my dog has sores all over his body and itching like crazy!?

Question

I have a booldhound.He is having problems with his skin.He started to itch really bad.We took him to our vet twice already.He got a shot(vetalog?), it did help for a week, then he started to itch again.We took him again and he got another shot and also pills(cephalexin?).This shot help again,but just for a week.Pills didnt help.The vet said it could be fleas allergies.But he doesnt have any fleas and I give him Advantix monthly sometimes even more often.I used med shampoo from fleas.Its not a food allergy because he's been on this food for 2 years.Now he has open sores all over his body.Thats what makes me worried.They just appear on his body and than he starts to itch them.You can tell that it bother him because when you touch thouse sores it makes him to itch more.We got 2 different opinions from vet, they both dont really know what to do.They said we can take him to dermatologiest but its going to be very expensive and they are now sure if it will help him.Please, help.....

Yes, our vet checked him for mites.He doesnt have anything.She also said it might be seasonal and when it gets colder he will get better, but its cold now and he is not getting better

He is 130 lbs dog, thats maybe why the doctor told me to give him Advantix more often. I dont see any fleas on him. I will try to switch food. He doesnt eat only dog's food we give him meat and rice, oatmeal, just like people have. He loves it. We leave right on the water on the bay. Our vet said it might be something from the water.I stoped taking him swimming but it didnt help.

Answer 1

It could still be food allergies. Make sure you are feeding a good quality food that doesn't have any by-products and corn in it. 5 ingredients should be good real food.

He might have developped a reaction to chicken or beef. Might try him on lamb and rice.

Also do not use Advantix more than once a month, you are going to make him sick since it is chemicals.

Instead of a flea shampoo use an oatmeal shampoo for pets. of you vet can give you one specificially for pets with allergies (have it for one of mine but can't think of the name right now)

Also make sure you clean all his bedding. vaccum clean everything. He could be allergic to dust mites.

As for the sores he is probably making them worse by scratching all the time. they need to be cleaned out (hydroperoxide works). You can put some neosporen on them.

And it is of course best to figure out what is making him itch so much.

There is a blood test that can be done to see what all he is allergic too.

Make sure that mange has been ruled out.

Good luck.

Answer 2

If you have had 2 vets, I might try #3. It does sound like allergies so you can try several other things as well. New food - I know you said he'd been on it awhile but it has been known to happen that an allergy or intolerance will occur with build up. Try formulas without corn, wheat or by products - we have had good luck with Lamb & Rice and Chicken & Rice (our lab has allergies). If this is fleas then you will have to treat his whole environment at one time - bed, indoors and yard. Please don't ever use Advantix (or any of the monthly treatments) more often than 30 days it can be toxic. Maybe change to Frontline Plus for a couple of months. Med shampoos can be very drying and contribute to the itching - try oatmeal shampoo and don't bathe too often - coat conditioners with Lanolin may help also. Put a touch of olive oil in his food, this will also come out in his coat and help conditioning. Benadryl will also help with the itching and give him some rest but be sure to consult a vet on the dosage. One of the extreme treatments we have HAD to use even though I hate medicating a dog, is prednisone (has to be prescribed by a vet). It really helps and I believe in extra serious situations the "quality" of their life is worth risking their longevity. Good Luck!

Answer 3

For a dog to have flea allergies, it just has to be biten by the flea, they don't have to be on the dog all the time. It could be food allergies. Allergies are acquired after time. You might want to give a food trial a good shot. They would mostlikely want to put him on a diet that has a protein and a carbohydrate that he has not been exposed to before. Lamb and Rice is no longer considered to be a hypoallergenic food now since you find it every where. Need to be on it for 8 12 weeks to really see a difference. Vetalog was for the intense itching......the cephalexin is an antibiotic and won't do anything for the itching. If you still have the antibiotics, finishing giving them as the doctor wanted you to. None of this is an overnight cure. There are other medications, some of them costing $100 of $$ a month for a dog of his size. Skin issues are so hard to resolve. Please, for your dogs well being, don't give up. Get a second opinion, get a biopsy, but don't give up.

Talk to your vet about food trial, don't give anything other that what the dr wants you to feed.....nothing.

Answer 4

If you use Advantix for fleas, why did you also use a flea bath? If you bath within 48 hours before or after applying the Advantix, the Advantix will not be able to work!

Please continue working with the vet. Obviously this problem is complicated, and it's what vets are there for. It's not impossible that this is a food allergy, these can develop at any time.

I'm afraid if the vets are having trouble diagnosing this one and have suggested a dermatologist, there really is no possible way you're going to find the answer on here!!

Chalice

Answer 5

Dog Sores

Answer 6

Did the vet do a skin scraping and test for mange mites?
If those have been ruled out I'd check for allergies - although seasonal ones should be settling down now.
Has anything else in the environment changed? His diet? Fabric softener? New bed? New shampoo or different groomer?
Read the ingredient panel on your dog food; does it contain corn or rice or soy? These are common causes of food allergies and sometimes even dogs who have been eating them all along, have a reaction.
Find a food without any of these, Canidae and Wellness come to mind, switch him to it, and see what happens. Can't hurt, may help.

Answer 7

Go to the dermatologist. They CAN help.

My dog had some pretty bad skin issues, and we traveled to see a dermatologist an hour away. They did allergy testing and we figured out what she was allergic to. It cost about $500 in all, but in the long run, that was alot cheaper and better than going to our vet for cortozone shots all the time. She started out with almost no hair and horribly inflamed red crusted skin all over her body, and now she looks like a normal dog!

Sometimes, dogs can get sores on their body due to autoimmune issues. A dermatologist would be able to give you a better idea of what is going on and would recognize if it was not an allergy issue.

Answer 8

Your dog can become allergic to food that he has eaten for a long time so the easiest thing to do is take your dog off of everything including the Advantix, flea shampoo, treats, vitamins, etc. Anything that is made for pets in particular but anything else that you do not absolutely need for him to be on including heartworm medication if you are in a cold climate.

Dogs have bad reactions to food and to monthly medications and you noted that he has had extra doses.

If you think it could be his food, you can place him on a home made elimination diet starting off with a new protein and carbohydrate. If his problems subside or go away, you can add in a food at a time to see what he is allergic to (if any) or if it is not food related.

This article lists a number of different conditions that cause itching in dogs.

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

This goes into more depth on how vets mistake sarcoptic mites for allergic reactions.

http://www.thepetcenter.com/exa/mites.html

Elimination or exclusion diet:

http://www.metpet.com/Reference/Health/Food_allergies_in_dogs_p2.htm

Answer 9

Did they do any tests? B/c itchy sores can be a number of things. Its very possible that its an allergy, maybe even to fabric, does he lay on teh couch, or a blanket? If so try removing it and waiting it out to see if it goes away. Personally i think they should of atleast done a blood test to make sure it wans't someting else. You might have to go get a third opinion.

or like what karen said a skin scrapping test shoudl have been doen as well.

Answer 10

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my dog has sores all over his body and itching like crazy!?
I have a booldhound.He is having problems with his skin.He started to itch really bad.We took him to our vet twice already.He got a shot(vetalog?), it did help for a week, then he started to itch again.We took him again and he got another shot and also pills(cephalexin?).This shot help again,but...