Itchy, Itchy, Itchy & Skin issues

[Faeanne]

YL, you pay for the name as they have the marketing money as we say. Doterra has it.

Thank you for the previous info on that specific oil. As for YL- you do get what you pay for- top quality oils from an amazing company. I've been using oils seriously for 5+ years and I am still learning from my step-mom who's been with YL for at least 15 years. But I've never used actual oils on my animals, so I appreciate any advice/help on that.

 

[Dollys Owner]

Chlorpheniramine is a good antihistamine as well. Here in Canada you can buy generic chlorpheniramine and cetirizine quite inexpensively. Cetirizine is more convenient because you can give it once daily whereas chlorpheniramine is at least twice daily, and is a bigger tablet.

You should also brush your dog to get rid of dead hair frequently ( daily to once weekly ) to help with itching. I use the Zoom Groom brush.

 

[Faeanne]

Thanks [MENTION=16884]Dollys Owner[/MENTION]- I think the Cetirizine sounds better. I'll add brushing more often to our routine too. She sheds bad. I'll have to add that zoom groom brush to my next Amazon order- it seems like a good addition to our pet supplies.

So we gave Muffin her first bath with the medicated shampoo. (She was not impressed.) I should of gotten a picture of it- my hubs put on his swimming shorts and picked her up and sat in the tub with her. As we let the shampoo sit for the recommended time I showed hubs how to clean all her face folds. It was the first thorough cleaning I was able to do- I only had witch hazel, but that's better than the baby wipes we had. They weren't as bad as I thought they was going to be. The one fold (I haven't learned the proper names for each of them yet) on the left side was owie. The others were just dirty. I tried towel drying her as well as I could after her bath. I put on a glove and used a baby wipe with witch hazel on it to clean her tail pocket. She does have a pretty wide & deep one (I think- but I could be wrong b/c I don't know what a "normal" one is!) I got hair & some dirt out, but nothing like I was figuring I would. So I'm guessing it's not yeasty or infected. Muffin seemed to like me cleaning it though- she kind of had a Nirvana moment. LOL

Now- her itchiness lately has been her neck. She has deep skin folds there too. And she has some raw owie spots I found under there tonight. I dried the area as best as I could and cleaned it with witch hazel, and then on the real owie spot applied some salve from YL that's made for pets. (That's what I've put on her other owie spots and it's helped heal them up well.) That's why the one spot looks wet- I took the picture after I put the salve on. I ordered some Vetericyn spray to put on that- I thought it might be easier to have a spray application for that area. Does that sound like a good idea?

Oh- and she has some spots on her leg/top of her paws too. I don't know what to do with those though. Here's pictures of her neck & legs

 

[helsonwheels]

Thank you for the previous info on that specific oil. As for YL- you do get what you pay for- top quality oils from an amazing company. I've been using oils seriously for 5+ years and I am still learning from my step-mom who's been with YL for at least 15 years. But I've never used actual oils on my animals, so I appreciate any advice/help on that.

I have nothing against YL. Just ive been doing oils for a long time and there are other oils out there just as good. Just you need to know what to look for, how to read labels etc etc. If you're comfortable with YL by all means stick to it fore sure! Im sure your step mom is on the ball after 15yrs! Below is a link of Dr Z. He knows his stuff.

http://drericz.com/?s=essential+oils+for+dogs&x=0&y=0&task=search&option=com_search&Itemid=13

 

[helsonwheels]

Chlorpheniramine is a good antihistamine as well. Here in Canada you can buy generic chlorpheniramine and cetirizine quite inexpensively. Cetirizine is more convenient because you can give it once daily whereas chlorpheniramine is at least twice daily, and is a bigger tablet.

You should also brush your dog to get rid of dead hair frequently ( daily to once weekly ) to help with itching. I use the Zoom Groom brush.

Hello again, where in Canada are you again? Cant recall if I did ask lol.

 

[Faeanne]

I have nothing against YL. Just ive been doing oils for a long time and there are other oils out there just as good. Just you need to know what to look for, how to read labels etc etc. If you're comfortable with YL by all means stick to it fore sure! Im sure your step mom is on the ball after 15yrs! Below is a link of Dr Z. He knows his stuff.

Search for "essential oils for dogs" | DrEricZ.com

[MENTION=15310]helsonwheels[/MENTION]- Sorry if I came across defensive. Rereading that- I did write like a snooty snob. I totally didn't mean to be that way. I just meant that's what I'm used too- I've been around them for so many years with my step-mom that they are the company I'm comfortable with. So while I do totally admit I'm a YL girl at heart, if there is an oil they don't carry I totally am open to checking other sources out. I'm not part of a YL-only cult. LOL So thank you for helping me out- if you have been doing oils for a long time- I'm sure you know your stuff too and I appreciate any knowledge you are willing to pass on. Especially concerning oils & pets- as that's an area I'm unfamiliar with as of yet.

 

[helsonwheels]

[MENTION=15310]helsonwheels[/MENTION]- Sorry if I came across defensive. Rereading that- I did write like a snooty snob. I totally didn't mean to be that way. I just meant that's what I'm used too- I've been around them for so many years with my step-mom that they are the company I'm comfortable with. So while I do totally admit I'm a YL girl at heart, if there is an oil they don't carry I totally am open to checking other sources out. I'm not part of a YL-only cult. LOL So thank you for helping me out- if you have been doing oils for a long time- I'm sure you know your stuff too and I appreciate any knowledge you are willing to pass on. Especially concerning oils & pets- as that's an area I'm unfamiliar with as of yet.

God no worries. It never came across defensive. Never crossed my mind. Lol

There are a lot of links in the attachment that can guide you with pets n oils

http://www.englishbulldognews.com/forums/your-bulldog-s-health/51130-essential-oils.html

 

[Lalaloopsie]

From the pictures her skin looks really irritated. I would like to warn you - EO are amazing thing, but highly allergy-provoking, as they are the very essence of plants and flowers. They are very healing, but putting them on itchy and inflammatory skin can cause even more problems. I would rather ask vet about more aggressive allergy- suppressive treatment, like, above mentioned steroid shots, or at least topical steroid ointments. First you need to stop itchiness, heal reddish spots and prevent formation of raw places. Otherwise, if she has raw spots, even anti-fungal medicines will be a problem to use. EO at the moment can be dangerous, IMHO. You can use them a bit later, when itch reduces and redness will go away, for healing. Also, don't forget about high omega-3 fish oil, many skin conditions in dogs can be caused by omega-3 insufficiency. And diet, of course.

 

[2BullyMama]

Thanks @Dollys Owner- I think the Cetirizine sounds better. I'll add brushing more often to our routine too. She sheds bad. I'll have to add that zoom groom brush to my next Amazon order- it seems like a good addition to our pet supplies.

So we gave Muffin her first bath with the medicated shampoo. (She was not impressed.) I should of gotten a picture of it- my hubs put on his swimming shorts and picked her up and sat in the tub with her. As we let the shampoo sit for the recommended time I showed hubs how to clean all her face folds. It was the first thorough cleaning I was able to do- I only had witch hazel, but that's better than the baby wipes we had. They weren't as bad as I thought they was going to be. The one fold (I haven't learned the proper names for each of them yet) on the left side was owie. The others were just dirty. I tried towel drying her as well as I could after her bath. I put on a glove and used a baby wipe with witch hazel on it to clean her tail pocket. She does have a pretty wide & deep one (I think- but I could be wrong b/c I don't know what a "normal" one is!) I got hair & some dirt out, but nothing like I was figuring I would. So I'm guessing it's not yeasty or infected. Muffin seemed to like me cleaning it though- she kind of had a Nirvana moment. LOL

Now- her itchiness lately has been her neck. She has deep skin folds there too. And she has some raw owie spots I found under there tonight. I dried the area as best as I could and cleaned it with witch hazel, and then on the real owie spot applied some salve from YL that's made for pets. (That's what I've put on her other owie spots and it's helped heal them up well.) That's why the one spot looks wet- I took the picture after I put the salve on. I ordered some Vetericyn spray to put on that- I thought it might be easier to have a spray application for that area. Does that sound like a good idea?

Oh- and she has some spots on her leg/top of her paws too. I don't know what to do with those though. Here's pictures of her neck & legs

View attachment 104350View attachment 104351View attachment 104352View attachment 104353View attachment 104354

Gang sure has you covered on the treatments.... stay away from steroids if you can, like you said -- last resort.

Picture #4 looks like it might be a hotspot.. is that the one that you placed the salve on? Can you get a new picture dry without salve?

 

[Dollys Owner]

I'm from Toronto ( it's a different climate zone than you )

Hello again, where in Canada are you again? Cant recall if I did ask lol.

 

[Dollys Owner]

Do you have any updates on your doggy? What food do you have her on? You still bathing her with the medicated shampoo ? Wrinkles under control ? Someone mentioned on another thread that there is a new biologic drug for allergies called Cytopoint that is safer than all the previous ones including apoquel, but is very expensive.

 

[helsonwheels]

I'm from Toronto ( it's a different climate zone than you )

Yup....much colder here