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Barnyard Buddies:  What can I do for a dog with a skin condition?  |
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lisamarie508
True Blue Farmgirl
2648 Posts
Lisa
Idaho City
ID
USA
2648 Posts |
 Posted - Dec 29 2008 : 6:42:45 PM
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Cody, my border collie, has always had this skin condition that makes him scratch, bite and chew himself. It's worse in the winter and lately has been waking me in the middle of the night with the thump, thump, thump of his scratching. If it keeps up, he'll have bald spots again from chewing on himself.
Oatmeal shampoo helps him some, but I'd have to bathe him every week (he HATES baths) to keep control of it. Somebody suggested putting butter in his food, another said to try mayonnaise. Neither of those worked at all. Rubbing lotions or salves on his skin don't really work with his long hair. It just makes him a greasy hairball.
Any suggestions?
Farmgirl Sister #35
"If you can not do great things, do small things in a great way." Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)
my blog:
http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
[size=1]My apron website:
http://lisamariesaprons.bravehost.com [size=1] |
Edited by - lisamarie508 on Dec 29 2008 6:51:07 PM |
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doglady
True Blue Farmgirl
435 Posts
Tina
Howard
Ohio
USA
435 Posts |
Posted - Dec 29 2008 : 7:00:00 PM
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Hi,
I would start by checking the ingredients of his food. Too much corn, grains, and by-products are known to produce skin problems. You might want to check out some of the natural/organic dog foods to try. Predisone (sp)from your vet will help for a short time so that he doesn't dig himself open. Good luck.
Tina
You can tell your dog all of your secrets and they'll never say a word!
www.kennelcreations.com |
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ThePixiesPlayhouse
True Blue Farmgirl
127 Posts
Terri
Biggs
CA
127 Posts |
Posted - Dec 29 2008 : 7:14:49 PM
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| I agree with checking his food.......our dog is horribly allergic to corn. We feed her Blue Buffalo ....they only use whole foods. |
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Sitnalta
True Blue Farmgirl
4208 Posts
Jessica
NJ
USA
4208 Posts |
Posted - Dec 29 2008 : 7:25:54 PM
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Even if it is a food allergy, I know that Sulfadene which is a shampoo for pooches. You can get it at Walmart or just about anywhere. We used it for our Sargie, shepherd who had a really bad flea allergy...(I know of all things, we would pick a dog allergic to fleas!) It worked really great! It doesn't smell too wonderful, but it worked wonders on Sarge!
hugs
Jessie
Farmgirl Sister #235
Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work You don't give up.
Stop by my blog for a visit www.messiejessie2.blogspot.com |
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lisamarie508
True Blue Farmgirl
2648 Posts
Lisa
Idaho City
ID
USA
2648 Posts |
Posted - Dec 29 2008 : 9:17:15 PM
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Darn it! The first ingredient is whole grain corn! Then there is corn syrup and other grains later on in the list. I thought Purina was a good brand. They used to be.
I'll look up Blue Buffalo. What about Iams? Are they good? I'll get that Sulfadene shampoo in the meantime.
Farmgirl Sister #35
"If you can not do great things, do small things in a great way." Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)
my blog:
http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
[size=1]My apron website:
http://lisamariesaprons.bravehost.com [size=1] |
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cheneygal
True Blue Farmgirl
503 Posts
Suzie
Cheney
Wa.
USA
503 Posts |
Posted - Dec 29 2008 : 9:41:54 PM
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Hey lisamarie, I too would check into another dog food. Natural Choice by Nutro is an excellent line, maybe try something with lamb and rice, they do have one for sensitive skin, and tummies, made with oatmeal, lamb and rice, their foods also have glucosamine and chondrontin in all the formulas. I think that might do the trick for you. Glad things are starting to turn around in your life, my heart ached for you last week when I read your post about all you've been through!! Keep us updated on Cody and how he reacts to some new food!!
live, laugh, love |
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doglady
True Blue Farmgirl
435 Posts
Tina
Howard
Ohio
USA
435 Posts |
Posted - Dec 29 2008 : 9:54:22 PM
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I've heard that Blue Buffalo is a good food too. I am currently trying Chicken Soup for the Soul dog food and my group likes it so far and it fits with my Schnauzer requirments on protein, fat content, and NO corn. Another food that looks good is Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance and they have one for skin problems as well. Different breeds and dogs react to different food so it's a matter of trying what works best for your boy. I think your problem is the corn and grains. You should give any new food at least a 30 day trial before deciding to stick with it. You might want to research some information at "The Dog Food Project" as well.
Tina
You can tell your dog all of your secrets and they'll never say a word!
www.kennelcreations.com |
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DaisyFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
1646 Posts
Diane
Victoria
BC
Canada
1646 Posts |
Posted - Dec 29 2008 : 9:56:22 PM
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Iams' first ingredient is corn too. We switched our lab to Orijen, a natural dog food as did my DD who got a rescue cocker spaniel with a terrible skin problem. I've never seen our lab so healthy and shiny looking and the little spaniel's new coat is gorgeous and healthy and her skin problems have completely disappeared.
Di on VI
Farmgirl Sister #73 |
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K-Falls Farmgirl
Chapter Leader
2096 Posts
Cheryl
Klamath Falls
Oregon
USA
2096 Posts |
Posted - Dec 29 2008 : 10:19:39 PM
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We had the same problem with our dalmation. We started feeding him lamb & rice and he got better. Unfortunately he passed away 3 years ago of a stroke.. totally unrelated... We were even coking him rice & chicken stock with vegetables & egg. he loved that ...But he loved all FOOD. Even stuff he should never have eaten.! What a funny dog...
http://www.k-fallsfarmgirl.blogspot.com/
Come visit the barn at http://barndoorcreations.blogspot.com/
Cheryl #309
Farm girl sister
Enjoy the little things in life....someday you'll look back and realize they were the big things. |
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FarmGirl~K
True Blue Farmgirl
512 Posts
Kelly
TX
USA
512 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2008 : 05:29:55 AM
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My dog has allergies too! Not sure to what, but definitely does the scratching & biting too. Worse at different times of the year. Bad thing is, it makes him smell too. He needs a bath once a week for sure.
I've switched his foods many times over time. Our vet said the same about food allergies being the #1 likely cause. Corn & even chicken sometimes is a big allergen. (Depends on what parts of the chicken are used from what I was told.) I'm wondering if mine's allergic to grass of all things. He get worse in the summer. But what we've found works best for him is Purina One. The sensitive skin one made with salmon. Its about $32 for a 35lb bag. I had him on higher priced including Blue Buffalo & this has worked better for him. If fact, we just switched him back again recently as his skin had gotten worse & now it looks like its clearing up again.
I'm taking him to a new vet. Ours wants to keep giving him Prednisone & antibiotics. Its short term & that's not good enough for me. Or to a doggy derm. W/hubby out of work, I just dont have that kind of $ right now. He's a Lab & they're known to have allergies. Especially here in TX. Labs naturally have an oil to their skin, but his is so dry!
Our pet store told us Iams is like fast food for dogs. I've put olive oil in his food & sometimes yogurt & Benadryl, but havent done it consistently enough (I'm not the one to feed him all the time) to notice if its making a difference. I just want his skin to clear up. It has to be so uncomfortable! |
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catscharm74
True Blue Farmgirl
4687 Posts
Heather
Texas
USA
4687 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2008 : 06:05:40 AM
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I use vitamin e oil on Chloe, especially the red, irritated spots she used to get. It seems to help. She has allergies from the different dirts and grasses here in Texas. Kelly, I bet your dog is too and we switched to the same Purina formula and it seems to be helping--stinks to high heaven but helps. : ) You can add omega oils to their food also. Hope it helps.
Heather
Yee-Haw, I am a cowgirl!!!
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Edited by - catscharm74 on Dec 30 2008 06:06:27 AM |
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lisamarie508
True Blue Farmgirl
2648 Posts
Lisa
Idaho City
ID
USA
2648 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2008 : 06:07:08 AM
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Wow, the prices of those foods are more than double what I pay for Purina! But Cody is worth it. He's a good boy and a lot of fun. And all this scratching he's doing lately is quite a distraction. I did some searching on line last night and yep, Iams isn't any better than Purina. Blue Buffalo would be over $60 if I had it shipped here. There's a farm and feed store called Zamzow's down in Boise that carries an organic dog food (their own brand) for about $42 for a 35# bag. I'll try that one first since I can have that picked up. Turns out they also carry Natural Choice by Nutro, and Dick Van Patten's too. So, if one doesn't work out I can try the next one.
Suzie, I appreciate your thoughts and concerns. Peace is such a wonderful gift and I have it now! If all goes smoothly, it will all be over by the end of Jan.
Farmgirl Sister #35
"If you can not do great things, do small things in a great way." Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)
my blog:
http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
[size=1]My apron website:
http://lisamariesaprons.bravehost.com [size=1] |
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dkelewae
True Blue Farmgirl
1310 Posts
Diana
Saint Peters
MO
USA
1310 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2008 : 06:10:07 AM
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My 1/2 lab 1/2 beagle is plagued with allergies, which manifest in yeast infections in his ears and he constantly chews his paws when his allergies flare up. We've tried several different foods, but alas no luck. We have to get prescription drops for his ears, and when he's had a bad flare up has needed to take prednisone. We try to avoid the prednisone unless it's a last resort.
Has your vet done a skin scraping to check for mites, mange, etc?
Diana
Farmgirl Sister #272
St. Peters MO
Country Girl trapped in the city!
http://farmgirldreams.blogspot.com/ |
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lisamarie508
True Blue Farmgirl
2648 Posts
Lisa
Idaho City
ID
USA
2648 Posts |
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Jami
True Blue Farmgirl
1238 Posts
Jami
Ellensburg
WA
USA
1238 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2008 : 07:45:17 AM
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Lisa both of these dogs have passed away now but...
I had a heeler with a skin condition and she got baths with prescription shampoo, but you know the vet told me to give her Children's Benadryl when she would get extremely itchy and couldn't help but scratch at herself. It did help although the Benadryl made her sleepy but hey, dogs lay around most of the time anyhow so it worked but I never used it daily or anything like that. With severe outbreaks of rash the vet would give her a shot of cortisone but she could only get one of those once in a while due to it being a steroid. I didn't change foods...maybe should have but the vet didn't mention that and we have too many dog mouths to feed to buy the real expensive stuff.
Also had a lab years and years ago with the same thing. He too got the cortisone shots and a tablespoon of oil on his dry food each day but this was before Benadryl was available in a children's dose and that vet never said to use something like that. I fed him high-quality dry food (when they started first coming out with premium dog food, Nutro, etc.)
Jami in WA
Farmgirl Sister #266
http://woolyinwashington.wordpress.com/
http://farmhouseflair.etsy.com |
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ThePixiesPlayhouse
True Blue Farmgirl
127 Posts
Terri
Biggs
CA
127 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2008 : 08:08:52 AM
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| If you have a costco near you....they carry a corn free food. It is their own brand (kirkland). We have used that in a pinch...... |
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Ms.Lilly
True Blue Farmgirl
826 Posts
Lillian
Scotts Mills
OR
USA
826 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2008 : 08:16:57 AM
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Lisa-my Abby (Jack Russell Terrors) has skin conditions/food allergies and I have been through every dog food out there I think. We now have settled on Blue Buffalo. I also cook for my dogs and this really helps. They get a little bit of dog food and "people" food twice a day and this way I can better monitor what they get. The dogs also get fish oil pills and this really helps with the dry skin, plus they love them. My vet also told me I can give Benedry to my dog but if it is a food allergy it will not help. Oh yeah-less grain product=less poop.
Lillian |
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nut4fabric
True Blue Farmgirl
885 Posts
Kathy
Morgan Hill
CA
USA
885 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2008 : 08:57:24 AM
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Lisa We have two Labs both with horrible allergies, right now they are on a venison and rice food from Wellness Simple Foods, along with two bendryl tabs twice a day and two fish oil capsules twice a day. They can have Bendryl every four hours if they need it. Also a canine multiple vitamin that is formulated for skin problems. I tell you I didn't have this much problem with my kids. LOL
Hugs, Kathy |
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babysmama
True Blue Farmgirl
931 Posts
Elizabeth
Iowa
931 Posts |
Posted - Jan 01 2009 : 11:29:51 AM
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Yes, it is often the food. Any food with a real meat (chicken, beef, salmon, etc.) is better then anything that begins with corn or wheat. I have switched between Diamond, Iams, and now Naturally Wild by Eukanuba. It is more expensive than Purina but they also eat less of it. Purina is mainly fillers so it is like eating candy for a meal...you have to eat more to fill up. The more expensive foods tend to fill the dog up faster so they eat less and you will notice a huge difference in their stools, they don't go as much it is more firm and less smelly.
I've also heard of putting apple cider vinegar in their drinking water. Just a few small drops will do. It is supposed to make their coat shiny and I am sure would be good for skin conditions. Make those two changes and I bet you will notice a difference in a few weeks! Good luck and let us know how it goes.
-Elizabeth |
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Sitnalta
True Blue Farmgirl
4208 Posts
Jessica
NJ
USA
4208 Posts |
Posted - Jan 01 2009 : 11:32:36 AM
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Mom's dog had a serious itchy dander problem, and she changed her dog food to Science Diet. It worked really well. I know Mom looks for the heathly stuff even for the dogs, so Id imagine that would be a good one. We feed our dog , unfortunately, the cheap stuff. :P
hugs
Jessie
Farmgirl Sister #235
Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work You don't give up.
Stop by my blog for a visit www.messiejessie2.blogspot.com |
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lisamarie508
True Blue Farmgirl
2648 Posts
Lisa
Idaho City
ID
USA
2648 Posts |
Posted - Jan 01 2009 : 2:15:30 PM
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Well, I'm planning to get down to Boise this weekend. DD needs some clothes before she goes back to school and I'll pick up a bag of good stuff for Cody while I'm down there. I'll let you know how it goes.
Farmgirl Sister #35
"If you can not do great things, do small things in a great way." Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)
my blog:
http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
[size=1]My apron website:
http://lisamariesaprons.bravehost.com [size=1] |
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mikesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
3659 Posts
Sherri
Elma
WA
USA
3659 Posts |
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babysmama
True Blue Farmgirl
931 Posts
Elizabeth
Iowa
931 Posts |
Posted - Jan 02 2009 : 06:55:52 AM
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I forgot to mention, if you decide to go with the Nutro dog food (I use it once in awhile) you can go to their website (just google Nutro dog food) and sign up for their buyer program. I don't do the buy 10 bags get one free thing but when you sign up they send you a nice booklet of coupons. Our farm supply store takes the coupons and PetSmart and PetCo also do. A lot of the coupons are for $2 off a bag so that is some savings!
-Elizabeth |
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whispering pines
True Blue Farmgirl
428 Posts
patricia
sedro woolley
wa
USA
428 Posts |
Posted - Jan 02 2009 : 07:12:11 AM
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Lisa, you can also try Avoderm, we have used it for about 3 years now. Our lab has food allergies. It works very well and if you have a Petco near you. They have a program where you get one bag free after you purchase 10. It really worked on Winter. By the way iys about $45.00 for a large bag.
"Greetings from the Gateway to the North Cascades." |
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Canadian farmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
482 Posts
Lori
Ontario
Canada
482 Posts |
Posted - Jan 02 2009 : 09:58:43 AM
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I have just recently learned about using Bach's Flower Remedies, a natural, holistic treatment used for people and animals. I am using Gorse for my cat right now, who just returned home after an emergency stay at the vet's.
Here's a link to some info:
http://www.irishwolfhounds.org/flowers.htm
There are also books about Bach's Flower Remedies that you could get from your public library. If they don't have them, ask them to interlibrary loan them for you.
Lori
Farmgirl Sister #183 |
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misstilliewillie
True Blue Farmgirl
136 Posts
glory
Tennessee
USA
136 Posts |
Posted - Jan 02 2009 : 10:25:48 AM
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I had the same problem with my Great Pyr, and after consulting several vets and specialists,
which prescribed cortisone injections, pills, etc....I decided to cook him chicken and brown rice only for 6 months, and it worked like a charm. No more chewing, licking, gnawing!
Also, I DO NOT give my dogs all those vaccinations the vets recommend. It's just a money maker for the vets, and they suppress the immune system of the animal. And when you throw all the vaccinations, the rabies shot, the heartworm preventive, the flea/tick applications, etc., at their poor little systems...it's a wonder any of them can survive or thrive! I used to do ALL that until I read Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats.
And I realized we're doing to our pets what we're doing to our children. Overmedicating and overvaccinating.
Now, I'm a firm believer in organic, healthy, natural...fresh air and exercise, Mother Nature's abundance in herbs, essential oils, etc..
My soap box is tucked away now, and I'm heading out to the Great Outdoors!
http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/misstilliewillie
livin' the sweet life! |
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Barnyard Buddies: What can I do for a dog with a skin condition? |
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What can I do for a dog with a skin condition?
