We have tried everything from Benedryl, to Bitter Apple, to Sulfadene. Nothing is stopping it. She does not have fleas and is bathed about every 2 weeks.
2006-07-04 16:09:40 · 23 answers · asked by account_for_yourself 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
our dog did the same thing. She is allergic to flea bites, and started biting. we put Advantage on her to kill the fleas, but by that time, she had a yeast infection in her skin from all of the saliva from biting so much. they gave her antibiotics for the infection, and then they put her on prednisone, which is a steroid anti-inflamatory. It works great, but there are some side effects, so you should talk to your vet.
2006-07-04 16:16:53 · answer #1 · answered by Sarah W 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
hard to see fleas on a black dog and even one can cause this....my Maltese knows when one flea is on her and she bites at her skin until I find her with chunks of hair off and know she has one flea. As far as the bathing...weekly baths are fine. I bathe mine every week and have for the last 20 yrs...in FL, we have fleas and many people have to bathe that frequently. It may be the soap however, get a good quality oatmeal shampoo and use conditioner. Leave it on for 5 mins and see how that goes. Hot spots are also a problem....there is a spray call relief for this. Mange is also a possibility. good luck
2006-07-04 16:43:46 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are bathing her way to often. What has happened is that your too often bathing has taken the oil of her skin and her skin has gotten dry and itchy.
To resolve this, try giving her a raw egg or two a week, brush her firmly with a firm bristled brush (paying extra attention to the under coat).
I you go to the vet they could give you a special shampoo that doesn't take out so much oil, but still bathe her only when she gets smelly or really dirty to prevent this from happening again.
If it doesn't get better after a month or two, take her to the vets.
Yours Sincerely,
Alison
2006-07-04 16:34:33 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
1.food allergy (try Science Diet Fish & Potato, or Kangaroo & Oat)
2. too many baths (or wrong shampoo)
3. use Frontline, Advantage, or Revolution...the saliva from a single flea is enough to set off an allergic reaction. Stay away from the other flea topicals, sprays, collars, and powders...get the real stuff from the vet...
4. grass allergy
2006-07-04 17:28:52 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are assuming the allergy is from environment. That may not be. I have a Bichon Frise with allergies. I tried everything I could think of. I began to suspect food allergies. Many dogs are allergic to the more common ingredients in their foods such as beef, chicken,wheat and corn. It took another 2 years of research and experementing, including cooking for him. (That only made him fat!)
Try a food with the main ingredients that are not tipical. Natural Balance Potato and Duck formula works well. Also My dog can eat Beneful Healthy Radience Formula. Watch what you give him for treats too. Hope this helps.
2006-07-05 01:37:12 · answer #5 · answered by groomingdiva_pgh 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You're bathing her too much.
Labs shouldn't be bathed except for a few times a year at most - not a few times a month. They have very, very sensitive skin, if you want her to get clean, take her swimming more often, she'll be happier, she won't smell too much - shouldn't anyway.
You have to remember, they're working water dogs. They were originally bred to work alongside fishermen and longshore men from the time the Mayflower pretty much landed. Their coat is very, very thick and needs to have it's oils present - hence, don't wash them too much.
2006-07-04 18:17:32 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Black labs have very dry skin, my puppy does the same thing. shampoos made to moisturize or oatmeal baths are great, you have to bathe them more than every two weeks tho. Mine gets a bath 2 times a week with oatmeal shampoo and he doesn't scratch or bite much at all anymore.
2006-07-05 01:56:38 · answer #7 · answered by lilpsychomama 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most likely it is allergies...I would have her seen by your vet. The bathing every 2 weeks could be causing some irritation as well. If you NEED to bathe her every 2 weeks....use something very gentle...and oatmeal shampoo and make sure you rinse rinse and rinse again. Any residue could cause irritation.
2006-07-04 16:19:57 · answer #8 · answered by ethansma24 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It could be hotspots. Hotspots are just little patches of skin on dogs that get, well, hot because of small amounts of bacteria that accumulated in the area. They really bug dogs, and they itch too. Your dog is probably itching her hotspots so much that her skin is getting even worse and ending up, as you said, raw. Hotspots are extremely common in Labs. My Lab once got a hotspot in his ear. It was treated and he is now fine, his ear working properly and efficently. Sometimes, though, Labs permantly damage their skin when it comes to hotspots. A friend has a 7-year-old Lab who has scratched and bitten at his back leg and underbelly. He now has no hair there.
What you want to do is take your dog to the vet, and she will be back to normal in no time!
2006-07-04 17:36:38 · answer #9 · answered by emmy1024 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like an allergy problem. She should see a vet who might give her some allergy medication. Probably should go on a special diet such as AvoDerm. Add omega supplements made for dogs by Lipiderm.
2006-07-04 16:33:15 · answer #10 · answered by sim24 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋