More pet help! Dog with very dry skin

[Porridge]

My poor little doggie has been suffering from extremely dry, flaky skin. He scratches so much he bleeds. We''ve tried everything we can think of. I''m wondering if anyone has any advice or experience with this? He is a 10 year old jack russell terrier.

It all started last summer, on his belly. We took him to his vet (who is excellent). She recommended removing any possible outside influences - for example he sits on the mat on the porch, and we got a new one just before the problem started, so we got rid of that. We thought it might be from running through long grass so we kept him away from that etc etc. Nothing worked. We feed him cod liver oil, and rub emulsifying ointment on him, but he licks it off. We wash him with special oil lotion, and he also gets an antibacterial wash in case his scratching gets him an infection. The only thing that temporarily soothes him is antihistamines.

The vet is at a loss, as are we. He''s just so uncomfortable with this, it''s heartbreaking! Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

[Demon]

I wonder if he has allergies? I think there''s a dog food called Avoderm that''s supposed to help with allergies.

 

[Porridge]

Yes that''s what the vet thought. We''ve spent months removing various influences one by one to see if he''s allergic to any of them, but we haven''t had any success. I''ll definitely look into that dog food, thanks Damons!

 

[wsu12]

I bought this product called ''Calm Coat'' at a Horse and Feed store about two years ago and it is wonderful. It is natural essential oils (eucalyptus, lavender, etc) and I massage it into my dogs fur a few times a week. You can do it several times a day if you like. It has worked wonders.

Good Luck!

www.calmcoat.com

 

[lilyfoot]

Date: 5/3/2010 5:09:14 PM
Author: Porridge
Yes that''s what the vet thought. We''ve spent months removing various influences one by one to see if he''s allergic to any of them, but we haven''t had any success. I''ll definitely look into that dog food, thanks Damons!

Did the vet test him for allergies?

What type of food are you currently feeding him? Does it have corn and/or grains in it? How long have you been feeding him that food?

I have a Jack Russell too!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 5/3/2010 4:58:04 PM
Author: Demon
I wonder if he has allergies? I think there''s a dog food called Avoderm that''s supposed to help with allergies.

We took our cat to numerous vets and none could figure out what was wrong with her skin. I happened upon Avoderm and fed it to her and all her skin problems went away. It has omega fatty acids which animals need.

 

[Porridge]

Oh thank you fsu1227!! I will definitely try that.

Lilyfoot - no the vet didn''t actually do any allergy tests. Maybe it''s a good idea to request them? He was being fed sachets mixed with dried food, but now I usually feed him boiled chicken mixed with brown rice. He''s a very fussy eater - typical JRT

but he loves chicken. He''s prone to IBS type symptoms and this seems to be the best diet for avoiding this.

 

[bee*]

Because it''s going on for some time I would recommend getting either allergy tests or a skin biopsy done. There are also sensitivity diets that you can try which seem to work very well.

 

[lyra]

Has his thyroid been thoroughly tested? Our dog had a thyroid condition that caused dry skin, dandruff (later on) and thirstiness. Also, has be been checked for staph infection? Do you know if he has a gluten allergy? If absolutely everything is clear, I would definitely try a different food and limit him to only that food, no treats. Wish I could help more.

 

[lilyfoot]

Date: 5/3/2010 6:00:32 PM
Author: Porridge
Oh thank you fsu1227!! I will definitely try that.

Lilyfoot - no the vet didn't actually do any allergy tests. Maybe it's a good idea to request them? He was being fed sachets mixed with dried food, but now I usually feed him boiled chicken mixed with brown rice. He's a very fussy eater - typical JRT

but he loves chicken. He's prone to IBS type symptoms and this seems to be the best diet for avoiding this.

See, I have the opposite problem with my dogs .. they'll eat anything!

Did the vet do any skin scrapes? Did he test for mange or anything of the sort? If you're only feeding him the boiled chicken and rice, there's not much of a chance it's a food allergy.

How about house cleaners, laundry detergents, etc.? Did you start using any new products?

Have you had your JRT his whole life?

 

[Porridge]

Thats good to hear MC, thanks. I''ll try that.

Thanks bee* I was hoping you''d see this. I''ll make an appointment for this week.

 

[Porridge]

Lyra no he''s had no tests like that, I''ll mention it to the vet this week.

Lilyfoot - haha - our other puppy is much less fussy! He''s a JRT/beagle mix with a few more unknowns thrown in

He has, to date, chewed his way through three golfballs. He''ll eat anything!
No we didn''t use any new detergents. I will definitely book tests for him. We got him from animal welfare when he was a puppy - about 6 months old. So he''s been with us almost his whole life.

 

[honey22]

Has the vet tried a course of steroids or antihistamines? With the vets approval of course, we have had our doggies in Zyrtec which is an anti-allergy/anti-histamine. It cleared up his skin in no time. You do have to avoid it in dogs with epilepsy though. Ask your vet what he/she thinks, it worked wonders for Bailey.

ETA sorry, my mind is elsewhere today, I just read the rest of your post, excuse me for being a dope

 

[gemgirl]

Porridge, my older dog has a terrible problem with this every winter. She suffers so badly that she ends up thinning her coat where it itches by scratching, nipping at it and rubbing herself under furniture. Interestingly enough, out little Jack Russell isn''t bothered by winter dryness at all, and your little dog is a Jack. In any case, two things worked right away. First, bath your dog with Earthbath''s Oatmeal and Aloe shampoo (or something very similar, but Earthbath''s is very soothing and moisturizering). Second, put some Omega-3 fish oils into his food once a day. I keep a bottle of it in the fridge for myself, so it was easy to just pour a teaspoon full over her food. In a week''s time, my dog was relieved. In two weeks time, she wasn''t itchy or scratching all at.

While it''s good that the anti-histamines are probably calming him, they''ll end up making his skin even drier.

http://www.earthbath.com/shampoo/pints/pint-oat.php

 

[soocool]

It seems to me that despite your dog having IBS type symptoms, feeding him only boiled chicken and rice hemay be missing many nutrients that can help with his skin and fur. It took several tries before I found the right food for my dog. With one his skin was flaky and coat was rough (he''s a mini schnauzer). The second one I tried gave him loose stools (that was a Wellness brand- though a friend feeds her dog this food and he does great). Finally, I found success with Canidae Lamb and Rice . The one protein source makes it easier to digest and after being on this food for about 3 months, the dry flaky skin disappeared. And his coat becaome so soft that everyone comments about it.

Sometimes if you go to a pet specialty store (not the Petsmarts or Petcos) you can get great recommendations. Plus if your dog is having problems with the food they will return your money. I have taken my dog for training and the trainer did emphasize that there is no one food that fits all dogs. Even as dogs age their nutritional needs change.

 

[soocool]

Date: 5/4/2010 7:46:31 AM
Author: gemgirl
Porridge, my older dog has a terrible problem with this every winter. She suffers so badly that she ends up thinning her coat where it itches by scratching, nipping at it and rubbing herself under furniture. Interestingly enough, out little Jack Russell isn''t bothered by winter dryness at all, and your little dog is a Jack. In any case, two things worked right away. First, bath your dog with Earthbath''s Oatmeal and Aloe shampoo (or something very similar, but Earthbath''s is very soothing and moisturizering). Second, put some Omega-3 fish oils into his food once a day. I keep a bottle of it in the fridge for myself, so it was easy to just pour a teaspoon full over her food. In a week''s time, my dog was relieved. In two weeks time, she wasn''t itchy or scratching all at.

While it''s good that the anti-histamines are probably calming him, they''ll end up making his skin even drier.

http://www.earthbath.com/shampoo/pints/pint-oat.php

I ditto the Omega 3s. My dog''s food has this in it and I swear that is why his coat and skin are great.

 

[waterlilly]

i would do a search for veterinary dermatologists in your area. you might have to drive a bit to get to one, but it''s better than repeat visits to your vet w/unsuccessful results.

not sure why your vet didn''t test for allergies, seems like the first step.

 

[Porridge]

Thanks guys. I''ll have a look around for a specialised vet. I''d say his regular vet would be willing to refer him on somewhere, I know she is frustrated not being able to solve the problem. He gets omega 3 fish oils and they definitely help, just not enough.