Help Needed! My new (to me) EB is itchy...help me figure out the cause please!

[LunchBox]

Lunchbox is getting close to 22 months now. He will have been in on our home now for a week come tonight. I have noticed he is starting to itch & scratch at himself. Today has been the worst day & it's starting to concern me. He has a white collar (referring to his coloring, not an actual collar) & I noticed this morning that a place where he'd been scratching has a light pink undertone where it might have bled a little earlier or is atleast irritated (I'm not sure there's blood because it's not bright red or dried crusted blood or anything like that. More of a spot that should obviously not be there that is pink in color.) I am trying to figure out what might be causing him to itch more now. Here's some background info-

-When we brought him home, the previous owners had been feeding him Pedigree & I'd read where that wasn't the best food for him so I was working on switching him over to a grain-free food (Blue). Possible culprit?

-On Monday night, we gave him a bath. We used "Cloud Star Buddy Wash Green Tea & Bergamot 2 in 1 Dog Shampoo Plus Conditioner". He'd been already scratching himself here & there before we bathed him but I did not really begin to notice it had increased until this morning (Thurs). Culprit?

-I have sprayed "8 in 1 Perfect Coat Studio Freshening Sprays" on him a couple times. Last time was Tuesday morning. Culprit?

-Also Tuesday night, I gave him some of the chicken & carrots out of the chicken-n-dumplings meal I had made for my family. I started to think later that maybe that was bad? I figured it'd be good for him since it was natural, cooked, & healthy but that may have been a mistake? He *loved* it!

-I used a "Natures...something-can't remember the name" spray to remove odor on one of his beds he likes to sleep on while I'm at the computer (like now ). He had tried to mark his territory on it earlier this week so I had washed it all & then sprayed that on it as well to remove any possible odor to keep him from trying to mark there again. It has worked so far but could it be the culprit for the itching?

-He does get out to play outside in the (fenced) backyard and in the front area supervised (no fence). I have not seen him get into anything that would cause itching but maybe I missed something? Anything specific to watch out for when outdoors?

Right now, I've not given him any supplements or anything along those lines. Is there anything that would help? Are there lotions/oils to rub into their skin to help? If so, anything you'd recommend that I might find locally? I'm going to town tomorrow to run errands & if I need to buy anything to help with this, I'd love to figure it out before I go. I feel sorry for him that he's itchy.

I know I may have asked too many questions in this post but any help you can give me to shed some light on the cause behind the itching would be fantastic! Thanks!

 

[elearn]

@LunchBox, can you please post a picture of the spots you're seeing? that will help someone who may be able to identify what's happening

i think for right now, stop putting the sprays and stuff on him - that's a lot of different things going on at the same time and you won't be able to identify what's causing it. Including your laundry detergent or even something you're spraying in the air.

somethings that will be good to have on hand for him that you can get quickly are neosporin (for cuts/scratches so they wont get infected), hydrocortisone cream (for itches caused by irritation/allergies), benadryl (in case he's allergic to something).

someone will be here shortly to help you!!

[MENTION=2291]cowsmom[/MENTION] [MENTION=2]desertskybulldogs[/MENTION] [MENTION=2014]JeannieCO[/MENTION] [MENTION=2894]2BullyMama[/MENTION] are all full of helpful information!!!

 

[RaRett]

Lunchbox is getting close to 22 months now. He will have been in on our home now for a week come tonight.

-When we brought him home, the previous owners had been feeding him Pedigree & I'd read where that wasn't the best food for him so I was working on switching him over to a grain-free food (Blue). Possible culprit?

-On Monday night, we gave him a bath. We used "Cloud Star Buddy Wash Green Tea & Bergamot 2 in 1 Dog Shampoo Plus Conditioner". He'd been already scratching himself here & there before we bathed him but I did not really begin to notice it had increased until this morning (Thurs). Culprit?

-I have sprayed "8 in 1 Perfect Coat Studio Freshening Sprays" on him a couple times. Last time was Tuesday morning. Culprit?

-Also Tuesday night, I gave him some of the chicken & carrots out of the chicken-n-dumplings meal I had made for my family. I started to think later that maybe that was bad? I figured it'd be good for him since it was natural, cooked, & healthy but that may have been a mistake? He *loved* it!

-I used a "Natures...something-can't remember the name" spray to remove odor on one of his beds he likes to sleep on while I'm at the computer (like now ). He had tried to mark his territory on it earlier this week so I had washed it all & then sprayed that on it as well to remove any possible odor to keep him from trying to mark there again. It has worked so far but could it be the culprit for the itching?

-He does get out to play outside in the (fenced) backyard and in the front area supervised (no fence). I have not seen him get into anything that would cause itching but maybe I missed something? Anything specific to watch out for when outdoors?



I know I may have asked too many questions in this post but any help you can give me to shed some light on the cause behind the itching would be fantastic! Thanks!

Any of the above could be the one TRIGGER to his itching, OR SEVERAL can be the trigger to his itching.

1st I would stop all of the 'foo foo juice' (the 'smell like something other than a smelly ole dog perfume')

Eliminate EVERYTHING and start at the basics -

1) His food, was low Grade, and you switched to a high grade food (YEA ! ! ! !) however... what was the PROTEIN source in the original food? - one possibility on the list - he might be allergic to the new protein source.... are you Slowly doing the switch? Mixing old and new food?

2) once you eliminate all the perfumes - look for shampoo for allergies, or sensitive skin.

3) the 'Deodorizer' for the marking, it should be an Enzyme cleaner - we use natures miracle - follow the directions closely

4) he's new to the house. it could be something like your Fabric softener or Laundry Detergent he is allergic too. This is a brand new environment to him.

5) yard - is he your only dog? have you used any lawn chemicals, fertilizers this year?

I think you are getting the idea, that it could be ALL or just one of those things, start out simple, it will be the ONLY way to tell. Blue Buffalo also sells a 'Blue Basic' which is limited ingredient (we use it for Gizmo and Hershey)

 

[LunchBox]

[MENTION=4706]RaRett[/MENTION]

Any of the above could be the one TRIGGER to his itching, OR SEVERAL can be the trigger to his itching.

1st I would stop all of the 'foo foo juice' (the 'smell like something other than a smelly ole dog perfume')

Eliminate EVERYTHING and start at the basics -

1) His food, was low Grade, and you switched to a high grade food (YEA ! ! ! !) however... what was the PROTEIN source in the original food? - one possibility on the list - he might be allergic to the new protein source.... are you Slowly doing the switch? Mixing old and new food?

2) once you eliminate all the perfumes - look for shampoo for allergies, or sensitive skin.

3) the 'Deodorizer' for the marking, it should be an Enzyme cleaner - we use natures miracle - follow the directions closely

4) he's new to the house. it could be something like your Fabric softener or Laundry Detergent he is allergic too. This is a brand new environment to him.

5) yard - is he your only dog? have you used any lawn chemicals, fertilizers this year?

I think you are getting the idea, that it could be ALL or just one of those things, start out simple, it will be the ONLY way to tell. Blue Buffalo also sells a 'Blue Basic' which is limited ingredient (we use it for Gizmo and Hershey)

"Foo foo" juice. lol Great name for it! And, I agree. I won't be using it anymore until we can figure out what's going on. I don't think it worked anyways. Unless you count 1 hour for "working".

1- I didn't think about being allergic to a new protein source! I will check on that.

2- I have another type of shampoo in my cabinet as well that is some type of oatmeal wash. I need to check to see if it is for allergies or sensitive skin. When should I try washing him again? I don't want to wash him too much since I know that can dry their skin out which would result in more itching & shedding. But, if it's the other shampoo that is causing it, then it might be best to rewash him in something else?

3- Nature's Miracle! That's what I used.

4- Being allergic to my Laundry detergent didn't even cross my mind. He has a soft pad/bedding that we put in his crate for him. It was so funny to see how *excited* he was to have it. He loves sleeping in his crate at night even though we don't shut the gate. BUT, I have washed it 1x this week with my normal detergent (Tide). I have another detergent in the cabine that is dye/perfume free so I might need to rewash the bedding with that? It might help.

5- He is our only dog although we had a Boxer previously about 1.5-2 years ago now (he was strictly an outdoor dog). The backyard hasn't been fertilized ever but I know we did fertilize the front yard. It's been quite a few months not & we've had plenty of rain since then. Could that still be the cause?


Thank you VERY much for trying to help! I really appreciate it. Also, does he need anytime of supplements for this sort of thing or oils for his skin? I had read some online earlier & had seen something of this mentioned but I didn't see what types they were referring to.

 

[LunchBox]

@elearn

I agree-definitely stopping the "foo foo" juice (ha! RaRett) right now. My nose doesn't notice a difference that lasts anyways...maybe it's better for small dog breeds. lol

somethings that will be good to have on hand for him that you can get quickly are neosporin (for cuts/scratches so they wont get infected), hydrocortisone cream (for itches caused by irritation/allergies), benadryl (in case he's allergic to something).

Is there dog neosporin, cream, and benadryl or do I use the human form? I do have neosporin onhand I believe. How does the benadryl dosage work if we're talking about human form for benadryl?

 

[kazzy220]

So difficult because any one of those could have been the trigger and a combination of more than one!!!

I would certainly cut out all the "foo foo" stuff .... ..... and one thing to also consider is that so many bullies are allergic to chicken and so I wouldn't risk giving him any more of that until you work out what it is that is giving him the itchies!!!

 

[JeannieCO]

I think [MENTION=4706]RaRett[/MENTION] touched on everything I could have. I think the carrots from the stew were fine as long as they were rinsed first. Of course he love it too, heck I love chocolate but it doesn't love me, lol. Regular neosporin is fine but for Benedryl make sure it's straight benedyl, not one with an antihistimine in it. Someone correct me if I'm wrong please.

And no foo foo juice, lol. Too funny! The protein source is very important. All three of my dogs are fed Earthborn Holisitic Grain Free Coastal Catch and are doing great. I had Jack my non bully on the Great Plains version and it's a Bison protein. That didn't work for him and he started to lose his hair around his neck. He's doing great on the Coastal Catch now.

You may want to consider having a full allergy test done too. It can costs a few hundred dollars but you'd know exactly what Tater's allergic too and would eliminate the guessing game and thus really saving you money and time trying to figure out what he's allergic to by guessing.

I'll let others chime in now.

 

[RaRett]

In regards to another bath, I wouldnt risk it (yet) and I wouldnt change detergents (yet) its a process of elimination, you might take away one thing, and replace with another trigger. Maybe washing his bedding in hot water - and see if that takes care of it, is his itches worse in the mornings? is his eyes all red and itchy in the morning? if so, then I would suspect the bedding (all night in that bedding, wake up to red itchy eyes.... see where I'm going with it?)

so do more Eliminating, than switching at the moment

 

[linwhite]

Use the human form. For the Benadryl it's one tablet per 20 to 25 pounds. You can google it if you want to be sure "benadryl for dogs" a 50 pound dog would get 2 tablets. Stick the pills inside some peanut butter or a chunk of cheese and he'll gobble it right down. Good luck.

Oh get a fragrance free detergent. All makes a real good one and wash everything he touches with that. Downy makes a hypoallergenic fabric softener. Don't forget to change that too if you use softener. Ditto for dryer sheets.. If you have rugs put something down washed in the above for him to lay on until you get this figured out.

Feed him grain free - Most of them can eat a salmon based food. Watch the protein levels too. You can try fancy treats and foods once you've got this under control but do it one at a time so you can see what's triggering what. You may have just caused a circuit overload with all the new stuff you're trying to show your love with. LOL Hugs, pats and a GOOD BOY sill do it too.

 

[BruceP]

You can use Human Benadryl 1 pill for each 25pounds of dog, twice a day. (If he is 50 pounds then you would give 2 pills, twice a day.
Does he smell bad? doggy? If so, it may be his food. Did you switch him SLOWLY over a 2+ week time... I would guess not if you've switched him already and only had him a week. Here is how to switch foods:

I think I would start with his food. Fromm has excellent grain free foods. Earthborn is another. Do a slow switch using 1/4 new food mixed with 3/4 old food each meal for about a week. Then go 1/2 and 1/2 for a week, then go 3/4 new to 1/4 old for another week before giving him 100% new food. This is important because bullys have very sensitive tummys and too quick of a change may upset his tummy. If you notice soft poo while switching, back up and reduce the new food a little for a few days so his tummy can catch up to the switch. Another thing that helps during a switch is to add a tablespoon of canned pumpkin to the mix *not pie filling but canned pumpkin*. Once you switch his food give him a few weeks on the new food and note how it has helped or not, but it takes a few weeks to get the old food out of his system. It can be a long process but is great when you find the right food..... Fromm Beef Frittata was that right food for Princess Gracie.
It takes many weeks to totally get the old food out of his system. This can need to be repeated til you find the perfect food for your bully.

 

[linwhite]

I think @RaRett touched on everything I could have. I think the carrots from the stew were fine as long as they were rinsed first. Of course he love it too, heck I love chocolate but it doesn't love me, lol. Regular neosporin is fine but for Benedryl make sure it's straight benedyl, not one with an antihistimine in it. Someone correct me if I'm wrong please.

And no foo foo juice, lol. Too funny! The protein source is very important. All three of my dogs are fed Earthborn Holisitic Grain Free Coastal Catch and are doing great. I had Jack my non bully on the Great Plains version and it's a Bison protein. That didn't work for him and he started to lose his hair around his neck. He's doing great on the Coastal Catch now.

You may want to consider having a full allergy test done too. It can costs a few hundred dollars but you'd know exactly what Tater's allergic too and would eliminate the guessing game and thus really saving you money and time trying to figure out what he's allergic to by guessing.

I'll let others chime in now.

Benedryl is an antihistamine. What you don't want is a decongestant. This I know because I am an allergy queen and use all that kind of stuff all the time.

 

[JeannieCO]

Benedryl is an antihistamine. What you don't want is a decongestant. This I know because I am an allergy queen and use all that kind of stuff all the time.

Thank you for that correction! I don't have to deal with allergies for me or the kiddos so I get the two mixed up. I thought I may have been incorrect.

 

[elearn]

[MENTION=6126]LunchBox[/MENTION] dont get any fancy Benadryl - I've see "dye-free" and special types [MENTION=6176]linwhite[/MENTION] said for cold and sinus, sugar-free, etc. get the straight old school Benadryl! 25mg pink tablets.

also, maybe in case something is on his skin you can just RINSE him off with some warm water (no juice, foo-foo or any other kind). i know sometimes, even when we was our hair or use soap, we dont get all the soap or conditioner residue off. and again, like [MENTION=6176]linwhite[/MENTION] said wash everything in fragrance-free/dye-free detergent to get it off there too....


you're thinking of salmon oil as a supplement for skin.

 

[Baconator]

Looks like you have enough advice here to last awhile, just wanted to wish you luck, and I hope you pup starts feeling better.

 

[LunchBox]

Wow, tons of great info & help here! Thank you! I will keep coming back here to go through it all as I try to pinpoint what's causing this.

Maybe washing his bedding in hot water - and see if that takes care of it, is his itches worse in the mornings? is his eyes all red and itchy in the morning? if so, then I would suspect the bedding (all night in that bedding, wake up to red itchy eyes.... see where I'm going with it?)

I think I'm going to start with this. It did seem like he was more itchy this morning compared to last night so I think it might be the place to start & I'll work from there. Hopefully I can figure it out soon!