Really Itchy Dry Skin :(

pattonsmom

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Hi! My 13 week old had been itching himself for a few days and was making a huge fuss while doing it so we brought him to the vet who said he had very dry skin. He gave us an antihistamine pill to give him 2x day as well as fish oil to put in his food once a day. We have been doing this for 5 days now and he is not getting any better. It breaks my heart because the poor thing can't sleep more than a few hours at night before waking up and scratching for a long time. Last night he woke up 3 times crying and scratching. We also changed his food at the vet's recommendation and are working on transitioning that now.

Has anyone else experienced this? If so, how long does it take before he can feel some relief? Besides the fact that he is puppy and still bites everything in site this is making his biting worse because he's irritated he's itchy all the time. :(

Thanks!
 

2BullyMama

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OK so a few questions

What food? Protein?
Laundry detergent are you using?
 
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pattonsmom

pattonsmom

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We had him on Blue Buffalo but our (new) vet said that isn't good for puppies and suggested we switch to Eukanuba large breed puppy and we have, not cold turkey- mixing it for now.

That's actually a great question about the detergent, I hadn't thought of that. My boyfriend and I use different laundry detergents so it depends who washes his bedding and blankets. He uses Tide of some kind and I have sensitive skin so I use ALL free and clear. Do you think it could be the Tide?

Also, I have no idea if this matters but he LOVES to be outside. If it is nice out he can spend hours outside, last week he spend a lot of time going outside and loves rolling around in the grass/leaves, normal puppy play. I was thinking allergies which is why I took him to the vet last week but my vet is convinces it's just itchy dry skin.
 

Manydogs

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If your pup has allergies-it could be caused by many things. Years ago, Eukanuba was one of the best dog foods there were. Not so anymore. Now there are so many choices. My dogs eat a grain free food Taste of the Wild Pacific.. There is a food and nutrition page on this site, and your pup may have allergies to grains.Check out the Dog food ratings. I would also try washing his bedding in the detergent that you use.Some people put Salmon oil in their food. I use extra virgin olive oil. One tablespoon of plain reg. or greek yogurt will help digestion,too. It will actually take a process of elimination to find out his allergy. I would go with grain free food, and the allergy free detergent to start with-and the oil in food. See how it goes. Also bath him in chlorhexidine shampoo,to help the itching.
 
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pattonsmom

pattonsmom

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Thank you! I have to wash his stuff tonight, I will make sure I do it in my detergent. I will look into the shampoo recommendation, I really appreciate it.

I understand it's a process I just feel so bad that's he's uncomfortable. :(
 

Vikinggirl

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Hi Desiree, skin issues, dry flaky skin, and itching can be caused by many different reasons, the most common cause is food allergies or sensitivities. A lot of bullies are allergic to chicken and salmon, and it really is just trial and error when trying to find a dog food that they tolerate with no issues. It can also take up to a month before you see a change or improvement in symptoms from a food change, as it can take that long before the old food leaves their systems. Skin issues and itching can also be caused from allergies to chemicals, cleaners, shampoos, or detergents. Have you changed any of these products or used a new detergent on his bedding or blankets? , frequent baths, mange, yeast infections, parasites, or some dogs are allergic to fleas and their bites. Another cause can be thyroid disorders, has your vet done a skin scrape to see if he has mange, hot spots, or other parasites, or a blood test can be done to determine if he has thyroid issues. Your vet will probably prescribe antihistamines, antibiotics, or steroids, or a combination of these. There are also many natural supplements and remedies you can try, such as we add 1 Tbsp. of plain yogurt, Greek yogurt or Kefir to their morning kibble, these are all great sources of probiotics which aid in digestion, but also boost the immune system, which will help him to fight infections, and allergies, we also add 1Tbsp. of apple cider vinegar to their drinking water, which has a lot of health benefits, it also boosts the immune system, by killing off the bad bacteria in the body, it is a natural anti inflammatory, and it balances the Ph levels of the blood, you can also use it as a final rinse after their bath with shampoo. Mix 1 part ACV and 2 parts warm water and pour it over your dog as a final rinse, you can leave it on, or rinse it off. It is great for the skin, will leave him soft, and also keeps them smelling fresher longer in between baths. You can also add Omega oils, such as salmon oil, but some bullies are sensitive or allergic to salmon, so you can use cod liver oil, or coconut oil instead. You can buy these natural supplements at a health food store like GNC, or Nutrition House, or at the grocery store in the Organic Food section. You can also buy some at the drug store. A lot of supplements that are safe for humans are also safe for pets, and can be bought over the counter at the drugstore, and are less expensive there than at your vets office.
 
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pattonsmom

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Hi Desiree, skin issues, dry flaky skin, and itching can be caused by many different reasons, the most common cause is food allergies or sensitivities. A lot of bullies are allergic to chicken and salmon, and it really is just trial and error when trying to find a dog food that they tolerate with no issues. It can also take up to a month before you see a change or improvement in symptoms from a food change, as it can take that long before the old food leaves their systems. Skin issues and itching can also be caused from allergies to chemicals, cleaners, shampoos, or detergents. Have you changed any of these products or used a new detergent on his bedding or blankets? , frequent baths, mange, yeast infections, parasites, or some dogs are allergic to fleas and their bites. Another cause can be thyroid disorders, has your vet done a skin scrape to see if he has mange, hot spots, or other parasites, or a blood test can be done to determine if he has thyroid issues. Your vet will probably prescribe antihistamines, antibiotics, or steroids, or a combination of these. There are also many natural supplements and remedies you can try, such as we add 1 Tbsp. of plain yogurt, Greek yogurt or Kefir to their morning kibble, these are all great sources of probiotics which aid in digestion, but also boost the immune system, which will help him to fight infections, and allergies, we also add 1Tbsp. of apple cider vinegar to their drinking water, which has a lot of health benefits, it also boosts the immune system, by killing off the bad bacteria in the body, it is a natural anti inflammatory, and it balances the Ph levels of the blood, you can also use it as a final rinse after their bath with shampoo. Mix 1 part ACV and 2 parts warm water and pour it over your dog as a final rinse, you can leave it on, or rinse it off. It is great for the skin, will leave him soft, and also keeps them smelling fresher longer in between baths. You can also add Omega oils, such as salmon oil, but some bullies are sensitive or allergic to salmon, so you can use cod liver oil, or coconut oil instead. You can buy these natural supplements at a health food store like GNC, or Nutrition House, or at the grocery store in the Organic Food section. You can also buy some at the drug store. A lot of supplements that are safe for humans are also safe for pets, and can be bought over the counter at the drugstore, and are less expensive there than at your vets office.

Hi Monica,
Thank you for all of this information. We do have him on antihistamines now 2x a day. It's only been 5 days since we changed his food and added the fish oil and started the medicine. I know it takes time for these things to change but I wish the itchy would decrease instead of increase as it has been. He's 13 weeks and he's had 2 baths since we got him. I also put human organic coconut oil on him where he itches most and that seems to temporarily help with his discomfort. For now, I guess I have to be patient and hope for a change. I have a vet appointment this Tuesday for his next set of shots and plan to ask him what he thinks if he's still not any better by next Tuesday. I do like the suggestion of the yogurt and would like to incorporate that into his diet.
 

Vikinggirl

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I also have a EB with allergies. My female Blossom has allergies to chicken, salmon, corn and grains. We changed her food 4 times before we found one that she tolerated, and didn't cause diarrhea, soft stools, skin issues, law licking, or scratching. It really is trial and error, and can be a very frustrating process, but once you find the source of the allergen, you can control the symptoms. It's so hard to see them suffer and even more difficult because they can't talk to tell us what is wrong. Another thing I always do whenever I give or start a new supplement, food, treat, or introduce anything that they haven't had before is to introduce each item one at a time, and for a week or two before introducing another item, that way if there is an allergic reaction, or sensitivity, you will know exactly what caused it and can eliminate it right away.
 

ddnene

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My Bella was miserable in the spring… it could be seasonal alopecia. Have you noticed any balding in the flank areas? I also started giving my boxer organic coconut oil once a day, 1/2 a tablespoon and it has made a huge difference in her skin & fur. Another thing I was thinking that maybe it's a grass allergy… we had a dog growing up that was allergic to grass, and she was miserable. They had her on prednisone it was so bad… I hope that your baby feels better soon!!!
 

dolphin

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You've received superior advice above and I'm sorry to hear about your baby. I would bet that the problems you're having is with the food and I wonder about the vets advice to switch to Eukanuba. I would definitely get the General on a grain free diet asap and see if that helps..
 

bullmama

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Poor baby!!! He sounds miserable!

13 weeks old seems a little young to be having this problem, it could be the grass....

My advice would be not to use eukanuba... It's NOT a good food at all! The salmon oil is great but what if he has an allergy to salmon? Maybe give him coconut oil in his food instead for now.


The last thing is it possible for him to have fleas?


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jimmyjj

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Hi. When diesel got attacked the wounds started to scab up. The itch drove him nuts. I had some medicated talk. ( it's says on it to stop itching and chaffing ) he got instant relief.
This could be a short term fix until you find the route cause.


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BentleyMom

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Bentley had food allergies. So far the only thing he's been able to tolerate without and flare ups is Nitro Lamb & Rice. We also make sure to use an oatmeal shampoo when he gets a bath. Poor guy! I hope he gets relief soon! Best of luck.

~Adopted by Bentley~
 

2BullyMama

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We had him on Blue Buffalo but our (new) vet said that isn't good for puppies and suggested we switch to Eukanuba large breed puppy and we have, not cold turkey- mixing it for now.

That's actually a great question about the detergent, I hadn't thought of that. My boyfriend and I use different laundry detergents so it depends who washes his bedding and blankets. He uses Tide of some kind and I have sensitive skin so I use ALL free and clear. Do you think it could be the Tide?

Also, I have no idea if this matters but he LOVES to be outside. If it is nice out he can spend hours outside, last week he spend a lot of time going outside and loves rolling around in the grass/leaves, normal puppy play. I was thinking allergies which is why I took him to the vet last week but my vet is convinces it's just itchy dry skin.


Could be the Tide... heck I itch on that stuff! But, it most likely is the food, get him on a better food preferably something that is grain free ! Eukanuba really is not a good food... years is was, now it is just all filler and great advertising
 

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