My dog has been diagnosed with dermatitis (itchy skin), and the vet said she'll always have it. Any solutions?

Question

The vet said that we can do the vitamins and oatmeal shampoo, but that only treat the symptoms, not the cause. She only is itchy in the spring and summer, and it's not fleas, although she's allergic to that too. She's on Frontline all year long. He said that there is this new drug that treats the immune system, but she would have to be on it for life, and that scares me because she is only 3. He said that once we started we could not stop either, just to see if it worked. Has anyone else had this problem, and how did you resolve it? I just hate that she's uncomfortable and I'm not seeming to get any real working solutions from the vet. Also, the 1st year of her life we lived in Minnesota and she had no problems, but when we moved to California that's when it started.

Answer 1

Interesting you should ask this question as I dealt with similar problems last summer with my friend's dog.

Her Vet misdiagnosed what was wrong with him & just put him on all sorts of medications. That really wasn't necessary as it was either making it worse or slightly improving though hard to tell. If your Vet prescribed Prednisone to your dog, please don't give this to your dog. It's steroids. And although some dogs are ok with it, it actually does have an adverse reaction to dogs especially for long period of usage.

If you live in a city, you might have a health pet store. Not Petco or PetSmart...but a health (or homeopathy) pet store. They carry this product called Tea Tree Oil. It's a spray...kinda minty & edible if ingested. You spray this on the itchy area twice-three times a day. It's tingling and soothes your dog's skin. Course this is only a short period of time. Another thing you can try is soak black tea bag in cool water and damp the itchy spot.

If you lived in Minnesota & your dog never experience this until you moved to California, then, it could very well be seasonal allergens since she's only having this during Spring & Summer.

Personally, I would not want to put the dog on any medication for life. That's already a lot of harms done to the dog's immune system. I wouldn't advise you to start on this medication. I mean, what if your dog might react differently to it. It might stress her or make things worse than it is, you know.

You might want to give your house a good cleaning to rid of any molds or dust that might trigger your dog to itch. Atopic allergy can also be stemmed from pollen found outside especially in the Spring.

If you have time, please read the following links. They're about dermatitis (plus diagrams) and Seasonal Allergens.

http://www.thepetcenter.com/gen/itch.html

http://www.dentalplans.com/Dental-Health-Articles/Seasonal-Allergies-Mean-Big-Headaches-For-Dogs.asp

You might want to consider switching dog food to a higher premium dog food such as Innova....Again, see the link for further reading.

http://www.naturapet.com


Last, you might want to switch to another Vet for a second opinion. I found a Hollistic Vet much more helpful & provided me with a knowledge which can ease my worries when I see her. Also, with a Hollistic Vet, she will provide you alternatives to using medications which might, in the end, help remedy your dog's dermatitis.

From dealing with a friend's dog with dermatitis, I can truly understand the troubles you're going through.

Good luck.

Answer 2

As far as the ear infection is concerned, there ARE different types of infections. If it is not a bacterial infection, it does not NEED antibiotics. I would have him take a culture at your next appointment because I'm not sure how he is accurately diagnosing the problem without doing this unless she has had similar issues in the past. I have heard of vinegar is ear cleaners before, so this is probably fine. Do NOT use any type of alcohol, as this can be VERY painful with open sores and wounds in the ear. Secondly, the worst thing you could do for a dog with dry skin is bathe it frequently unless you are using a medicated shampoo. By bathing your dog a bunch, YOU are excessively drying out her skin by removing the natural oils from her coat. Dogs should really not be bathed more than twice a month at the MAX, unless like I already said, it is a medicated shampoo for a problem. Oatmeal shampoo is really great for dry skin or if your veterinarian has some type of shampoo specifically for skin issues, I would try that as well. You should add omega 3 fatty acids to your dogs daily routine-you can get this in liquid or pill form(contains fish oil). "Fish oil may promote a shiny coat with less itching . The omega-3 fatty acids may help counteract negative effects of allergic dermatitis by producing specific eicosanoids, which are known to reduce and control skin inflammations." I've heard this really helps.

Answer 3

My dog has horrible allergies. He loses all his hair on his legs and scratches constantly. solutions....an allergy test. Find out what your dog is allergic too and get that away from her. It could be her food, scented candles drive dogs crazy, carpet fresheners, I can't even use febreeze anymore. Baking soda is what I use on my carpets now. It stops any "doggie" smells and is cheaper in the long run. If she seems a little depressed you should have her thyroid checked (cheaper than the allergy test). One of my dogs has a slow thyroid and now takes medicine everyday. It isn't expensive at all, and has made a huge difference. His allergies are almost completely gone and he has only been on his medicine for 2 months. There is so much that could be causing the itching and there are so many solutions. My dogs all love Head and shoulders shampoo....the walmart brand. It helps the itching. And brushing daily, even short-haired dogs like it. Pollution could do it, allergy shots (mainly cortizone) will help. I would find a vet more interested in finding the root of the problem. Don't just stick her on medication unless you are sure it will be a treatment for HER problem. I hope this helps. I have 4 dogs right now and 2 suffer bad allergies, one suffers slight allergies, the other doesn't suffer anything but the other dogs! LOL!!

Answer 4

The number one cause of skin problems in dogs is food allergies. They generally begin to manifest between 12-18 months of age. Many dogs also suffer from what is commonly called Summer Itch, a sensitivity to the grass when it is active.

My dog is allergic to chicken, wheat, eggs, lamb, and liver. I feed Natural Balance Venison & Brown Rice Formula. She also has Summer Itch. All of the overpriced shampoo, suppliments, and meds from the vet did not help my dog.

If your dog is only having trouble during the Spring & Summer months I would tend to suspect Summer Itch. Try keeping your dog off of the grass as much as you can.

E-mail me through Yahoo!Answers if you would like to know how to do the food allergy testing at home.

In the meantime, you can add a dollop of olive oil to her food each day. Have you gotten a second opinion from a different vet?

Answer 5

If you havn't tried yet, try switching to a premium dog food. Products like Science Diet and Eukanuba are designed for your dog's total health, and will include specific nutrients needed for skin health.

Most dogs will be fine with cheaper food, but it sounds like your dog is special! He deserves special food!

Answer 6

90% of dog skin problems are due to food allergies. many dogs are allergic to corn and or beef.

Mine is allergic to beef.

I feed mine Purina H/A - it is a hyperallergenic food available through the vet. Within a week of feeding him it, all skin problems (dandruff, ichiness and bacterial infections) disapeared. Science diet also make a hyperallergenic food. Both are expensive, but its worth trying as if it doesnt work you try a new food.

But food allergies are the number one cause of skin problems.

Answer 7

Di they mention changing her food? I switched my sheltie's a few times before finding Natures Recipe , now he doesn't have any problems with his skin! Hope you find a solution, I know I feel terrible when my furry children have problems, Good Luck!

Answer 8

i had a dog with dry skin. i found that putting vegetable oil on and rubbing it into her skin helped her out a lot. at first i did it every day, then i could skip a day. it took some time, but it cleared her up after a couple of weeks.

it was worse with her allergies, but she lived a good long life with them.

Answer 9

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Answer 10

And what time of the year does she get her vaccinations? They can cause this also.
Read the Wisconsin University weblinks
http://svmweb.vetmed.wisc.edu/articles/68/5/39
http://www.news.wisc.edu/releases/8413.html