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skin problems

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  • 25-03-2010 5:30pm
    #1
    roxiesmammy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 140 ✭✭


    My daughter has a terrific pit bull who is around 2 yrs of age. She should be a embasador for the breed, you would have to go far to find such a good mannered, pleasent, best behaveded dog ever. She is brill with ever thing and anything. And when i say she wouldnt hurt a fly, really i mean she wouldnt hurt a fly.
    The only concern we have with her is her skin, at times my daughter is afraid to bring her out as it looks like she has been fighting. She is always at vet, usually put on long time antibiotics and steroid tablets. This works for awhile but then god love her she will have another flair up. Any suggestions what else can be done with her to help. At moment she is on Science plan dry food, was thinking would maybe RC sensitivity be better?


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    #2
    andreac
    Registered Users Posts: 8,000 ✭✭✭andreac


    What exactly are the skin problems you mention and what are the symptoms etc?


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    #3
    roxiesmammy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 140 ✭✭roxiesmammy


    andreac wrote: »
    What exactly are the skin problems you mention and what are the symptoms etc?
    jesus how stupid, forgot to say. Her skin gets very red and sore all over esp her muzzle, ears get really inflammed. Under her neck gets all red, sore and scabby and her poor paws sometimes can be bleeding.
    she is a very unusal colour, her face and ears are white so the least bit of sun and we smother her in sun block, the rest of her is brindle.


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    #4
    andreac
    Registered Users Posts: 8,000 ✭✭✭andreac


    Ok, well i would rule out the food that might be causing it first and my thoughts would be that it is causing it if shes feeding Hills Science Plan.

    The reason i say that is because i know several people who's dogs including my own who broke out in hot spots (wet excema) quite bad after using this food so its possible that it doesnt agree with her so i would advise you to get her to change food and see if that helps.

    Try a brand like James Wellbeloved, Arden Grange etc but def stay away from Hills for a while and see if it helps at all.


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    #5
    roxiesmammy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 140 ✭✭roxiesmammy


    andreac wrote: »
    Ok, well i would rule out the food that might be causing it first and my thoughts would be that it is causing it if shes feeding Hills Science Plan.

    The reason i say that is because i know several people who's dogs including my own who broke out in hot spots (wet excema) quite bad after using this food so its possible that it doesnt agree with her so i would advise you to get her to change food and see if that helps.

    Try a brand like James Wellbeloved, Arden Grange etc but def stay away from Hills for a while and see if it helps at all.

    She has only been feeding this for about 3 months, cant remember what food she was using before this, she has said her skin is actually a bit better since she started feeding her on this. She has had this skin complaint since she brought her home at 9 weeks old. What she has is def not hot spots, have seen them before on a dog, and is totally dif.
    Was actually telling my daughter that Arden might be a better choice, as that is what i feed my lot on.


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    #6
    andreac
    Registered Users Posts: 8,000 ✭✭✭andreac


    Oh well then thats different.

    She obv has very sensitive skin and something is causing this reaction. It might be hard then to try and narrow down whats causing it.


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    #7
    lorebringer
    Registered Users Posts: 1,712 ✭✭✭lorebringer


    Something "allergen" free would be a good place to start - Arden Grange do a "sensitive" product which is def worth a try. James Wellbeloved have a few products designed for sensitive dogs (I had one of mine on their grain free foods for a while, very good). Steer clear of high protein foods, these can irriated sensitive skin and many dogs with skin issues will not do well on high protein diets. Try to stay around or below 20% - 22% mark. RC Sensitivity Control may be a good idea too - it is very gentle but pricey. I use it for dodgy bellies but I have heard of it used for sore skin.

    It sounds like she is suffering from a dry skin condition, so a fish oil in her diet could do her a lot of good. Also (going to sound crazy) a moisturiser could help too. It's not unknown to rub a bit of baby lotion, or something similarly gentle, on dogs that have sore skin. Try to steer clear of anything that has perfumes, as this could cause more irritation, and oatmeal because if it is an infection it will just feed it. A shampoo designed for irritated skin could also offer some relief (as long as you replace the moisture in the skin afterwards - with a moisturiser).

    Finally, have you looked at all the chemicals she is coming into contact with on a daily basis. Because she has had this complaint for such a long time it may be worth checking out if any household cleaners are causing irritation. It may not cure the problem but if she is sensitive to something being used in the house it could help a lot to eliminate it. The usual suspects are floor cleaners/carpet cleaners etc. or washing powder. Like humans, some animals can have very delicate skin and harsh chemicals can cause havoc.

    I assume the vet has taken a skin sample for testing to rule out things like mange. If not, it would be a very good idea to get this done because it could come up with something very treatable.

    Good luck - it's terrible to see pets so uncomfortable and miserable.


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