Scratchin problem

Merles are known to have problems. The gene is flawed. The ADBA has a complete write up on it.

OWNERS OF MERLES: PLEASE READ

http://www.adba.cc/p_pdetails.asp?fspid=47

 

LoL yeah i read that. But ive had people pm me and say they are having the same problem and there's arent merle's. So ive got no clue what it is.

 

you can go by the vet, they have a steriod spray and pills for the itching most of the time they'll just charge you for the medicine,mine does,, i have white pit and they are prone to have extremely sensitive skin,

 

Had a pup with a severe case of Juvenile Pyoderma.Treatment was antibiotics and bathing with an Oatmeal based shampoo.Here's some pics of the little rotter....

 

Tommyt---thanks for that merle link. I've read alot about merle, but I had never stumbled across that link.

My guy does have vision problems, too.

 

Hey, Carolinaboy---I found some stuff called "Tropiclean Oxymed." It's a medicated rinse for after bathing your dog. It stopped the itching and chilled the redness almost immediately. It's used for seborrhea, scaling, eczema, hot spots, flaking, flea bite dermatitis, etc. I guess it actually helps out the skin pores, which is probably key with these merle guys. I followed up with that itch spray we were already using, and he seems to look and feel better already.

 

It dosent matter how expensive the food is I had my female on nutro max and she was allergic to it id suggest chanceing the food to something for sensitive skin and try useing a tea tree oil based shampoo it worked for my girl. hope this helps

 

Nutro max isnt for say a great food. It has alot of filler that is useless to your dogs and could be the cause of your dogs allergies. Try something along the lines of Canidae or Chicken soup for the pet lovers soul, both foods are highly recommended. I'm sure Texas could describe it to you better than I.

 

She's fine now went to the vet and they gave us 3 medications for her and if she dont stop then bring her back in 2 weeks. And i changed her food to Science Diet Natures best even though i heard its noth that great. But she has stoped the scratching i dont know if its the switching foods or just the medication.Thanks for all the reply's everyone.

 

First how old is your pup? I've heard Demodex mites can cause itching. Demodex is a form of mange that pups get from thier mother at birth and it's not contagious. Just a thought but it really sounds like your pup is allergic to something. I hope all turns out well for ya'll.

 

Thats exactly what my vet did a skin scraping for and some other skin scraping. And it came back negative. But she is dong great now and she is the best pup i been around and full of fire.

 

Just wanted to update everyone on how my two have been making out.

Petey's skin didn't completely clear up - even feeding him the Canidae.

But Birdie's skin did clear up and her coat is absolutely gorgeous. She's been eating Timberwolf Organics (Lamb & Apples or the Venison formulas)

So, I switched Petey onto Timberwolf Organics and his "bully bumps" cleared up beautifully. I don't remember his skin ever being this clear. He has stopped itching & rubbing his head/ears on the rugs.

Texasbulldogs - Thanks for the advice about MSM. I switched Petey onto Glucosamine with MSM and we have noticed a marked difference in how he moves and plays. The vet said that it was a good call.

 

It's been wonderful reading this thread because my Pitty has major skin issues. We have fed her Nutro Max from day one and her skin issues have basically been around since then as well. I am going to try feeding her differently now. Previously I had tried it all, Benedryll, vet drugs, sprays, changed our laundry detergent, stopped using feather nest/blankets. Poor girl gets herself all scratched up and uncomfortable.

So thanks for the info!

 

Unfortunately vets often times know very, very little about nutrition (obviously, if Science Diet is REALLY the #1 reccomended food by vets). Same deal with doctors, really. They know how to treat symptoms, not neccesarily whats causing them in some cases. Nine times out of ten, ESPECIALLY with bully breeds, skin problems (itching, bumps, redness, even yeast infections) are caused by food.

My dogs do fine on Canidae, but there is a certain oil in it (sunflower oil I beleive?) that some dogs will react with. Timberwolf truly is one of the best, if not THE best food to feed. Should anyone have these kinds of problems with thier dogs, it's always best to start with the diet, and work your way up from there.

 

I really wish that the vets in my area were more capable in general when it comes to my girl. Aside from being given hundreds of dollars worth of medications to fight a losing battle with her skin, they don't know how to handle her. In lew of not strayng from the subject I will start a new topic.

But, thanks again about the food info, I am excited to try Timberwolf!

 

Raw is really the best diet to give a dog with ridiculous allergies. I know of a few dogs insanely allergic to everything...we're talking swollen ears, yeast infections in the ears, hives/bumps all over the skin...and both of them cleared right up after being on a raw diet for a week or two (or three?? lol). There are some inherent risks to the diet, and a few dogs have died on it, but that is the rare case. If I were a dog who had to choose between being miserable but living long on kibble or risking it on a juicy raw chicken bone, I think I'd choose the bird.

If anyone is interested, I can get more info from a gal I call the "dog food goddess." I've also got a recipie (somewhere) for general itchies and skin issues (although if the dog already has pustules and such, it may be irritating as it involves vinegar and some oils and such). If anyone is interested, feel free to PM me and I'll force my lazy arse to track that info down for you.

Good Luck to all...my female is battling a nasty yeast infection on her back paw right now...I think she may chew her foot right off if it doesn't clear up soon!

 

Venus doesn't do well on the Southwest Chicken Timberwolf or the Bison Timberwolf. The chicken makes her nibble her feet and the Bison makes her break out in a full body itch. :eek: They all seem to do great on the Elk though.

 

I live in CT also, just curious who you use for a vet. I'm in the Waterbury Area.

 

Ok just so you know I'm a vet tech so I have a lil experience with this kind of stuff. Ok my 1st guess from what you describe is what you call Contact Dermatitis which is a fancy way of saying allergic to something in her environment. Food allergies tend to cause all over itching nasty skin and stomach upset...flea allergy tends to present around the ears and at the base of the tail and up thier rear and back. Contact dermatitis (environment allergy) tends to present on the abdomen mostly because dogs lay on the ground and thier abdomen touches the allergerin and or because the skin on the belly is usually furless and sensitive...ok as for what you can do about it. The dose of Benedryl for a dog is 1mg per lb. so if she is 50 lbs that is 50mg or 2 adult strength pills and she can have it 3 times a day. it will make her sleepy. You can also use a topical ointment that contains CORTISONE. Both those meds will help the symptoms I.E. Itching and scratching. Another thing you can try is building her a kennel off the ground. That is probably your best bet and your cheapest long term solution. It is what I would reccomend. Allergies are actually caused by the dogs own immune system overreacting to an outside irritant so for that reason most allergies don't present themselves until between 4-6 months of age and also they tend to stay with the dog their whole life. When you get some money together you should take her to the vet...they can get you meds like Atopica (A Cyclosporin) or Vetalog (A cortical steroid) I like to stay away from steroids as much as possible because they are hard on the dogs body and a bad habit to get into. Also MAKE SURE your vet does a skin scrape first...on the off chance your dog has Demodex (genetic mange) steroids will make it worse. Now I can't see it so I can't say what it is but you may want to consider the possibility of Scabies also..that is Mange Mites. If it is Scabies you need to get flea drops called Revolution and apply them to her skin 1 dose every 2 weeks for 6 weeks to 2 months (3-4 doses total) and be careful because that is contagous not only to your other dogs but you as well. Wash with bleach water after you handle her. Usually however scabies cause all over itchiness and hair loss most specifically around the edges of the ears and around the eyes and that is not what you describe...just me being overly cautious Anyway if you can give any more clues I may be able to help further...let me know if this helps.

YIS
Pit Bull Chic

 

My Merle was broke out really bad on his Chest with sores an we just kept him clean, made sure he was protected from fleas, used antibiotic ointment, and it went away in about two weeks. Still don't know what caused it.