Incessent Scratching
All I can say is WOW! Sully has had several incidents of scratching herself raw, mainly her stomach, which I was able to treat at home. Recently she began to rub her upper back on the wall and various furniture pieces until she began to rub one spot partially bald, though it is not red or sore. Since she wasn't using her mouth or her feet to reach the spot, the dreaded Cone of Shame would not help.
I finally broke down and applied a salve that I was avoiding due to its really strong, less than pleasant, odor. The effect was immediate. This stuff, which I read about on this website, seemed to soothe immediately. It is called Nu-Stock and it seems to work better than aloe and Benadryl, assuming you can stand the scent. I thought it might save money as a first try before a vet visit for some. I ordered it online from a farm supply company. Safe for dogs and cats (and people I believe) at about 15.00 (American dollars) for a large tube. You only need to apply a small amount. I wish I knew why Sully scratches in the first place, (possibly anxiety, probably allergies) but I am glad this salve, which I discovered here, helps to break the scratching cycle. Seemed worth the reminder about this cream that has almost miracle results, at least in my case.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on
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So sorry....have you ever tried Benadryl? The generic works well.
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Permalink Reply by Holly on
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Thanks Jane! the salve seems to help a lot, but Damn! The stench is crazy. Kind of a Pine-sol on steroids odor. I am also giving her generic Benadryl. I am not sure if she has dry skin from the winter, an allergy, or if it is due to some type of anxiety, but I have been home on winter break since before Christmas so she should be less anxious, in theory. She had trouble in the summer that the vet thought was grass pollen. I wonder if this is just from the cold and the indoor heat? The shelter staff said she hadn't had it there, but maybe the southern climate would account for that. I know one thing, no one would ever get pregnant wearing this ointment. Can't believe it is pet and people safe. I'm surprised she can sleep. :-D
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Permalink Reply by Cat on
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We had a very bad itching scenario that turned into a bad rash on Jozi's tummy and after many vet visits, meds and other tries at things, I ended up switching her to grain free Merrick food and I supplement her once a day with an Omega 3 Antioxidant with Fish Oil and it seems to be working. Trying to heal her from the inside out instead of the outside in seems to be the trick for us. I was getting so tired of having the vet prescribe meds after meds; the last med she was on was Clavamox and it cost me $80.00 for two weeks treatment.
We are keeping fingers crossed that all improves!
Thanks so much,
CK
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Thanks Cat! I did wonder about the food. I have a HUGE bag of Nutro that was recommended as one off the best, which I soften with water and pumpkin puree, but she is always constipated. If some food intolerance has that effect it makes sense that it may also be showing up on her skin as you said. I read something negative about every food, from the cheapest to he most expensive. I really want to find one that is highly rated and also tolerable for my dog. Guess I'll have to do more trial and error searching. Thanks for the help Jane and Cat. She is beginning to get a hot spot so I have to be more aggressive now in treating it. Frustrating.
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Permalink Reply by Anna Morelli on
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Holly, I would rule out anxiety altogether, although she can definitely be driven "crazy" by the itching.. Sounds like an allergy which could be food related, or due to something in the environment. A change in food would be my first step. I had an Anatolian Shepherd with a lot of environmental allergies. I would buy a bunch of T-shirts at Goodwill, cut off the arms, make a slit on the top and knot the two resulting flaps over her back. It helped her a lot and I ended up with some of the funniest sayings on her chest :-D Best of luck ( we did see a canine dermatologist to help figure out what was going on with her but, in the end, it was trial and error ). For the skin, read up a bit on Emu oil, it has great anti inflammatory healing properties and is used in very small amounts. It can also be added to other creams/lotions, for instance you could add it to a Benadryl cream. The fish oil by mouth is also a great idea. Some people I know had good results with a product called Derma Caps.
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Thanks for the tips Anna! I was trying to think how I could cover it in something she wouldn't be able to remove. I will have to try the T-shirt idea along with the fish oil. I didn't know Benadryl came in cream form. That may help. Never heard of Emu oil. Thanks for all the ideas. I feel like this should be solvable without a prescription. I did try prednisone once, but I will never use it again unless it is an absolute last resort. Hate the side effects. I hope she gets relief from some of the above tips. Time will tell. I really appreciate the suggestions.
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You're welcome. BTW the Emu oil is for topical use only. One or two drops go a long way. I'm with you on the Steroids....
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Permalink Reply by Jill M on
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if the t-shirt idea doesn't work or you don't have time to do that... this product is supposed to help.
http://www.tulanescloset.com/ I've seen a couple and they are well made.... I'm considering getting on for Alfie as he does have allergies both to food and environmental which cause him to get fungal infections on his belly and back. We've eliminate the food allergens and winter came so he's stable now..... we'll see what spring brings.
good luck.
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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on
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What does your Vet say? I would try a grain free food to see if that makes a difference. I had a corgi with terrible seasonal allergies so changing food did not help. I had him allergy tested and he was allergic to almost everything. (house dust, grass etc) He was on monthly allergy shots for years and fortunately lived a long happy life. They can be tested just like humans with the under the skin pin pricks and the the Dr develops a serum to be used for the monthly injections. Our Dermatologist at MSU said that the shots work in about 80% of dogs.
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The vet said it looked like grass pollen and/or a flea allergy. I am not sure why Sully was okay for several months and had a sudden flare up. A couple of my dog owning neighbors saw her this morning and they both immediately said it looked like a yeast infection, which can apparently be triggered by allergies. Because I am on a fixed income I am trying to wait until Feb. for her follow up check up with the vet, unless she is too miserable to wait. I put some cream and vinegar in it that is meant to treat yeast infection on the skin and she stopped scratching immediately.
I will get some grain free food and ask the vet about allergy testing when I see her in a couple of weeks. It is surprising that Sully didn't have this trouble when he was in the no kill shelter for over a year, They were very open about all the health issues she did have. I contacted them about her last skin outbreak and they thought perhaps it was a type of mange, but the vet really thinks it is allergy related. Her former owners left her tied up outside with little or no attention and likely the cheapest food available. The shelter in Arkansas used Purina One out of economic need. I wonder if the more expensive foods are too rich, or if the New England area just has more environmental allergy triggers. She has been fine for several hours since I started the yeast related treatment so my neighbors seemed to have accurately called this one. I am so glad this site helps sort our issues that are corgi specific. So happy to see her sleeping happily again. Thanks all for the advise. Hope it helps keep the next vet bill a bit lower at least!
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