audrey28 Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 I adopted a 5 year old Westie a few months ago and I have noticed some black patches of skin on her tummy and under one foreleg when all her other skin is pink. Is this common in Westies? She doesn't scratch or appear to be itchy, although she occasionally rubs her beard on hard surfaces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boronia Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 (edited) Hi Audrey, it may be a good idea to contact Amanda at Qld Westie rescue for advice, she has rehabilitated many Westies (mostly by a diet change to all-raw) perhaps email her with photos West Highland White Terrier Club QLD Rescue Amanda Cloughley 32066460 or 0428722577 Email : [email protected] eta: what is your Westie's diet at the moment? Edited December 27, 2014 by Boronia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audrey28 Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share Posted December 28, 2014 Thanks Boronia. I have her on a grain-free diet of Applaws and VIP with added flaxseed oil. I supplement with plain chicken breast for variety. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boronia Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 (edited) Penny had very bad skin problems when I first got her, the woman who had her before me had treated them and was making headway. Through trial and error and with the help of DOLer advise I have now put my three on a raw/grain-free diet. They get minced turkey necks (or chicken) as well as a big dollop of vegie-slops (all raw and slopped up in the food processor: cabbage, silver beet, spinach, mint, herbs, sweet potato, pumpkin with the skin, I also add ACV (non-pasteurised), olive oil, ginger, fish-oil capsules, mustard, banana, eggs: shell and all, a couple of oranges and a couple of stalks of peeled aloe vera. Her skin got better very quickly. I think that the ACV is the solution as it helps with the prevention of yeast build-ups. If you give fish oil it is recommended to give a supplement of vitamin E. Westies seem to require a completely raw diet for optimum health, even grain-free kibble is only used as a stop-gap when you have run out of raw :) They also get whole chicken wings at tea-time, garnished with vegie-slops. I usually sprinkle a little turmeric over each meal Also, once a week I give them a tin of Woollies home-brand mackerel. You may find this old topic of interest http://www.dolforums..._1#entry4778020 Edited January 3, 2015 by Boronia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westiemum Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 What Boronia said???? My westies do best on a raw grain free diet. My Sarah had a black yeasty tummy - looked like a bitumen runway it was so black - and she was horribly itchy ????. Removed all grains from her diet and only use grain free dry food in an emergency and its cleared completely. My theory is that the grain/carbohydrate feeds the yeast and makes it worse - similar to hoomans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JB1824 Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 I think Westies (unfortunately) have a reputation for allergies. It could be that she's gotten through an itchy phase and the black patches are what's left - chronic licking can result in pigmentation of the skin. I agree with Boronia and westiemum, keep on with your grain-free diet. If she gets itchy again, you might want to rule in/out food allergies - although this can take a long time. We're taught that, ideally, dogs should be put on a hydrolysed diet (expensive, but should have no allergens) for 6 weeks before a food allergy can be ruled out. So if she stops itching and her skin gets better over the next 6 weeks, you might want to change her food temporarily to a diet with grain in it - then, if she gets itchy again, you can confirm that she has a grain allergy! :) On the other hand, if she's still itchy, and you still want to find out if she has food allergies you'll have to try changing ingredients, or try a hydrolysed diet like Hill's z/d or other alternative (hopefully there are cheaper options, but I've never had to research it). It's better to change 1/few ingredients at a time, but that will be very time consuming and difficult (which is why investigating food allergies can take a long time). Otherwise you could opt to manage her like an atopic dog (it's kind of like hayfever, except they could be allergic to many different allergens - not just pollens, and it might not just be seasonal) - in which case, what you're doing now I think would be good. Plus things like possibly increasing the dose of flaxseed oil (depends on how much you're giving now), oatmeal shampoos and trying antihistamines before having to control the itching with corticosteroids. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audrey28 Posted January 5, 2015 Author Share Posted January 5, 2015 Thanks for all your advice. I have talked to Amanda and am going to see her soon so she can check my girl's skin and advise me on a raw and veggie diet. Boronia, what ratio of AVC to olive oil do you use and how much per day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boronia Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 I either mix about 3/4 of a bottle of ACV into their vegie slops (I usually make up approximately a bucket-full), if I forget to add it into the vegie slops I just put in about 1/4 tsp with each meal. The olive oil I add about 1 cup to the slops. Interestingly Daisy got a red/irritated vulva, I put calendula on to soothe it, the redness and soreness has all cleared up but instead of being her lady-pink-bits the skin has turned black...looks quite odd when she rolls over for a tummy rub. Mac and Daisy both have marks on the back of their necks from the Advantix applications, I now put the Advantix in small drops along their backs and it still works ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 black or darkish skin is often a result of previous skin trauma. If there is no itching and the skin is not raised or inflamed I wouldn't be too concerned about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuralPug Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Advice given already is great. If she is yeasty, then the flaxseed oil could be feeding the yeast. Change to coconut oil or fish oil. Any sort of starch will aggravate yeast - no grains at all and keep potatoes, yams, carrots etc to a minimum and plenty of pulverised leafy greens with the meat, poultry and fish carcases. If she smells a bit like corn chips up close that is always a strong indication of a yeast bloom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audrey28 Posted January 9, 2015 Author Share Posted January 9, 2015 Thanks everyone. We saw Amanda today and she said there are no current active skin issues and she is overall in good condition, just a little matronly, so I am going to try her on the all raw diet and see how she goes. I met Amanda's amazing little rescue girl who came to her with no hair at all and is now a healthy, happy, hairy little girl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VizslaMomma Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Wonderful to hear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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