Scabby dog

blackcob

blackcob

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For just under a week now Dax has been having a good old scratch around her head, neck and ears but most especially her face. She's up to date on flea treatment, no evidence of fleas, ears nice and clean etc. so I didn't worry until this morning when she scratched herself raw. :(

Vet has just had a look at a scab under the microscope and no obvious mites, agreed that food allergy probably unlikely given her diet and so have come away with antihistamines and an instruction to come back if it doesn't improve by next week.

Anybody any ideas? Bloody scabby mutt is supposed to be doing her first and only dog show on Saturday, now she looks like a plague victim. :rolleyes: :o
 
Have you walked her anywhere they have been spraying recently? This bit of rain has brought all the farmers out round here, there is a strong smell of roundup in the air! Alternatively, have you changed washing powder, carpets, shampooed carpet etc.
 
Not that I am aware of, we can hear the tractors going around the top fields from here and I haven't heard or seen them for a couple of weeks and we haven't sprayed the spare paddocks yet this year (not that I'd let her in them if we did).

Am also wracking my brains for any changes but can't think of any - I do use scented floor cleaners etc. but haven't changed brands since we've had her. As the vet pointed out though allergies to those kind of things can develop at any time, including a sudden reaction to pollen.

She has caught an astonishing amount of wildlife this past week including several really manky myxi rabbits so I'm wondering about mites? He did say he'll do a proper skin scrape if no improvement next week. Advocate spot-on is meant to be effective against most of those though. :confused:
 
Wouldn't a dog be pretty miserable and constantly scratching with mange? She's only scratching maybe once or twice per day but doing it hard enough to damage the skin when she does.

Again, Advocate is meant to be effective against both demodex and sarcoptes but the vet did say it didn't always work. :mad:
 
The fact that only the head area is affected points to him sticking his head into a hedge or similar and possibley picking up something like pollen or rubbing against some plant. I would be very interested to hear if the antihistamines have any affect.

Hope its resolved very quickly and he gets some relief.
 
Betsy's new faveourite game is to 'kill' the dandelions now they have all gone poofy in the garden. She comes in and scartches at her head / neck for ages.

Any chance it could be something like that?
 
Poor sod has now got 4-5 small red scabs on the edges of each ear, three more on her face and a sore patch on top of her muzzle - she isn't scratching with her claws any more, just rubbing her face on carpet/top of paws. :(

Have convinced myself that it's either mange or zinc-responsive dermatitis - Advocate should quickly make a difference if it's the first, will ring vet re: zinc tomorrow.
 
she could have sniffed or even rubbed her face in female fox urine - that's as toxic as H**L and it will irritate her for sure... only saying this as a friend of a friend's dog had something similar and they couldn't work out why it kept coming back sporadically until they caught him at it and the following morning he'd scratched himself raw again.... just a possibility
 
blackcob said:
Have convinced myself that it's either mange or zinc-responsive dermatitis - Advocate should quickly make a difference if it's the first, will ring vet re: zinc tomorrow.
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I wouldn't be so sure.............you need to use it every 3 weeks to break the cycle and I've found you normally need at least 3 applications, although it is Stronghold that I use usually.
 
Vet did say it wasn't always effective, though she is dosed with it monthly and has been for more than six months!

Been given go-ahead for 50mg of zinc per day, vet wasn't familiar with the zinc deficiency dermatitis but as it's specific to huskies and malamutes he reckoned it was worth a try.

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Poor girlie- ear looks sore!

Dex was itchy, vet advised antihistamines, itching has stopped.... pills were cheaper than allery tests IMO, especially when if it had turned out to be pollen (which I suspect as he has taken to rolling about in the garden like a loon! then the management is the same- he stopped after 3 days on the pills.
 
Poor Daxy dog:( Aloe vera gel might help to soothe the scabby bits and ease any itching - I use it on insect bites (I get eaten alive).
 
Yep, the bottle of piriton was the cheapest bit about the vet visit! Fingers crossed that it will do the trick, she's had two tablets now and seems a bit less itchy, though she's just managed to open up the scab over her eye again. :mad:

Vet said to wash with hibiscrub but, being precious, I've been carefully patting dry and applying aloe vera gel afterwards. :o

Got to make a decision about whether to go to her training class tomorrow, think the show will be out of the question. :(
 
LOL, she is proper scabby in real life. :p There's sort of serum-y crusty scab bits under the hair round the edges of both ears, doesn't look too bad on the photo but if you touch them you can feel all the scabs underneath. :(
 
Advocate or I prefer Promeris myself,whatever DO NOT let the vet give any steroid treatment ,this lets the mites multiply alarmingly and stops the dog`s own immune system working. It sounds as though it could be Sarcoptic/fox mange starting up,best be safe.
 
Thing is she has Advocate every month, how could she possibly have mange if that is the cure? :(

Vet didn't say anything about quarantine and in fact offered antibiotics if I 'want her face cleared up for Saturday,' knowing we'd be seeing lots of other dogs - do I need to isolate her just in case? We have a training class in a few hours. :(
 
blackcob said:
Thing is she has Advocate every month, how could she possibly have mange if that is the cure? :(

:(
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Because the cycle for mange mites is THREE weeks......so by doing her every month you are not zapping them all and some are continuing to use her as a host and breed.

The female mite burrows into the skin and lays her eggs; the tunnels can actually reach the length of several centimeters. After she deposits the eggs, the female mite dies. In 3-8 days, the eggs hatch into larvae which have 6 legs. The larvae mature into nymphs which have 8 legs. The nymph then molts into an adult while it is still in the burrow. The adults mate, and the process continues. The entire life cycle requires 2-3 weeks.

The mites prefer to live on the dog, but will live for several days off of the host in the environment. In cool moist environments, they can live for up to 22 days. At normal room temperature in a home, they will live from 2 to 6 days. Because of the mite's ability to survive off the host, dogs can become infected without ever coming into direct contact with an infected dog.
 
Oh, bugger it, I'll have to take her back on Monday for the skin scrape and another prescription for the Advocate. I'll ask for six month's worth so she can have two this month, just in case.

All the face scabs have gone today, just a few remaining on the ears.

Still have no idea what to do tomorrow re: show. :(
 
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