Poppy's mum

Thanks for the encouragement. She is on a bland chicken and rice diet suggested by the vet and some 'sensitive skin' biscuits. She's a gannet and will eat anything so am happy to try her on different biscuits etc was thinking of trying the holistic natural balance ones next (can't remember the name).

I have been using the Megaderm sachets on Chelsea for a couple of months and while her coat looks good, I am not sure if they are having a lot of impact on the itch. She has Malassezia, BTW and also has frequent Malaseb baths. Info on malssezia: http://www.westiemed.org/health/malassezia/ I notice I am down to one bath a week to keep her outbreaks of crusty pustules at bay so maybe it's having some effect. Has anyone had success with this using it medium to long term? I still have another month's supply so I will keep it up. Maybe I am just kidding myself clutching at straws?

I have found Panalog ointment from the vet a godsend with the itchy face thing. Little Chelsea the chi had a dry itchy nose which she would proceed to scratch raw (when unsupervised)...Malaseb helps a bit but you can't really put it on their face very effectively (and is probably poisonous). Have also had some luck with Megaderm, balanced oil supplement (taken internally) - seems to be helping her coat/back sores. Feet have become increasingly itchy and red though. She has malassezia which a lot of westies also get. Balgownie vet have a really good site on this, with lots of photos of affected dogs, if you search on malassezia (a kind of dermatitis, easily diagnosed by a vet test) - chronic unfortunately. For westies and general info on malassezia see: http://www.westiemed.org/health/malassezia/ Never use calamine - definitely poisonous if licked! Mum told me years ago people used to use it to suicide. Hope this helps. An itchy site would be v helpful. I'll try to get hold of this shampoo and talk to the elusive Linda! Try anything once. :D

If anaesthetic is at all possible in the light of what is said above, maybe do it once and get all the teeth removed? healthier in the long run and dogs without teeth manage perfectly well.

Yes, they can be mozzie bites or sandfly bites or hives...Vet suggested I use Advantix too.

I got a sample of Eagle Pack and the dogs love it (like most things) but when I read the ingredients, they started with "lamb meal" - is this the scrapings off the floor of the abattoir or what? ground up bones of lambs? and the next ingredient was brown rice...and there was corn meal etc Didn't sound as good as the Science Diet.

Next step if left unremedied is a tooth abscess or osteomyelitis in the jaw...teeth left like this can do really serious damage to health and the immune system. Anaesthetics are very good these days... there is always a risk with surgery but unless there is some other factor you haven't mentioned, i wouldn't hesitate. We had an 11 year old poodle who had most of his teeth out at that age (came from the rspca years ago). He llived to 22. He wouldn't have if his bad teeth remained.

I'd love to do Hawthorne Reserve (Cafe Bones), Leichhardt 'cos it's near me. And they have coffee, and good stuff to eat for people and dogs. Matraville is ok too as a location. Sorry, am not back on the net till 16 Jan but will check back on the diocussion then and see if we got anywhere. maybe ad hoc meet-ups are the best eg set a day and see if at least a few people can make it?

I think Advantix (flea treatment) does lice and other nasties as well.

One of the radio vets recommends Pinetarsol. Mum gave a bottle of it (from the chemist) that she hadn't used, to a neigbour with an itchy doodle and she swears it cured it. I used some homeopathic stuff from Kherby's herbs years ago and this was also tar-based. You may still be able to get it online. Didn't do anything for my Chelsea's malassezia which is kept under control with weekly or biweekly malaseb baths (10 minutes as per instructions). I have started putting Aloveen conditioner on to finish. I found a recommendation for it on the Balgownie vets site when i did a search on malassezia. I have also added Megaderm (oil) sachets to her diet but have only just started. I'd love to know if anyone has had good experience with these? I also use 'Panalog' ointment from the vet to relieve the itch eg around her nose which she would otherwise rip to shreds scratching. It also treats itchy ears (malassezia is a nasty thing). I went to the vet yesterday and he said he was inundated with itchies...like people, allergies everywhere. Good luck with it.

I purchased a large heavy yellow "ionic" plastic brush off ebay. i think it may have batteries in. was emant to get rid of fleas and do marvellous things. Sillly silly me! (and, no, it didn't seem to do anything). Don't know if that is the same as electrostatic?

Had a cat who jumped on the iron cord and bit it one day when i was ironing. you would have thought I could have seen that one coming! cat was 100% ok though I had a minor heart attack. When i was a kid i stuck my finger in a light socket and experienced a zap like a bee-sting and a burnt (blistered) thumb. How dumb was that? kids!!

Mine regularly get some Nature's Gift and seem good on it (littlies). I met the people who make it at the Pet Expo once and they raved on about the factory and the quality etc and then said they would eat the food (yech! smells yucky must be the garlic or something). On that note, at the greyhound picnic the other day, the doggy Xmas gifts had Dine (?) I think, in them. Smelt yummy!!! but I wouldn't feed it regularly because I am not convinced. I also feed Optimum. Have you done their PHD free food trial? fill out the forms and you get free refunds on up to 3 x 4kg bags... I would introduce it gradually (although you probably know that) just because it is a change in diet.

Yep, gotta love the Optimum since they have had that free trial cashback offer on!!! I have had 3 free 4 kilo bags so far and the dogs are loving it!! Have been using the Science Diet teeth cleaning for the greyhound but I think I will switch her to Mature large breeds science diet. They get chicken wings, brisket bones, chicken, rice, some veg, Pal (eeek! you say) and Natures Gift as well and are all in great good health. Tielle ate mum's banana laden toast the other day, so, yes, sometimes they get fruit, too. They have a definite weakness for apples. Use what they seem to do well on. Use commonsense BTW - Optimum offer still current on optimumphd.com.au or see the "Freebies Blog" I just stumbled onto. Saved me $50.

I'd be interested to know how you go. Tielle my blue grey has the same issue. At Paws in the Park on Sunday every other blue grey we met seemed to have a bit of scurf and everyone was whinging. I tried the omega oil caps for 3 months and while she was lovely and shiny, there was still some scurf. Washed her in Malaseb on Friday before Paws in the Park and she still had noticeable dandruff on Sunday. Very vexing! Dr Harry told me to rub her over with a cloth and baby oil, so will try that.

Schnauzerlover, I think i am just going to trawl around following your threads... You are a newbie and, pretty much every time you post, someone jumps down your throat or hijacks your thread in a totally unjustified way. is this really what these forums are coming to? newbies need very thick skins??? because they will not be treated with respect or given the benefit of the doubt I admire you for your persistence! (and welcome BTW)

Yes your dogs may live long lives and be healthy but what about the ones that dont? Why must we vaccinate dogs we know are going to have side effects because everyone else thinks its alright?If your dog does well being vaccinated and fed canned food so be it, and no one should say anything rude about that but if some decide not to vaccinate and raw feed then they also shouldnt be seen as uncaring. Agree wholeheartedly Tollersowned. Guess that most people rely on advice from their health professionals, vets etc and feel they are doing the right thing. It's a very complex world we live in. Everyone here tries to do their best.

As with all topics, everyone has a different point of view. It doesn't help to insult people or imply that they do not have their dog's best interests at heart because they vaccinate! unbelievable!! Souff will be getting out the popcorn next and waiting for the fur to fly...until 'time-outs' are given and peace reigns for a while. Our dogs are vaccinated annually. To date, they have lived up tp 18 and 22 years... BTW, when we were poorer they also ate canned food which some on here would regard as akin to murder, judging by past threads. We will have to agree to differ until all the votes are in and the research is conclusive, barring the inevitable conspiracy theories about that, of course .

Have had reasonable luck with malaseb and malasezia (sp?), a yeast infection type skin. The radio vet suggests Pinetarsol (a liquid) but this does not seem to help with yeast infections. Cured the dog round the corner from mum - a doodle with itchy skin from birth. In the past I had some luck with stuff from the herbalist - Robyn Kherby, Kherby's Herbs.

Agree with the door mat approach! if it's outside, it's outside! with my adult dogs, housetrained as adults, in the wet and windy weather a couple of the girls make it to the outdoor undercover area and I leave newspaper out there pegged down under some bricks plus some puppy wee pads from the petshop (maybe these are impregnated with the smell?) - works fine.

Calliech - great weblink. My new chi was diagnosed with malassezia. Apparently she had had it for years and her ear canals have really thickened up. She had ear drops from the vet - 4 days cleared up her itchy ears and he recommended the Malaseb 2 - 3 times a week at first, then once a week and hopefully cutting down. I am not a believer in frequent bathing but it has made a difference and she only has a very few itchy patches now. I also found that topical cortisine cream from the chemist (1%) helped relieve sporadic itchy patches between bathing. Not out of the woods yet but she has improved a great deal.

We have had a good week! Dogmad's suggestion started off well but ended up every time we went in the garden she fixated on me and my biscuit hand - as she didn't watch the others pee, she just saw them run back in the house and followed them. No more treats in the garden, just get on with the business! I am sorry it didn't work. Would be good to have a dog who goes on command, particularly in wet weather...or before car trips etc

Medical condition aside, I have the same issue with my chi I got from a breeder at Christmas. The breeder did suggest I keep her outside (!) but she is a pet. She was pretty good for a while and then relapsed...so, in wet weather, there is a reasonable chance of a wee inside if I turn my back/leave the room. Other times - it is sporadic. I try to take her out consistently and she gets night and morning walks. She knows how to use the dog door and uses it without prompting. Then, frustratingly, a puddle turns up. Sometimes 1 puddle for 3 days in a row, other times, nothing for days. She is home alone all day when I work (3 days a week) and I very rarely find a puddle when I get home at 7pm. She's 8, too. I think like most un-housetrained adult dogs she'll 'get it' eventually. I do praise profusely when she goes outdoors...but I might try the "on command" approach, with treats - she is an avid eater. It is so disappointing when the 'honeymoon' period for best behaviour ends!!! PS it helps to have other dogs to show her the way.

I call this condition "orchestra tummy" as the noises can be quite extreme!! We had a poodle who got colic randomly - we thought from eating (a) lizards or (b) flies, because he was adept at catching both. Vet gave us hyacine (sp?) (which is the active ingredient in buscopan, I think). I would think it was diet - related. Sorry not to be of more help. Trisven's idea of food before bedtime sounds like a good one.

Mine like carrot and apples but I usually feed them separate to the rest of the meal ie on top or as a snack.