My 3 yr old staffy x is recovering from a really serious bout of gastroenteritis. She has now developed a pink/reddy rash on her tummy and legs, (mainly to shaved areas where she had an emergency operation). The vet believes it is an allergic rash. Anyone had similar please?

Hi Anne,

Sorry to hear about your girl :(  My puppy had her tummy and sides shaved a few months ago for an ultra-sound and had what appeared to be a rash in the areas shaved but I think it had more to do with "razor burn" - ie. the clippers used weren't sharp enough (she had small cuts and scratches from them too) :(  She was uncomfortable for a couple of days and I merely bathed the area with a cool damp flannel when she seemed irritated and it cleared quickly.

However you girl's problem sounds different - particularly as your vet seems to think it's an allergic reaction.  Did he not give any indication as to possible cause?  It could be something her skin is coming in contact with (such as cleaning agents on fabrics, bedding, floors) or could be in her diet.  Has she had any changes in food/titbits?  Do you know what kicked off her gastroenteritis for eg?  Sorry it's all Qs and few As but perhaps if you could provide more detailed info about her condition and also your vet's advice so far, some more replies will be posted. 

Best wishes meantime, Teri  :)

Hello Teri,
The vet said the gastroenteritis could have been something she ate - perhaps a toad? She is a real scrounger and does eat anything that moves, so that seems possible? The rash appears to be calming down a bit now, not quite so red but as you mentioned we did think it could be washing powder or something and so are trying to eliminate things. She does have a different diet, in that she is still on the 'sensitivity' food from the vets. She had about 10 days without any food, so hopefully soon, the vet will suggest we wean her back onto her normal dried foodstuff. I cannot believe she is having a reaction to the tinned sensitivity food as it is basically only chicken and rice? 

I cannot stress enough for everyone to keep their dogs jabs up to date, as this was the worst experience ever!! It was the worst gastroenteritis our vet had ever seen and they didn't think she would pull through this but this morning, she seems to have turned the corner!! Thank Goodness!
Thanks Teri for replying.
Anne

what have jabs got to do with GE?

The only reason I mentioned the jabs is that the GE could have been caused by a virus, as Terri mentioned but also because the symptoms of my dogs illness mimicked 'parvovirus' but blood tests proved inconclusive for this? Better to be safe than sorry, I think!
My dog is only 3, very fit and previously had never had a days illness!! She was absolutely fine on the Sunday, then fell ill on the Monday morning. BEWARE!

Hi Anne - some are just 'orrible little scavengers :rolleyes:
I've read on here recently about a serious gastric viral problem that has proven to be very dangerous mainly to puppies and elderly dogs and probably any in poor health already so maybe that's what was wrong, the fact your vet was surprised at the severity?  Anyway, good to hear she is on the mend :)

>I cannot believe she is having a reaction to the tinned sensitivity food as it is basically only chicken and rice?<

dogs can be allergic to one or both of these ingredients but fortunately not as commonly as say dairy, wheat, maize or gluten allergens.

>I cannot stress enough for everyone to keep their dogs jabs up to date, as this was the worst experience ever!!<

Unfortunately Anne regular annual vaccines do not protect against this type of illness - it's just one of those things that any dog can pick up at any time :(  Fortunately it usually clears up fairly quickly with resting the system, bland food and antibiotics to kill any bacterial infection.  Keep us posted on her progress anyway, regards Teri :)

Thanks for advice Terri, she is making steady progress now, so we think the worst is over!