# Itching problems



## the9ulaire (Jul 11, 2006)

My dog is a female schipperke/chow. For quite some time she has been itching her skin way too much. She will sit there and just constantly scratch herself very vigorously. We recently had her groomed, and there have been no improvements. We have changed her food, we have tried using different shampoos to help her, and nothing has helped at all. The problem seems to be getting worse. My dad has tried talking to a few people, but nothing seems to have helped. The suggestions are things that I mentioned that we have now tried.

My father has even resorted, while humorous it is a good idea, putting duct tape on her fur where she scratches. She just scratches elsewhere then. It is not fleas...

We don't really care to go and take her to more and more people who just end up with our money and their pockets and we are no closer to getting the problem fixed.

Anyone have any ideas or anything that could be of help?


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## Lorina (Jul 1, 2006)

Have you taken her to her vet? He or she should be able to give an injection and medication to help with itching. And find out what the cause of the itching is. Not to sound mean, but I'd say at least 50% of the clients who tell us their itchy dogs don't have fleas, have fleas. Even just a few bites could make her very itchy if she's highly allergic to flea bites. (I'm very allergic to fleas and mosquitos myself, and will itch for literally weeks from one bite.) Or she could be allergic to something else. I know one dog who's allergic to grass. Fine during the fall and winter, but as soon as spring and summer hit, he's scratching all the time.


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## OwnedBySix (Jun 12, 2006)

She really should have an allergy test done at the vet's office. Are you using any flea or tick medication? She may have an allergy to that as well. And some dogs get flea dermititis, which, (correct me if I'm wrong someone) can affect dogs just remotely subjected to fleas, not necessarily those that 'have' them.

The only things I can suggest are to supplement her with some fish oil capsules in the event that it is severe dry skin, and there are also several sprays you can buy to put directly on the places she itches. I swear by Breeder's Choice AvoDerm Spray which can be found here http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/product_detail.asp?pf_id=11046405&dept_id=203&brand_id=665&Page== You can also safely give regular Benadryl, but you would have to check the dosage with a vet based on her weight. I know I can give my hounds one tab 2-3 times a day and they range from 60-80 lbs.

I really would consider having an allergy test done though...untreated this could cause major problems.


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## bigdawgs (May 21, 2006)

You may have changed her food, but if there is an ingredient in the food the same as the old, it can still be causing problems. Have you changed floor cleaners, bedding, laundry soap? lots of dogs are allergic to wool, we se allergic reactions to it a lot.


> And some dogs get flea dermititis, which, (correct me if I'm wrong someone) can affect dogs just remotely subjected to fleas


 This is absolutely TRUE. Skin problem are the hardest thing for a vet to treat, because it takes SO long to figure out what is going on, secondary infections occur and treatment to really clear it up can take months.


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## razreshat (Oct 31, 2006)

To add to the confusion, I have a dog with a similar situation. We are still in the middle of figuring it out, so take this for what it is worth, but one thing our vet did first was a thyroid test. Apparently dogs can have thyroid problems that will cause them to scratch their skin. 

One of the problems we are having, is that so many of the tests are very expensive and we don't have a high degree of confidence that they will provide an answer. 

So far, our dog is on a "special" food, which means a variety that can only be bought at a Vet. It doesn't appear to be helping, but he has only been on it for a week or so, therefore I am defering judgement as best I can.


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## LoveLilly (Oct 25, 2006)

I have a Papillon that itches a little more than usual so have begun the steps to fix it. and I do one at a time so I know what it was. First, I started washing all her bedding, clothes, collar in Dreft laundry detergent. Its gentle detergent for babies. Next, I added fish oil which she needs for another issue but it will also help with dry skin. Last, I have gotten a medicated soothing shampoo from my vet. I started these steps just within the week so we will see how it goes. If it does not improve then when she goes in 11/22 to get spayed I will have a blood test done to test for allergies. I don't want to switch around food until I know what to switch to.


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## Dulce (Oct 2, 2006)

Really, you should get her allergy tested. I got my dog allergy tested by a Dermatologist. 

I chagned her food to presription only, fish and potato, and it's done wonders. If your current food has corn in it...switch!!! 
What food are you feeding now? What were you feeding before??

I give my dog 6-7 Benadryl a day to help with itching.


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## razreshat (Oct 31, 2006)

Did it take a while for the Fish and Potato diet to "kick in"?

We have had our dog on the same diet for a little over a week and have yet to see any change. I understand that sometimes these things take time, but I just want to have an idea of how long to wait to either see results, or know it isn't working.


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## Dulce (Oct 2, 2006)

It takes time! There is no specific time it takes for food to "kick in"

You will just notice a difference. With mine, she had a massive reaction to something, and she got a cortizone shot. Shortly after, I changed her food, and since then, she's had no problems.

I started her on new food before the cortizone shot wore off (it lasts about a month in their systems)

Talk to your vet about that. It gives your dog immediate relief, and they won't be miserable. Be aware though-steroids can cause mood swings, accessive peeing, increased thirst, etc. But the results are great


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## Erin (Oct 28, 2006)

My shephard has a very bad itching problem also. He's been to the vets and has had cortizone shots. Even that did not seem to help. He told me it was allergies but did not offer to test for what kind. I have gone thru the skin scaling like white flaky dandruff to the point of his hair falling out in places. His nose got all grey on top with black pieces of skin? falling off. I gave him oatmeal baths and flea baths. Then during a belly rub, I discovered he did indeed have fleas and I got Advantix from my vet. Right now he seems to be improving but I really don't know if fleas were the sole problem as it is getting colder out and it could have been an allergic reaction to something else. Oh yeah, he also got a terrible smell to him that he was put on antibotics and it went away. Anyone else experience any of these symptoms?


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## Dulce (Oct 2, 2006)

Actually yes, at this time of year it CAN be an allergic reaction.

Fleas are a big possibility. I recommend bathing your dog 1-2 times a WEEK, and upping your flea control to every 2 weeks. 

Don't use a flea shampoo as this will continue to dry out your dogs skin.
I use Shea Pet Oatmeal and Lanolin or something I think that was approved by my dogs Dermatologist. You can find it online...I would seriously consider it. Shea Pet - Premium Skin and Coat Care Products That's it! Check it out!
We sell it at my work and it's really popular.

Giving your dog regular Benadryl dosages a day will help with scratching and irritation. I give mine about 6 a day. I stuff them in TaterTots so she eats them.

Cortizone helped my dog, but each dog is different. Change to a hypoallergenic food, and don' give your dog treats except for potatoes and carrots. (Seriously, no dog will react to these-not even MINE haha)


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## logan's mom (Oct 17, 2006)

My 6 year old shepherd had very bad severe itchy skin. He had hair loss and was constantly scratching to the point that he would bleed. He had been under a vets care for 5 years for this. They gave him steriod shots which only worked for about 2 to 3 weeks. We had all the testing done for allergy's. According to the results he was allergic to certin grasses and foods. He also had a bad odor to his skin and would get little "pimple"like bumps that would pop and then scab over, only to have him scratch at them horribly. I tried him on Atopica, very expensive for a dog his size. We tried that for 4 months. I came accross an article in our newspaper about staph infections in dogs. One that is hard to treat. Well a trip to the vet and a request(demand) for the test showed that he had the staph infection. After taking Erythromycin for 2 weeks, my dogs skin and coat started to look so much better. Today my dog takes no medication for "allergy's" and has a beautiful full coat of hair. 
Anyone that has a dog that has been diagnosed with allergys may want to have them tested for staph. the test was 99.00. Well worth it after the thousands I had spent on all the other treatments and meds.


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## logan's mom (Oct 17, 2006)

Here is the article I saw that led me to have Logan tested.

HEALTH & MEDICINE / Humans can pass superbug to pets, researchers say / Over a three-year period, 38 animals are found to have a drug-resistant bacterial infection

By MIKE STOBBE
Associated Press 
ATLANTA - People can get plenty of diseases from animals - bird flu, for one. 
Now there are signs dogs and cats can catch a dangerous superbug from people. 
At a large Philadelphia veterinary hospital, scientists report that over a three-year period, 38 dogs, cats and other pets caught a drug-resistant staph infection. 
They think six of the animals caught the bug from hospital workers. But it's likely that at least some of the other cases were spread to pets by their owners, said Shelley Rankin, chief of clinical microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. 
"I don't think it's necessarily that you come home and pat Fluffy on the head and then Fluffy gets sick," said Rankin, who presented the data this week at a medical conference in Atlanta. 
But given that an estimated 1 in every 100 people carry such bacteria in their noses, it could be transmitted by closer contact, she added. 
"We pick them up, kiss them on the face. We let them lick us," she said. "Then they lick their skin." 
All the pets recovered 
The animals were infected with Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterial infection that is typically hard to treat, although all the pets recovered. 
They included 26 dogs, eight cats, three parrots and one rabbit. The dogs developed skin and ear infections. The cats got urinary tract infections; the parrots, skin infections; the rabbit, an ear infection. In people, the germ often appears as a nasty skin infection but can also cause other symptoms. 
Researchers don't know if the bacteria spreads from animal to animal, although dogs don't naturally harbor it. 
The animals may have caught the bug at other vet clinics before they arrived at Penn's Ryan Veterinary Hospital or they may have caught it from their owners, Penn researchers said.


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## scissorhands (Oct 28, 2006)

*Itching*

It sounds like she is allergic to either food, grass, weeds, etc. When you switch a dogs food the results usually are not seen for several months. What food did you switch to? The all natural foods are best-those with no artificial dyes or chemical preservatives. Don't feed anything where the main source of protein is bone meal, corn or by-products.

If she was having an allergic reaction to flea bites she would have scaly, red patches on her skin. (Kind of looks like ringworm) If she is having a allergic reaction to fleas, she would need antibiotics. I suggest you take her to a vet. And I am surprised your groomer did not suggest that.


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## happybehold (Nov 2, 2006)

maybe it's a yeast problem. Vets don't help with yeast problems. My dog may have a yeast problem so I'm considering going to Nzymes.com to look at their products.


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## Erin (Oct 28, 2006)

I am looking into the staph infection testing. I called my vet and he says that's only a human test. He said we should see him, can you bring him in. I am insisting he do the staph testing just to rule it out. I hate seeing my shephard digging constantly and having his skin just flake off. He now has black peeling skin around his eye. I am printing the articles about the staph infection and going to take it to my vet. Wish me luck.


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## logan's mom (Oct 17, 2006)

Good luck. I too had to insist on the test. My vet swore that it would come back neg. Boy was he surprised when it was possitive. The lab mix across the street from me had the same symptoms and was also on steriods and other meds for the past 5 years. We also use the same vet. Well her dog also tested possitive and now is med free and has a very full coat of hair. This poor dog looked so mangy before. Just like Logan, she had baldness, itching, and sores that scabbed over. People in the neighborhood cannot believe they are the same dogs.


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## razreshat (Oct 31, 2006)

In reference to the Staph infections. Was your dog's skin flaking on its own, or was the dog biting or scratching at it?

I believe that my dog has two overlaping issues. He seems to have some mild alergies, he used to chew on his paws alot, but I think he has a second issue on top of that. 

As I said above, he used to scratch alot and chew on his paws (which I understand is a classic dog with allergies symptom), but those have gone away after having him on this new diet (potato and fish based food), but he is still scratching or bitting spots till he tears out some hair and the spot bleeds. He only does this when we are not home too. 

So I am begining to believe that he has allegies as well as perhaps some sort of skin infection. My concern is spending thousands before the vet stumbles upon the correct diagnosis.


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## logan's mom (Oct 17, 2006)

Yes, my dogs skin had alot of flaking on its own. there were big and small flakes. It was like he had very dry skin. He also would get little bumps that would eventually pop and then seem to get bigger before drying up. I think the steriods he was on helped them dry up faster, but did not keep them from appearing. Logan had all the allergy tests done that were available and was on several different meds. I took the long shot on the staph after reading the article and researching the staph infections. It paid off because that test was possitive and after taking the erythromycin he completely healed and started getting his hair back. no more mds other than heartworm pills.


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## logan's mom (Oct 17, 2006)

Erin, Good Luck on the staph test. I hope your luck is as good as mine was. What a releif to have a happy,full-coated, itch-free dog.


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## Erin (Oct 28, 2006)

Thanks for the good lucks. I took my shephard to the vet and asked him about staph infection testing and he said there's no need to do a test, I can see he does have staph. He put him on Tmp-Smt, whatever that stands for and in a month, his hair has grown back, his scabbiness is healing and the smell is starting to diminish alot. He still scratches though but hopefully that will cease also. Does anyone know if Rimadal affects a dogs kidneys and liver? My dog is on it for arthritis and it has worked miracles for him. I am giving him 1 tablet every other day and it seems to be just as effective as daily. Any comments? Thanks.


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## dixie (Nov 23, 2006)

my 2 dogs have been itching too


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## Dogged (Nov 19, 2006)

TMP-SMZ = Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole is an antibiotic.

Rimadyl is a commonly prescribed NSAID for dogs, and it has done wonders for a lot of dogs, and nothing for others. There can be side effects of liver and kidney problems. Most vets will recommend a blood panel prior to starting the medication to be sure your dog doesn't already have problems with their liver or kidneys, and they recommend a blood panel every 6 months to a year thereafter to be sure no more damage is being done. 

There have been reported cases of animals getting very ill on this medication and dying from it. I think these cases are rare, but just like with all the disclaimers on the commercials for human medications, are possible. There are a lot of people that hate this drug, because of these cases, but it has also improved the lives of alot of dogs by decreasing pain. 

If your dog is doing well on it, especially every other day, I would continue it and just get the blood work when your vet suggests.

There are other alternatives too. Different kinds of NSAIDS (which can have some possible side effects too), and other more natural supplements.


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## logan's mom (Oct 17, 2006)

Erin, I'm so glad that your shepherd is doing better. Mine is still doing great. His coat really looks good. And yes, they do seem to smell better once the staph is gone.


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