Very Itchy West Highland White terrier?

Question

Please can someone tell me how to relieve my westie pup from itchiness?? he has had antibiotics from the vet which cleared up the soreness beautifully but now he is left with what looks like small patches of eczema and little dried spots which he still keeps scratching at, his fur has also gone red, he will be getting his first clip tomorrow and the antibacterial shampoo he had did no good anyway! any suggestions

Answer 1

You need to go back to the vets. This is typical of a westie problem, they are notorious for having bad skin conditions, such as allergies and dermatitis.

He may bge allergic to anything and everything, from certain foods, sprays in the house, grass, pollen, washing powder etc. The vet may need to prescribe him a course of steroids to help with the itching and some more antibiotics. Don't be suprised if he has to have these for the rest of his life, as skin conditions are not cured, they are just managed as best as possible. You need a good flea control as well from the vets, even if he does not have fleas, because even if he is out and gets bitten by one flea, his skin will really flare up.

You can even get the vet to give him immunotherapy injections, which is like a specially made vaccine for him, to help with everything he is allergic to.

Good luck

Answer 2

It's sounds like the vets have exhausted their ideas. I had a dog with itchy skin for the last 7 years of his life, it was very difficult. His problem was put down to a reaction to the booster injections, Auto Immune Disorder. It's very difficult to prove. One thing that is worth a try is a product called 'Thornit' which is produced for ears but I have had remarkable results with it for skin conditions. You will have to look online for it as it isn't available in the shops or from vets. I presume the vet did skin scrapings for Mange? Are there any black patches on his skin? Has he had his injections recently? Are the patches in circles? If they are it could be Ringworm, don't worry it isn't really a worm or parasite it's just the name. More indiscriminate patches could be mange, this is a parasite, there are 4 or 5 different types and it is highly contagious.
Not much help really but check your vet has exhausted everything and maybe ask for referral to a skin specialist, your insurance should cover this.

Answer 3

I'd go back to the vet. It sounds like either food or seasonal pollen allergies. I have a dog that gets both - this time of year can be difficult. He may need a steroid such a prednisone to clear it up and perhaps a change in diet. Also, be sure he is flea-free. Use Frontline or Advantage without fail every month. Some dogs are extremely allergic to fleas.

Answer 4

Poor puppy! This is sadly a very common Westie problem. The redness is due to him licking and nibbling at the area. Its a reaction to his saliva. But there are lots of things you can do:

- Change the food to something completely natural. Mine are on James Wellbeloved so its the only one I can give recommendation for, but there are lots out there. It needs to be the most natural you can find, with a very low carbohydrate element to it (things like potatoes and corn are terrible for itchy westies but manufacturers put it in to bulk the food out) If it has corn in it - stay away!

- Cut out all manufactured dog treats. If you want to treat your dog use something like chcken which is natural or completely natural treats. Food plays a big part in westies allergies, so the more natural you can keep the food, the better.

- You need to get going with the shampoo. We use coatex. Don't overdo it, but bathing them in this once a week whilst the problem is bad and when it clears up every two to three weeks. The shampoo needs to be left on the dog for 5-10 minutes for it to have its full effect.

- You are doing the right thing getting him clipped. Keep the fur neat and tidy. Also give him a brush once a weak to remove any mats and keep the fur clean. A long haired, tangled westie = a hot itchy westie! Watch the ears particularly. The need to be kept neat to avoid the skin trouble starting there as well.

- During the summer, it may be that your westie has a pollen allergy so when you are out walking try to stick to low pollen areas. If this is not possible, try to rinse his feet when you come in and give him a brush to remove any pollen from his coat.

- Only wash his bedding etc with gentle detergents suitable for sensitive skin. Keep it really clean.

- Ask your vet about antihistamines - our dogs was on them during the peak of summer to help keep symptoms at bay

- The vet can also perform a quick and simple skin scrape to find the source of any allergies if none of the above is working.

- Steroids really are a last resort. They work a treat but vets try to stay away from them if at all possible as they have so many long term health effects. There are lots of nasty things happen to a dogs body on steroids. That being said, if you try everything above and nothing works, it may be your only choice, but most vets are very hesitant to give them until everything else has been tried.

Sounds like a lot of hard work, but if you start as you mean to go on its really not that bad. Good luck and I really hope that you get the problem sorted and under control.

Answer 5

my dog had a few itchy patches were he went bald last year i bought unction skin cream it cost £3.95 from the pet shop i was amazed how fast it worked by rubbing it on a couple of times day the redness disappeared and the fur grew back just make sure he doesn't lick it off, try a stay away from the shampoo as this might be drying his skin, hope this is helpful.

Answer 6

Westies can have skin trouble, Usually the Vet will use a steroid injection to relieve the problem. Short term relief can sometimes be achieved by the use of Savlon cream.

Answer 7

i have two westies with the same problem.i have been using tea tree shampoo and conditioner on them and this has worked a treat. i also changed there food as that was what causing them to itch like like mad it's called nutro and is very expensive but worth it to see the difference in their coats
hope this helps

good luck

Answer 8

my friends westie has an allergy to wheat ! try to change his diet and see if it helps, my friends dog is fine now and he has a great coat, before he always looked bedraggled.

Answer 9

hi,my dog had the same problem ,my friend who breeds dogs told me to buy polytar shampoo , it worked a treat

Answer 10

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