Need Help Itchy skin


Nikkithompson1

New Member
Hi all, new to this forum,
I am curious as to if anyone has experienced anything similar and may have some advise for me. I have been to the vets about this for the last few years, my 4 year old male miniature dachshund suffers with bad skin it becomes inflamed raised itchy he licks and bites and scratches it so much, he has sore feet from biting also and rolls around itching his ears sometimes too. The vets have prescribed an anti itch tablet which clears it straight up but as soon as he stops taking it it comes straight back, I’ll attach a photo for you to see. They have said he has an allergy to something environmental maybe grass pollen or dust or a food allergy but they won’t know without doing a allergy test which apparently are very expensive. He is insured but it doesn’t cover things that have been treated for previously. So I don’t think it will this. I’m just looking for maybe someone who has experienced this and what they did to help and to solve the issue
Thanks so much in advance..
Nikki
 

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Doxie-Tees

New Member
What food and treats does he eat? I would try changing him over (slowly - not suddenly, because that may upset his stomach) to a natural product with as few ingredients as possible. My dog is on Natural Balance. Maybe just stick with sliced apples and carrots for snacks until you see if the diet change makes a difference. It also might help to get your carpets steam cleaned and make sure not to use any chemical cleaning products on them.
 

Nikkithompson1

New Member
What food and treats does he eat? I would try changing him over (slowly - not suddenly, because that may upset his stomach) to a natural product with as few ingredients as possible. My dog is on Natural Balance. Maybe just stick with sliced apples and carrots for snacks until you see if the diet change makes a difference. It also might help to get your carpets steam cleaned and make sure not to use any chemical cleaning products on them.
Thankyou, I booked to have my carpets cleaned but since the pandemic and lockdown happened I was made to cancel them for obvious reasons. He barely has snacks he won’t entertain carrots, maybe try apple.. he maybe has a little bit of ham or cooked meat now and then, as for food he is on a hypo allergenic food which I assumed was one of the best for allergies? Which ones would you recommend I think it’s wainwright’s I believe? Thanks again for your reply
 

Doxie-Tees

New Member
Ok. Well, I'm glad he is already on a hypo allergenic food. If the rash is only on his belly maybe he is allergic to something he is laying on - carpet, material in a dog bed, etc. I would explore that angle.
 

CaseyKC

Active Member
Years ago we had this problem with my last little girl. I wrote about it in International Dachshund and when I read your question, I went to find it.
I wrote:
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[IMG alt="CaseyKC"]https://www.dachshund-talk.com/forum/data/avatars/m/1/1922.jpg?1472445081[/IMG]
CaseyKC

Apr 20, 2016
You may wish to investigate some common causes of itching and scratching. If it is pollen season where you live, you may wish to wipe down your dog with a damp paper towel when she comes indoors. Other causes might be the food you are feeding. Try a high quality food with no grains in it. After a lot of searching, we found that Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream formula was the best for our little girl. You have to get this brand at an independent pet store or a place like Agway.

If you have ticks in your area, do a thorough tick check every time she comes inside from outdoors.

Bathe her with Head and Shoulders Plus , twice a week. This should give some relief. If secondary yeast infections start where she scratches, see your vet for antibiotics. Sort of a scaly, crusty, yellowish tan substance that starts from little skin bumps.

My Libby started allergies when she was either two or three yo. We had blood panels done, bathed her twice a week in Head and Shoulders, and wiped her down during pollen season. It helped some and we still get minor flare ups during pollen season, but when we eliminated all treats and food with grains, she improved greatly."

I copied this and pasted it here from an old post I wrote. However, although it is an old post, I would still give you the exact same advice for allergy itchies and scratchies. We fed Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream formula. It worked really well for her.
 

CharlesB

New Member
Hi Nikki,
I have the sweetest 14 yo little girl that unfortunately has dealt with multiple allergies since she was just 1-2 years old. It is expensive, but the best way to find out what she is allergic to is to see a specialists. Having said that, you don't necessarily come away knowing which allergen(s) are the worst (causing the itching). My little girl had licked and chewed until her rear and groin were hairless and red. I was completely broke at the time, but finally managed to get some help and get her to a specialist.

We tried all kinds of things to help her. I can't speak specifically to your situation, but what helped Minnie the most was a prescription med named Apoquel. It is expensive, but I have found a legitimate source in the UK that charges about half the price of US pharmacies. I can 100 tablets at a time and the come in the manufacturers original box. I my vet approved it and has no problem writing me a script that I email to them before they will ship.

You may not need to start with this because your baby doesn't look nearly as bad as mine. She has severe allergies (see the attached photo of the list).

A high quality, limited ingredient dog food could very well help. They aren't cheap either. I've tried many of them over the years. The vet started her on a Royal Canin Venison & Potato prescription food. This did seem to help, but at $100+ per bag, I eventually tried other limited ingredients, high quality brands with meat proteins not commonly found in the majority of dog foods (ie, turkey, venison, lamb, duck, salmon, etc). I found that none of them appeared to worsen her symptoms, so over the years, I've switched a few times . You probably know this, but you always want meat to be the first ingredient in your dog food. Read the list on the bag. I was also told to stay away from chicken as dogs are more often allergic to the protein in the food than the other ingredients. Didn't seem to make sense, but that's what the specialist said. Of course, this might not be a problem if she isn't allergic to chicken.

All kinds of things can cause allergic reactions and there is a lot of trial and error. You can start with your regular vet, but if they are just giving her something that temporarily helps with the itching and it works for a day, you may try Benadryl. It's perfectly safe for dogs. The vet recommends 1mg per pound of body weight. I buy the 25mg tablets and split them. During allergy season, I use this in addition to the Apoquel.

You can also try using an OTC anti-bacterial/fungus shampoo like:
MalAcetic Shampo or MiconaHex+Triz (this one is more comprehensive and treats more severe infections)

As for his ear, he most likely has an infection. With my two, it has almost always been a yeast infection. Because they have long, floppy ears, it's important to clean them regularly. I've always treated this with a prescription med from my vet. Perhaps someone else knows of an OTC wash/med that works? By the way, you have every right to ask your vet for a prescription for the medication prescribed. I believe in supporting local businesses, but I'm not willing to pay 2-3 times the price I can buy the exact same med for from a reputable online pharmacy. Even Costco, Sams Club and Walmart now carry pet medications. So don't be afraid to ask.

One last thing that can be very helpful, keep a journal of when the itching occurs or is more severe. Note if he was recently fed, given a treat, outside, etc.. Make it as detailed as you can. I use an app called Day One that let's me dictate my entries, which is much easier than writing everything down, but either way works. Maybe you can find something in common

I could go on and on. If you have any specific questions, please let me know. I wish I had done more earlier to help my baby but I simply couldn't afford it. If I can help in any way, I'll do my best.
 

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Rbew

New Member
Hi Nikki,

My 1 year old dachshund suffered from bad skin infections. He had many courses of antibiotics and steroids which would clear it up but it would come back not long after he finished the course. It gradually became worse and my vet advised on having blood allergy testing for food and environmental allergies. The results showed he is highly allergic to grass which he now has a monthly injection for. He is also allergic to all meat and fish, so is on a special food Specific Allergen Management Plus, after a couple of weeks his skin completely cleared up :). I would definitely advise having your dog tested for allergies but I know it is expensive, fortunately our insurance covered everything. If it’s not an option then trying a different hypoallergenic food is worth a try. We chose the Specific food as our vet advised it’s the only food suitable with him having multiple allergies. But unfortunately if it’s environmental it will be hard to pin-point what it is without testing.
My dachshund also had a severe reaction to his vaccinations and despite taking anti-histamines in the days before his boosters he had a severe reaction again. So he seems to be very susceptible to allergic reactions.
I hope you find something that helps.
 

Rufus

New Member
Hi Nikki, my rescued tweenie Chrissy, almost 1 yr. old had a rash-like on her back. Kinda' like red little bumps but not too bad but, of course, took her to the vet. She recommended Dolixo Chlorhexidine Shampoo. The vet price, of course was twice as much as when I found it on Amazon 1/2 the price, but it worked in no time. I always bathe her in it but the issue is gone, I don't have to necessarily leave it on for 10 minutes anymore. It was like the vet had me bathe her every few days, maybe 3 times a week, then once a week. Like I reiterated, it worked like a charm. She does have allergies but not really bad but do stay away from chicken and grains. I, too, just got Taste of the Wild in the Pacific as was mentioned above. Had her on Earthborn for all our dogs until Chrissy and tried others mainly for diet. She will eat anything in site, meaning outside, and she needs to loose a couple lbs. Anyway, I hope u look into this shampoo and that it works for your baby.
 
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