Help with skin problem

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#1
Hey folks hi:

Got a 50/50 Chihuahua/Terrier with the black coat brown eye brows and the white "Tux" on her chest. She's 3 years old and about 12 lbs.

As she aged she has gotten to rolling on her back and spinning on her hinney.
We've had coritisone shots given to her and she's OK for about 2-3 weeks then she's at it again. :eek:

We hate to see her in agony. We've use Dr. Foster/Smith shampoos on her 4 different types and from the Vet. also. Went to the feed store and got her "Exclusive", Lamb and rice. It's got the omega fatty acids and their coats now shine and do not shed as in the past.

The problem is her dry skin and itching!! What to do??? She needs her bath weekly, I'm careful to rinse her off and dry her off completely.

Don't like the idea of cortisone shots every month but she's in pain and we are at wits end!

When I brush her coat I see small white flakes on the brush, she drink lots of water and gets in long walks with me.

Really welcome you seasoned pet owners ideas this is all new to us and very hard watching her suffer. She's my lil kid now that ours are grown and she keeps me company, need her to be peaceful not in discomfort.

If I sound desperate it's 'cause I iz!!! :)

Thanks for your help.
Chinookman :)
 
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#2
Cod Liver Oil. Try it! And while you're at it, get some of the new flavored kind for yourself. And get it at a health food store - there is a difference! My parents tried it and my Mom took at least ten years off her skin. Seriously, it does wonders for dry dog skin; just a teaspoon more or less (adjust it to your dog's size, of course - I'm guessing as to your dog) over the food. Also, I've heard some people whose dogs have chronic skin problems do extraordinarily well with a food called Canidae, which has no wheat, corn gluten or any of the ingredients that are typically allergens to sensitive dogs. Nothing you buy at the grocery store or local WalMart is going to do any appreciable good. And don't fall for the Science Diet (or Eukanuba) propaganda! It's as or more expensive than organic dog foods and the ingredients are not of appreciably higher quality than the ones in the cheap grocery store feeds.

You are absolutely correct about wanting to avoid the cortisone shots! Steroids can have some nasty side effects!

Get her a good vitamin/mineral supplement, too, and don't be afraid to let her have some fatty scraps. I know some people would disagree with me on that, but I've always done it, and with the exception of two dogs (one was deliberately poisoned, the other was a rescue and had a bullet lodged in his spine which finally moved and paralyzed him), all of my dogs have been almost obscenely healthy into very advanced age. Dogs metabolisms work much differently than ours and as long as you practice moderation, some things that we would typically avoid can be beneficial to them.

You might want to check out this site: www.greatdanelady.com There is lots of great nutritional and health information. I haven't looked specifically for skin information there, but it's worth spending some time looking.

By the way, has your vet done any lab work on skin scrapings to see if there is a bacteria or some other organism causing her skin problems? You might want to get your vet to recommend you to a specialist; even though it will seem expensive, it can save you money and anguish by getting the problem specifically diagnosed and treated rather than having to go at it hit-or-miss. I've seen some dogs lives improved dramatically by that kind of treatment. My first choice is to treat holistically, but I really believe in getting specific help for my dogs (and cats) when it's called for, and we've created a lot of our pets' problems through the surfeit of chemicals in the environment, so sometimes it just takes science to defeat the problems that other science has caused.
 
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#3
Dry Dog SKin

Wow thanks for the help!
I'll go this morning to the health food store and buy a bottle.

If she does not get any better after a week then I'll take her to the vet and if he gives me the same ol tired "try another shampoo" then I'll look for another vet. Really don't want to he's really been good over the last 15 years but this is out of hand!

Again thanks!! I' keep yah posted just so you can see how hot your recommendations are you probably have a better record than most Wall$treet brokers LOL!

C_man ;)
 
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#4
I know how hard it is to change vets. We had to change ours after many years. He became ill, and not only cannot handle the large, somewhat eccentric dogs we have, but the medications for his treatment, according to a friend of mine with the same thing who was going to the same doctor getting the identical treatment, make you forget things you've learned. Not so much what you had for breakfast, but actual knowledge. We'd noticed a difference, but didn't know what was wrong until I talked to my friend and his wife when they were considering trying a more experimental treatment. (Which they did, and he's 200% better!) We still love our vet as a wonderful person and stop in to see him, but I think he's rather glad we don't ask him to deal with our monsters.

You might not have to actually change, though, just ask him for a referral to a specialist. If he doesn't want to do that, then it's time to think about a change. It's sad, but sometimes vets just don't like to move ahead. Seriously, though, shampoos aren't really going to give you much help with skin problems, as you've already found out.

Remember, too, the hot weather will definitely have an adverse effect on your dog's condition, and the increased pollen and pollutant concentration might have an impact too if your dog has allergies to any of them, so don't get too disheartened. The food will have a long term, lasting effect that will pay dividends into her old age. She won't eat as much of it, either, since it is much more nutrient dense, and she won't have as much waste to eliminate - fewer piles in the yard . . . HURRAY! (That's a big plus when you have 150 + pound dogs, believe me!)

Good luck! Do keep us posted.
 
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#6
Well, she's half and half terrier. Smeel really bad after a few days of running around chasing birds and squirrels!

I use Dr. Foster & Smith shampoo the oatmeal and PH balance etc.???? whew hate to see her suffer. I'm giving her children's benedryl for now so she can sleep at night until we can get her to a vet this friday.

I'll follow your link and accelerate my learning curve, thanks!

C-man
 
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#7
The Benadryl's a good idea. Everyone should keep some in their "canine first aide" cabinet. My vet told me the dosage is one mg per pound of body weight, but I always start with half that dosage. One of the things it's good for in emergencies is bee stings.

Although once a week sounds like a lot of dog bathing, I can definitely understand your desire to bathe your dog frequently. Terriers do manage to get stinky! They get into everything, and the ranker the better! My girls are like that (the Filas). Bimmer is quite the gentleman and is extremely fastidious. If he's smelly or muddy he washes himself off in the wading pool, then dries off in the grass before he comes in. Seriously, though, using a mild, pH balanced shampoo should keep the baths from drying her out too badly. If you can cut them back to every two weeks, or even every week and a half for awhile it would give you a chance to see if it makes any difference.

Keep us posted, guy, we're all pulling for you and your pup!
 
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#8
Well guy I am really embarrassed about this but it seem that it was really simple after all!
Seems that CHACHA is allergic to flea bites! ahem...who'dah thunk-it????
FLEAS???? man I used to giver her monthly flea treatment all the time but guess working all these hours I just slacked off. Got over confident that because I treat the lawn for bugs and fleas that all was oki-doki.......NOT...she's doing much better now and is now playful and romping about as normal.

I gotta say that, I really appreciate the hospitality of the host/ess? and all the other guest that made me full welcome... a big hearty thank you.

I may not be a regular here since I'm on the Diesel website and a Christian forum a lot but none the less very grateful so if I'm out fer a while forgive me and I'll stop by every so often to get an education.....oh yeah bi-monthly baths is next rather than weekly's!!! he-he-he LOL! and did have a Ph balanced shampoo that has no soap so the flea treatment will not wash off.

Gah-nat yah'll...yep ahm from Tejas...!!
 
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#10
www.dieselstop.com

It's for the Ford Powerstroke guys/gals that want to learn how to take care of and get the best out of their trucks! about 40k+ registered users on the site, my wife thinks this is my "other" woman ROFLMAO!!!!!!!! but it has saved me mucho bucks from being taken by dealers!

If yah need info on diesels cuz I know many pet lovers use them for going to the shows I may be able to help, be glad to if I can.

C-man
 

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