Itchy Terrier....can you recommend a shampoo?

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Summer pudding

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She is up to date with everything, has her broken coat shampooed and clipped every two months and is Frontlined. Last year she was skin scraped and tested to see if she had picked something up from foxes, and put on a course of antihistamines in case the itching was a pollen alergy..it didn't seem to make much difference she still scratches! I would describe her personal grooming as a bit OCD (although she is walked for 3hrs a day and is never alone)....the skin isn't broken, just a bit pink on the bare bits (tummy)..has anyone found a shampoo perhaps that would 'cool/calm' her skin?
 
Dermopt is a similar non prescription shampoo to Malaseb.

I am in a similar situation to you in that I have had skin scrapes done, they are regularly frontlined/advocated, and they are still itchier than I would like them to be at the moment.

Mine are on a raw diet and I am adding oil as this can sometimes help itchiness.

I have used the Dermopt a couple of times over a few days, they are definitely better.
 
5bs said:
Maleseb (sp) from the vets or online I think.
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I have some left over from treating the pony, who had a particularly bad case of rain scald on his head..it seemed like strong stuff! She isn't at all smelly, and isn't losing any hair..doesn't scratch all the time....
 
LJR said:
Dermopt is a similar non prescription shampoo to Malaseb.

I am in a similar situation to you in that I have had skin scrapes done, they are regularly frontlined/advocated, and they are still itchier than I would like them to be at the moment.

Mine are on a raw diet and I am adding oil as this can sometimes help itchiness.

I have used the Dermopt a couple of times over a few days, they are definitely better.
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Thank you I will research this one...the skin scrape was a fiasco, made her very sore and she needed to wear a collar until it healed! I always take her to the vet if necessary but like you, I think she is just a bit itchier than usual. I have done research and adjusted her diet onto 'no allergic' stuff but I don't think it has made any difference....Thanks for your advice
 
I've got this problem! And... i seem to have found a solution! We rescued a wire haired fox terrier a bit before christmas, she showed pretty much the same as yours, she itched a lot (she used to lie so that her tummy was on the floor and scratch back and forth on the carpet) resulting in a bald and pink sore tummy, she also itched her arm pits. We firstly thought mange, fleas etc, trip to vet and treated, no effect... tried washing with special soaps, nothing... then we thought diet, changed food to hypo-allergenic ones, made sure she had no beef or pork etc., no difference STILL... thought allergies so gave pyroton (sp?) to see if helped, nothing... vet still thought maybe allergy so gave her an injection to see if it stopped the itching and then we'd have had to start finding what it was, still no help and the poor girl was really quite sore, it was so all encompassing, she was permenantly distracted by it... finally last ditch resort, happened to see a supplement in a pet shop called Dog'Skin by Natural Vet Care amazingly it worked! At least we assume it was that, within a few days the itching got less and less and now it has stopped completely, she's even starting to grow some hair on her tummy! We've kept her on the same diet just in case so she's on ProPlan DermaComfort. Might be worth your while trying it, can't hurt and your dog just sounds so similar.
 
Try Neem Oil shampoo???

You say that you're using Frontline....... but IME this stuff is as useless as a nun in a punch up, just doesn't keep the fleas or ticks away. You might need to ask your vet about other proprietory brands coz if the Frontline isn't working effectively then the dog could just be getting bitten, our dogs are wearing a collar-thing at the moment, can't remember what its called but we got it from the vets for them.

But the problem with any itchy dog, if you take it to the vets, they just can't accept IME that their blessed Frontline P!sswater isn't working!!! Also that there could be all sorts of reasons for an itchy dog and it may be nothing to do with fleas!!! They seem to be a bit blinkered in this regard I think.

Anyway, hope you manage to get to the root of it. Poor doggie, nothing worse than itching.
 
Henbug..thank you so much...you describe everything we have been through, inc rubbing her tummy on the carpet...which I have vacuumed to within an inch of it's life in case the prob was house dust related - I even have Miele dog and cat vacuum cleaner...husband thinks I am total bonkers!! I hadn't heard of ProPlan Derma Comfort - she has James Wellbeloved plus Lilly's kitchen mixed..nothing seems to have worked. I will try your suggestion, I would love to get on top (and underneath) this!
 
I would use Advocate rather than Frontline.

I am having a similar problem with my Sprocket, the vet also put him on a drug called Apoquel, which really helps. It's not a long term solution, but it has helped calm everything down.
 
amymay said:
Out of interest, why no beef or pork?
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Honestly, personal probably for a very poor reason! A previous dog, a Bedlington Terrier, used to chew at her front legs creating bald patches if she ate beef or pork, lamb and chicken based food she was fine on but you always knew if she'd had beef or pork based food because she'd start chewing her legs! Unfortunately it was now quite a long time ago so I can't remember the exact reasoning for working this out but the result has stayed with me! That said, being slightly more serious, I think they are among some of the most likely allergens for dogs.

Google produces this which is interesting "Common Pet Allergies

The most common cause of pet allergies is fleas. After fleas, pets are commonly allergic to beef, dairy, wheat, fish, pollens, eggs, yeast, chicken, pork, lamb, corn, soybeans, and rice.
Which Pets are Most at Risk for Allergies?

Among the dog breeds predisposed to develop allergies, are an unusually high number of retrievers and terriers. For example, all Labrador Retrievers—black, yellow, and chocolate—have a tendency to develop food allergies. In a recent study of 30,000 dogs, the following were among the most likely to develop allergies: Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, English Setters, Irish Setters, Boston Terriers, Cairn Terriers, Fox Terriers, Sealyham Terriers, Scottish Terriers, West Highland White Terriers, and Wheaton Terriers. In addition, Bulldogs, Boxers, Cocker Spaniels, Collies, Dachshunds, Dalmatians, Lhasa Apso, Miniature Schnauzers, Pugs, and Shar Peis are prone to allergies."
 
Our Westie used to be terribly itchy, she would chew her tail area until it was raw. We put her on cod liver oil which helped immensely, but then discovered she has a liver problem so had to put her on a hepatetic diet, and take the oil away. I haven't actually thought about it since, but she's been on this for a year now and seems fine; so maybe it is a diet issue?
 
Summer pudding said:
Henbug..thank you so much...you describe everything we have been through, inc rubbing her tummy on the carpet...which I have vacuumed to within an inch of it's life in case the prob was house dust related - I even have Miele dog and cat vacuum cleaner...husband thinks I am total bonkers!! I hadn't heard of ProPlan Derma Comfort - she has James Wellbeloved plus Lilly's kitchen mixed..nothing seems to have worked. I will try your suggestion, I would love to get on top (and underneath) this!
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It's just so frustrating isn't it! I really hope it works as well for you as it has for us, please let me know how you get on, I'm intrigued to see if it's the same. Just looked the supplement up on google, here's the website http://www.naturalvetcare.co.uk/Dogskin.jsp and definitely worth trying the Derma Comfort as it's specifically for skin problems, if you can't find it in local shops, online places will deliver it. Good luck:)
 
Henbug said:
It's just so frustrating isn't it! I really hope it works as well for you as it has for us, please let me know how you get on, I'm intrigued to see if it's the same. Just looked the supplement up on google, here's the website http://www.naturalvetcare.co.uk/Dogskin.jsp and definitely worth trying the Derma Comfort as it's specifically for skin problems, if you can't find it in local shops, online places will deliver it. Good luck:)
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I have just e-mailed Natural Vet Care for advice (and a sample?!)..thanks! to be honest I am a bit sceptical about 'erbs and like strong vet products BUT I did have amazing results with a non vet sweet itch remedy and I am desperate to get this one sorted.
 
My terrier had itchy skin - she was constantly scratching and licking her paws The vet put her on steroids which we had to put in her ears. It did ease the symptons but didn't stop them completely.

I then heard about turmeric through this forum and thought I would give it a go. I make a paste with turmeric, coconut oil and black pepper and give it her in her food. The difference was almost instant. Within a few days the itching stopped. It is completely natural and means that she isn't stuck with being on steroids for the rest of her life. Which, at only 4 years old, I was not happy with

If you are interested in knowing more, there is a great group on facebook - Turmeric users group
 
Conkers - Thank you...turmeric is used for horses too isn't it? very useful suggestion..I am a bit concerned as to how I would get her to take it as she is VERY fussy! What quantities do you use? And is your terrier a fussy eater too?
 
Agree re: use advocate rather than frontline. Frontline is useless now. My dog has flea allergy dermatitis and advocate is the only thing that has worked so far!

Have you had her tested for food allergies? Changing her onto a non-allergy dry food may not make a huge amount of difference if she is allergic to commonly used ingredients. You would be surprised how many dogs are actually allergic to things like chicken and rice, fillers etc.
 
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I've said this so many times but Ben, our Border Terrier was exactly the same and the only thing that helped him was a sulphur tablet daily when he was bad; they also had rock sulphur in their water bowl. It is known as a skin cleanser and the tablets were from the natural counter at a chemists, a tub of 100 for a fiver and the rock sulphur from the pet shop. I would only use the tablets if he started itching as I didn't want him to become resistant to it.
 
Maesfen said:
I've said this so many times but Ben, our Border Terrier was exactly the same and the only thing that helped him was a sulphur tablet daily when he was bad; they also had rock sulphur in their water bowl. It is known as a skin cleanser and the tablets were from the natural counter at a chemists, a tub of 100 for a fiver and the rock sulphur from the pet shop. I would only use the tablets if he started itching as I didn't want him to become resistant to it.
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Absolutely right ^^^^. Flowers of Sulphur and any fish based oil, Huntsmen once referred to it as 'Whale Oil' or 'Train Oil', call it what you will, basically it is the oil derived from the liver of a cod, put both in the dog's feed, then take a paint brush and daub it on the affected parts.

Frontline? I will never use it again. The horror stories attached to the chemical, are legion. Do your research!

Alec.
 
We had itchy hound puppies here and fed them on sulphur stuff, it worked well.

Seleen shampoo worked well on my slightly itchy dog, as well.
 
Keep hearing that Frontline no longer works.

Avoid cod liver oil, the vitamin a content can be high and dogs store it which damages their liver (think that's right). I use salmon oil instead.

Remove all cereal from the diet.

Sulphur shampoo (Amazon) and drops also available worked wonders on my itchy dog but turns out his issue is environmental, going through cover causes little pustules to appear. If she affected mostly on her tummy, a neoprene cheat protector might be the answer.
 
Do you use the lamb based cereal free James Wellbeloved? If not I would switch to that, rice is a possible allergen and chicken is a common allergen which is annoying but lamb is well tolerated. Something like 33% of dog dermatitis is thought to be diet related.
 
I had a chat with the head nurse at vet who advised changing to rice and chicken free food, and to shampoo with a special shampoo which I have done. She is much more comfortable after the bath - shampoo is left on for 5 plus mins and used a couple of times a week. Btw I will change from Frontline too, but it defo works...she is white and we can always see fleas and their eggs (and ticks etc). Thanks for all your suggestions, it seems like a very common complaint.
 
Some very good suggestions on here which I am taking note of, I have a Yorkshire Terrier who itches (especially her armpits) for England. She has to permanently wear a t-shirt to stop her from scratching herself raw.
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
Try Neem Oil shampoo???

You say that you're using Frontline....... but IME this stuff is as useless as a nun in a punch up, just doesn't keep the fleas or ticks away. You might need to ask your vet about other proprietory brands coz if the Frontline isn't working effectively then the dog could just be getting bitten, our dogs are wearing a collar-thing at the moment, can't remember what its called but we got it from the vets for them.

But the problem with any itchy dog, if you take it to the vets, they just can't accept IME that their blessed Frontline P!sswater isn't working!!! Also that there could be all sorts of reasons for an itchy dog and it may be nothing to do with fleas!!! They seem to be a bit blinkered in this regard I think.

Anyway, hope you manage to get to the root of it. Poor doggie, nothing worse than itching.
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Is the collar called a seresto collar? They are fab.

Try the maleseb shampoo, might be worth ringing the vets and seeing if they will let you buy some? Also maybe switch her on to a hypo allergenic food. Trying oil in the feed may help too. Good luck, it's horrible when they are all itchy.
 
Day 3 after shampoo with Virbac Epi-Soothe shampoo bought at the vet for £16 and she is so much better. Btw the vet said Malaseb would be too strong for this condition. I will repeat the shampoo as and when it wear off..it was so easy to do and the result has been noticeable so far.
 
My little Bichon is constantly itchy and has very sensitive skin. Anything stronger than frontline causes a reaction, Frontline works for her. However she chews 'hotspots' on her back towards her tail. what can I use to stop her getting this itchy, soothe her skin but not cause a reaction in which her pulse quickens and she shakes/shivers for about 3-4 hours :(
 
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