Jump to content

Itchy Amstaff


biglib
 Share

Recommended Posts

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

The intitial outlay is expensive but you need to do what is best for your dog, not your wallet. If a specialist can identify the issue and put you on the right track to manage and fix it, surely that is a far better option for your dog than playing guessing games and trying heaps of different ideas???

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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

The intitial outlay is expensive but you need to do what is best for your dog, not your wallet. If a specialist can identify the issue and put you on the right track to manage and fix it, surely that is a far better option for your dog than playing guessing games and trying heaps of different ideas???

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't really help much but Nutro was fantastic for my allergy dog.

I just wanted to say your dog has the best name :D

Cant see why the Nutro helped though as it has grains in which many are allergic to

Maybe because the dog doesn't have a problem with grains. Thats the problems with allergies, so many people make assumptions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't really help much but Nutro was fantastic for my allergy dog.

I just wanted to say your dog has the best name :D

Cant see why the Nutro helped though as it has grains in which many are allergic to

Maybe because the dog doesn't have a problem with grains. Thats the problems with allergies, so many people make assumptions.

Yep, allergies are very individual... some dogs will have problems with some things and not others... It's only very recently (in 10 years of dealing with allergies) that we've had a problem with any grains here... certainly some grains can be common allergens, like wheat, as it's so commonly used in dog food / treats but that doesn't mean all dogs will respond to it and other grains that they have never eaten may still be fine for them. In the case of allergies what is good for the goose may not at all be good for the gander ;)

Edited by zayda_asher
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree thats why i asked if anyone knew of a good/sensibly priced one in my area. cheers

I'm pretty sure there are only 2 dermatologists in Sydney (there are only 10 in the whole of Aus!).

They operate out of the teaching hospitals at Camden and Sydney as well as SASH and ARH.

They'll be pretty much the same price. Could be a little cheaper at the uni (especially camden) but it is still pretty pricey.

Talking around $200 for the initial consult and then around $400 for allergy testing and a further $200-300 of any allergy vaccines required.

I'm not sure if the private practices are the same cost. The only advantage with the SASH or ARH is that the consult will be shorter because you won't have the students doing the initial work up and general physical exam (although it is great practice for them if you've got the time :))

I recommend that before you go (maybe while you're saving?) that you make sure you dog is on great flea protection. You could also do the 8 week food trial before you go-> they will get you to do this anyway, you need to rule out food allergies before you can pursue a diagnosis for atopy. This involves a strict diet of a novel protein and novel carb. Eg. roo meat and pumpkin ONLY. If you're dog is losing weight you can add some oils but you really need to consult a vet to do that. Novel means the dog hasn't really been exposed much to it before, so a meat like chicken and beef wouldn't be suitable.

You can also do fish and potato or rabbit and pumpkin/potato. There are also commercial allergy diets available such as hills z/d, royal canin hypoallergenic and eukanuba response FP. However this is only 70% sensitive- only 70% of dogs with food allegry test positive to commerical diets.

It would probably be best to get your regular vet to explain the food elimination diet more thoroughly if you decide to go ahead with it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

post-42437-0-80130700-1321091272_thumb.jpgHi all, just an update.. we had another flare up after an encounter with wet clover (the tshirt advice works gr8 but he slipped out sneakily!!) i called the vet & he said the anti fungal cream wouldnt hurt to try even if it wasnt fungal it would assist with the itch, changed biscuits again to the totally grain free canidae & within 2 days he's near to clear!!!

SO HAPPY... fingers crossed & thnks to all

Link to comment
Share on other sites

oh you should have mentioned your AmStaffs a blue and white. The skin problems are really no surprise with that colouration.

So glad you got his skin under control and he's getting better :cheer:

Edited by Nekhbet
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Are staffies pretty infamous for allergic skin disease?

Yes, absolutely. Sadly a lot of breeders dont take the genetic predisposition to atopy seriously :(

In my days running a boarding kennel I once called a vet for an opinion on a dog who seemed to be scratching too much. Vet said: "Is it a Staffie?" Skin conditions are all too common in SBT's and ASBT's. Unfortunately.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...