Westie_Dachie

Hey Everyone, I just have to say that i think Roxy being on chicken mince and rice, also being shaved right back has really helped! It's only been the last 2 days (Sine writing this topic) that i have really noticed how much better she is looking!!! I think it was my mum who suggested to clip her right back so the sun can get to the scabs and clear it up....and the chicken and rice must be doing better for her because she is looking brighter! I never realised just how bad tin dog food was? But i think i might start adding vegies (My dogs LOVE vegies) and cook it up for both the dogs (Vegies can be the filler) and then i might start doing some beef mince in a few weeks time too and introduce it all slowly.... I will wash her again this weekend and see how it all works out (Maybe using just the normal non allergic shampoo not the malaseb) But still, all of your suggestions have helped also!!!!!!!! THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Roxy really appreciates it Del (Pictures - Roxy SHAKIN it! And one of Jock - my mum's westie and Roxy UN clipped haha)

Have you tried doing it yourself? I have always clipped Roxy (8yr old westie) and she has always looked great, all i usually do is clip around her face to give her a box look, shave her back and leave on her skirt, my only problem is around the feet, i have to hack at her with scissors! I don't show her or anything so she doesn't look FANTASTIC but she still looks good! I had taken her to a few places too...but it became costly, and i never had time to take her, plus she really only lets me clip her these days - she stands and waits and everything - NO treats just lots of praise lol Del

Oh i am SO SORRY to hear the horrible news It is a hard time, especially when you have to make the decision but you made the right choice and were kind to her rather than yourselves, a few more months with her would have had her in pain so it is so good to hear that you let her go so she could go in peace. I am sure she is still around...look for signs in the coming months around the house, and just remember she is happy and out of pain now. Thoughts are with you xo Del

oh oh oh!!! STOP HIM IMMEDIATELY!!!! LOL I dont know how (Because my 4yr old Mini Dachshund does it) but i tell you what, he has ripped up about 6 hoses now all due to carelessness on our behalf, but it is frustrating and annoying and i am sure not good for his stomach! When we move house i am going to buy a wall one up high so he cant get it! He leaves chewed up peices all over the back yard and goes from one end and finishes it right up to the other end!!!!!! hahaha it's not cool!!! But try whetever you can early....so he doesn't become a regular hose chewer! (It doesnt help when your friends think its cute and funny and encourage him when you are away on holidays and they are looking after him lol) Del

Hi Guys You all rock, thank you for all the advice, i will have to sit down and read everything properly when i get a chance ;) I also have my worries about using this shampoo on Rox, if it needs to stay on for 10 minutes and you have to wear gloves it's obviously not that good for her skin, but ill try it for a good few weeks see where it gets us, and then go to the other stuff you guys have suggested if it just irritates her skin some more! BUT we found out we are moving in aboiut 2 weeks time now so the quicker we get out of here the better, let's hope the new place doesn't have wierd plants to make her itchy. And by the way...i can't believe it costs so much to have some trees removed and you have so many - that is horrible i do feel for you!!!!!!!!!! There is nothing worse than having a miserable dog, but to have to pay lots of money to make it go away Thanks again guys - i should have joined this forum a lot earlier!!! Del

And Frankie the mini dach

Hi Guys, Thank you SO much for all of the advice….I did search for some info on the site before posting (I used to be apart of a pro photography forum and that was the first thing I would tell new comers) BUT I must have been searching the wrong things as not much came up! BUT…before anything I will answer your questions though! -I also think It may be a garden thing, we never had this problem in all the other houses we lived in, I don’t know what grass it is BUT it’s very ‘weedy’ grass, every time it rains every weed known to man comes up – so it could be that? -In the house we are in now we have carpet in almost every room (Frustrating WHITE carpet at that!!!) so again…could be that? -Food stayed the same everywhere we went…although I realise super market tin dog food, even though is the cheapest for me is not so good for them. So have been cooking her meals…after the hypo allergenic diet I was so broke from $4 per tin compared to 99c per tin! I keep hearing of BARF though…I might look into this… -I guess main difference in environment was we lived in a small town, air was fresh and clean and lots of bushland, moving to the city 2 yrs ago it is obviously smoggier….but in saying that, it’s really only been the last year so I have put it down to environment. We have looked for particular plants out the back…but because we rent – we can’t do much? So this is why I am hoping when we move in a few weeks time…(To a place where we can do what we like – it’s a friends investment) everything subsides! Westiemum – I will try everything you have said. I have her on Malasel? (I am at work haha I can’t remember the name but they are vet branded – and very popular) I used to have her on epi-soothe and really that always worked! I should go back to it…but this 10 minute application one, apparently works but first dose was like any other shampoo for her…and the scabs came back so quickly! I used to think, being a westie, I should only bath her once every 3 mths or so to let the natural oils work on her body. But the last few weeks I have noticed people saying they wash their westie so often – maybe this is where I went wrong? I might get into a routine of washing her every week…I just thought this dried the skin out, making it worse for her? But noted on the drying her feet – man it is hard to go near her feet though, she flips out and hates people touching them, I can’t even clip her nails, I have to get her sedated to have her nails clipped!!! We have 5 Westies in the family, and unfortunately Roxy is the one with all the problems!!! Anyway thank you thank you and thank you more all of you :rolleyes: it sounds promising which makes me feel better, I hate her feeling yucky and dirty all the time, I am sure it is annoying for her! I will keep you all updated and here are a few more photo’s of both of my rat bags Adelle

Hi Everyone, I have an 8yr old Westie “Roxy-Dee”, she has been healthy up until the last couple of years since moving to Perth from the country, she has come down with a few different bugs and in the last year since living in Guildford she has had problems with skin diseases. Which had happened occasionally but they weren’t bad. Symptoms include (Which are very common skin problems with Westies, but I can’t pin point exactly what it could be) Itchy skin, red tinge on feet from licking constantly, rubbing belly across floor, scabby hot spots that come up within hours and greasy smelly fur. I have tried a hypo-allergenic diet, but I was using cortisone at the same time so it did clear up but as soon as we went off the cortisone it flared up again, I am now trying a boiled chicken mince and brown rice diet and giving her only that, and we will also be moving house in a few weeks time so I guess everything will happen at once and I won’t know what it is that is causing it. But any remedies you guys have tried before or can you give me any insight into the disease and what it could be (So I can pin point a so called ‘cure’ if there is one) it has been many frustrating months trying to keep it under wraps, and I have the most miserable dog in the world…she looks great when she is bathed and clipped (I keep her fur short on her back so the hot spots can air out) but it only lasts a few days until it goes scabby and greasy again! :rolleyes: In desperate need of help, have been to the Vets numerous amounts of time and had NO LUCK with them! Thanks Adelle