If you can afford it I would recommend seeing a pet dermatologist. I don't know where you are but check in your local phone book or your vet should be able to refer you on. Allergies are a pain in the rear end - your poor doggy!
We cant use steriods long term or even in full dose due to the pancreatitis anyway. It complicates things a bit as to what she can and cant have as her body just cant process it the way it should anymore.
We've had the malaseb (thank you for the suggestion though ) and it didnt help either.
Im going to take her back into the vet tomorrow and see if there is something, anything else they can do. Unfortunately I doubt we could afford allergy testing etc but I will ask just to be sure!
Ill also look into the ingredients and see if something may have changed. I just want to make it better for her, she's such a lovely wee (big) thing and I hate seeing her like this
I know next to nothing about animals, but I know blackstrap molasses really helps some people with skin problems. You'd want to check it's ok for her to have, but maybe you could put some in her food or water?
Sounds like hotspots or a grass allergy - my Lab x gets the same in spring and summer. Dry, sore red, itchy, hairloss...
Cutting out all chemicals worked, giving her two fish oil tabs twice a day did AMAZING things (you can start with a higher dose, it won't hurt her) and the very bland diet of rice, veg and raw meat.
Honestly though, the Fish Oil was like a dream cure.
Sorry - by chemicals I mean in her shampoo. Nothing that will strip the natural oils from her skin. Try washing with just water for a while (so, just rinsing, basically).
My old dog had multiple contact allergies and suffered miserably esp since we were living in Darwin, which is rife with allergens. We did the allergy testing and spent thousands doing desentising injections, creams, shampoos, EPO supplements, everything, until the vet admitted there was nothing else they could do. She was literally raw and bald in places. In a desperation, I rang a naturopath I trusted in Darwin, to ask whether he knew of anyone who might see her, described the symptoms, and he said - "I know the symptoms you are talking about, my dog (I think it was a lab or similar) suffered too but I cured it using mineral supplements." He then gave me jars of 2 blackmores practitioner mineral supplements (sorry but I forget which ones) and I started giving them to my dog every day. Within a couple of days she stopped scratching, and the skin started to heal, after about 10 days the hair in the bald patches started growing back. I continued with the supplements, finishing the course (over a couple of months) and she never had a problem EVER AGAIN. I kid you not...it was a mineral deficiency. If you're interested PM me, the naturopath still practices in Darwin, I'm sure he would be happy to speak to you over the phone/supply the supplements.
The vet says they are hot spots. They shaved her head (almost entirely) she is on more oral antibiotics and steriods and I have to scrub her sores multiple times daily with dilute betadine then apply a topical steriod cream on the top of these ones. We have to do it for the slightest little bit of patch.
Are we doing the right thing? I hate seeing her like this? Will it get better or are we being selfish?
I started her on the fish oil
The vet also said to wash her in an antibacterial wash once a week at least and to inspect her for new sores daily when brushing.
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) and it didnt help either.
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