Dog with VERY Sensitive Skin

Kristy, there are a lot of things that can cause allergies in dogs aside from food, but
one thing you can try is a grain-free dog food, like Wellness 'Core', or EVO. You can also add salmon oil and vitamen 'e' on a daily basis to help w/ skin and inflammation issues. The other easy thing that may help is to add a tablespoon or 2 of plain yogurt (must be plain, w/ no sugar or flavorings added)to her food on a daily basis.
If you send me a pm and tell me what kind of symptoms your dog is having, I may be able to give you some other recommendations.

Our dog had allergies and we finally felt it was the green dye in the bones (treats, dental bones, etc). Plus she eats no table food and we used Z/D Ultra dog food from the vet - hypoallergenic food. When she was really bad we would give her Atarax (prescription only) for the itching which helped. Good luck. J.

Kristy,
Did you have your dog vaccinated when you brought her home or were there any other medical treatments done to her? Sometimes this puts a strain on the immune system. It could just be the whole emotional change as well.

I do know from experience that it is very likely your dog will continue to get worse if you continue with the cortizone, meds, and medicated shampoo. All these are weakening her immune system and will continue to do so. My advice is to see a holistic vet, get her off ALL the medicated stuff, make some homeade food for her and get her on some quality supplements.

I'm from NY so I can't help you with any names down here. I do know there is a holistic vet in Boca right next to the Costco. If you don't live near there just do some research.

My dog was on his death bed when I switched to a holistic vet and began making food for him. He never got another shot and lived another 9 years.

Good luck with your furry friend,
C.

My friend, Tina Valant, is a dog/animal lover extraordinnaire...she has great dog /pet food & lots of helpful info on events & more at www.havedog.com
Drop her an email and tell her how you found her - I'm sure she'll do whatever she can to give you good info & help!

We have a french mastiff and he was always having skin problems, like dry itchy skin and especially hot spots. We switched his food to solid gold wolf king, and haven't had any skin issues since. I highly recommend it. My dogs coat is very thick but also short, and if your dogs coat is like a pit bulls (which is similar to our dogs coat), our dogs may have similar coats...so the food may help. We also don't feed any table scraps, and limit his time outside. The dog food was the main change we made with him and worked within weeks. You have to buy it from a specialty pet store, thats the only drawback.

Kristy

Hi! I know how frustrating it is to have a dog with allergies. I have an 8 yr old Y. Lab, who scratches,bites and gets recurring ear infections - all from allergies.

I would try to see if its a food allergy first. YOur vet should have told you how to do this. Reese needs to be put on "non-allergenic" food ie. fish & potato, deer & potato, etc. - you generally can only get this from the vet's office (may be by science diet?) You feed the dog only this for 30-60 days (no treats - unless they are non-allergenic) - you monitor closely any changes (less scratching, biting, etc) then you start to slowly introduce the food you are currently using & see what happens - if she starts to scratch, itch - you know she has food allergies - Beleive me - that would be the easiest - you would just give her food she does not have symptons with.

IF NOT - you can do an allergy test - I finally did this for my dog 2 yrs ago (as I knew it wasn't a food allergy) Depending on you vet - it will cost you!! I finally had it done @ Banfield (in Petsmart) because it was ONLY $400 (cheapest by far) I pretty much knew what the outcome would be - he's allergic to certain weeds, mold, etc. Nothing I could control. So after several years and a lot of money (spent $2500+ in one yr just on cortizone shots, meds etc) - I give him a Benedryl or Chlotrimetron (from Walmart - just like people) & it gives him as much relief as steroids, meds, etc. & costs very little. I also used a product called Dinovite (you add to food) that I found on the web - a lot of people had success w/it & my dog's coat looked great) - but it started to get too expensive. I also use Vet solutions Aloe Vera shampoo & bathe him every 7-10 days, wash his bedding once a week in HOT water. He is not itch free - but his coat is thick and shiny & it's not half as bad as it was.

Good Luck - hope you find a cure soon

K.

We had the same problem with our dog until we stopped bathing her. Seriously. Now we only rinse her with water if she gets dirty, and she only gets a bath once or twice a year (per our vet's recommendation). And she gets brushed a lot. Now she has no skin problems. Good luck!

Check out this website of Dr. Michael Fox. http://tedeboy.tripod.com/drmichaelwfox/index.html
He has a Q&A column in the Accent section of the Palm Beach Post - I think every Friday. He is all about all natural treatment/foods for pets. On the website is his recipe for all natural dog food with things like wheat germ, flax seed oil, etc. There have been many, many people who have written to him saying that they have had many medical problems with their pets that the vet just was not able to help with. But as soon as they put them on his homemade all natural diet, the dog/cat's behavior changed, their skin changed, etc. I think it is definitely worth a try.

my mom had a similar prob w her dog... she used science diet for sens skin... also any blankets for dog she uses Dreft and no softner and cleans floor w all natural cleaner... think of inside chemicals that could be irritants... good luck! also tea tree oil for really itchy spots.