Bailey skin issues, Weezy?

[RoughCollies]

Bailey has a history of skin issues. At only around 6 months, she was diagnosed with demodex mites, which cleared up around a year. Every summer, she gets allergies to the grass and has itchy feet. We give her benedryl when it gets bad.

This year, however, it's REALLY bad. Not the feet, but her tummy and under the tail region. It's raw and red. I took pics and will attempt to upload them on the big computer tomorow, but I couldn't today.

On her tail and thighs, it's starting to get red now, too. The hair seems thin and it's obviously itchy. Her knee and tummy area are the same.

We're giving her benedryl twice a day, but she keeps making it worse by itching and licking it. We tried to make a vet appointment for tomorow but the vet was already closed. I am calling first thing in the morning and can hopefully get her in. It's just REALLY getting bad.

[CAK]

Todd get's the same symptoms that your dog has and when he does I shampoo him with Chlorhexiderm. Hope all goes well at the vet's! Poor Bailey. =(

[weezyNollie]

I'm assuming you've already worked on figuring out the allergen. But what food are you feeding the dog? It never hurts to have an allergy dog on a novel protein diet.

But, it seems if the dog is only bad during the spring/summer season, then it's not the food.

You can get a prescription for something that may work better than Benedryl (diphenhydramine) and won't be as drowsy. It's called hydroxyzine.

Depending on how bad the areas are now, you may need to fight it off with some antibiotics if it's developed a bacterial infection from being itched raw. You can also inquire about "Betagen Spray" (it has gentamicin and a steroid in it), and it's a topical spray that can be used for allergy relief (but mostly if it has a bacterial component.

Diphenhydramine can sometimes work, but obviously in higher dosages can cause drowsiness. What dose have you been giving? And how much does Bailey weigh?

You can also try oatmeal shampoo baths up to once weekly!

Find out what the vet can offer you. But there are definitely prescription treatments that can be used to help out. My mom's dog is a bad allergy dog. She has food/environmental allergies. She eats a fish/potato diet, gets the hydroxyzine twice daily, and then recently she had an outbreak with her paws. She had some "Domeboro" at the house, so we did a foot bath/soak for 5-10 minutes per paw. It's an astringent that dries out hot spots, raw areas, etc. With the areas you are describing, it sounds like this would be hard to use.

Good luck!

[RoughCollies]

Thanks, Weez. We've ruled out food allergies with a bland diet and adding things in a couple years ago. It's environmental. And it always gets worse when she is stressed because she is a stress licker. It was already not looking good this year when we got here and with the other two dogs here, she started licking it.

I have seen and tried the spray you mentioned when faiht had her cut on her back. That's what the vet gave us.

Thanks for your reply. I'll see what the vet says if I can get her in tomorow. Otherwise, on Monday.

MAn, we should just move in with the vet with the way these dogs have been lately.

[weezyNollie]

I just feel like i should move in to the vet's office.. cause i work 13 hour days.. why go home? Being there from 8am to midnight and seeing the overnight crew come in, makes you worry.

Let me know what they say, or give you. The only other thing that I could suggest would be allergy testing with a dermatologist, and then getting steroid/allergy injections for the specific allergen.

But, I think a little prescription antihistamine will make a world of a difference too.

[Deb's Tiny Dogs]

The holistic vet I go just hates dogs getting steroids because they cause what, in Chinese medicine, is known as damp heat buildup. Damp heat causes all kinds of problems.

Miko has a terrible grass allergy so she mixed him up a homeopathic solution that I put in his food daily. It has really helped. You might want to consider a holistic vet for an opinion before going a steroidal route.

[RoughCollies]

Deb, my parents aren't going to take her to a holistic vet. My mom would shake her head at me if I even tried to bring it up here. I agree it would be nice if they would just listen to me for once, but hey. What can I really do? I sure as heck don't have the money to take someone elses dog to a vet. But thank you for your input.

[Deb's Tiny Dogs]

Yes, that's understandable, especially when it's not your dog.

I used to think the same way about holistic vets. But, now I'm a strong convert of using a blended approach. I spend way less overall on vet bills than I used to since going to her. I am absolutely convinced that over 3000 years of Chinese medicine is worth taking a look at.

Well, hopefully, there's a good answer at the traditional vet. We just want her better one way or another.

[RoughCollies]

She is on two different types of meds now. One for allergies, one for dermatitis. She thinks trying both at once will help. I hope so.

[weezyNollie]

Which meds? I would guess cephalexin for the dermatitis? Let me know how they work out.