Dogs and Skin Infections – Any Advice?

[service dog academy]

This is skin infection/condition number 3 for my service dog. Weve done the visits to the vet, the dermatologist, the allergist, elimination diets, antihistamines, skin scrapings, antibiotics, cortisone shots, constant flea meds, thyroid panels and the removal of chemicals from our house. He is getting itchy and his hair is starting to fall out yet again. Has anyone had any experience with curing an unknown origin skin condition? I just bit the bullet and shaved my boy down to 1/4 of an inch of hair in attempt to get the lotion the vet gave us closer to the skin. My service dog now looks like a 7 year old took clippers to him. Im frustrated, embarrassed, broke and out of answers. Help!

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[inactive]

Have you tried whole leaf aloe Vera liquid? Super Supplements carries multiple brands – you can get a big bottle for $8 +.

Apply it liberally and give it a day or two. Not going to cure the underlying problem, but it might be some low-cost, no-harm relief of sorts.

Good luck.

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[jwws]

Epi-soothe shampoo and conditioner worked for our chocolate lab who got skin “crusties”

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[digidoll]

You mentioned “elimination diets” – but I’ll suggest raw anyway: http://www.darwinspet.com/ has made it super-easy to do (I had given up on raw a while back because of the weekly 3-hr food prep). No excuse now.

That and a couple of benadryl per day (1 pill per 25lbs of dog) in the late summer, and my dog is itch-free (and the only time he’s had a flea is when I brought home a flea-infested cat to look after – I’m not kidding, this cat had so many fleas that every surface of my house had a fine powdering of little white flea eggs within 24hrs!).

I do know he’s sensitive to chicken, tho, so I avoid anything with chicken in it… treats, trimmings, etc.

He’s never had serious skin issues, just really itchy with hot spots if his diet is chicken-based. Eggs are fine, go figure.

Guess my problems are minor compared to your current dilemma, but thought I’d at least give you an option!

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[hammerhead]

Lena is a holistic Vet. Although is not taking on new clients, there is another vet she can refer you too. I just don’t know her name.

Here is her number 937-6288

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[Wednesday]

Maybe an Aveeno Oatmeal bath. No by-products in his food and stay current on good flea medicine like Advantage. Do you wash his bedding?.. consider the soap, and of course there’s always the stress factor. Call or listen to Joy Turner on her weekly “Talk with your Animals” radio show on 1150am (Wednesday from 3-4pm). Good luck.

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[BZoo]

I am more than happy to share my experience with you and how many different treatments I put my dog (and me) through – to see if anything would work for you. I’ve learned a lot in 6 years of “skin infection” treatment. Are his pads affected at all – his nails any different?

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[Lena]

Hi Mary,

I’ve had a lot of success in working with the itchy skin dogs with herbs and diet. I have been able to significantly improve almost all of them as long as there is good follow up. It is not fast and usually takes 6 months to a year to get them where we want them (no or very minimal itch without drugs) and usual about 5-6 visits and rotating herbal formulas.

Most of the dogs I work with are the chronic nothing has worked, on steroids, on and off antibiotics, been through five vets including the dermatologist already ones.

Here’s an article that I recently work about the itchy dogs

http://pathwithpaws.com/blog/2010/05/16/itchy-dogs-the-link-between-inflammation-and-diet/

You are already a client if you want to work with me.

I highly second the Darwin’s diet also, it is usually part of my plan for dogs that can tolerate raw.

best wishes,

Lena

http://www.lenamccullough.com

206-937-6288

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[service dog academy]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I think I will be calling on Lena again, she worked on my now retired service dog Jasper a couple of years back. We are also going to be trying dermagic – its an organic skin care line specifically made for hard to treat cases.

In regards to the other suggestions:

weve tried raw – several different formulations

weve tried no grains – orijens food

we are currently trying absolutely no carbs/grains/novel proteins – using ziwipeak food

he is currently on benedryl

his feet and nails are fine – he is losing hair on his back and shoulders

apparently the dermagic has aloe in it

Again, thanks for all your suggestions. This has been quite a journey.

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[HunterG]

When all else fails with diet and skin elixirs, look at what you use in the home and do some research about it’s effects on your companion animals.

Many folks may not know this, (or maybe they do, who knows…) but many aromatherapy oils – even though natural can be bad for pets if exposed to them. Also, cut out any Febreeze and take a really close looks at your laundry detergents.

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[HunterG]

Also, I work with a gal who’s dog has allergies like people do to grasses, pollen etc…

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[Lena]

Unfortunately most of these itchy guys have multiple allergies to things you can’t do much about – dust, people (yes they are allergic to their humans), grass, alder trees, etc . It becomes more about trying to decrease the inflammatory reaction in their bodies then it does about trying to eliminate every allergen.

The chemicals are a good thing to look at. Chemicals make me itchy:-) even though I don’t have any other environmental allergies.

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[TDe]

Here’s a link to a free weekly newsletter written by one of the leading holistic vets in the country. You can search the site for great information on allergies. Hope your dog is doing better.

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2009/05/06/allergies-and-skin-problems-what-can-you-do-to-help-your-itchy-pet.aspx

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[Author]

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