biglib Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Hi all, we (rammstein & i) are new to here & looking for advice on itching, i believe due to clover as he had this problem as a young pup last summer, he loves to army crawl through clover, anti histamine tabs seem to help but i am hesitant to use them daily the vet tested for fleas, mite ,mange etc etc & ended by agreeing with my "diagnosis" but also suggested fish oil caps 3000mg daily all was going well untill a few weeks ago & the irritation has flared again . I wash him with stop itch, apply excma cream to his belly/armpits he is fed mainly supercoat puppy & raw chicken necks with 1 or 2 beef,veg & rice meals a week. He is very healthy & happy, just so itchy he seems to be developing a small amount of dandruff on his back now too ..any suggestions would be appreciated. thnx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 step one, get him off the supercoat, too full of grains and rubbish. Put him on a dry food that is at least wheat free, or feed him all raw if thats better for you, at least you can control the ingredients. step two, since his itching is so bad I would be taking him to a specialist. Meantime keep him out of the clover or get him a rash vest/barrier cream. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biglib Posted November 4, 2011 Author Share Posted November 4, 2011 Thnx..i'l do that, can you recommend a dry food? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 wheat free brands are Royal Canin Maxi, Nutro, Nutrience, Eagle Pack. I would grab a bag of one type and stick with it for at least 2-3 weeks, see if the coat consistency improves. The dandruff could also be a lot of washing with harsh shampoos, how often are you washing him? Sometimes you can make shampoos into a rinse and dab it on. Antihistamines are a better thing for regular use compared to something like cortisone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biglib Posted November 4, 2011 Author Share Posted November 4, 2011 wheat free brands are Royal Canin Maxi, Nutro, Nutrience, Eagle Pack. I would grab a bag of one type and stick with it for at least 2-3 weeks, see if the coat consistency improves. The dandruff could also be a lot of washing with harsh shampoos, how often are you washing him? Sometimes you can make shampoos into a rinse and dab it on. Antihistamines are a better thing for regular use compared to something like cortisone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biglib Posted November 4, 2011 Author Share Posted November 4, 2011 mmmmm yer i probably do wash him to much... once a week sometimes twice as he sleeps inside & comes in at will thru the day... he loves getting washed & often jumps in the bath & waits, guess i'l have to cut down on them. What do you think on apple cider vinegar rinse ive been reading about on here? Will try one of the dry foods you mentioned. Thnx again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 if you want to just try a rinse I have had success with chamomile rinses, not actually shampooing the dog but making a big bucket of lukewarm chamomile tea and gently pouring over the dog, then towel drying. Some people have success with Calendula as well (a type of marigold flower) this level of itching that a regular vet cannot sort definately is worth visiting a specialist for. If they can work out what exactly he is allergic to then you can help avoid it. Sometimes these dogs are allergic to a few things (hence the constant itching) but a pile up of allergens then comes out as major rashes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussielover Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 It sounds typical of an allergic condition. My dog with atopic dermatitis also does the army crawl through the grass- she is allergic to grass! Typically these sort of allergies just get worse with age. Try the diet Nekhbet suggested but if you're seeing no improvement I would recommend you see a vet dermatologist and get a proper diagnosis. You will need to do a food trial and possibly have skin testing done if you see the derm. It doesn't greatly change your treatment options but obviusly if there's a food allergy you can get 100% resolution With atopy you can start on desensitization injections, young dogs (<3years) geberally respond better to these. Many owners see a 60-70% improvement on the injections and some lucky people see complete resolution! Otherwise your options are corticosteriods (cream, tablets, sprays), antihistamines and regualr bathing with medicated shampoos. Personally I use antihistamines (claratyne) daily in spring and summer for my allergy dog, she also gets the desensitisation injections. She also gets a cortisone cream on her tummy when she is really itchy. I use antibiotics and pred when appropriate as well (though rarely needed these days yay!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mason_Gibbs Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 2 weeks is not long enough to see a change if its diet related, 2 months is more like it.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sas Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Are staffies pretty infamous for allergic skin disease? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rysup Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 If it is in the armpits........it possibly is a fungal skin infection. Our Amstaff gets it, I am currently treating him for it, as the conditions have been perfect for it. Go to the pharmacy and buy a tube of Clonea Anti-Fungal Skin Cream. Wash the dog, and dry the area well. Apply twice a day at least. You will see marked improvement in about 2-3 days but must keep treating for 2 weeks. It works!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zayda_asher Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 (edited) Are staffies pretty infamous for allergic skin disease? Yes, absolutely. Sadly a lot of breeders dont take the genetic predisposition to atopy seriously Edited November 4, 2011 by zayda_asher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mason_Gibbs Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Happens with labs too when i go to the dermatologist we mainly see labs and staffys... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 (edited) 2 weeks is not long enough to see a change if its diet related, 2 months is more like it.. considering the scratching is seasonal it wont be 100% diet related. 2 weeks will tell you if the food is agreeing with your dogs system or not. If there is bloated stomachs, loose stools, vomiting, more inflammation etc you discontinue the food. If after 2 weeks the dog is doing well then you can continue on it longer. I find you can notice some positives after a couple of weeks to let you know if you're on the right tracks with it or not. Yup Staffs and AmStaffs in particular I see a lot of scratchers. Saying that a lot of them are usually on a poorer quality dry food. There are breeders that dont believe that dilute colours are a problem or that allergies have a genetic basis and breed with them. Plenty of dogs bred from that have demodex and sensitivities. Edited November 5, 2011 by Nekhbet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biglib Posted November 5, 2011 Author Share Posted November 5, 2011 Hi, thanks so much for all your advice, i didn't even think to call the breeder until it was suggested,their dogs are on property & dont seem to suffer from allergies however they said they tried super coat once & it dried out their coats too, they use bonnie which i knew but when i couldnt get it was told (by shop) supercoat was very similar, so i'l be changing biscuits today!!, the rest of his diet is just fresh/raw, they also said i can get antihistamine cream to use instead of tablets and i will also be trying the anti fungal cream, clonea as suggested but would it be better to stick to anti histamine tabs if i use the anti fungal cream??? Thanks again i really appreciate it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Maybe when you visit the vet, ask them which can be safely used together, and which might work best? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Florise Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Rather than trying different things that may not work, please get a referral and take your dog to a canine dermatologist so a proper diagnosis can be made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zayda_asher Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Rather than trying different things that may not work, please get a referral and take your dog to a canine dermatologist so a proper diagnosis can be made. Yep. A referral to a dermatologist is your best bet for a comprehensive treatment and management plan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biglib Posted November 9, 2011 Author Share Posted November 9, 2011 Hi & thanks to everyone for the advice, Rammsteins skin is looking 100% better already, anti- biotics worked miracles after cpl of days, have changed biscuits,he's loving the chamomile rinse's, havent tried the clonea ant fungal yet as i didn'y want to "overload" him but its in the cupboard on standby!! Does any one know of a good/reasonably priced dermatologist in western sydney? I know it sounds mean & stingy but i'm on a budget & the vet bill's bad enough!! Thanks again guys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zayda_asher Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 (edited) Hi & thanks to everyone for the advice, Rammsteins skin is looking 100% better already, anti- biotics worked miracles after cpl of days, have changed biscuits,he's loving the chamomile rinse's, havent tried the clonea ant fungal yet as i didn'y want to "overload" him but its in the cupboard on standby!! Does any one know of a good/reasonably priced dermatologist in western sydney? I know it sounds mean & stingy but i'm on a budget & the vet bill's bad enough!! Thanks again guys Specialists always cost a bit of money... maybe you can find out who is in your area and compare prices and then save it up? Going to the derm with my two certainly isn't cheap, but I'll tell you what: it's saved me from wasting and spending EVEN more money, which many people do by trying to go it alone / do it without the specialist It's not a problem that is going to go away, so managing it with your Vet whilst you save up the money could work My derm was really excellent at helping us work out a plan that allowed us to save when we were low on funds at one point: "We'll do ABC whilst you work on getting a new job and then XYZ can be done when you have the funds..." PS: Glad he's feeling better and maybe chat to your vet about the antifungal... if they felt you needed it, then it could be a very important part of getting his skin under control Edited November 9, 2011 by zayda_asher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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