calliech

Allelic homologous recombination.

Did your vet do any blood tests? If not, go back and ask for the blood tests to be done, specifically amylase and lipase. They will know what to do since they are the vets. If these are elevated it indicates pancreatitis. Anitbiotics and low fat diet. But instead of guessing......get the tests.

Advocate is registered for the treatment of both demodectic and sarcoptic mange. Revolution however is only registered for the treatment of sarcoptic mange. Oh ok, I use Advocate on my pets and it only lists sarcoptic mange on the packaging but hey, I have been wrong before and surely will be again Thanks for the info. When our girl had demodectic mange there was no such thing as advocate and she was treated with Ivermectin orally for a LONG time, poor girl never did get better :D She was so sweet but went quite insane with the pain and itch and who knows what the Ivermectin did to her but she went MAD. The advocate box should say: generalised demodicosis Demodex canis. Just above the point on Sarcoptic mange. It also says that when adminstered at monthly intervals for 2-4 treatments and a 97.84% reduction in mite numbers. While it may be effective in keeping it away. 2-4 months would be too long for me to wait to see any effect.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Garlic BURNS!!!!! Don't use pawpaw skin either (another wives tale) as it burns too. Just ask me. It's an old wives tale that applying garlic to a bruise will bring the bruise out so as a 12 year old I did this to the back of my lower calf around the achilles tendon. I have a nice scar where it burn the skin AND the fatty tissue.

Chepet, sounds like he's going to need a cortisone injection. How old is he? Did you say 6 months? Does his tummy look infected? If it's mainly his tum that's affected, it's likely to be a contact dermatitis, perhaps something he's lying on or brushes up against in the yard. Hexal konazol is just a cheaper form of 2% Nizoral medicated shampoo so just use the nizoral. If there's no improvement yet you will probably be looking at a cortisone shot.

Hi Axelotti and Chepet, How are your fury babies going now?

Axelotti, It's like pimples because that's just what it is. It's a skin infection called a pyoderma, similar to folliculitis or prickly heat in humans. Treatment is with medicated shampoo such as Pyohex or Malaseb and a course of broad spectrum antibiotics. Very common in the warmer months.

Advocate is absolutely great but it can take up to four months to work on demodex and must be applied monthly. It may not control protracted or severe cases. Demodex affects young puppies, immunosuppressed dogs and those going through hormonal changes so you see it more often in pubertal males and bitches that are coming into season, in season or just past their season. All drugs and medications must go thru rigorous clinical trials before they can safely go to market. Any symptoms, signs or side effects experienced during this time must be reported on and included in information to disclose to the end users. Sometimes these symptoms or side effects may not really even be attributable to the medication in question but must be reported anyway. For example, when I was 24 I developed adult acne and went on Roaccutane. Now my skin had been perfect until I hit 24 and suddenly in the prime of my life I had cystic acne. The dermatologist sent me away with the information and stressed 2 points: don't get pregnant as it DOES cause birth defects and it MAY cause depression. Now when I read the insert, 16% of patients reported depression (you'd be depressed too with cystic acne so I don't know how they came to that conclusion) but 24% of the general population were reported to have depression too. So arguably one could say that really it caused a decrease in the incidence of depression... but they can't say that. So your vet may tell you of the side effects that the treatment can have but may never have actually seen any of those side effects personally. He/she must to tell you that it CAN have side effects. Just ask your vet how many cases of demodectic mange they see a week, how do they treat it normally and how often do they experience any side effects. A puppy of a friend of mine had demodex and was misdiagnosed with allergies. Hills diet wasn't working and too many assumptions were made. When I did a skin scraping on the little fellow who was about 5 months old by this stage, he had demodex. So he was treated with dectomax injections and recovered fully with no skin problems ever again. Whenever he had an injection, one of the owners stayed at home with him to make sure he was ok. He experienced no side effects whatsoever. This particular vet said he saw 1 case of demodex a week and had never had any side effects. Essentially you have to weigh up the pros and cons and take a calculated risk just as you do with every aspect of your own health. It's more onerous when you're solely responsible for another life like a dog but the long term prospects for a dog with protracted mange aren't that great so it's not safer to err on the side of caution in this situation. Like I said, ask your vet "in your experience do the benefits of the treatment outweigh the risks associated with it and have you personally seen the reported side effectes associated with this medication?" You may be surprised.

Dectomax (ivermectin) injections work well; used with caution. Follow up monthly with Bayer Advocate topical which does most intestinal worms, fleas, sarcoptes, demodex and heart worm.

Hi Axelotti, I'm very happy to hear you've taken him to the vet to get him sorted out. The problem with allergic reactions like that is if you don't get it under control promptly, a secondary infection can occur. Bacteria that are normal on the skin and normally non-pathogenic can become a problem and proliferate under opportunistic conditions such as breaches of the skins integrity. You'll know for next time. Will you be washing him in the Aloveen or Pyhoex?

Kristie is absolutely correct. Babies lack the reflexes and control to be able to poop and wee by themselves until about 2 weeks old. My dam still licks her babies to help them well after they have been able to do it themselves. Try a warm damp chux cloth or warm wet cotton wool balls and stroke the anus in an upward motion toward the tail. Not too soft and not too firm. Imagine how firm a mother's lick would be and apply that pressure. This helps in defaecation. You can do the same on the babies wee too, and the flood gates will open. When my puppies are crying and mum is exhausted I make them wee with a warm damp chux cloth and they go back to sleep.

Hi Chepet, While you're at the chemist, you may like to get some Daktaran spray also. Wash him in Hexal or Nizoral and spray the daktaran on any hot spots or itchy spots and check in his ears and under his chin. Dip his feet daily in a diluted Hexal or Nizoral solution and spray the itchy or hot spots daily. You can wash him every 3 days for about a fortnight then back it off to once per week. If this is the problem...hot spots, you will see some relief quite rapidly, within about 1-2 days. If there are crusty or reddened spots you are probably on the money. If it's blisters or generalised itchyness, then you need a trip off to the vet and a skin scraping done. It's the season for skin problems due to the heat and terriers are prone to hot spots of skin infections. It is unlikely to be food allergies as the theory is that allergies appear between 1-3 years although there is some debate on that. See how you go with the medicated washes and if no improvement then a trip to the vet may be in order.

That's good thinking InDogWeTrust. Zinc Pyrithione is in quite a few anti-dandruff shampoos such as Selsun blue. Zinc and selenium based treatments are common in the treatment of Seborrheic dermatitis in humans and serve to loosen and remove that flaky keratinized layer of skin. It's good to see others are thinking outside the box too. Spread the word!

Hi Axelotti, Ok, the blistering sounds like Wandering Dew. Once you get that under control with anti-inflammatories and anti-histamines from the vet then you can attack the other problems. Dandruff is caused by fungal organisms. Yes that's in humans too. After this outbreak is cleared up and he's recovered, you can try washing in Malaseb or Nizoral or Hexal Konazol. Bacteria and yeast love oily skin. They utilise the oil and dead skin as food and are like scavengers in this way termed saprophytic. When you clear up the dead skin essentially exfoliating it off, the nice warm protective housing is taken away from the organism, thereby leaving it vulnerable to treatments. So washing the dog which removes excess oil and dead skin aids in allowing the medication in the shampoo to do it's magic. The topical treatments added to hot spots are the knock out. If he's continually itchy and has allergies, then there are options. Cortisone is great for allergies but it's not without side effects, including imunosupression. There is also cyclosporin if we're talking allergies. Saying that you have a Staffy or Westie and they're prone to skin problems is like saying redheads are more prone to eczema....yes it's true but you don't have to just live with it. There are treatments. The vets have the answers but you have all the information. You are the spokesperson for the dog and you know your own animal. If you don't agree with something then speak up and ask more questions. No-one is infallable and sometimes getting to the right answer requires some meandering. Assuming too much based on breed can also cause unnecessary delays in treatments and recovery. Let us know how he goes in the next few days or so. Here's hoping he's happier in a day or two.

Hi axelotti. If after 3 weeks the skin has not repaired itself with and you have been constantly treating it you need to take him off to the vet to get a proper diagnosis. If you're quite certain that the culprit is Wandering Dew or Creeping Jesus then a trip to the vet the order. It causes an allergic reaction in some dogs with hair loss, licking and chewing. Those that are sensitive to it can have a nasty reaction from just a brush against it. Aloveen is your ideal shampoo here. Doesn't dry out the skin. If the allergic reaction isn't stemmed then superinfection can occur in which case you'd have to go to antibiotics. Hopefully it's just the plant allergy and you won't have to go that far. Antihistamines such as Polaramine and phenergan are often of great benefit to help relieve the itchiness. Anti-inflammatories such as prednisolone may be required as the reaction is an allergic one but will only be prescribed after clinical examination. If the lesions are due to bacteria (pyoderma) then antibiotics are required and a medicated shampoo such as Malaseb that has chlorhexidine or triclosan in it. If it is complicated by yeast then certainly the Hexal medicated wash will help. Nizoral is another alternative. If yeast is suspected we do a skin impression smear and look at it microscopically. Fungal organisms can be seen under the microscope. The medicated shampoos slough off the dead layer of skin that the fungal elements like to adhere to and start a party under. If this keratinised layer isn't slouged off then you may be just treating the superficial layer of skin and not penetrating to where the fungal elements like to exist. This is why you use a medicated wash such as Malaseb, Nizoral or Hexal. Then use a topical treatment such as Daktaran lotion which is actually a spray. There is also another over the counter prep called Resolve solution 2% miconazole that some pharmacies stock. Assuming it was a yeast infection, all this will help but it sounds like you're quite sure about the Wandering Dew.

Just wanted to say that the vets in Gladstone are all fantastic. They don't pretend to know everything and when they don't they phone a specialist. They all listen to the owners intently, even the neurotic ones because that's where most of their info will come from. I just love a vet that will tell you what he/she thinks is going on but will ask for a second opinion from a specialist. They even express mail clinical details and x-rays for second opinions from specialists. Don't you think that's just fantastic!? Anyway, I trust them absolutely. Sorry, NOWHERE near you though.

Is the dog that is throwing up also off his food? If so might be pancreatitis. Should go to the vet to have it checked out if it persists. Is the one that has diarrhoea a nervous dog? My Nelson is a type A personality, any sign of nervousness and he gets the squirts, irrespective of diet. It's a mucousy diarrhoea when nerves are to blame. He had to spend some time in a oxygen chamber at the vet and was left alone for an hour. He disgraced himself by spraying the entire chamber before the vet came back to check on him. I guess we won't be doing that again. Any new additions, changes to environment etc can cause a dicky bowel in my Nelson. He settles rather quickly though. Cordyline berries flowering at this time of year also cause diarrhoea.

Hey Cityslicker it's called Hexal Konazol 2% medicated dandruff shampoo. Alot of dandruff is caused by fungal organism and the condition when severe is called tinea capitis. So this anti-fungal anti-dandruff shampoo is great for dogs too. It's cheaper than the Nizoral. Great stuff. Joshie I'm just so pleased. Yes the Nizoral tablets can be harsh and they are only prescribed by the vet. The vet may like to moniter liver function tests but since it's not a life long medication, usually only 2 weeks at a time, then the likelihood of liver damage is minimal. Eventually the dog is able to build up it's skin defenses and normalise the skin flora to the point that it can fight the yeast itself. Once the barrier is broken and the yeast takes a hold, it is very difficult for the animal to control it through it's natural defenses. This is the same for humans. The medications allow the animal to recover enough to fight off problems itself. This can be said for all infections. Keep us informed.

Daktaran lotion which is actually a spray can be bought over the counter from the pharmacy. You can also get creams with the same ingredients that are cheaper but only suitable for shorter haired dogs such as beagles. Not that great for Westies although for small areas creams are ok especially around the eyes where you don't want to spray. You can use a combination of both though. Active ingredients suitable for yeast are clomtrimazole (eg canesten or clonea cream), miconazole (found in daktarin products) and ketokonazole (found in Nizoral products). The pharmacy assistants are usually very helpful and know their products for yeast and fungal infections. Just tell them it's for a dog. There's also another product called Resolve that comes in a solution which has the same ingredients as the Daktaran. I'm not sure if it's cheaper but always ask for the best value for money product in the application type you prefer such as solution, spray or cream. You can get a tincture for painting onto toenails too. Spraying the toes or dipping feet into a hexal solution daily will help to rid the feet of yeast which will be spread by scratching. The tincture is more tenacious like that foul paint stop-n-grow for nail biters, so it wears longer. Malaseb has an antifungal and an antibacterial which are different but I hear a reaction is common with it. Hexal just has the antifungal. What usually happens is if there is a persistent yeast (fungal) infection, then their can be a secondary bacterial infection. If you get rid of the primary yeast infection, then the bacterial infection goes too. You can also get an antiseptic from the chemist called chlorhexidine hydrochloride which comes as a wash or a lotion. The lotion can come as 100% or with alcohol in it so the latter can sting open wounds but it's good for the odd scaly patches. Nizoral tablets can only be prescribed by the vet but Lucy had such wonderful success that I really want to spread the word and get the suggestion out there to dog owners who might pass it on to the vets. If it works then it's better than life long cortisone or cycles of cyclosporin. If anyone is going to try this method, could you please keep us informed of progress here so that if it works for you too we can spread the word. It worked for little Lucy. Picture is of my little darlings, Nelson, Seamus and Lily on my wedding day.

I've read so many posts on itchy puppies, dogs, allergies, atopy etc and it really breaks my heart to hear of such suffering. Hot spots are a fact of life with some of our little friends. I would like to share a tale of my mother's Westie, Lucy which is a tale of success and many of you might like to take a leaf out of her book. Lucy at 9 weeks old had a bit of a crusty yellow thing happening on her forehead and in her ears. She began to lose her hair and itch alot. It migrated under her chin, to her shoulder joints, behind her elbows, between her legs and generally anywhere warm. She was bathed 3 times a week in malaseb which left her hot and red all over. There was not much success and her skin began to darken, go leathery and smelly. She looked so uncomfortable and sorry looking but happy to be loved and alive. Allergies were of course diagnosed but at such a young age, it was quite impossible to believe. She was checked for demodex and sarcoptes and none was found on several occasions which was not surprising since she was treated with bayer advocate. The vet did thryoid function tests which were normal so he took a skin biopsy and sent it off for histology. Histo suggested atopy and yeast. Since she was so young, just 9 months by this stage, he thought he's steer away from the atopy for a while and treat the yeast. Malaseb was taken away as it was causing a reaction. Instead Hexal wash (from the pharmacy) was used which is a cheaper form of Nizoral wash. Nizoral tablets were prescribed and Daktaran lotion (it's a spray) was used. All of these are anti-fungals. Within a couple of days of using the Hexal and daktarn, the crusts died off leaving pink, red or blackened bare skin beneath. She looked so manky but at last there was success. The hexal wash was done every 2 days. The daktaran was sprayed onto all inflamed areas. The Nizoral tablets worked internally to abate the yeast (Malassezia furfur). After about a month the hair began to grow back around her eyes and muzzle. It was such amazing success. The problem was gone. She has had only a couple of hot spots at her shoulders in over a year which is treated immediately with daktaran lotion. So there you go. A success story. If any of you are having massive problems with itches and allergies, perhaps you should suggest to your vet the nizoral tablets or even insist. It's just another avenue but hopefully one that will be just as successful as it was with Lucy. Don't forget the daktaran lotion.

Puppies have low tone. As they develop and tone increases, the tongue will come in. Dogs lose heat thru panting, sweating and a contractile spleen that shunts blood to the surface of the body to lose heat. They pant because they've been running around or they're hot. If it's thirsty it will sniff around for water and actively seek it out. My Westie Lily had her tongue out for the first 12 weeks of her life. The very day she went into the show ring, her tongue came in. It's just something puppies do......just like human babies, although they don't sniff out water.