What is wrong with my dog?

[pops572]

So we have a rescue retriever/lab mix about 2 years ild and we have had her a few months now, the people we got her from just had a baby and couldnt devote the time they once did. So she has not been abused, and definitely not underfed. But they gave her a bath about 3 times a week or more, with regular shampoo and the poor things coat was as dry and brittle as straw. We have only given her a bath about once a month and with shampoo made for her.
Now on to the problem, when we got her there were these spots, and some small scabs on her, I just contributed it to the excessive shampooing and dry skin. But now a few months later and they are still there and maybe even a little worse, and they are prtty much all over her, but seem to be more so on the legs,paws, and tail. I thought mybe mange, or hot spots but the pics I have found on the net dont really look like that. We have 2 other dogs and between my wife and I have had dogs for most of our lives but have never seen anything like this. I have attached some pics, we plan on taking her to the vet after Thanksgiving, but just thought I would see what you guys thought.



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Edited November 23, 2015 by pops572

[pops572]

. Edited November 23, 2015 by pops572

[TripleDigitRide]

One of our dogs has what looks like something very similar, but your dog appears to have a more severe case of whatever it is. My dog doesn't seem to pay them any attention, but I started applying Gold Bond lotion every couple of days. After a few applications, most of the spots seemed to disappear. One or two will pop up from time to time, and I'll apply another dab of lotion. Edited November 23, 2015 by TripleDigitRide

[dawgdoc]

I can't tell from the pictures, but I can say that the skin responds a limited number of ways to a variety of insults. Allergies with secondary bacterial or yeast infections would be most common, though.

[Miltech]

It looks like the same condition my dog has. The Vet says it is an allergy. We had him tested and he is now taking allergy shots. Be prepared to spend some serious money if that turns out to be the case and you decide to have her  treated. My dog showed to be highly allergic to mulberry trees, some grasses  and other stuff to a lesser extent.

[Rhodewarrior]

Kind of hard to tell, but the 2 middle pic look like hot spots my golden retriever had a few months ago.  Does your dog lick/chew on them at all. My dog would lick them constantly which made them worse.  She was given a steroid and some medicated wipes to resolve them.  I had just given her a bath a few days before they appeared on her legs, which the vet said is a common cause in goldens if they don't dry completely.

[cj0e]

My buddy has a dog with similar issue(but much worse case), vet says allergies. They're going to get her tested because it hasn't gotten better in quite some time.

 

My parents had a german shorthair pointer with very similar stuff, vet had us bathe her in a diluted betadine solution and they'd clear up. I convinced the parentals to change her food and they went away permanently.

 

Good luck, you'll get it sorted!

[Dolomite_supafly]

Flea allergy maybe. We have one dog that a single flea can put her allergies in overdrive.

[dawgdoc]

A lot of the diagnosis will depend on the appearance and location of the lesions.  Also, commonality will affect the likely diagnosis.  

 

Flea allergy dermatitis is the most common allergy; it usually begins on the lumbar area and spreads forward and down the thighs.

 

Atopic dermatitis (seasonal allergies) is the next most common allergy.  Generally you see some type of seasonal nature to it, but since you have only owned the dog for a short time, that might not be evident.  With atopy, they can itch all over, but often concentrate on licking the feet and scratching at the sides and under the arms.

 

Food allergies are the least common.  They can itch all over, but the characteristic locations are itching at the ears and anus.

 

Not all animals have the typical lesions, and secondary bacterial and yeast infections can perpetuate and magnify the itching even if the original cause is controlled.  

 

There are two types of mange--scabies, or sarcoptic mange, which is intensely itchy and contagious between animals.  The other type of mange is demodectic mange which is non-contagious and affects puppies and immunocompromised adults.

 

Ringworm is a fungal infection that can affect the skin.

 

All of these diseases will have varying degrees of itching, redness, hair loss, crusting, and scaling.  Some can be diagnosed easily, and some require special testing.

[pops572]

She does lick her paws quite a bit, and scratch her sides/under arms often and really enjoys a back scratch. We did find a flea right after she got here, but just one and our other dogs have no symptoms of any kind.

[Pain103]

Yikes 3 times a week bath for a dog equals no oils.

[K191145]

I don't have a dog right now but when I did she had dermatitis, red itchy skin. The best shampoo I found was an OTC shampoo that had Coal Tar in it, let it soak for 5 to 10 minutes before rinsing, it helped her condition. I only washed her once per month and in between I used some of those pet wipes just to freshen her up a little. Also gave her Benadryl if the itching got too bad, most dogs can handle Benadryl fine, might make them a little sleepy for a while.

Edited November 23, 2015 by K191145

[dawgdoc]

Licking the paws is often associated with atopic dermatitis. There are various aspects of treatment. One thing you can start now is omega fatty acid supplements, which take 4-6 weeks to build up to have an appreciable effect.

[Dolomite_supafly]

She does lick her paws quite a bit, and scratch her sides/under arms often and really enjoys a back scratch. We did find a flea right after she got here, but just one and our other dogs have no symptoms of any kind.

Allergies in dogs is like having allergies in humans. Just because one family member has allergies does not mean all family members will have the same allergy. We tried everything for one of our dogs because every years she would be covered in red, swollen patches from her itching and licking herself. We, literally, spent a lot of money chasing it and were about to give up until we tried a long term flea control pill. Last year was the first year, in 7, where she was not miserable for the summer.

 

Our other dog has food allergies and it does not affect him other than diarrhea. We spent several thousand dollars fighting and treating a non existent bacteria overgrowth. And it was only when we decided to try another vet that we figured out it was not a bacteria infection. The previous vet did not do a basic test to check for bacterial overgrowth and just assumed that was what it was. Well a year later and thousands of dollars later another vet suggested we change foods and that was the problem.

 

Without the help of dawgdoc we would have still been fighting it.

Edited November 24, 2015 by Dolomite_supafly

[tennesseetiger]

My dog gets them from time to time when allergy season is in full swing...vet gives him some antihistamines and he's good to go for a while and it all goes away.

I tried every soothing shampoo known to man, but the meds are what made the difference at the end of the day.

[leroy]

Our old Golden would have this problem from time to time... If this guy is inside, i would first recommend a good close haircut... Secondly, try and see if ya can get him (..or her...) to take a bit of olive oil with their food, and watch and see what happens... RE:  "The bath thing"... Dont give him (..or her...) a bath unless they really need it...

 

Hope this helps your buddy...

leroy

[conn_air7]

My dog doesn't have the same issues, but it's definitely got problems. I repeatedly tell the dog to smile and this is the best it can do. Good for nothing mut, the pound told me this was the dog for me, but I'm having second thoughts at this point. Anyone want to take it off my hands?


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[conn_air7]

However on a more serious note, I would try using some dietary supplements to improve your dogs physical state. The spots seem to be an allergenic issue, but the hair issue makes me wander. Is it still experiencing issues with dry skin and brittle hair? I would probably associate that more to a dietary deficiency of some sort or excessive shampooing (which you mentioned you had to intervene in this area).


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[pops572]

However on a more serious note, I would try using some dietary supplements to improve your dogs physical state. The spots seem to be an allergenic issue, but the hair issue makes me wander. Is it still experiencing issues with dry skin and brittle hair? I would probably associate that more to a dietary deficiency of some sort or excessive shampooing (which you mentioned you had to intervene in this area).


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The skin and hair issues (brittle and dry) have subsided with the lack if shampoo and proper shampoo. Edited November 23, 2015 by pops572

[xsubsailor]

Flea allergy maybe. We have one dog that a single flea can put her allergies in overdrive.

 

 

^^^^^^ This ^^^ Had a Cocker/golden retriever mix that had this problem

[bersaguy]

I spent a small fortune on Kasey's itching issues with 1 Vet which was just giving her a shot of Steroids every time I took her in and he claimed he checked her for Fleas but evidently the guy was blind cause she had them bad but I could not see them for the 5 coats of hair and I coat of tight skin down like a duck has as it is part of her breed. She sheds about 10 times a year also. Took her to a buddy of mines Vet when Kasey began losing hair off her rump in front of her tail. She said Kasey had a very bad case of Fleas causing her hair to fall out and her constant scratching and loved anyone that would scratch her. They gave her three baths on first trip to make sure they got all the way down to her skin through the down against her skin. Then they sent her home with a topical flea treatment for me to put on her once a month. All her problems were gone in about 60 days and her hair was back and she was not itching that way she was. Now we do deal with her ear and rump itching issues. There is a food issue that the Vet says as long as Kasey will not eat anything normal dogs will eat there is not much that she can do for that. She is a great vet and Kasey likes her where the other guy she offered to bite several times.Kasey's new vet for the last 8 years has spent a quite a  few bucks trying to find meds in the form of snacks that most every other dog will eat and beg for more and Kasey turns her nose up at them. I have some Samples she gave me two weeks ago in Kasey's normal check up and nail clips and she gave me a new liquid fish oil base medication to put on her food to help with her skin issue in winter. I put a few squirts on Kasey's supper and she refused to eat it. I tried to Ok go hungry stunt which didn't work. She just refused to eat for about 4hours and daddy fell weak and put a new plate down and she woofed it right up. She did have her on a pill which I was able to slip past her in a slice of lunch meat but the darn company quit making it. She is trying to find another company that makes the pills.  Hope you find out what is your dogs problem soon and can get it solved.

[dawgdoc]

For those of y'all with dogs with seasonal allergies, there is a new drug called Apoquel that is very effective at treating the symptoms.  It has the benefits of steroids without the side effects.  The only problem is that it is so popular and innovative that the manufacturer could charge almost anything for it.  They have not maxed out the price so far, but it is more expensive than traditional steroids.  The other problem is availability; the manufacturer severely underestimated how popular it would be, so it had a spotty supply for the last two years.

 

 I encourage anyone with a dog with allergies to do a food allergy trial.  Food allergies are the least common allergy, but are the easiest to prevent once diagnosed.  A true food allergy trial involves feeding a food made with hydrolyzed proteins (broken down on a molecular level) for two months.  Nothing else (other food, human food, treats) can be fed during that time.  After two months, you add one ingredient at a time and watch for allergic reactions.  Food allergy trials are ponderous, the food is more expensive than regular food, and cannot identify 100% of food allergic dogs, but if you find the one or two ingredients to which your dog is allergic, it will save you much time, money, and suffering in the long term.  Once the ingredients are identified, then you can choose any food that doesn't contain those products, generally speaking.  Sometimes you do have a dog that only does well when kept on the hydrolyzed protein diet.

 

There are many foods labeled "hypoallergenic" by the manufacturers, but those foods are more correctly called "novel diets."  Novel diets contain ingredients that are not found in conventional foods, such as kangaroo and oats.  The problem with novel diets is that there can be cross reaction between similar ingredients (such as a beef allergy dog reacting to lamb), and there can be contamination of the food with other proteins.  Sometimes you can identify or prevent food allergies using a novel ingredient diet, but failure of such a diet does not mean the animal does not have a food allergy.

 

The hydrolyzed diets that I recommend are Hill's z/d, Purina HA, or Royal Canin Anallergenic (terrible name choice on that last one).  They are all more expensive than regular versions made by the same companies, but may be less expensive than some of the niche novel ingredient foods.  Also, when comparing foods, you really should compare cost per meal rather than cost per bag because the amounts fed vary greatly between brands.

[K191145]

One thing to think about is the dog food. Sorry if someone already mentioned this but my friend has a Pit Bull that had terrible red itchy skin, finally the solution was a duck or lamb based food with veggies. It's pricy though but it cleared his skin condition.

[Dane]

What are you feeding this dog? While it may not directly be a food allergy, crappy food can definitely affect the overall health of the dog. I have seen and worked with cases of skin problems that even the vets had given up on and fixed them with a change in diet and controlling the environment the dog is in.
Dawgdoc may be right and you will need to do a food trial but I would try a few other things prior to feeding a $100 a bag food.

[pops572]

She is getting Iams, its what we haveall our dogs on. When we got her they were feeding her whatever was on sale, and my lord she hadthe worst caseof gas, it would clear thehouse out. Since she has been on Iams no more gas.