# Probably vet time in the morning, woo



## Moonfall (Nov 16, 2012)

So, I may have mentioned before that Douglas has dry skin issues. I have tried oatmeal soaks, new foods, etc, and no luck. He also gets hives sometimes after walks but a bath or wiping off the affected area clears them up (I think he is allergic to a plant that he sometimes encounters..not sure which plant). 

Well, the dryness is getting worse. He is shedding heavily also which isn't right. But some spots seem to be becoming hairless or close to, and he is quite flaky and icky looking. He got hives today so had a bath with all natural shampoo, I hope it helps, if not, I am calling the vet in the morning. I want to head this off before it becomes a full blown issue.

His LP seems to be getting a little worse as well so I need to get it checked soon, so I might as well do both.

Do you guys think this warrants a vet trip? I love my dog and I worry a lot about every little thing, and we are leaving with him for two days on saturday. Last thing I want is some awful skin problem when we're in the mountains surrounded by tons of snow and ice.


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## Lola's mom 2013 (Aug 25, 2010)

My dog daisy had terrible skin issues also she was bald in areas had a lot of flakes and she wouldmconstantly lick. I don't know if you would consider raw or maybe you have already tried. Maybe that ziwipeak if regular raw is something you do not want to do. Personally i have never tried ziwi but i looks like a dehydrated raw. When i started raw She had a bad detox for a few weeks when we started the raw but now her fur is very thick and she never licks herself anymore. Someone else suggested coconut oil to me so maybe try that. You could go to the vet to double check that it is not something else going on just to be sure.


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## woodard2009 (Aug 4, 2010)

Are you sure it's not the food you're feeding? I wipe Midgie down with coconut oil & when she licks it, it's good for her. You could put salmon oil, coconut oil, cod fish oil, olive oil on food to help with dry skin. I use an EFA Hylyte dog shampoo on Midgie because she's so allergic to so many things. It's great that you wipe him down after walks, I usually have to do that to.


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## Lola's mom 2013 (Aug 25, 2010)

woodard2009 said:


> Are you sure it's not the food you're feeding? I wipe Midgie down with coconut oil & when she licks it, it's good for her. You could put salmon oil, coconut oil, cod fish oil, olive oil on food to help with dry skin. I use an EFA Hylyte dog shampoo on Midgie because she's so allergic to so many things. It's great that you wipe him down after walks, I usually have to do that to.


Is that how you should give coconut oil as a wipe. I have never tried it before.


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## TLI (Sep 3, 2008)

I would make a vet visit. A few years back Lexie would go through spells maybe twice a year where she'd chew her feet and her back, right above her tail. It was crazy watching her do it. It was like she had a mad itch that she couldn't get to stop. I took her to the vet, and come to find out, even if one flea gets on her, she's allergic to the saliva. Crazy, huh! I told the vet that the pups never have fleas. He asked if they go outside, I said of course they do. He said if a dog goes outside, despite anything, a flea at some point will get on them. Even if I never see the flea on them, once it bites her, it throws her into the allergic reaction. We use Sentinel, so I've never had any trouble with fleas. Anyway, she's so allergic to them, that one bite requires a shot of prednisone. It immediately stops her reaction. He said if she continued the itching, he could do allergy testing. He also said that allergies in dogs are only about 20% of the time related to food. The testing I believe is for environmental irritants. To test for food allergies, my vet suggests elimination diet. It can be a long process. Your pup can be allergic to something as simple as the detergents you use, perfumes, cleaners you may use, inhaled irritants, etc. Anyway, I would suggest a trip to your vet. Dogs with allergies can be miserable, not to mention painful. 

As for LP. I can't give any advice, as we've never had any issues with that. 

Best wishes, and hope you find a solution soon. xxx


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## woodard2009 (Aug 4, 2010)

Lola's mom 2013 said:


> Is that how you should give coconut oil as a wipe. I have never tried it before.


I definitely agree with taking your pup to the vet. Coconut oil is great for everything internally & externally. It helps to soothe sore, raw, itchy skin. It does not cure the problem. Allergies & skin problems IMO are 90% food & products we use on them & only 10% environmental. These little guys are so sensitive to everything. I strongly believe that most of the problems we are seeing with our babies stem back from the beginning of their life in what we are putting in them & on them. Their immune systems are compromised trying to deal with it & eventually it can't any longer. This is when we start to see the warning signs such as dry skin, scratching, itching chewing, hives. You really have to take a good look at your home. It could be air freshners you have in your home or the hair spray or deoderant you use. Do your research, vets don't know how to cure allergies! They only know how to treat the symptom!! Steroids are their favorite, but too many shots can damage the liver.


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## missydawn (May 29, 2012)

the best advice I can offer is a dermatologist.BEST THING WE EVER DID!!!
they can give you the proper shampoos for each problem also.Missy had the worst case of dry flaky skin that I had ever seen,now she skin as a pretty and healthy looking as can be.I wish i had back the money on all the stuff we had bought and tried,plus all the years we were taking her to the regular vet.I hope this helps.you can try giving her a 1/4 pill of chlortrimeton twice a day.( I use the generic)oh and all the oatmeal baths in the world wouldnt of helped Missy a bit(we tried EVERYTHING)


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## 23083 (Sep 22, 2011)

I would try a diet with as few ingredients as possibe. Wellness makes a kibble called 'Simple' for dogs with allergies.
Coconut oil is a great additive for dogs on dry kibble and dogs with skin issues. My pups love it. Also add fish oil to the diet for skin. I use nordic naturals made for dogs. If none of that helps, i would see the vet. Keep us posted!


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## BlueJax (Jun 25, 2012)

Sounds like he could have seborrheic dermatitis. I would definitely call the vet to have him looked at although if you can't get him in for a few days I wouldn't worry. If you want you can give him a dose of Benadryl (diphenhydramine) 0.5-1mg per pound to temporarily help control symptoms.


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## Moonfall (Nov 16, 2012)

I won't do pred, as it's not nearly bad enough for such an extreme measure and I won't have his teeny immune system compromised that way.

Also, we do not use air fresheners or anything of the sort because I have a bird. No hairspray or anything either. 

I believe the hives are allergies but the skin flakes are different. I don't know. I do just want it checked to make me feel better that one of his organs isn't dying or something, I know, I am paranoid.

Anyway, I made the appointment so that's good. Here's hoping they have some ideas and that his knees are not as bad as they seem.

Also. Someone mentioned diet and I have considered that may be the cause. I have fed Natural balance (I didn't like it), Blue buffalo (worried about illness from reviews) and am currently feeding Taste of the Wild. I feed my ferrets raw so he does get a lot of meaty bones, but each of those foods have a different protein source. This one is buffalo and venison. 

I have considered Ziwi but the stuff costs a fortune. Once I get another job I may use it but right now I just can't because of the price. I have a couple hundred saved up for things like this and for food and toys and my dad is sometimes willing to help but right now I have no income so I have to try and be a bit careful. That does NOT mean that my pets are ever wanting for anything (no. way.) but it's the reason I couldn't buy a 50 dollar harness. That's a whole vet trip right there, my vet charges 30 for the exam and then meds. I found a nice one on sale for 11 though so that pleases me. They get good food still, toys, bedding, whatever they need and they will never go hungry, they eat before I do. But I like the sale section a lot, although I certainly will spend whatever's needed on a necessary item.

But anyway, that's the only reason he doesn't eat ziwipeak right now. I love the idea of it and there's a store in my town that just started to carry it so when I have the money I think I will use it. I at least want to try it out once.


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## pupluv168 (Mar 7, 2012)

Moonfall said:


> I won't do pred, as it's not nearly bad enough for such an extreme measure and I won't have his teeny immune system compromised that way.
> 
> Also, we do not use air fresheners or anything of the sort because I have a bird. No hairspray or anything either.
> 
> ...


When Toby was on Ziwipeak he itched like crazy and had terrible diarrhea. I totally understand being on a budget (I'm a full time student). I feed Fromm. A $14 bag lasts two months. I love it, and so does Toby! If I were you, I would take him in to have a vet look at it. If he suspects allergies, I know many people have good results giving Claritin or Benadryl- and an elimination diet to check for food allergies. Good luck!


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## Moonfall (Nov 16, 2012)

We just got back from the vet and a nice walk.

She said that he doesn't look to have parasites, and that because he is not overweight or showing other signs that his thyroid is probably not the problem. I was told to try fish oil and vitamin E, and if it doesn't help to come back in. We also talked about trying a small amount of zinc to see if he is deficient.

The best news ever though, he does NOT have LP! She tried and tried to get the knee to pop and it wouldn't. His ligaments and hips are also good. There is no explanation for the skipping when he walks but his legs are OK, so I am happy!


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## pupluv168 (Mar 7, 2012)

Moonfall said:


> We just got back from the vet and a nice walk.
> 
> She said that he doesn't look to have parasites, and that because he is not overweight or showing other signs that his thyroid is probably not the problem. I was told to try fish oil and vitamin E, and if it doesn't help to come back in. We also talked about trying a small amount of zinc to see if he is deficient.
> 
> The best news ever though, he does NOT have LP! She tried and tried to get the knee to pop and it wouldn't. His ligaments and hips are also good. There is no explanation for the skipping when he walks but his legs are OK, so I am happy!


Good news! 

Salmon oil really helps with dry skin. Maybe try that? 

As far as the skipping, maybe it's just a quirk of his. Awesome news though. I am really happy for you and Douglas.


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