Skin Irritation

[pesh]

PLEASE can someone help me. I'm almost to the point of tears. One of my dogs has been driving me mad with a skin irritation.

I've bombed - for fleas (plus eggs)

I've changed diets - 2 weeks ago, to bonnie

I've sentinalled - yesterday

I've washed - with oatmeal shampoo

I've cleaned - bedding and pen

I've lost the plot. We need help. Like natural remedies if any, but if not - it's a trip to the vets.

[KitKat]

Are they just scratching? or is the skin coming up with welts etc?

A hit of flea spot on might help...i use sentinal as well, but every so often stick on some advantage/frontline just to give a boost and kill any that have jumped on my dogs for a short ride...

Cats in the area are bad for carrying fleas about, which is why i spot on every so often.

[Koza]

You probably missed checking out what grass is she laying on.

And you are too impatient Any changes in diet and flea treatments may take a few weeks to work.

Can be carpet allergy, too.

[holly]

Pesh, the best foods I found for allergies in GSD's was BARF adn have spoken to a Kiwi penfriend they are feeding fish and potatoe to their GSD and it is working a treat.

Depending on the Bonnie food, it may contain red or wheat, which are the two number one no no's. I have had good/great results using Advance large breed, the Turkey and Rice made no difference. Grasses, well that is tough one, Koza, esp if you 101 varieties in your yard.

[Kavik]

Diesel is allergic to one of the plants in the yard ( a relative of wandering jew plant). He has an itchy and red tummy. I wash him with pyohex and he was on pred for a week. Now need to get rid of the plants (proving very difficult as it has spread everywhere and it is a rental property!)

Any ideas on how to get rid of the little stinkers?

[KitKat]

Blackberry poison...several times , it's a horrid thing to try and get rid of cause the damn thing seems to be able to grow from a dropped leaf! Just turns up everywhere. Poison the plants first thing in the morning of a sunny day, head out for the day with the pets and it should all be fine by the time you get home.

[pesh]

No not the grass, or carpet. There's a huge decking and have dog bedding out in the pen.

Yes, realise food can take weeks. But I don't want to leave anything to chance, or too long.

Thx everyone, much appreciated.

Going for a drive up the pet shop, see if there've got BARF.

[holly]

Hi pesh

it is easy to make your own BARF, do a search on DOL, you maybe able to find BARF patties at good pet shops, I haven't tried. Allergies are a real pain to work out, good luck and let us know how you go?

[mita]

I've discovered that my Gracie's skin allergy flares up, if even 1 flea gives her 1 bite.

I've found that Advantage...applied almost monthly keeps the fleas away. I make sure the stuff gets right on her skin....& shave 2 spots (about size 50 cent piece), one between her shoulders & one between her hips.

Have also found that 'overbathing' her seems to irritate her skin.

She eats Supercoat Lite (bit podgy, too)...& lean chicken, basmati rice & vegetables, sometimes tuna added. I put some Melrose Flaxseed (Linseed) oil in her dinner (from fridge in health food stores.)

Also during a phase when she's getting the itches, I give her antihistamines (Polaramine)...recommended by the vet (talk to your own vet about this).

And I put clean cotton cotton sheets on her bed (I get them from the Op Shop.)

[PAX]

sorry thread hijack;

Holly,

How is your itchy dog going?

[holly]

still fighting it PP, that is why I have not posted back, no closer to the cause, some days are worse than others, the kangaroo meat made no difference, the Fido's zippo, am giong to try the fish and potatoe next. if I do have an enviromental problem of grasses and weeds, I don't know where would start, as the two acres out the front that the dogs access, has all sorts of green things growing. I have not gotten to the vet yet

ETA: I have been putting my dogs over in our next door yard, where our In laws live, to protect the dogs from the neighbour, to catch the in laws throughing food over their verandah, I have no idea what it was, but it took about 10 mins for 3 GSD to eat it, how long they have being doing this, I have no idea, so now have my allergy one in our yard 24/7 to be able to control at least what food they get.

Edited March 24, 2005 by holly

[Tilly]

Try Omega 3 and/or Sardines - helps a dry itchy skin.

[abbeyandsandy]

Our German Shepherd, Cindy (may she rest in peace), seemed to be allergic to everything. We had her on flea allergy tablets (which did help). She lost all the hair from her waist down and her skin became black and tough. The poor thing was so itchy. A friend with a Border Collie was having the same problem and they had made up a tea-tree oil solution (combined with a base oil) and massaged that onto their dogs irritated skin. As they were having such success with it, we did the same for Cindy. The Vet never thought that her fur would grow back, such was the severity of her hair loss. But we kept up with the massaging of the solution and we had wonderful success. All of Cindy's fur grew back. After that, we just sprayed her with tea-tree oil diluted with water on a regular occasion. I've had a huge interest in aromatherapy oils and their many uses ever since.

Abbey, being a Labrador, does not have a bath very often, but when she does, tea-tree oil is added to the shampoo. Adding fish oils to meals also helps - not only with the skin irritations but also with any arthritis and joint inflamation.

[Zensu]

Tea tree oil is a great thing for skin problems. I make it up with an almond base oil..about 10 to 1 and it works wonders on my allergy "hot spot" girl. I have also found that when I bath her, rinsing her in chammomile tea takes the heat and redness out very quickly.

Another product I have found great over the years, is "UDDER CREAM" hard to get these days, but I think that a few stock feed stores still have it. Its used for cracked and sore udders on dairy cows, and is a fish oil (cod liver oil I think)(smells icky) base. I lather it on my old dog, who gets summer itch. He looks a treat for a few days..dirt stuck to it etc etc.. but after a bath..problem is 100% better. always worth a try..and nothing in it that can cause any harm

Julia

[mita]

Another product I have found great over the years, is "UDDER CREAM" hard to get these days, but I think that a few stock feed stores still have it.

Thanks for this tip. Shall look into it.

ADDED: Did a search & found MooGOO...an udder cream that is also used for human dry skin.

Here's the site.

http://www.moogoo.com.au/category1_1.htm

Edited March 26, 2005 by mita

[Guest magnum]

hi Pesh,

get your girl off the Bonnie, the wheat in this product may upset her.

Try Advance as it is made with chicken not wheat...

[holly]

Although getting to the bottom of allergies is really important, I was speaking to an elderly friend yesterday. A bitch they bred, 7 years ago, has developed allergies, they are working through diet and enviroment still haven't worked out what has triggered the allergies, the skin under the belly went rough and black, their vet, to give the dog some relief, put them on human antihystamines, far more economical too than most vet meds, adn the dogs coat is growing back lovely and the skin looks just peachy.

When I am next in town, I am going to try that as well as I am going to see my supplier about bulk fish and try a home made fish and potatoe diet, that the NZ friend said has made all the difference to their dog. Another has their GSD on Eagle Pack Holist Select

http://www.eaglepack.com.au/sysPages/PageL....aspx?menu=M014

and they swear by the product, this dog is cronic. They said they can buy it for less than $80, for 13kg, shipped to their door, they forgot to bring the companies details yesterday, the only place in Qld I have found so far will sell at a discounted rate of $110 shipped to the door, does anyone know of another avenue I can try? Please PM if you do. As I would like to give this product a go on one dog, the rest of mine are doing great on Advance.

Thanks

HOlly

[British_Bulldog]

PLEASE can someone help me. I'm almost to the point of tears. One of my dogs has been driving me mad with a skin irritation.

I've bombed - for fleas (plus eggs)

I've changed diets - 2 weeks ago, to bonnie

I've sentinalled - yesterday

I've washed - with oatmeal shampoo

I've cleaned - bedding and pen

I've lost the plot. We need help. Like natural remedies if any, but if not - it's a trip to the vets.

I second this request also having tried everything

Now our dogs are one inside and one outside which makes it harder.

Did have the anal glands checked (apparently not all dogs have checkable glands) one had a slight prob but not the other dog

This has been going on now since Jan 05. Thought maybe the heat but no same in cooler weather.

They just itch to distraction. Some days not as bad as others.

My next step is to take both the boys to my herbalist to have a tonic made up, yes she does animals too.

[KOE]

I had a GSD that always was scratching I used to wash him in free itch rinse, someone suggested malasab and bingo within a couple of weeks washing him in that and changing food to optimum (as it is now called) only the chicken one he was fine.