I am frustrated as to what to do with my boy. He has red bumps on his underside, and itchy scabby spots on his body. If you scratch them the scab comes away with bits of hair. When the scab leaves it does not leave bleeding behind. When he was a pup he had demodex on his face. He had 12 weeks of Aludex dips, and a course of 10 weeks on antibiotics. When that was all done, I took him for a check up and his skin still red and bumpy. The vet said he could generally be allergic to anything...he gave us Hibitane to bath him in every other week. It seemed to work in the beginning. But he is still scratching, scabby and his skin is smelly too. The demodex is gone.
Is there anything else I can do??? I have some orgainc tea tree, aloe shampoo.I thought about ising this on him as well as adding some sunflower oil into his food to help improve his coat.
Any tips would be great, thanks!

Sorry can't help much but did you advise the breeder of the Demodex as they shouldn't really breed from that bitch again.

Hope someone can help you on here.

Hi how old is he??
My friends ddb had bad skin and found out he is allergic to dust mites, travelled all the way to liverpool vet school for tests. My boy has a similar thing but i can normally keep it under control with his diet. The oil in his food may not be a good idea, i tried it with him and he had upset stomach and bad gas, sloppy poo's etc. It is common in younger dogs like a teenage acne and he may grow out of it. He was on bakers complete mix and his coat was great i have now put him on JWB and seems to have deteriorated a little so i will be going back to bakers alot cheaper too. My girl doesnt have any skin complaints at all but i feed her tripe and complete mix. They get sardines every once in a while for a treat, i just have to make sure that they are not too oily for them.

If he is allergic can the vets not prescribe a mild anti-histamine, piriton has been suggested in the past.

Louise

His skin today is bad lots of flakyness and he is itching alot more. Going to go back to Bakers asap, seems to be concentrated round his spine area, dont know if this is the same problem with yours.

Louise

Thanks you for replying.
My dog is 11 months old and on JWB but we are switching over to something a little cheaper as well. We are looking at CSJ. Its interesting that ever since you out yours on JWB his skin went down hill. I hope that changing his food will help. He has flaky skin mostly on either side of his spine, and shoulders. And bumpy on his neck chest and shoulders. I gave him a bath of tea tree/ aloe yesterday and it seems to have helped him a bit. He isnt as itchy.

What did your friend do about their dogs allergy? Dust mites are evrywhere!

this sounds very similar to something my old mastiff suffered from... unfortunately after many trips to the dermatologist still wasn;t much the vets sould do. he ended up on a medicated shampoo from america. however! my parents started putting pure aloe vera into his food (be careful of the stuff you buy as its often pasturised-kills all the goodness, or is made with the whole plant not just the jelly which is the bit that does the helping), PM me if you;d like the details of the kind he got put on. we found it really helped with his various complaints but his skin in particular.

i hope that he's not got what my Odie had, it was horrible for him. his underbelly was almost totally bald at the worst times and the patches were kinda weepy or bleedy when picked. he was so itchy and sore.

good luck with him

My ESS had something similar.  She had flaky, smelly, blotchy skin.  The vets put her on an antibiotic course, and oatmeal shampoo.  She would clear up, but when off the antibiotics it would happen again.
This though, didnt start until she was 14 years old, and she never had Demodex.

She had bald spots as well, on her shoulders.

Her ears were really bad too, always red and inflamed.  Would put her on ear drops, but it didnt help. 

How about rather than Bakers go onto Chappie!  In the same price range but it is a lot better!

Hi

He has special medication for it i think, i will ask him soon. Petplan paid out for all the allergy tests which is good and they limited it down to that, i would try the diet first. His coat was gorgeous on bakers mixed with tripe so thick, shinney and red. His skin was clear no spots or flakyness. There is a special shampoo by groomers/breeders cant remember the brand name which is for red dogs to but thats off the point

I will save quite abit going back to bakers but he has bald patches and my laminates never been so hairy, thers like a pile when he has scratched. They prefer smoky bacon one wont eat the other flavours. He will be 2 next month and it took a while for a good condition to come about when i put him on bakers dont know why i changed really

If it aint broke dont fix it!!!

The aloe will help soothe the itching, but changing his food is a good idea

HPH Louise xx

Hello
We are changing his food over. I hope that helps him.
How often should I bath him with the aloe/teatree shampoo? It really calmed down his itching, he still has flaky skin but hes not scratching so much now. I was wondering if I should do another bath in a day or so, then spread them out further? What do you think?
Thanks!

Louise you have got me really worried with this talk about Bakers.I hope you dont mind me giving my opinion :)
The ingredient profile and analysis of this food is really Low grade,and i'm worried that someone may be reading this and be swayed to change their dog onto Bakers... I fear skin problems will be the least of a dogs problems after being fed this product(i cant bring myself to call it food) for a long period of time.
I can not find one healthy ingredient,no matter how open minded and lapsed i try to be..add this to the list of colours and preservatives and i really feel feeding this product is a recipe for health disaster.
I appreciate that cost comes into it when feeding large breed dogs,but i have found when owners skimp on nutrition,the money they save is outpoured elsewhere,usually in vet bills...
Everything may seem fine and dandy now,but you have to look at the big picture,and the future health of your dogs.Feeding a product such as Bakers could not possibly do any good in the long term health of any dog eating it. We wouldnt feed our kids a similar product loaded with colours and sugars and not much else for every meal,so why subject our dogs to it?
On top of all this,dogs are carnivors,Bakers has a miniscule amount of meat,the protein is derived from grains which has an incomplete amino acid profile,which just cant be replicated with added supplements.

Misswager the only thing i have experienced similar to what you have described is ringworm.I remember pulling off scabs with tufts of hair in it exactly how you described.
I would put him on a super premium food with added fish oil and vitE supps and see how he goes.

Good Luck.

Hello, Thanks for replying,
He was on James Wellbeloved for 5 months or so, the food is hypoallergic and his skin condition went downhill. When we first got him he was on Beta, then he got the runs so we switched him to Hills, he was very gassy on it and we found out more about the food and changed to JWB. We are going to get CSJ for him, try it out. I know the first ingredient is cereals...but its funny how all my other dogs were on purina for years and they were very healthy. Now we know more about dog food, I am not about to put him on that...But this does seem alright for him..
Here is the ingredients:
 
Lamb with Rice (Wheat Gluten Free) 

Now, wheat gluten free, this diet contains a minimum of 28%, highly digestible, real lamb and is the ideal choice for active dogs or dogs with extra sensitive stomachs. It has become a firm favourite with rough collies - with some 'winning' results.

TYPICAL ANALYSIS   
Protein 22%
Oil 10%
Fibre 2.5%
Ash 8%
   
Vitamin A 10,000iu/kg
Vitamin D3 1,200iu/kg
Vitamin E 150iu/kg
Copper (as Copper Sulphate) 15mg/kg
   

INGREDIENTS
Cereals, Real Lamb Meat Meal, Oils, Unmolassed Beet Pulp, Minerals, Vitamins, Yucca Plant Extract, & EEC permitted anti-oxidants (BHA & BHT).

what does everyone think about bathing? How often with the soothing shampoo?

My American Cocker gets this when he eats something he shouldn't. So in his case it's food allergies. Maybe something to look into for you as well.

Vera

Misswager,personally i would'nt feed anything with cereals as the first ingredient and especially not a food containing BHA or BHT.Sorry,just my opinion.

What else should i try then, he was on bakers for a long time and his poos were good overall condition excellent and it sorted out his skin, he had no bad gas and his breath was good. Never had any vets trips at all.

I have tried JWB his coat is terrible, flaky skin bold patches etc (i know it isnt ringworm as it is common in the breed with skin ailments) and that the reason for this is his diet, breath stinks also. I know i should buy food that has meat as the first ingredient thats why i changed, very little do have this as a first ingredient i did try IAMS this gave him bad gas, sloppy poos so i took him off straight away. Still have the bag full in the cupboard. As for price i dont think i am scrimping on food when JWB is £40 for a 15kg bag which lasts them just over 1 week. I also buy tripe for my bitch as she refuses to eat without. What else do you suggest i buy, being the majority of the public using supermarket brands such as bakers with no documented ill effects. I am open minded as to what other people can suggest to me. Pets at homes own brand beef flavour has this as a first ingredient but i was put off as it being an ''own brand''

He isnt really that fussy, he can be a little intolerant to oils,  fish, vegatable etc gives him sloppies and gas. I found that JWB icean white fish was no good too. What is CSJ??? I am limited to a pets at home, there are no local animal feed stores near me that i know of. Tinned meat is not an option because like you said large breed both weighing in at over 60Kgs each, tinned food would costs its weight in gold.

I wash mine about every month or so maybe less depends how smelly and greasy they get. Washing too much  can remove essential oils from the coat and leave it dry and prone to flakyness.#

Louise

>What else should i try then

Here are my picks:

Orijen
Timberwolf organics (Both available from zooplus.co.uk)
Arden Grange
Canidae
Wainwrights,which i think is the PAH own brand??
Wafcol salmon& potato
Eaglepack

Commercial Wet foods to mix in to make dry foods more palatable:
Naturediet
Prize choice
Naturesmenu

I know there's more decent wet/dry foods,but i can't think of anymore right now.

The best supermarketish type brand would probably be Pro plan.Not a great food,but alot better than Bakers et al.Take a good look at the ingredients in Bakers,can you with all good conscience feed this to your dogs?

Below is a site i really like,it has a section on "ingredients to avoid" in pet foods,each and every one of Bakers ingredients can be found there and the reasons why they should be avoided.

http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients

Regardless what food one feeds i always recommend supplementing with Salmon oil and VitE,this is great for skin and coat.Also,probiotics help when doing a food changeover.

Hi
Thanks for the list, i have considered both arden grange(as they deliver) and wainwrights, ill shall get wainwrights on my next visit to PAH my friend recommends it she has a husky with a sensitive tummy. I mix natures menu tripe with my girls mix. Never heard of a few of the others but i guess its trial and error until i find one ;-) thats suits them will keep this list to hand.

Thanks Louise

Hi Louise,

I contacted CSJ and the lamb/rice combination foods will be naturally preserved soon, all the other makes are. Such as salmon and veg etc. We bought a bag today and we will see how he does on it. I know that meat should be the first name on the bag(CSJ does make food with meat being the first ingredient)...but as Louise said her dog was great before JWB...Louise here is the website if you want to have a look at it. You can order it online? That might be easier for you?

http://www.csjk9.com/

Hi there my BMD is on Skinners not for a skin condition but for tummy troubles ..but when he was first ill his coat was terrible but now it is so shiney everbody comments on it..this food is CHEAP because no VAT on it they do make all different sorts and you can ring them for advise..haven't looked back since he has been on this food much better than the Hills from the vets!!!

Has anyone dealt with Eczema on their dog before? I am wondering if this is what is bothering Murphy?
What about supplementing him with Omega 3-6-9 oils? Where can I get the, or can I give him human ones? Thanks!

Hi

Have you tried the Groomers Evening Primrose Oil Shampoo and there Food Supplement as well.

We use it all the time here in OZ for dogs with itchy skin and skin conditions with wonderful results.

And i know Groomers is an English Product that is imported to OZ.

So it must be readily available near you.

Regarding own brand foods, I believe Wainwrights is PAH's own brand, I switched to it some months ago for my cavvie cross springer.  He has a severe flea, and probably gluten, allergy, but this suits him perfectly.  I have just changed my whippet to it as well, as he seems to have a "delicate" tum, and easily gets loose poos.  It has almost immediate effect, and has sorted the problem nicely.  I would not hesitate to recommend it - not the cheapest, but better than JWB etc, at £25.99 a bag.  Hope it helps.

Well Murphy is still no better. I tried the teatree baths and coatex. Today he is going to the vet to see whats up?

The vet gave Murphy some antibiotics, piriton and Malaseb shampoo. He took a swab of a pustule and we go back in 10 days to see how things are going. Its a slow process of elimination to find out what is troubling Murphy's skin so much. The vet said he was going to see how many pustules disappear with the antibiotics, then he will determine the route of treatment if it doesnt get better.....

Do you have to let the dog drip dry with this shampoo?? The vet didnt say anything to me?? And the vets lable is over the bottle instructions :(

Poor dog, I hope he gets better soon, he is so itchy

You wet the dog, lather up the shampoo on him. I find mixing it in a jug with some water helps to get it distributed in the coat more easily). Then leave him with the shampoo on him for ten minutes. After the ten minutes rinse out the shampoo very well. I was told to use it twice a week for two weeks and then once a week for two weeks, but that, of course, was for my dog, and your vet may have something different to say. I would phone the surgery and ask to speak to him, just to check.

I have a fox terrier who is allergic to grass pollen (we had allergy testing done) and breaks out in spots and pustules. She can be extremely itchy and can scratch herself horribly, but the Malaseb really does help. In fact it has been pretty much miraculous! The antibiotics help to stop the itching, as does the piriton, so the Malaseb can get rid of the infections in the skin and let it heal. Before the allergy testing we thought of all sorts of things it could be, all of which were wrong - it's a very hard thing to guess!

I hope Murphy starts to get better quickly, and you manage to find out the cause.

Claire and Bracken the itchy fox terrier!

Hi
Have a look at this site www.camrosa.co.uk     http://www.camrosa.co.uk/dogs.htm    OMG did a link :) :)
We used it on horses but theres a dog bit as well
It is marvellous stuff for many ailments...and it works :)
Colleen

Just wondering if it could be a fungal infection.
That would itch terrible and cause a thickening on the skin.
just a thought.

Has he been tested for a baterial skin infection, Seborrhea or hypothyroidism?

Junior has always had flaky type skin and ever since I switched my crew to Nutral Natural Choice lamb n' rice his skin has gotten alot better- I also use a medicated shampoo on them its pink, sometimes after their bath I rub conola oil all over them like we would with lotion. Not to much just enough to rub all over and that helped with his itchyness and flaky skin as well.

The itchy red bumps could it be a rash/hives from something? Have you used a different laundry soap, stuff on your carpet, floor ect?

He hasnt been tested for anything yet. I am boggled as to why they havent. They did a swab of his pustules yesterday so I am hoping it will tell if its bacterial or not... I hope its nothing bad. I personally think its an allergy to something. We havent changed anything as for detergents etc. He has had a probelm with his skin for ages now. Its like he gets better after antibiotics then after a while they come back again. He could be needing them for longer. I dont want him to develop a immunity to them.

They said that its very difficult to pinpoint a allergy at his age(11 months). They said its a slow process of elimination. But I wonder why they cant take blood or do a patch test? Is he too young? I dont know much about it??

Fingers crossed!

Hello,
Thanks for replying...After the bath can you towel dry them? The vet perscibed me to bath him weekly.
Can they do allergy testing at 11 months of age?? I think it is a allergy, but they havent suggested testing...I dont know much about it? Thanks again!

With Malaseb shampoo he is supposed to be allowed to dry naturally, but I am sure you could pat of excess water to some extent just don't use a blaster or dryer.

Update.....  Murphy has been on antibiotics for 2 1/2 weeks now to clear up his staff infection which they found. And after his Malaseb bath treatments he is still mildly itchy, but we are gettin skin scrapings and blood tests done on next Thursday to see if he has any allergies to indoor/outdoor things... I am happy he is getting this done, then I will know if thats the cause or not,,,, the process of elimination! :)

My DDB has same problems but on his testicles!! he also had demodex when he was a pup which has cleared up with advocate. My dog was also smelly so the vets gave us malaseb to bath him in. Ive just got back from the vets and they have given him rilexine antibiotics, for his testies. You said your dog is a year old, i was wondering if they could be from the same litter as our problems are the same? mine was born on 9/3/07

Murphy was born on the 25/03/2007...his first birthday today...
I got him from Colchester... That would b horrible to have that on his testies..poor guy