Very itchy dog.

[atot]

Phoebe our 9yo Westie has bad skin, always had. She is always licking somewhere, usually her paws, and just won't stop. She's on pills and a spray on her paws to stop her, but it doesn't seem to be helping as she just won't stop. She's on malaseb shampoo too which we use, which I think helps, but is there anything else I can do??? I hate seeing her in such discomfort, and it's just gone on too long now.

any advice appreciated.

 

[alicep]

i know horses can take piritron for allergies therefore could dogs also have an antihystamine (sp) for the itching? i dont know if it would work because its skin related but may take some of the itchy sorness away?? (just a thought lol!)

 

[Maesfen]

Try sulphur tablest from either the chemist of health shops. You can also get rock sulphur from the pet shops. Our Border Terrier has an allergy to hay and straw which is handy but it does help him a lot; I only use when necessary though, not every day as it gives him such relief, I don't want him becoming immune to it. He has one tablet (they're very small!) wrapped in cheese and they're only less than a fiver for 100.

 

[atot]

thank you guys - shall DEFFO get the sulphur tablets, they sound excellent, and then might go on to the piriton. Shall talk to the vet about that.

 

[littlebranshill]

I bet its the food. What do you feed her?

 

[Chestnuttymare]

sounds like some sort of allergy. has vet suggested doing scrape to find out what it is?

 

[atot]

she is fed James Well Beloved, could this have an effect on her skin problems?

 

[atot]

[ QUOTE ]
sounds like some sort of allergy. has vet suggested doing scrape to find out what it is?

[/ QUOTE ]

Nope, but I'm sure he would've as she has been in quite recently, however, shall ring them up and ask them about it, thank you

 

[littlebranshill]

For sure! Maybe do a trial of boiled brown rice and fish for a while to see if this improves things.

 

[Chestnuttymare]

if he has done a scrape he would have told you, they charge for it. as for the food thing, it can happen with any food. there is also a mite that can get in to dried food that can cause a problem. make sure your food is sealed properly.

 

[KarynK]

Not really surprised at what you are experiencing with dried food. The food is marketed as “natural”, but I would ask how on earth can a complete dry cooked food be natural to a carnivore designed over millions of years to eat meat and carrion?

It also says it is made of succulent meat, it might have been originally, but once made into a dried kibble how on earth can you describe it as succulent? As for rice, no matter what the colour it is not a food that is natural for a dog but the biggest worry I would have is the addition of barley as a source of fibre, ok in moderation for horses and people but not for dogs plus there is an awful lot more to barley than fibre unless you only add the husks. But it is a cheap bulk. A dog's natural fibre is not plant but bone hair and hoofs/claws.

The trouble is dogs are not designed to eat regular balanced meals and though a lot of nutritional claims are made a lot of those minerals and vitimins are not available to the dog, they are added artificially often after the cooking process and are not always available to the dog. So the overuse of unnatural foods such as complex carbohydrates can cause health problems in dogs including itching.

You will probably find that if you change brands regularly it will balance out a bit as the dog gets different uptake from different brands but stay on one brand and back the problem will come.

Personally my dogs get human grade raw meat and bones I know what they are getting and their diet is balanced over 1-2 weeks just like a wild dog, its cheaper and I know exactly what they are getting, I would not give them kibble.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

as a westie she's prone to skin problems. licking at the paws does suggest malassezia (yeast) hence the malaseb, could be dust mite or another creepy crawlie I cant remember the name of. make sure you leave the shampoo on for 15mins before rinsing - is she on antihistamines? has she ever been on an exclusion diet to see if its food related?