Chronic Unknown Skin Condition - Desperate

[pixandpug]

I have a 9 year old pug that has been suffering from an unknown skin condition for quite some time. The first sign appeared around a year ago with a small patch of missing fur that gradually moved from one spot to another over the course of around 9 months (and several different vets later). We finally settled on one vet and Oscar underwent a skin scraping and blood test with inconclusive results. The vet prescribed some antibiotics, cortisone and regular baths with Maleseb. We also started Oscar on a restricted allergy diet which he is still currently on. Several visits to the vet later and his condition was not improving, but rather getting worse. The vet changed his wash to Sebozole and a week after that, Ivermectin - just in case. The vet thought the skin scraping may have presented a false-negative for mites. It looked as though his skin was getting no worse and then a month afterwards his skin was in a much worse condition. Dry all over with scabs, weeping and very red skin. The vet upped his dose of cortisone and suggested we continue with the other treatments. After another period of time - Oscar's condition was much worse with secondary infections all over his body and we have requested he now sees a dermatologist.

I feel terrible as I realise we should have asked for this much sooner but we thought we should trust the vet as he is a lovely man and seems knowledgeable. He now says there is nothing else he can do. The earliest appointment we were able to get with the dermatologist is 6 May.

Just before the long weekend, Oscar's skin has gotten much worse yet again with open sores and his general physical condition worsening. Before he didn't seem too uncomfortable and now he obviously is. I called Lort Smith Animal Hospital hoping to be able to see someone and they said they would only be able to treat Oscar in the same way he is currently being treated.

I am very scared about what will happen between now and 6 May and would very much like to find an way to make Oscar comfortable until then. In the last two days Oscar has scratched off half the skin on his face and there is no fur left on his front paws. It doesn't look as though his body has any ability to heal itself at the moment. I have stopped washing Oscar in the Sebazole because I feel as though it was responsible for his skin becoming so dry and crusting up. A few days ago he was washed in Maleseb again, but afterwards he was shaking in pain, so I am not sure this is a good idea either.

I don't know what to do now...

On Wednesday, I will call the Dermatologist and beg them for an appointment ASAP.

Sorry for the long post but I was hoping someone might be able to help.

[WreckitWhippet]

I wouldn't bath him in any medicated shampoos, his skin needs to be soothed.

I would make sure he does not have any coulour, flavours or preservatives in his diet.

Check his bedding, remove any hession and wool bedding. If you aren't already using cotton, I'd switch to that and also make sure you washing powder is for sensitive people.

If he's scratching that crazily, put cotton socks on his back feet and bandage them up, so he at least can't use his claws to further damage his skin.

ETA: I forgot to add "Calendula Tea" to sooth.

Also avoid spraying any chemicals near the dog, if you disinfect the floor, make sure you dry it 100%. I'd switch to using natural cleaning solutions and keeping the chemicals to the bare essentials

Edited April 24, 2011 by ReadySetGo

[Christina]

All too much stuff now & no knowing if it is doing any good or making it all worse.

How about stopping it all & asking the vet if you can put him on an antihistamine, like Phenergan, or similar that is safe for dogs.

It may stop him scratching & make him dopey/sleep for a while, better, to give some sense of relief for symptoms to settle until you can get more help.

Poor dog.

[cowanbree]

Put a head collar on to stop nibbling, socks on his feet and bath him in Calendula tea, really is magic stuff. I take it he is still on antibotics and pred?

[karly101]

First I'm sure this has been covered... but is he on any preventative for parasites? (advocate/revolution?)

Secondly, is the cortisone dose adequate? Only a thought as we had one skin case where the dosage of cortisone was not adequate - once it was increased the dogs skin improved greatly. Of course there are other complications with high dosages of cortisone but for this dog the skin condition was VERY severe. That could be something you could discuss with your own vet in the meantime to at least try and bring him some relief until the specialist.

I would be ringing the specialist and seeing if they can fit you in any earlier, its a long time to wait especially when its becoming infected.

[pixandpug]

I wouldn't bath him in any medicated shampoos, his skin needs to be soothed.

I would make sure he does not have any coulour, flavours or preservatives in his diet.

Check his bedding, remove any hession and wool bedding. If you aren't already using cotton, I'd switch to that and also make sure you washing powder is for sensitive people.

If he's scratching that crazily, put cotton socks on his back feet and bandage them up, so he at least can't use his claws to further damage his skin.

Thanks for replying. This might be upsetting to some people, but Oscar has been sleeping on our bed. It is not his habitual sleeping place - but we feel very sorry for his and he loves sleeping on the bed. Cotton sheets. I will make sure I cover the couches in cotton too. Thanks also for the sock tip. I hadn't thought of that. I'll need to put it on his front and back leg as he uses both. He doesn't scratch all the often but tends to rub his face in whatever he can find with the occasional foot scratch

I have tried all sorts of diets of late but am thinking of trying vets all natural complete mix next. I don't know whether I should use chicken or roo. I have heard red meats are not great for sensitive dogs.

I have read that people use calendula tea to soothe itchy or inflamed skin. I am interested in trying this but don't want to aggravate his skin anymore than it is.

[pixandpug]

Put a head collar on to stop nibbling, socks on his feet and bath him in Calendula tea, really is magic stuff. I take it he is still on antibotics and pred?

I am taking Oscar to see the dermatalology consultant at Lort Smith on Wednesday (earliest appointment I could get) and will harass the specialist for an earlier appointment too.

I have stopped the ivermectin. Oscar currently takes 1 Cephalexin and 1 Prednisone a day. He had been on 2 Prednisone a day but that was reduced.

He is currently not taking his normal dose of advocate any more as I was worried about the cocktail of drugs he was on but I will ask the vet at Lort Smith for advice on this.

Many thanks for all the feedback

[pixandpug]

Put a head collar on to stop nibbling, socks on his feet and bath him in Calendula tea, really is magic stuff. I take it he is still on antibotics and pred?

Oh - and it is very difficult to keep a head collar on Oscar. His neck is thicker than his head!

[WreckitWhippet]

I would also take him off any advocate, frontline etc ( if he's on any ) and cease the exposure to moxidectin, permethrin etc

Ivermectin injections would have hindered his recovery, in the absence of any mites.

[Nekhbet]

This might be upsetting to some people, but Oscar has been sleeping on our bed.

poor poppet ... so he should be! Trust me I wont be the one chastising you (plus that would make me a massive hypocrite)

Cut his diet back to the bare basics. No treats, no slipped food under the table, no stealing other pet foods etc. While waiting try and think back to the time he was least itchy - has he tried something like Eagle Pack fish only diet? Conversely you can try your own if you want to go the VAN way, he does have a skin support powder to add to the food. I wouldn't be purchasing the mix only because of the grains in it, there is a Nutritional Powder + Skin Support powder which you add to a novel protein source like, oh, fish or goat, or turkey etc.

Sebazole

Sebazole Shampoo contains many actives. Sulphur in SEBAZOLE produces a peeling and softening effect on the skin. Salicylic acid in SEBAZOLE causes the tissue cells to swell and soften thereby losing the dry cells. Sebazole is a broad spectrum fungicidal and antibacterial shampoo which has been formulated for seborrhoeic dermatitis. Use with caution and refer to instuctions on the label.

Active ingredients: econazole nitrate, sulpher, sodium salicylate and chloroxylenol.

I think it's the shampoo that has just ruined his already inflamed skin - sounds like the wrong stuff for the job. If it was my dog I would be slathering him in paw paw cream (ensure hygeine protocols when you use it ... basically dont double dip into the pot) and not using any more shampoos, if you have to just pure unscented goats milk bar like Billy Goat that they sell at Myer if you're desperate to wash him in something because he's dirty.

Meanwhile as few chemicals as possible and clean bedding every day for him to sleep on until you get to the dermatologist. Fingers crossed for you I know what it's like to have a bad skin dog and although mine is not as bad as yours its still heartbreaking to patch them up after attacks

[stormie]

I would go for a biopsy. They don't always give definitive results, but mostly they are able to tell you whether its an allergic reaction, hormonal, fungal, cancer etc etc etc. Then you can work on ways to deal with it and know whether a Dermatologist is going to be required. I am sure that after all you've already done, it would be the next step by the Derm anyway.

It's quite simple and something we often do just with some local anaesthetic and a little skin punch.

[Guest]

pixandpug, a few peole on here have had success , with the treatment from here, it could be worth a try.

http://www.herbal-treatments.net/

lablove

[oakway]

Have you had it checked for a skin cancer

[Mum to Emma]

Can you get an earlier appointment with a different dermatologist? I can highly recommend Greg Burton at Melbourne Veterinary Specialists Centre. They are in Glen Waverley and Essendon Fields.

Melbourne Veterinary Specialist Centre (click the DERMATOLOGY DEPARTMENT button)

If your pug's overall health is deteriorating, I would think the situation has become urgent. Perhaps a chronic internal infection is setting in. Directly opposite the Specialist Centre in Blackburn Road, Glen Waverley is Animal Emergency Centre. They are open 27/7. It may be worth giving them a call now.

Edited April 24, 2011 by Mum to Emma

[pixandpug]

Can you get an earlier appointment with a different dermatologist? I can highly recommend Greg Burton at Melbourne Veterinary Specialists Centre. They are in Glen Waverley and Essendon Fields.

Melbourne Veterinary Specialist Centre (click the DERMATOLOGY DEPARTMENT button)

If your pug's overall health is deteriorating, I would think the situation has become urgent. Perhaps a chronic internal infection is setting in. Directly opposite the Specialist Centre in Blackburn Road, Glen Waverley is Animal Emergency Centre. They are open 27/7. It may be worth giving them a call now.

Oscars appointment is with Doctor Burton and I will call them first thing on Wednesday morning to see if he can be seen earlier. Today I think we will visit the emergency vet in the hope he can be made more comfortable in the mean time.

Oscar was meant to of had a skin biopsy during his skin scraping procedure but apparently the vet 'ran out of time' and the biopsy was not taken. I have never understood what happened as it was my husband that picked Oscar up afterwards.

Has anyone had any experience with Canidae Grain Free Salmon food? I can't seem to locate the equivalent in Eagle Pack.

Once again, many thanks to everyone for your help. I have really been at a loss as to what to do.

[stormie]

I would wait to see what the Derm says before you start spending money on new foods etc. If you get an allergy diagnosis, then you can look at new diets, barrier creams etc. But it might turn out to be something completely different.

[KitKat]

I'd probably also consider dropping back to an incredibly bland diet of chicken and rice - but wait until you see the Derm before goin and looking for new foods etc.

The eagle pack fish version is the anchovy one from memory.

[Polgara's Shadow]

It felt like my pup had more scabs and open sores than healthy skin for awhile there. hugs for your and Oscars pain

Turns out my pup is allergic to sardines, lamb and grass. I never would have figured that out on my own. You are doing the right thing going to a specialist. You may not be able to find a cure, but I'm sure you'll find a management plan that helps him be the best he can. It is likely to take many months to figure out exactly whats wrong.

I highly recommend callendula tea to sooth the skin, I haven't heard of any dog having an adverse reaction to it - perhaps spot test first to be sure.

Because you said he's getting worse not better, I also recommend stopping the other washes and medications. They don't seem to be helping and the speciaist is best placed to advise you what to use.

Stop changing his foods around. Pick one thing to feed him and feed that exclusivly through to your consult. Your specialist will be able to give you the best advice. It can take 4-8 weeks to get allergens out of the system so if you are introducing new foods you won't be able to tell whats causing the problem.

Covering his feet and cotton bedding are good idea you already have been given. No need to feel guilty he's on your bed lucky boy

Have hope there are plenty of people who suscessfully manage dogs with very bad skin and allergies. At my pups worst I was considering PTS if we couldn't make his life more comfortable, if he'd stayed as he was it wouldn't have been much of a life at all. All this because of lamb, sardines and grass We keep these things out of his life and he's now a fit and healthy 18 month old whose coat gleams and glistens with health. He hasn't had a scab, open sore or rash for 8 months

Edited April 25, 2011 by Polgara's Shadow

[Erny]

Oh dear . Your poor pup has been through the ringer with all the drugs and chemicals, hasn't he?

I would give the Calendula a go. If it is going to help Oscar, you should notice improvement within the first 12 - 24 hours. A lot better than more assault with cortisone and the such like, if the Calendula will do the trick.

I would also back off everything chemical, and if it were my dog, that would include any spot-ons and any vaccinations. No baths - nothing, save for the Calendula. Give his little system a chance to adjust itself and settle.

ETA: Where abouts are you? The Health Food Stores (where you purchase Calendula) would be closed, but I have a little I can spare you to tied you over for today.

ETA: This, until you get to see the Dermatologist.

Edited April 25, 2011 by Erny

[Miranda]

Not a nice thing to have to suggest but I would be asking for a punch biopsy to check for cutaneous lymphoma.