Hello,it has been several years since I was on this forum, always had great advice before so really hope someone can help.
I now have a greyhound who is 5 years old.
About four months ago she started excessive licking and chewing her bum, went to the vets who prescribed steroid cream, did anal glands and they were fine Didnt work, so second visit as the licking and chewing had spread to her vulva prescribed another anti fungal steroid cream, did anal glands again although nothing came out and cream didnt work.
Third visit to the vets as at this point my poor girl has a vaginal discharge, prescribed antibiotics which cleared up infection but licking and chewing carried on. Around about the second visit she also had a sore ear, lots of ear wax and was scratching and head shaking ear flapping.
My fourth visit tonight ,prescribed Apoquel for a week and told to buy antibacterial wipes.
I am at a loss, I have washed all her bedding on a 95 degree wash, changed her diet to hypoallergenic (but only in the last 4 days) which I have to say is going well shes not a fussy eater I also removed the fern plant from my house just in case.
Asked vet to do a skin scrape for mites but vet said as Nina had nexgard she did not think it was necessary, and it didn't present  as mites.
The vets think that as she has a fold of skin over her vula that is what is causing the problem and they want to do surgery to remove part of that fold. Im very reluctant to do this, and why would that affect her ear ??? I am at a loss please anyone can you help, am I missing something obvious?

I would ask for a referral to a good dermatologist before any kind of surgery especially as it doesn't sound like anything has really been confirmed and now her ears . Its likley to all be part of the same problems and its all skin
. It is likely she has developed an allergy particularly as her ears are sore as well. Unfortunately skin problems can be tricky to diagnose and in my experience which now has been far to much it needs a vet experienced in skin
My fcr has allergies and has immunotherapy and also at times gets itchy around the vulva causing licking etc . We now use canastan liquid which is an antifungal.on vets advice Just like  the one used for humans with thrush . It helps considerable if the immunotherapy isn't sufficient. She also has ear problems caused by the allergens which is what the immunotherapy helps with
a week on aquopel is far to early imo to start considering surgery . It can take 6 weeks on hypoallergenic diets to see changes assuming it's food not environmental allergens

ashlee:  > The vets think that as she has a fold of skin over her vula that is what is causing the problem and they want to do surgery to remove part of that fold

Sounds as if you and your girl are having a really hard time.   From your description it sounds like intertrigo. One of my Labs was diagnosed with this many years back and showed
all the symptoms you describe. 

I took the old fashioned advice of preparing 50/50 domestic vinegar & warm sterile water and cleaning around her vulva with the solution each time she came in from peeing.
A little sudocrem was applied after cleaning.  Within a week there was huge improvement but I did decide to have the skin fold removed with surgery as a longterm solution.

Antbiotics were prescribed post surgery not just for concerns that infection might be a problem but at the same time, treating any urinary infection present.

Re her ear problem:  might be related as intertrigo is a yeast based bacterial infection but I would be treating this separately as dogs can't lick their own ears.
Hope this helps.

thank you so much I am going to try a canastan as well.

Thank you so much ,it all helps me make sense of this .

As someone who is going through allergy investigations with their dog at the moment (you can read my post a few below this), I think you need a new vet.

Before a vet prescribes a medication like Apoquel or Cytopoint, they are obliged (by the manufacturers) to rule out other causes and to be very sure it is allergic dermatitis.

Your vet hasn't even done skin swabs and scrapes, which are just BASIC tests for things like fungal infections, bacterial infections etc. They are not just for mites. No allergy meds should be prescribed until basic skin scrapes and swabs are run - vet can look at them under the microscope and get a good idea and can also send off to lab for them to be cultured. And no, Nexgard and other flea or tick meds don't treat for fungus or bacteria. These need a lab to culture.

I think you either need referral to a dermatologist vet as furry friends suggests and/or a better GP vet as well, because they should really know this stuff what with the amount of dogs presenting with allergies these days. Continually patching up symptoms in some kind of perverse whack-a-mole game just isn't identifying and addressing the root cause.

Totally agree 1234. It scares me when vets use things like aquopel at the drop of a hat and as for surgery at this point . Especially as the dog also has ear problems so its not a problem of one area its likley to be a skin problem of the body
I think we often forget that ear issues are skin problems and often there are secondary infections as well as a sensitivity to something

Thank you, i really feel that symptoms are just being treated and not the cause, i asked for skin scrape and swabs , I also asked for an ultra sound .My exact words were leave no stone unturned. The vets can be a little defensive and actually said they didn't think the itching from the anal area and vulva were related, I said at that point that I felt they were totally related ,to which the vet said, bit of a coincidence isn't it.
so yes also I have an appt on Tues with a vet I had used previously for many years with my salukis, So going to ask what he thinks and I know that he would be honest enough to say if he thought a referral to a vet with allergy/skin experience would be a good idea.

Sometimes its good to have somebody just say I don't think this is right, I am paranoid over my dogs, always have been, so at least I now don't feel i am over thinking it all.

My log in changed thats why my name is the different ( but the same)lol

Good to hear u are going elsewhere.  If the vet doesn't mention referral I would respectfully ask if that would be the way to .
My experience with 2 dogs with severe skin problems  and a great gp vet has definitely confirmed that somethings and skin is one a specialist is the way forward if its not really simple

Good idea to get another opinion I agree.

You don't have to get the vet's 'permission' to see a dermatologist - just request it. You can just say 'please could you refer me to a dermatologist?' and they will. After alll, you or your insurance, is paying... it will make no difference to the referring vet.

Allergens obviously affect all parts of a dog's anatomy but can the eyes be affected?  I came across the phrase 'wisp of ghost vessels 'dorsommedially'.  Looking into the owners story they were told this was allergen, trauma or previous conjunctivitis infection that had caused empty blood vessels to form.  Is this correct as there was no previous allergen problem, he had never had trauma to the eye and although conjunctivitis had been a problem, it had been treated swiftly.  The owner is worried it might be genetic or hereditary and his Vet could not confirm - surprise, surprise!

Allergies can start at any point and can affect any part of the body inuding eyes at any point of a human or dogs life .
No idea about this particular story but if I were concerned myself I would take specialist advice
I now realise that unless a general vet has a specific interest there is a world of difference between the basic understanding and that if someone who specialises.  Not surprisingly. Even working out what is wrong is a mammoth task and then trying to find a protocol for management is another task entirely .as I have learned a dog with allergies unless its a very simple food allergy is a lifelong task and I am lucky that u have found a vet who I work very closely with and we keep brooke comfortable .just hope she isn't planning in retiring anytime soon
As for genetic or hereditary component.i gather there is some thoughts that they maybe and research is being done . definitely some breeds are more prone so maybe it will be found its genetic then all we need is a test and to breed it out  simples! Not !
BTW I feel it was honest of the vet to say he did not know.  after all like doctors they cant know everything and not everything as yet has been discovered

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2855661/  could it of been this condition.? Doesnt sound like its link to allergies