish oil

7)  Now we are on Benedryl.

Still scratching.  Thinking about allergy testing, but it is very expensive.  Last resort.

Thanks all

[Jmeva]

Hi timbalu!

Sorry your dog is having itching problems. I know it's hard to watch your pup stay so uncomfortable. Topical treatments never really helped my dogs either.

Both of my dogs have severe skin allergies, so I'll share a few tips that helped us...

-Diet. Along with what ginger said, changing your dog's diet can actually help tremendously. The important thing is finding a food that does not have many fillers. You will probably have to skip all grocery store food and go to a petstore to find a new food for your dog. You'll have to read the ingredients to see what you're actually getting. Avoid ingredients like: wheat, corn, cereal by-products, etc. You want the first few ingredients to be meat (and not meat by-products). There are a lot of great brands out there.
-Vitamins and supplements. You can find a basic (dog) vitamin with Omega 3 or fish oil at any petstore, or even purchase a more specific supplement from your vet. My vet also recommended that I add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to my dog's food.
-Over the counter Benedryl. Do not give it to your dog until you speak with your vet about it, because this could vary based on your dog's needs.
-Oatmeal shampoo. If/when you bathe her, be sure to use a gentle shampoo that is oatmeal based. Many scented shampoos can just irritate the skin more.
-Keep her on flea medication year round.

If all else fails, you may want to ask your vet to do an allergy test to find out exactly what is bothering your girl. My vet also put one of my dogs on steroids for a few weeks which really helped, but unfortunately that was just a temporary answer since long-term use can lead to liver damage. But really - I'd say start with her diet. It's what has made the most difference for my dogs.

Good luck!

[geemonika]

Try "Fresh Factors" from Spingtime Inc. works like a miracle for my old girl !
Monika

[ginger899]

I don't know a lot about skin conditions in dogs, all I can offer is a little help, which may be no help at all.
You could try your dog on a food which has no additives, colourings, preservatives, etc.
I presume there are no fleas? Sometimes even if the dog itself has been treated for fleas, they can still hatch out from eggs in the dog's bedding, or even from carpets.
Also think about the detergent used to wash the dog's bedding, or anywhere she spends a lot of time sleeping or lying. Make sure when washed, all bedding is really thoroughly rinsed.
Bathing a dog too often isn't a good idea. It can make their skin dry and strip their natural oils too much, and that can cause itching. People might hate me for saying this but I wouldn't bath a dog more than once a month (unless it gets very muddy, in which case use plain luke-warm -not hot -water)

Also, dogs can sometimes get obsessive about the biting/scratching/licking thing. The cure for that (if that's the case) is plenty of regular exercise, tire out the dog, so she's relaxed. Also it's stimulus for the mind. To distract her, with a game or something, as soon as she starts scratching might work to break the cycle.

But I'm not saying it's all "in her mind". And as I say I have very little experience with skin problems.