Itchy Doggies?!? My husband already took them to the vet today, but that didn't help much.?

Question

I only have room for info about one of the dogs. I'll do a second question about our other dog. The first dog is Kip, he is a German Sheperd mix a little over a year old. When we got him he did not seem to have an itching problem. It is not fleas or the flea treatment. We changed his food to Science Diet for Sensitive Skin. It does not contain corn or beef. It has Omega fatty acids in it. We tried using a shampoo for sensitive skin, with hydrocortizone in it.
The vet said he has a German Sheperd as well and that they have very sensitive skin. He said use a shampoo with out soap in it (what does that mean?) and instead of using the handheld sprayer in the shower to bathe him, fill the bathtub and let him soak in plain water for 10 minutes then masssage the problem areas(which is all over) Also, Even if I fill my bathtub all the way up, the water will barely come up past his legs. So we paid $50 bucks for the vet to tell us to soak him in water.... any thoughts?

We changed his food two months ago. He is on his third, 50lb bag. We have been working this problem for a while now...

We were not using human shampoo, we were using dog shampoo made specially for sensitive skin.

Answer 1

I suggest shampoo called Hylyt it is hypoallergenic shampoo..maybe you need to have him allergy tested..That can be expensive though..but at least you will know what he is allergic to..

Answer 2

While sometimes what your pet is eating will make them itch, more often than not, the pet just has dry skin this time of year, or is allergic to something in the house. (new carpeting can be irrating as can detergents you use to clean his bedding - Tide is the worst culprit.) If you the tub is not big enough to soak the dog in, get a plastic wading pool for your dog. Dissolve 2 to 3 packets of Aveeno in some hot water and ad that to the cool water in the pool. Do not bathe your pet often. Overbathing is one of the biggest causes of itchy skin for dogs. Use pet wipes instead and brush your dog several times per week.
If your dog's itching continues, your vet can perscribe steroid pills for the dog and that should treat the itching. (since the vet already saw the dog, you should be able to get him to do this over the phone and you would just pick up the pills from the vet.)

Answer 3

Science diet isn't the best hypoallergenic food. Solid Gold and Wellness make better formulas.You'll find them at your local pet supply..(not a chain store)
A diet of lamb, rice and kelp often helps.

Cook the white rice with 3 cups of water and 3 tablespoon olive oil, per cup of rice, and cook until all is absorbed. Grind or chop the lamb and feed it raw, mixed in the rice with sea kelp... give this a try for 2 weeks.

my friend's german shepherd went through the same thing....seemed to have no hope, but that diet finally gave him relief.

Most store bought meats have growth hormones, and antibiotics, given during the growing or 'ffinishing' feeding. but lamb is not fed that stuff.

The kelp makes a big difference.

If your dog doesn't like the rice, you can boil fresh fish (not farmed) and pour the broth over the rice, and mixing peeled boiled potatoes with the rice is fine too.

Now, soapless shampoo is Castile or Neutrogena.
Aveeno oatmeal bath is great too..leave in on a few minutes and rinse well...give cool baths, not warm.

Answer 4

It can take up to six weeks for a diet change to improve the condition of your dogs skin if he is sensitive to something in them. Dogs can also be allergic to other things things in food than corn and beef, and can be allergic to pollens, mould or house dust mites, which can also result in itchy skin. To diagnose this you need an allergy screen which the vet can do. The thing with shampoo is that human skin is acidic: pH 5.5 and dog skin is neutral so human shampoos have harsher detergents which can damage dogs' skin.

Answer 5

make sure you are using a non bio detergent. never use carpet deodorants make sure you wash all surfaces bedding in a non corrosive agent don't use bleach the vinegar will kill any odours same dilution in fact it is also good as an ear cleaner...try and use natural stuff and not add to many chemicals to your dogs .when bathing him use a hypoallergenic shampoo..1 part shampoo to 10 parts water on the final rinse ...rinse with vinegar water 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water this will get rid of any shampoo residue..it also repels fleas and mites..beef can cause allergic reaction never give red meat ....

Answer 6

Use a dog shampoo! I know I have 2 little Poms and my male itches like crazy if I use human shampoo on him! Once i switched to dog shampoo all is well. Your vet is saying a dry bath. You can get this very very lite dust- actually made for chinchillas called chinchilla dust and the dog or chinchilla rolls in it and it cleans and makes their fur soft and shiney! If your dog is bit this will cost you a pretty penny!

Answer 7

Our little basset has a tendency to get dry skin and in order to cure her of it we tried changing foods, shampoos and even tried putting cortizone cream and spray on her all in which failed. The only thing that works for us it buying a bottle of supplements (like $5 at WalMart) called Brewers Yeast which has tons of fatty acids (and other nutrients) and we give her 3 (1 per 10 pounds) probably once a week to make sure she dosen't start to itch. You may want to increase doseage on your dog to see if it works.

Good luck!

Answer 8

My suggestion is to check his skin thoroughly. Rub the fur in the opposite direction so you can see his skin. Make sure there are there are no lesions, mites, redness, etc. If his skin looks good, it may be that he's allergic to something. Possibilities: Floor cleaners, carpet fresheners, insect bites, the carpet itself or it could even be the grass outside. You can get a cortisone shot for your beloved. The downfall with the cortisone is that his thirst will increase and he may have accidents in the house.

Answer 9

My Dalmatian had an itching problem that lead to open sores, and after a couple hundred dollars in vet visits found out she is allergic to grass. so keep in mind it could be something not in the norm. i would suggest another vets opinion and look in to allergy testing.

Answer 10

I have a field pointer that is allergic to everything under the sun. We have her on allergy shots. She is also on Duck and potato food. If all your vet did was tell you to soak him, I would find another vet. Good luck.