xJasperx Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 Hi everyone ... I am new to DOL and dogs I have a 14 week old staffy pup who is constantly scratching mainly his underbelly near his hind legs ... Today a small amount of red rash has started to appear so I was wondering if this could be an allergy ... The only thing we have in our back garden is grass, which he loves rolling in and he also loves to roll in tan bark when we go to the park ... Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated ... Cheers Kylie ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huski Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 What are you feeding him on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xJasperx Posted April 3, 2009 Author Share Posted April 3, 2009 We are feeding him Royal Canin Junior (this is what he was being fed when we got him) and we have just started adding some raw meat (beef) into his diet, could it be the meat ??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvsdogs Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 My dog Tilba has been scratching & biting at her sides since I got her. She did have a few fleas at the time but even when we got rid of them she still scratched. I read on the forums about apple cider vinegar being good for that sort of thing & she's been having it for a few mths now but with her it's not done any good. May work on your pup though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirra_Bomber_Zeus Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 could it be the meat ??? Yes, it could, beef is one of the more common allergens when it comes to food - but then, so are some types of grains which will be in the dry food. He could also be reacting to the grass or any number of things. Maybe try taking out the beef and replacing it with something else instead - chicken, goat, lamb etc first and see if it makes a difference. Beware that it could take a few weeks to know whether that is making a difference or not though. If that doesnt work you could get your vet to rule out things such as mites or mange, then it really is worth getting a referral to a dermatologist - allergies are really hard to work out on your own Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormie Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 I wouldn't go changing around with food too much just yet, especially not whilst he is still growing. The more foods you feed now, the harder an elimination diet is going to be later on. First things first - check your yard for wandering jew - makes dogs itchy! Next, rule out parasites. A 6 week course of Revolution used every 2 weeks is generally enough to cover fleas and scabies mites. Then if possible, do a 2 week trial of him purely inside, then a 2 week trial of him being outside. This is really hard but it can help you to determine whether the itching is coming from something outside, like pollens, or inside, like dust mites. When you wash his bedding, don't hang it outside to dry cause if it is pollens, they'll get all over the bedding and make him itchy. When he's older and finished most of his growing, you can then do a food elimination diet. So for 12 weeks you can only feed him one novel protein source - something he's never eaten before. Vets often tell you to add a carbohydrate source too - it's not essential, but can help to make it a little cheaper if you feed something like potato or sweet potato into the mix, cutting down on how much meat you need to feed. But again, whatever you feed, it has to be something you've never fed before. Make sure you include muscle meat and rmb's. When you're doing your trials, try to make sure you keep everything else the same, so you know if what you are doing is making a difference or not. A daily rinse in water can help to wash pollens and other allergens off the skin and provide some relief. An antihistamine trial would be a good idea too - speak with your vet re dose rates etc. Generally you start on one and slowly work your way through them until you find one that helps. Unfortunately they don't work as well in dogs as they do in people, but you may still get some relief from them. I'd also recommend a referral to a dermatologist. The sooner you get everything sorted and know exactly what he's allergic to, the sooner you can get started on a treatment plan. Allergies are a pain in the butt and a life long problem, but in many cases, they can be managed and if done so correctly, they can often lead a normal life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xJasperx Posted April 3, 2009 Author Share Posted April 3, 2009 I wouldn't go changing around with food too much just yet, especially not whilst he is still growing. The more foods you feed now, the harder an elimination diet is going to be later on.First things first - check your yard for wandering jew - makes dogs itchy! Next, rule out parasites. A 6 week course of Revolution used every 2 weeks is generally enough to cover fleas and scabies mites. Thanks for the advice guys Think I will try the 6 week course of Revolution first, he had one 2 weeks ago so I will give him another today ... I will also search the garden (and Grandma's house) for the wandering jew ... He is due for his Vaccination in 2 weeks so if he is still scratching I will talk to the vet then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wish_4_cockerspaniel Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 Our pup was itchy too, and we think it might have been the stuff we were cleaning the floor with, or what we washed the bedding in - we changed to hot water on the floors (we worried it wouldn't get rid of smells but it does just fine!) and Biozet for our washing powder (low in whatever annoys dogs skin, I forget what!) and he's much better... the vet reckoned it also might just be "puppy-ness", growing up, being exposed to new things, while his body got used to it. Either way, he's good now - so also look inside if your outside stuff doesn't work. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunnwarren Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 One of my dogs is allergic to cooch (sp) grass, he breaks out in a rash and scratches continually after being in contact with it for only a short time. Not sure what sort of grass you've got but you can think yourself lucky to have any at all, all i have is dirt left on my lawns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDaz Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 (edited) [He is due for his Vaccination in 2 weeks so if he is still scratching I will talk to the vet then I think 2 weeks is too long to wait, I would be off to the vets very soon. It is not life threatening, but imagine if you were scratching constantly for 2 weeks. With scratching I usually give my Staffy's 2 days, if they are still doing it I am off to the vet as there are creams and the like they can give you to reduce the scratching. Edit: I have heard, as mentioned earlier, beef can not be good for Staffy's. My girls seem to do fine on Kangaroo but then they seemed fine on beef as well. Edited April 5, 2009 by BigDaz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xJasperx Posted April 5, 2009 Author Share Posted April 5, 2009 I think 2 weeks is too long to wait, I would be off to the vets very soon. It is not life threatening, but imagine if you were scratching constantly for 2 weeks. With scratching I usually give my Staffy's 2 days, if they are still doing it I am off to the vet as there are creams and the like they can give you to reduce the scratching. Edit: I have heard, as mentioned earlier, beef can not be good for Staffy's. My girls seem to do fine on Kangaroo but then they seemed fine on beef as well. I will definately take him to the vet today ... I agree if it was me I wouldn't want to be scratching like that ... It's also driving me mad watching him, I feel so sorry for him ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsdog2 Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 I will definately take him to the vet today ... I agree if it was me I wouldn't want to be scratching like that ... It's also driving me mad watching him, I feel so sorry for him ... Hi xJasperx, Just wondering how you got on at the vet? I've got a pup that's also had ongoing "scratching" problems - the vet originally told me it was Puppy Pyoderma but has now said it's a contact allergy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teebs Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 We are feeding him Royal Canin Junior (this is what he was being fed when we got him) and we have just started adding some raw meat (beef) into his diet, could it be the meat ??? i know a few dogs who cant have beef. hope you sort it out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neatz Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 We see heaps of staffy's at my work for skin issues. We refer to it as "staffy skin". Hope your puppie's problem is sorted out and the itching stops Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xJasperx Posted April 8, 2009 Author Share Posted April 8, 2009 Thanks everyone for the advice and concern We went to the vet who took some skin samples and combed through all his fur ... There are no mites, fleas or flea eggs, but his skin samples showed a bacterial infection, so I have been given some Neotopic - H (hydrocortisone) cream to use for 3 - 5 days and if that doesn't help (which it does seem to be working) they will give him some antibiotics ... Now all I have to do is find out what's causing it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iluvstaffies Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 (edited) Thanks everyone for the advice and concern We went to the vet who took some skin samples and combed through all his fur ... There are no mites, fleas or flea eggs, but his skin samples showed a bacterial infection, so I have been given some Neotopic - H (hydrocortisone) cream to use for 3 - 5 days and if that doesn't help (which it does seem to be working) they will give him some antibiotics ... Now all I have to do is find out what's causing it i would add flax seed or linseed to his diet this will give him the omega 3 fatty acids he needs for a healthy skin and coat. this will help prevent further infections. i once had a pup with the same prob i fixed her with this and ever since all my dogs receive this and now all their coat shine and i never have any probs with hotspots or any type of skin infection. hope this helps to prevent whats causing this to reoccur. Edited April 12, 2009 by iluvstaffies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SearchJane Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 We have an allergic English staffy. Fortunately our vet referred us to a local dermatology clinic after he'd been there a couple of times with bad ears & general itchiness so we've been receiving expert care since he was 8 months old (he's nearly one now). We had Sam on Hills Science Diet and it was the worst thing we could have done. He pooed heaps (he's now doing 2 per day - one after each meal) rather than what felt like 22 per day. The first thing the clinic did was to put him on an elimination diet which uses a protein he had never been introduced to (camel) plus carbohydrate as a filler (Sweet potato). Initially I brought pre-prepared but it was really expensive & now we buy the camel in 1kg packs I buy sweet potato in bulk (I'm sure the people at the local fruit & veg place think I've got an unhealthy appetite for it!) and cook the potato and make up pre-weighed ziplok bags of meals which I then freeze. Since he's been on an elimination diet (camel & sweet potato) he has settled down heaps, plus he's on a (clinic prescribed) daily antihistamine + fish oil caps. We're now doing the desensitisation shots which we're hoping will settle him down completely. However he is extremely allergic to beef (which we discovered after I'd bagged a couple of weeks worth - we gave them to some grateful friends). We haven't tried wheat (as my hubby & I are both wheat intolerant!) or dairy, which are the other two major irritants. I get the meat from a pet food supplier. If the itchiness doesn't settle down please ask your vet to refer you & your pup to a dermatology clinic. If you don't want to do that at least switch his diet to a more natural diet - kangaroo, goat, chicken, sheep or camel protein are all alternatives to beef. Sweet potato provides the carbohydrate portion. However as your pup is so young you really need to have expert advice. We give Sam bones (camel or Kangaroo) once or twice a week to ensure he's getting adequate calcium. We also use Epi-sooth shampoo & conditioner and a steriod spray for times when his paws get really bad. Staffy's are known for having sensitive skin so you're not alone! Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clyde Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 SearchJane, where do you get the camel from? I think I will try it with my Shihtzu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R00 Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 SearchJane, where do you get the camel from?I think I will try it with my Shihtzu. Clyde you sure you want to know...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glendabenda Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 I got some camel and sweet potato mix at city farmers the other day from the freezer (but that was in perth). Peach loved it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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