Maximus has SKIN problems .......

[Maximus]

[MENTION=701]Maximus[/MENTION] I'm not trying to step on anyones toes and say your vet is wrong but in my own experience with Bella, she has allergies to chicken and I'm pretty sure, some type of grain. Plus she has environmental allergies. She has never had an ear infection, foul odor coming from them or been a paw licker. So it is possible to have these allergies and not these syptoms. Her symptoms were yeast, bad sore wrinkles, gunky eyes, tear stains, etc. I would keep on the food trial. Can't hurt, right?

As the VET pointed out to me, I have been at his office every month since January with Maximus. At this point, I'm not sure what is going on - I just know that after doing extensive research on the Net, there are so many conditions that all mimic the same symptoms it is very difficult to isolate one problem over another.

Maximus does not scratch or itch. The flaky scabs on his skin are definitely a superficial pyoderma - problem is we don't know if it is primary or secondary. He has been on the same food for months.
Since he is fed Grain-Free food, I don't know if he does infact have
an allergy to any meat protein --- all of the meats are possible culprits
and I'm not big on Vegetarian diets for dogs.

The VET said Maximus is a young dog and does not yet have a strong enough Immune system yet, since bullies mature at a much slower rate than other breeds.

I'm hoping with the 30-day Antibiotic and the Medicated Shampoo's his skin will improve.

If the symptoms persist than I will most likely lean towards Max having a Food allergy.

 

[JAKEISGREAT]

What a trooper you are. Please let us know how this goes. Hoping you get to the bottom of this!

 

[karenben]

try immune boosting,flaxseed,canine puriphy,garlic,if he gets itchy then fresh basil is a natural antihistamine,and if hes had antibiotics give him acidophilus to put good bacteria into his gut,its really hard trying to figure whats wrong with our dogs,it takes so much time and patience ,ive been 3 months working out whats the cause of annies skin problem,finally im prety sure its grass ,ive kept her off all grass and her itching is all but gone ,im still using neem oil on her belly and pits just to put moisture back in her skin ,fingers crossed it will continue,i think the raw diet has really helped her immune system also,she has not had any kibble since april so hopefully her immune system is getting back to top form again,i hope you can get sorted ,i feel for you its very down heartening knowing your dog isnt how he should be ,karen

 

[izstigspunks]

try immune boosting,flaxseed,canine puriphy,garlic,if he gets itchy then fresh basil is a natural antihistamine,and if hes had antibiotics give him acidophilus to put good bacteria into his gut,its really hard trying to figure whats wrong with our dogs,it takes so much time and patience ,ive been 3 months working out whats the cause of annies skin problem,finally im prety sure its grass ,ive kept her off all grass and her itching is all but gone ,im still using neem oil on her belly and pits just to put moisture back in her skin ,fingers crossed it will continue,i think the raw diet has really helped her immune system also,she has not had any kibble since april so hopefully her immune system is getting back to top form again,i hope you can get sorted ,i feel for you its very down heartening knowing your dog isnt how he should be ,karen

How do you give the flaxseed, garlic and basil? Do you grind them together or give them as is? And how much? Stig broke out in hives for some reason and I'm thinking it's seasonal as we haven't changed much. We initially thought it was the shampoo change but his hives haven't disappeared fully. I've been giving benedryl that helped him stop scratching his hotspot (thank goodness!) but wondered if there's anything else that I should do.

 

[karenben]

the flaxseed i get in soft gels i pop them open and pour out the oil into the feed as i do not know whats in the actual capsule itself,the basil i get fresh and just tear off a few stalks with leaves and cut up and put into the meal,basil is also good for bad breath!!,the garlic i crush 1 clove per meal and pop into the meal,i only feed 1 soft meal per day the other meal is bone so if you feed kibble twice per day only give the immune boosters in 1 meal only,too much garlic is bad ,also garlic is supposed to stave off fleas,i also give a product called canine puriphy its milk thistle and other herbs for cleansing the liver ,its a months supply ,all we can do is boost the immune system to rid the dogs of allergies this is why i use this stuff and i have to admit though its been long and tedious im now seeing benefits in my dog,also if your dog has been on antibiotics i would give acidophilus to repair any damage done to the gut ,by the way i gave my dog 2 flaxseed a day for the first 2 weeks then knocked it down to 1 per day,karen

 

[karenben]

savemjeebus forgot to mention,the best thing ive used for the itching/hives is 1 calamine lotion as long as your dog cannot lick it of its safe 2 neem oil mixed with flaxseed oil ,both sooth the skin and the neem/flaxseed oil moisturizes the skin,ive tried so many things on her skin and these 2 are the only ones that work ,karen

 

[izstigspunks]

Thanks for the tip! He has stopped scratching since his bath with his old shampoo and giving him benedryl, but who knows what'll happen if I stopped the benedryl.

I have all the natural remedies you mentioned on my grocery list and will get them tonite.

 

[karenben]

you may not see much difference immediatly but stick with it ,its worth it ,keep us posted,karen

 

[reillysmom]

Reilly has the exact same issues. The tear stains were so bad, he would scratch and scratch until his face was bleeding! His back is the worst area, its very mothy looking fur and he is shedding like crazy and rubbing himself against everything he passes. I took Reilly to dog dermatologist back in january. Got him allergy tested, got 2 medicines, steroid, antibiotics, and the allergy shots. Well it helped for a few months until about 2 months ago the raw feet, face, and scabs on his back have returned. I took him back to that doctor when he told me it could be a food allergy!! Reilly ended up having a bad bacteria infection on his body that was causing the yeast issues. He is on cephalexin now and it is helping, he is now on Avoderm ovenbaked lamb and rice. This switch has only been for 1 1/2 weeks and wow, what a difference! his face is completely clear and has NO tear stains, his back is less itchy and less shedding. He licks his paws only occasionally now. I am praying this works. Please try an antiobiotic and consider switching food. I know exactly how you feel!!

 

[Maximus]

Reilly has the exact same issues. The tear stains were so bad, he would scratch and scratch until his face was bleeding! His back is the worst area, its very mothy looking fur and he is shedding like crazy and rubbing himself against everything he passes. I took Reilly to dog dermatologist back in january. Got him allergy tested, got 2 medicines, steroid, antibiotics, and the allergy shots. Well it helped for a few months until about 2 months ago the raw feet, face, and scabs on his back have returned. I took him back to that doctor when he told me it could be a food allergy!! Reilly ended up having a bad bacteria infection on his body that was causing the yeast issues. He is on cephalexin now and it is helping, he is now on Avoderm ovenbaked lamb and rice. This switch has only been for 1 1/2 weeks and wow, what a difference! his face is completely clear and has NO tear stains, his back is less itchy and less shedding. He licks his paws only occasionally now. I am praying this works. Please try an antiobiotic and consider switching food. I know exactly how you feel!!

Max is currently on an antibiotic - The VET prescribed Cefpodoxime for 30-days, in addition to medicated baths. I have never tried AVODERM dog food. Perhaps I will do some research on it.
Thanks for the recommendation...