Dar, Back From Vet--input welcome

Food, Fitness and how to keep them healthy.

Postby ArtGypsy » January 2nd, 2010, 1:01 pm

Well, The 2-3 scrapings they did on his face showed no mites.
**I told him My dog forum experts suggest he scrap in several places, not just where it was patchy, but he just smiled and explained why he thought this was 'enough"*

Anyway...........
He thinks Maybe Allergies............. :(
but we're gonna take a 'wait and see' approach-------------He gave him an Allergy Injection (Vetalog)

Put him on Cephalexin 500 mg, 1 cap by mouth every 12 hours

sold us some shampoo-----Seba-Hex--2% chlorhexidine gluconate in a keratolytic-keratoplastic Shampoo Base....

The 'directions" are unrealistic for us right now.... SOAK the dog with water, apply shampoo and LET SIT FOR 15 MINUTES.
yeah Right. :rolleyes2:
I'm gonna be lucky to Keep in THE TUB long enough to SOAK him, and what the Hell? What do I do with him for 15 minutes????????? COLD, Wet, Scared, STinking of this Foul substance.
It's 4 below zero outside............
I dunno, Folks............... :|

any feedback appreciated.................
“Hope has two beautiful daughters: their names are Anger and Courage.
Anger that things are the way they are.
Courage to make them the way they ought to be.”----Augustine
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Postby Malli » January 2nd, 2010, 2:00 pm

get a magazine and treats and sit in the bathroom with him - he doesn't have to sit IN water for 15 minutes, just with a shampoo lather on. So, #1 soak the dog down with water, #2 apply and lather the shampoo from just behind the ears and all over the rest of the body (at this point you'll have a wet dog in a tub but no water, #3 pick up your magazine or book (magazine is probably safer as less valuable) while instructing Dar to stay and occaisionally giving him treats for sitting in the tub and staying there.

You can also buy grooming setups that are gigantic suction cups with a short leash and clip attached to them, you clip them to the dog's collar. You could also try using a towel on him while he sits to lesson the chance of him shaking and soap lather spraying.

It CAN be done! :wink: Too bad Oscar can't talk on the phone, because then he could give Dar instructions from his lengthy experience :rolleyes2: :lol3:
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Postby Marinepits » January 2nd, 2010, 2:34 pm

What Malli said, LOL. When Indy needed SO many baths, I would slowly massage the shampoo into his coat. As long as I was touching him, he'd be fine and just sit there. As soon as I stopped he was trying to bail out of the tub, LOL.

I have no experience with Vetalog, so can't help you there, but Mac is on a lifetime's-worth of cefa, so let me know if you have any questions. How many weeks of cefa for Dar?
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Postby hugapitbull » January 2nd, 2010, 2:37 pm

Jody, we did the same with Trouble for many months (years). I put her in the shower and that worked well for us. She would stand there pretty peacefully with the lather on her, of course I was in there with her :wink:
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Postby ArtGypsy » January 2nd, 2010, 2:41 pm

Marinepits wrote:What Malli said, LOL. When Indy needed SO many baths, I would slowly massage the shampoo into his coat. As long as I was touching him, he'd be fine and just sit there. As soon as I stopped he was trying to bail out of the tub, LOL.

I have no experience with Vetalog, so can't help you there, but Mac is on a lifetime's-worth of cefa, so let me know if you have any questions. How many weeks of cefa for Dar?



3 weeks, two days.......
“Hope has two beautiful daughters: their names are Anger and Courage.
Anger that things are the way they are.
Courage to make them the way they ought to be.”----Augustine
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Postby kera09 » January 2nd, 2010, 2:49 pm

Poor dar :( duge needs baths twice a week for his allergies. He hates it. All i have to say is bath time and runs and cowers in a corner. I also just basically massage him while im waiting the 10-15 min and boy does my back hurt after!
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Postby Marinepits » January 2nd, 2010, 2:52 pm

Three weeks is a good start. Mac's on for a month this time and I have two weeks in reserve just in case, LOL. :rolleyes2:

Don't be surprised if Dar gets stinkier-than-usual poo, and gets all gassy. It should go away in a couple of days. If the cefa bothers his tummy and he gets pukey, try feeding him first, then waiting a half-hour or so to give him the pill.
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Postby amazincc » January 2nd, 2010, 5:03 pm

Well... we are *supposed* to do those baths also (we, as in Faust), several times a week w/something called Pharmaseb Shampoo.
I used it once, when Faust first had really bad oozy open sores, and then I switched to something different. He was also on Cephalexin for almost two months, and that we finished as instructed.

I don't bathe Faust weekly unless he gets really filthy because I think that prolonged dampness of his skin/fur aggravates his "condition"... and unless you have a blow dryer, towel drying just isn't the same. :rolleyes2: :|
He also never got an allergy injection, so... I don't know why your vet felt that Dar needed one.

I would suggest getting the secondary skin infection under control w/the antibiotic first, and maybe switch him to a low-allergen kibble in the meantime... monitor all treats and restrict him to a couple of different ones, so you know what may or may not cause a reaction.
Faust, for example, gets immediate bumps from most beef bones... if they touch his skin for any length of time while he's chewing on one I can count on a sore spot later. So, we avoid those (we, as in me... 'cause he will steal them from the other two, if I'm not watching :rolleyes2: ), and I have found some elk/kangaroo/emu treats that he can have. Bully sticks as well, just not in abundance...

Allergies are a crapshoot unless you get specific (and expensive) tests done to find out exactly what causes them.

So, NOT being a vet myself... this is what I do:
Wash all bedding w/hypo-allergenic soap, rinse twice, and stick in the dryer on high heat.
Keep bedding and dog as dry/clean as possible at all times.
Switch to a low-allergen food.
Switch to low-allergen treats w/the same ingredients as are in the kibble.

Check into holistic supplements (you can PM me for some that I use). Sometimes "boosting" the immune system can have good results.
Most of all - don't panic, and use a "common sense" approach by eliminating possible causes one by one.

This, too, shall pass... and if it doesn't - you're in excellent company. :wink:
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Postby amazincc » January 2nd, 2010, 5:39 pm

Hmmm.... another thought... what exactly is Dar eating? Any kibble at all, or do you strictly cook for him? Any supplements added to his food, like Nupro or Missing Link?

Spotty hairloss can also be caused by vitamin/nutritional deficiencies, and it doesn't necessarily have to be related to his skin infection... did they do any blood work?
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Postby hugapitbull » January 2nd, 2010, 7:52 pm

amazincc wrote:This, too, shall pass... and if it doesn't - you're in excellent company. :wink:


Yes, there are many of us out here who can share your pain. :nono:

When Trouble had her worst breakout, it was from raw beef. That is when they had me bathe her 3 times a week for three weeks. After that I found that if I kept her bathed (usually once a week) it kept the outdoor allergens from bothering her as much.

I can't tell you how many times she had scrapings with no conclusion other than it isn't mites. For your sake and for Dar's, I hope this is an isolated incident for you.
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Postby ArtGypsy » January 2nd, 2010, 8:02 pm

amazincc wrote:Hmmm.... another thought... what exactly is Dar eating? Any kibble at all, or do you strictly cook for him? Any supplements added to his food, like Nupro or Missing Link?

Spotty hairloss can also be caused by vitamin/nutritional deficiencies, and it doesn't necessarily have to be related to his skin infection... did they do any blood work?


Yeah........I WONDERED/FEARED If I wasn't causing more 'harm than good', by pouring good intentions into his diet.

As far as 'treat's go, Dar gets anything/everything, from Fruit Loops *he loves them* to pieces of wiener to bits of Ritz Cracker.

Food-----------I switched him from Puppy Innova to Adult Innova..(one N or two?) ---BUT ,,I only give him a cup and half in the Morning, w/ a half cup of cottage cheese OR an egg over the top.

Evening meal --2 cups of homemade dog food::: boiled Chicken/brown rice...1 T ground Flax Seed (for all the omega 3's) 1 Tablespoon or 2 of Canned Pumpkin, and a fish Oil Capsule. I make this 'goop' up every two weeks and freeze them in 2 cup portions---

THANK you for all your input, guys!!
“Hope has two beautiful daughters: their names are Anger and Courage.
Anger that things are the way they are.
Courage to make them the way they ought to be.”----Augustine
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Postby amazincc » January 2nd, 2010, 8:24 pm

ArtGypsy wrote:Yeah........I WONDERED/FEARED If I wasn't causing more 'harm than good', by pouring good intentions into his diet.


His diet doesn't sound horrible at all, actually... but there is definitely a LOT of different stuff in it. lol

I would start weeding things out by restricting his food intake to the same thing each day for several weeks, at least. Maybe only feed kibble for now. Or switch to white rice (most dogs tolerate white better than brown, for some reason), and cut out the kibble.
Cut out any peanut butter treats... it's one of the most common allergy causes in dogs.

I know this sounds overwhelming (and boring for Dar, to have to eat the same thing for weeks and weeks), but once I made some changes for Faust things got SO much better.
I'd rather have him be bored w/his food than have him itchy and uncomfortable.

And butt scratches to Dar... I hope the antibiotic does its thing ASAP and makes him feel better. :hug3:
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Postby ArtGypsy » January 2nd, 2010, 8:32 pm

amazincc wrote:
ArtGypsy wrote:Yeah........I WONDERED/FEARED If I wasn't causing more 'harm than good', by pouring good intentions into his diet.


His diet doesn't sound horrible at all, actually... but there is definitely a LOT of different stuff in it. lol

Cut out any peanut butter treats... it's one of the most common allergy causes in dogs.

:hug3:


HOLY COW. I WONDERED about that TOO......(slap on forehead).
This dog gets a lot of stuffed kongs filled with Frozen Peanut butter....... :sad2:
“Hope has two beautiful daughters: their names are Anger and Courage.
Anger that things are the way they are.
Courage to make them the way they ought to be.”----Augustine
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Postby Suzi » January 2nd, 2010, 8:36 pm

in agreement with some of the other posts here regarding diet.....I have seen miraculous changes for the good in other dogs that had allergy issues.....My neighbors dog is allergic to EVERYTHING it seems she feeds a venison/trout kibble (can't remember which brand :( ) Definatly something to try.

One more thing, if your low on funds,,,is that you might write to some of the dog food companies,,,explain your situation,,,and you might score on some good coupons....Just a thought.
Last edited by Suzi on January 2nd, 2010, 8:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby amazincc » January 2nd, 2010, 8:40 pm

Lots of differen protein sources in Dars diet... start w/eliminating some of those. :wink:

And don't beat yourself up, woman... it's all trial & error. I didn't come by this "knowledge" without having a lumpy, partially-hairless puppy myself, first. :oops: :|
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Postby hugapitbull » January 2nd, 2010, 9:34 pm

Just as a confirming FYI from one who learned the hard way. I gave Trouble her pills (antihistamines) for literally years with peanut butter before Bob decided one day that if kids are allergic to peanut butter, then why not dogs?

I switched to cream cheese, and she's been MUCH better since I stopped the peanut butter.
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We beat osteosarcoma - 27 months 20 days cancer free
'Spirit' Trouble departed for the Bridge 3/16/2011 a victim of aging
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