For about the past 3 weeks my dog (a Pitbull/Lab mix) has been itching terribly. I called my vet and they said it is probably just seasonal allergies and fleas and told me to treat her for both. I have had her on Benadryl (6 pills per day) and she has been Frontlined.
However, I don't think the Frontline is working. I know she has fleas. I have given her baths in Dawn dish liquid and also a tea tree oil/aloe shampoo. By her back end she is almost bare and is scabbing over. It looks awful. She gnaws at herself and itches all the time. I have tried different things such as hydrocortisone salve for dogs, and Dr. Golds itch relief. I did the oatmeal in the sock back when it first started, but it didn't seem to help.
I am willing to try anything to save myself a vet bill, but I am thinking it is about time for the vet. Does anyone else have any recommendations? I am going to get some plain tea tree oil at the natural store to give that a try. Does anyone know if that would be OK to put on her area that's scabbed?
She doesn't have any problem other then in her back end. I would appreciate any help out there. I am willing to try it all, but if nothing works Friday she will go to the vet. Thanks so much for your help.
By Barbi from ME
Take the dog to the vet and have it looked at. If the skin issue hasn't cleared up with their tried suggestions; then it's time to pay the vet instead of spinning wheels waiting for answers and causing delay that makes it a longer period to heal and maybe even more money. (09/14/2009)
By Myrna
I don't know, but I've read, that some dogs are allergic to corn, a main ingredient in many dog foods. It's worth checking out. (09/14/2009)
Your dog may be allergic to some of the ingredients in his food. It's a very common problem lately. Try to buy a hypoallergenic dog food, or learn to make your own. One of the things that works for my dogs was to buy Dad's Naturals and mix it half and half with homemade dog food. My recipe involves a large crockpot. I put a pound of dried beans in the crockpot and let them soak for about 6 hours, and then I add a heaping cup of rice, 2 cups of vegetables, and 1 tablespoon of any kind of bouillon.
Always remember when applying Frontline or any flea med, no baths 2 days prior or afterwards. The flea meds will not be as effective. (09/17/2009)
I had itchy dogs for years. Don't know which did it, but I changed to ProPlan Lamb and Rice dog food and Advantage. I heard the "allergy to hay" excuse from my vet for years. I learned from a friend, who had a Lab, that some dogs are allergic to the dye in common dog foods. I think my dog would have died if I hadn't found out the secret to stopping it.
Your dog is going to need a shot of steroids to stop the itching after you have used the Advantage. (I never had luck with Frontline.) ProPlan isn't cheap, but it solved the problem. Advantage is available from your vet or online from veterinary supply companies. (09/17/2009)
By Carol
Yes, it is time for a veterinary visit. Your Dr. can give your fur baby an injection to control the itching and maybe a prescription to prevent an infection from the raw skin. I have worked for a veterinarian for over 27 years and I know this will help. Good luck. (09/17/2009)
By Sherri
K9 Advantix is heaven sent. There is nothing better. Our little dog also had to start taking Medrol for the allergy, he has grown all his hair back that he had lost. He had been so miserable that we feel guilty for trying all these home remedies and letting him get so bad. (09/17/2009)
Thank you all for your info. I am trying everything really. I did change her food to California Natural, which my vet said was the best for her and she seems to like it. It's not dyed. I did take her to the vet as I said in an earlier post and they put her on some meds and gave me some "special" shampoo. It has been 6 days today and she is doing so much better! She has stopped her itching and her hair where she has gnawed it so much is coming back as well. She is much happier now and so aren't I :) (09/17/2009)
By Barbi
Please try this:
Everything you described was happening to our dog. She had fleas, but not enough to make her go through what she did. Even the vet tried different things on her. By accident we learned of an cure, and a possibility to what it was that started all this.
We have 2 types of grasses in the yard, plus some ivy and miscellaneous plants. We were taking her out front in the beginning. She to where she was having problems and acted scared whenever we'd take her out there. We were confused as to what she was scared of so we started taking her out back putting her in the doggy pen area with the least plants and trees in it.
Next hubby and I started letting her go to the bathroom on concrete driveway every time instead of the yard. Bingo! She started doing better, her biting, whining, crying, and itching subsided and then stopped. Her fur started getting better. Now it may have been a deep allergy to the one or both grasses, or plants, but we are not sure which. What we do know is there is a big improvement and she is happier than she ever been.
Experiment with this idea maybe it will be what the problem is before you spend any more money at the vet. You should see some improvement in behavior in a 3-4 days, but do give your dog a bath to get rid of excess dead skin tissue that is already there along with the area change. Good luck!
(09/17/2009)
By Dianna M.
This time last year our dogs had fleas and one was very allergic to the bite. We had been using Frontline, but it apparently stopped working. We also live in New England (MA). We switched to K9 Advantix and it worked great. Capstar will kill fleas in 24 hours, but does not last like Advantix. Capstar can be used on young pups and pregnant dogs. Good luck. (09/18/2009)
Glad to hear you got some good advise, but please don't use Dawn on her. My Pug got worse from it! I use Avon Skin-so soft original now. It's soothing. (09/26/2009)
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