skin condition
|
|
Welcome to the forum! 
Sounds like an allergy, I would suggest asking the groomer what they used, and maybe bathing her yourself in something hypoallergenic. Did the vet suggest antihistamine to help calm it down and relieve the itch? |
| I had the same problem with Sammy, when I checked his skin at the point where he was scratching I would find what appeared to be flakey skin, then it went to flea dermatis/allergy and now they are saying it's food allergy.
I tried bathing him in a Lanolin based shampoo and added a few drops of tea tree oil which helped for awhile but as it got worse I tried a shampoo for dematitus and sensitive skin called Tricocil which has helped heaps and is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. Did your groomer change the type of shampoo they normal use? |
| I would definitely give your vet a call and let them know that the condition is worsening too. |
| Could be a reaction to what the groomer used........shampoo or conditioner allergy.
If the dog was clipped, is there a wound in there? Canine Atopy is an allergic reaction to something they inhaled. The more they itch, the better the chance for bacteria getting into the scratches. Think about what the dog contacts in a day: grasses, molds, wet areas, poorly ventilated areas such as basements, dog bedding may need changing or washing, carpet shampoo or sprays. Then we need to think about critters: fleas, mange mites, etc. Could it have started with a spider bite. Don't let your dog suffer, get on it. |
| I just mentioned it on another post but we use ResiCort leave-on lotion which is a hydrocortisone lotion you get at the vets, works GREAT. Tasker has lots of skin issues, so we have a great deal of experience (unfortunately) dealing with the itchies.
If it get's bad enough and you can't get her to stop you may need to get the vet to give her a shot of steroids to stop the cycle. It's a lost ditch effort when nothing else works but that usually works like a charm for Tasker. Dogs are like people, they can develope allergies all of a sudden. At the age of 10 Tasker suddenly developed an allergy to flea bites, one bite is enough to set him off for motnhs. |
| It could have started as a razor burn. Then the more she itches, the worse it gets. Then the bacteria that is on the skin gets into the skin and you now have an infection to deal with.
The same thing happened to our OES Oliver several years ago, for no apparent reason. Same groomer, same shampoo and products. It did clear up, and it never happened again. |
| I'm surprised that the vet didn't give her a steroid shot to stop the itching. I'm going through this one of my dogs now-- same symptoms from allergies. Like someone else mentioned, the more excited and irritated the skin gets, the harder it is to calm down. The antibiotics will clear up an infection caused by the scratching but it won't stop the itching. |
| From what I understand a steroid shot will suppress the immune system, so is normally used only as a last resort. When the immune system is suppressed it reduces the dog's natural ability to fight infections and the like....not only for what the dog is allergic to, but anything else, too, as it is not selective.
Best to find out what the dog is allergic to and remove it.....or remove everything it MAY be allergic to...At elave the immune system intact and working. That's what we did with Dixie. At least that's the way I understand it. |
| Absolutely Nicole, as I mentioned aboe we only use it as a last resort with Tasker. We have only had to a couple times. This past winter his scratching went on for months and he was just a mess. So after about the 3rd or 4th trip to the vet I finally gave it.
It did work wonders though!! |
| I think it's kind of like picking the lesser of two evils in the case of taking the shot and suppressing the immune system or letting the itching continue and let things get really bad. I know with Lucy, as soon as she gets the shot, she's finally able to relax. It seems like that's all she needs in order to put an end to the itching. Once her skin is calmed down, the antibiotics take care of the rest. We've always had good luck with that combo for her. It breaks my heart to watch her scratch. I know, as a chronic eczema sufferer myself, when you're itching like that, you just want it to stop-- immediately! |
Didn't find exactly what you're looking for? Search again here:
Custom Search
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|