Itchy, Itchy, Itchy & Skin issues

[Faeanne]

So I need direction on what products to get to help stop the itchies and clear up Muffin's skin. As well as a good routine to use them. Because of improper care by prior owners we are now dealing with extreme itchiness, among other things. But my vet wants us to get her skin issues treated before we worry about anything else. After reading on here- it seems like she probably has a yeast problem. She will get itching herself till shes raw. She will rub her body/face on the side of the couch/bed/wall. She sometimes will get licking her paws. She itches her butt on anything she can and scoots on the floor to itch. I don't know if part of this is due to worms. (Our friends that found her said she had roundworm, hookworm & whipworm. She's had both doses of her dewormer now though.) She had fleas. We just put topical flea medicine on her last week. Our vet that seen her for the first time last week gave me some antihistamine pills for her, some medicated shampoo (we haven't used yet- I read giving baths too often is bad) and ointment for her eyes.

I've read tons of useful info, but there's so much I'm now kind of overwhelmed. Can you recommend a good starting place? I've already started her on grain-free food b/c I know that's best for her. (She's eating a step better than our other mutts! LOL) I was going to get the witch hazel, Duoxo pads & the Malactic (sp?) stuff, but I don't know if I need it all. After reading on here- I know we have to learn to clean her folds properly and probably her tail pocket too (assuming she has one- I just got home & she's sleeping, so I can't check.) If we are starting off at a bad place with yeast issues- how often should we be cleaning/bathing her, with what products and how?

TIA for helping us help Muffin!

 

[Hankster]

You'll be getting some good help here for sure Thank you for taking care of the foundling.. Sounds like you've got your work cut out for you but you will be rewarded with the sweetest kisses ever.. all the best and i'll be checking back to read up

 

[Corine Pesantes]

Apoquel is AMAZING! Might be a good idea to get the itching to stop so that you can get all the yeast issues under control. If mine have flare ups - i use malacatic or mal-e-ket wipes 1-2x's a day or after they eat. Otherwise I either use some with hazel on a paper towel for daily wiping or (mostly) use a Norwex cloth to wipe their faces.
I'd go ahead and start with the medicated baths. You can run coconut oil all over her to help with dryness and coat. You can also put some in her food as well. Food will be a huge factor in keeping everything under control. Try something grain free, limited ingredient, (in case is any food allergies). Chewy.com is awesome about refunding you for food if your dog doesn't handle it well - for ANY reason. They just suggest you donate the rest of the bag to your nearest shelter.
Also butt cream like desitin is good to put in her folds or tail pocket if there is irritation.



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[helsonwheels]

I do a lot of essential oils for maintenance. Works extremely well! Here's a link also from other members on oils that works/worked for their furballs. http://www.englishbulldognews.com/forums/your-bulldog-s-health/51130-essential-oils.html

Nyala has a tail pocket issue but I keep it at bay with this recipe. Not just for ears!!!!

Here is the essential oil recipe for ear infections or just maintaining good ear*health. Spray*on cotton ball and wipe out ears ...don't spray directly in*ears.In*a 2 ounce glass spray bottle, combine: 15 drops Lavender 15 drops Geranium 15 drops Frankincense 15 drops Basil 10 drops Arborvitae. Fractionated Coconut Oil to fill the bottle about 3/4 of the way full. Shake bottle well before using. Use once a week to treat ears that have an ear infection or once a month as a preventative measure in ears that are prone to recurrent ear infectionsIf ears are especially inflamed or infected, dilute 2 drops of lavender in 4 drops of fractionated coconut oil on a cotton ball and apply lightly to soothe the inflamed ear area.

 

[Faeanne]

I do a lot of essential oils for maintenance. Works extremely well! Here's a link also from other members on oils that works/worked for their furballs. http://www.englishbulldognews.com/forums/your-bulldog-s-health/51130-essential-oils.html

Nyala has a tail pocket issue but I keep it at bay with this recipe. Not just for ears!!!!

Here is the essential oil recipe for ear infections or just maintaining good ear*health. Spray*on cotton ball and wipe out ears ...don't spray directly in*ears.In*a 2 ounce glass spray bottle, combine: 15 drops Lavender 15 drops Geranium 15 drops Frankincense 15 drops Basil 10 drops Arborvitae. Fractionated Coconut Oil to fill the bottle about 3/4 of the way full. Shake bottle well before using. Use once a week to treat ears that have an ear infection or once a month as a preventative measure in ears that are prone to recurrent ear infectionsIf ears are especially inflamed or infected, dilute 2 drops of lavender in 4 drops of fractionated coconut oil on a cotton ball and apply lightly to soothe the inflamed ear area.

Thanks for the EO recipe- I'm a essential oil/homeopathic girl- so this is right up my alley. But what oil is Arborvitae? I've never heard of it. I have lavender & frankincense already. And I can order geranium and basil right now, but I don't know about that Arborvitae.

 

[Manydogs]

[MENTION=16917]Faeanne[/MENTION] From internet---------When I first smelled Arborvitae Essential Oil last year I was far from in love, but soon after I was a teaching a class on how to naturally support your immune system. Arborvitae was one of the essential oils that kept coming up in my research as a powerful way to support the immune system and protect against environmental threats.

Not only that, but it’s cleansing properties were just what we needed last year when our son’s cloth diapers had done a number on his skin. Melaleuca Essential Oil usually works great for diaper irritation that lingers, but this time it wasn’t cutting it. I added Arborvitae to our healthy baby bum spray and it cleared up in 48 hours. I was amazed!
If you haven’t brought this essential oil into your home yet, I highly encourage you to have it on hand.

Practical uses for Arborvitae essential oil:

• Protects against environmental and seasonal threats.
• Powerful cleansing and purifying agent.
• Naturally repels insects.
• Preserves wood naturally.
• Apply to wrists and ankles while hiking.
• Add a few drops to a spray bottle with water and spray on surfaces or hands for a protecting solution.
• Diffuse to purify the air.
• Diffuse for a grounding aroma.
• Mix four drops of Arborvitae essential oil and two drops of Lemon essential oil with a carrier oil for a effective wood preservative and polish.
• Use during meditation for a sense of peace and calm.
• Mix in with mulch while gardening.
• Create your own cologne with Cedarwood, Arborvitae, and Frankincense.

Emotionally, Arborvitae essential oil is The Oil of Divine Grace. Arborvitae address the need to control one’s outcomes in life.
— IMPORTANT NOTES — Essential Oil Quality: The essential oil industry is not a regulated industry which means it’s difficult to know which brands you can trust to be truly 100% pure therapeutic grade and safe for your whole family. I did my research to find a brand I can trust. If you want to learn about the brand I personally use or order essential oils for your home, please email [email protected] I’d love to support you in your oil journey.


Disclaimer: Essential oils are powerful and should be used with proper care and guidance. Reach out to me for recommended resources on essential oil usage. Always remember I’m not a doctor or medical professional. The content on this site is meant for education and entertainment and should not be taken as medical advice. As always, please take responsibility for your health by doing research and possibly consulting a medical professional.

 

[Faeanne]

Apoquel is AMAZING! Might be a good idea to get the itching to stop so that you can get all the yeast issues under control. If mine have flare ups - i use malacatic or mal-e-ket wipes 1-2x's a day or after they eat. Otherwise I either use some with hazel on a paper towel for daily wiping or (mostly) use a Norwex cloth to wipe their faces.
I'd go ahead and start with the medicated baths. You can run coconut oil all over her to help with dryness and coat. You can also put some in her food as well. Food will be a huge factor in keeping everything under control. Try something grain free, limited ingredient, (in case is any food allergies). Chewy.com is awesome about refunding you for food if your dog doesn't handle it well - for ANY reason. They just suggest you donate the rest of the bag to your nearest shelter.
Also butt cream like desitin is good to put in her folds or tail pocket if there is irritation.

Ok- we'll give her a bath today with the med shampoo before I go to work if we have time, if not after work tomorrow. From what I read- moisture in the folds & such is a bad thing- so we'll have to make sure she's dried very well afterwards- right? And I can get witch hazel locally- so I can clean her folds with that till I get some of the other stuff from Amazon. I have fractionated coconut oil I use as a carrier oil for my EO's. Would that be good to rub a little on her body when we're done then? Or should I use the regular more "solid" kind? We are feeding her grain free already- I am transitioning her to Taste of Wild from a local store. I'll have to ask my vet about that Apoquel- unfortunately my off isn't till Wed.
I'll get some desitin and witch hazel today.

 

[Faeanne]

Thanks [MENTION=8741]Manydogs[/MENTION]. That's not a YL oil- so I'll either have to find an equivalent or ask my DoTerra friend if she can get it for me.

 

[aprilemari]

We also rescued a bulldog with severe skin allergies and raw from scratching. although I believe that good food and proper skin care is essential moving forward and forever, some immediate relief is likely needed. You have a couple options, and a vet has to be involved for all. One option is a stint of steroids, usually two weeks with a huge dose at first and scaling down every 3 days. temaril P or vanactyl P are the names. Miracle. Our puppy Lola was on a low dose of steroids for many years (1 pill per day vs the 6/day starting dose for the stint approach). Our Rescue, Foxie, however, is on apoquel after the steroid stint. And although long term affects for this newer drug are not super well characterized at this time, it is also a miracle. Foxie is on 16mg per day and now Lola is on 8mg/day. Everyone is happy!

 

[Corine Pesantes]

Ok- we'll give her a bath today with the med shampoo before I go to work if we have time, if not after work tomorrow. From what I read- moisture in the folds & such is a bad thing- so we'll have to make sure she's dried very well afterwards- right? And I can get witch hazel locally- so I can clean her folds with that till I get some of the other stuff from Amazon. I have fractionated coconut oil I use as a carrier oil for my EO's. Would that be good to rub a little on her body when we're done then? Or should I use the regular more "solid" kind? We are feeding her grain free already- I am transitioning her to Taste of Wild from a local store. I'll have to ask my vet about that Apoquel- unfortunately my off isn't till Wed.
I'll get some desitin and witch hazel today.

Yes, dry folds and put desitin. You can get witch hazel anywhere- it's usually right beside the rubbing alcohol. I'm not familiar with the fractionated CO- I use organic, cold pressed, unrefined- but I put that in their food. If your rubbing it on her, I wouldn't think it would be a problem so long as there aren't any additives in it.


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[Dollys Owner]

She's probably rubbing her face because her wrinkles are irritated, so you need to get those healed up. There's lots of ways to approach that- eg. duoxo wipes, malacetic wipes, desitin cream. My approach is to wash my dogs wrinkles with a wet cosmetic pad with Curaseb shampoo ( or other medicated shampoo such as Malaseb ) on it, then wipe with a wet cosmetic pad, then dry it with a dry cosmetic pad.

I'm not an expert but think it's probably a good idea to wash your dog with the same shampoo twice a week for a while then once a week. You Also, wipe the tail pocket and vulva after each poo and pee with a hypoallergenic baby wipe. You can also wipe the paws with a medicated wipe like Duoxo or Malacetic after each walk.

If your dog had whipworm, you need to use Panacur daily for 3 days for probably 3 courses to prevent recurrence, eg. at 0,1,2 months, or at 0,2,3 months, and make sure your dog doesn't eat poos.

A good antihistamine to use is cetirizine ( 10mg daily ).

I think apoquel has less side effects than corticosteroids, but it's better if you don't have to use either.

 

[helsonwheels]

Thanks for the EO recipe- I'm a essential oil/homeopathic girl- so this is right up my alley. But what oil is Arborvitae? I've never heard of it. I have lavender & frankincense already. And I can order geranium and basil right now, but I don't know about that Arborvitae.

Its in the cypress family..... Thuja is a genus of coniferous trees in the Cupressaceae.

 

[helsonwheels]

Thanks [MENTION=8741]Manydogs[/MENTION]. That's not a YL oil- so I'll either have to find an equivalent or ask my DoTerra friend if she can get it for me.

YL, you pay for the name as they have the marketing money as we say. Doterra has it.
[MENTION=8741]Manydogs[/MENTION], im pretty sure you already know but just in case..... Melaleuca is really Tea Tree oil

 

[helsonwheels]

Yes, dry folds and put desitin. You can get witch hazel anywhere- it's usually right beside the rubbing alcohol. I'm not familiar with the fractionated CO- I use organic, cold pressed, unrefined- but I put that in their food. If your rubbing it on her, I wouldn't think it would be a problem so long as there aren't any additives in it.


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Fractionated CO is the clear one. Liquid form. Easier to use as a carrier oil if you want to mix other oils in.

 

[Faeanne]

Thanks aprilemari for the input. If the pills & med shampoo & the info I get from here don't help with her itchies by Wed I'll get her into the vet and ask her about the options you mentioned.

She's probably rubbing her face because her wrinkles are irritated, so you need to get those healed up. There's lots of ways to approach that- eg. duoxo wipes, malacetic wipes, desitin cream. My approach is to wash my dogs wrinkles with a wet cosmetic pad with Curaseb shampoo ( or other medicated shampoo such as Malaseb ) on it, then wipe with a wet cosmetic pad, then dry it with a dry cosmetic pad.

I'm not an expert but think it's probably a good idea to wash your dog with the same shampoo twice a week for a while then once a week. You Also, wipe the tail pocket and vulva after each poo and pee with a hypoallergenic baby wipe. You can also wipe the paws with a medicated wipe like Duoxo or Malacetic after each walk.

A good antihistamine to use is cetirizine ( 10mg daily ).

I think apoquel has less side effects than corticosteroids, but it's better if you don't have to use either.

I ordered some of the malacetic wipes- hopefully those will help. The antihistamine the vet gave me for her was Chlorpheniramine. I'll remember to look into the cetirizine when we are done with those. I agree with you on the steroids & such- I prefer to try at first to see if we can alleviate the itchies without resorting to the heavy hitting stuff. Then use it if we can't.