Raw spots/ little abrasions on outside of eyes

Meggs19

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I'm having an issue with Tonka's eyes I was hoping someone could help me with. I have posted before that he has trouble with watery eyes. He has wet wrinkles on his face in the two main wrinkles--not his nose rope--and some tear stains but that's all I have noticed so far. I really didn't think it was a food allergy since he had no other bumps or symptoms like that and his stools are solid and normal.

Then the other day I noticed what looked like a little cut on the outside corner of his eye. It was immediately outside the eye in the fur and not inside it. It was a little pink raw spot or something and I thought maybe he scratched himself. So tonight I noticed he now has it on the outside of the other eye, only that spot is a little bit bigger. It's pink and raw and still small but bigger than on the other side. I didn't notice it earlier tonight and I am thinking it was there after I saw him scratching that part of his face with his paw right before I went to clean his face and noticed it.

Any idea why this is happening all of a sudden? He is 7.5 months old now and on Natural Balance Sweet Potato and Fish for food. Is it the tears that might be causing irritation if they drip to the outside part of the eye? If it is something that is itching him then is he just scratching it hard enough that the fur is coming off there? I don't know if he scratched it raw or if something else like the tears caused that although the scratching seems likely to have done that.Not sure why he would be doing this now or why it's only in those two little spots outside the eyes. I have not noticed any spots like this elsewhere on him. Is it yeast doing this perhaps?

I clean his face with baby wipes every day. I put a dab of neosporin on each little cut/raw spot...not sure what else to do or what's going on? I mean he itches his ears and paws/face occasionally but I have never see anything exessive or seen him be particularly itchy.

Has anyone had this happen or can anyone help? :(


Thanks!
 
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Meggs19

Meggs19

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No one can help me with this? Maybe I need to call a vet instead?
 

Jack Daniels

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It may be an environmental allergy. Like you said , he does nt have any bumps or rashes on his body so that's a good sign that his tearing is not food related...
It may be him just rubbing on his eyes due to the excessive tearing..

My Jacks eyes are constantly tearing. I have no idea what is causing it.
After many food switches, I am convinced its an environmental allergy.

Same must be happening with your boy ... Are his nails sharp.?
Maybe one of them has a sharp edge which has caused the scrapes by his eyes... (??)
 

Sherry

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My Griz has scratched his eye already, they do scratch pretty hard. His eyes are also watery, even after many food switches, but hes better then he was. Hang in there. Maybe an allergy test from the vet is in order? may be we can get two for half price? :yes:

[MENTION=3445]Meggs19[/MENTION]
 
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Meggs19

Meggs19

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Thanks guys! I have scheduled a vet appointment for Saturday just to have him looked at and more so for me, to ease my worried mind. :) I also plan to discuss the possibility of allergy testing with the vet and pricing. They told me it's usually a last resort and that they don't garner great results...which surprised me. I guess I will have to wait and see what he says!
 

ChanelnBrutus

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[MENTION=3445]Meggs19[/MENTION] Sorry you and Tonka are going through this! Hoping all works out for Tonka and you get some answers....Please keep us posted after her visit!
 

2BullyMama

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Thanks guys! I have scheduled a vet appointment for Saturday just to have him looked at and more so for me, to ease my worried mind. :) I also plan to discuss the possibility of allergy testing with the vet and pricing. They told me it's usually a last resort and that they don't garner great results...which surprised me. I guess I will have to wait and see what he says!

Ask the vet for a full blood screen allergy test. They may not offer it, and if they don't ask if they can refer you to a vet that does do it. Something to concern to is, the potato in the food -- my girl, Banks since I took her off potato her yeast issues have decreased (face, paws and ears) she is not allergic to them, but they do bother her.

Good luck and keep us posted. Sorry for getting to you so late
 

Vicaroo1000

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Has he been tested for Demodex Manage? (they'll do a skin scraping) That stuff usually starts around the eyes and face. There are many threads about it here too. Generally, it takes medication to eradicate. Some dogs get it and just grow out of it. (Bo didn't though. Danggit.) Good luck!
 
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Meggs19

Meggs19

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I really don't think it's mange. I looked into that and it doesn't sound like that's what Tonka has. The little abrasions are tiny, like the size of the back of an earring maybe (I know, random comparison). He also seems to have put those there by scratching. He does not scratch there excessively, just occasionally. There isn't really hair loss, just a little abrasion within the hair and maybe the tiny spot has no hair only because he broke the skin open there. The spots also don't stay raw or scaly or anything, they scab right away and start to heal up within a day unless he scratches again and causes it to come back. Doesn't sound like what I have read about mange. He has also not had any health issues or skin/ear infections etc. that would indicate he has a weakened immune system. Thanks for the suggestion, though and I will bring this up to the vet just to be safe. I will give you an update as soon as we get back from the vet. :)
 
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Meggs19

Meggs19

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I have an update on Tonka and his vet visit! The vet said that his face looks pretty pink and his eyes do too. It's especially noticeable how pink it looks around his white side/eye. They said it's allergies causing him to scratch around his eye area and his constant itching caused the little abrasions. We are going to try switching his food. He was on Natural Balance Sweet Potato and Fish and didn't seem to have too many issues with itching or allergies on that food (just a little watery eyes) so I don't know why he would all of a sudden. Can food allergies/issuesA

Anyway, I wanted to swtich his food anyway since I have heard of some issues with Natural Balance. I'm not sure if I should try a new protein source altogether or switch to a new brand but find one with fish as well since he never seemed to have any other issues with the food--no gas, healthy stools etc. Maybe the itching isn't even from his food, maybe it's environmental. Something outside maybe? We haven't changed much at all in his surroundings indoors. Just in case it might be laundry detergent I got him a new bed. Until I figure out what's going on as far as the cause of these sudden allergies (he is 8 months old so maybe they just started up), the vet gave me some antihistamine to give him twice per day. It hasn't been helping though. :( He is still pink and itchy. Any thoughts?
 

2BullyMama

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I may have posted this earlier..... ask the vet to do a full screen blood allergy test... it will tell you what to avoid
 
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Meggs19

Meggs19

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Oops, I meant to say above: can food allergies and issues just come out of nowhere when they reach a certain age even if they were doing find before?
 

Saalwi

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Get him an allergy test, that way you might be able to keep him under his allergy response threshold, if you can manage what's triggering his reaction. It's really hard to do that if you don't know what he's allergic to.... The test might give you a place to start.

With that said, I'm finally having the test done on my guy....I know he has allergies but I've been afraid to get the test because if the results are he's allergic to everything then I'd drive us both crazy trying to manage the allergens.

But I'm going with the attitude of knowledge is power and having him tested the end of March.

Good luck...
 
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Meggs19

Meggs19

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I had heard nothing but good things about blood allergy testing on this forum and how people received lists of things to avoid. But when I asked my vet he said a lot of times the results are minimal and don't garner great results or much of any results. I find that hard to believe based on what I have heard from others. Maybe he was referring to the majority of dog breeds but not the breeds that are very allergy-prone like bullys?? Either way, I believe it's $180 for the test which is a lot less inexpensive than I had assumed it would be so I think I might have it done anyway. We wanted to perhaps try switching his food and see if that helps (since we need to anyway because of the issues with Natural Balance I have been hearing) and then if nothing clears up or if things worsen then we would try the allergy test. Do you think that sounds like a good plan or should we just do the allergy test first?
 

2BullyMama

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I had heard nothing but good things about blood allergy testing on this forum and how people received lists of things to avoid. But when I asked my vet he said a lot of times the results are minimal and don't garner great results or much of any results. I find that hard to believe based on what I have heard from others. Maybe he was referring to the majority of dog breeds but not the breeds that are very allergy-prone like bullys?? Either way, I believe it's $180 for the test which is a lot less inexpensive than I had assumed it would be so I think I might have it done anyway. We wanted to perhaps try switching his food and see if that helps (since we need to anyway because of the issues with Natural Balance I have been hearing) and then if nothing clears up or if things worsen then we would try the allergy test. Do you think that sounds like a good plan or should we just do the allergy test first?

The allergy test only takes about a week to get the results back,,,, and as long as your baby has not had any steriods in there system for 30 dyas - you will get some get information back. The results give a high/low sensitivity rating -- this way you know what to avoid
 

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