Jack Russell with skin disorder can anyone help?
We have a 4 yr old female jack russell, we saved her from a very bad condition when she was just weeks old, the vet brought her back to health and she got lots of care from us so she has done well but has a skin disorder it seems like execema or scoriasis (sorry cant spell) she goes pink on her under belly and the areas where her legs meet her body she itches all the time we had her seen a few times and got a steroid cream and advice from the vet was"distract her from itching by playing with her". I mean come on what kind of advice is that! The poor thing has it again and I'm wondering is there anything we can do? She is prone to skin problems anyway as she is practically an albino completely white and the vet said she will suffer skin cancer from the sun eventually, is there a cream we could use even to stop the itch? Help!
Answers:
You could try Eurax. It might help her. It is designed for humans and in my job I've seen it work! Bathe her with a mild dog shampoo I use one containing T-tree oil and as it is antiseptic it should help her skin too!
Personally I would find another Vet! My dogs have had skin problems in the past and I've taken them to a lot of different vets!(we moved around the country a lot) Not one has every treated it lightly like that! If the steroid cream hasn't worked she may need them in tablet form or the vet should be looking for the cause!
Wrong her chances of getting cancer are greater because of her colour but it is not inevitable! My vet recommends Sun block on a White dog or Cats ears and not allowing them to lie in the sun. Not easy with a Cat they always find the sunniest place!
Treat her like a human with delicate skin. I was told White dogs have a higher risk of problems than other colours But I've known lots of them and only one has developed cancer and another has gone blind. She is a normal happy dog and people dont know unless told. I've only had a white cat but she died of heart-failure at 18. No signs ever of cancer!
Hi there, if you have found that the cream the vet gave you was working, why dont you try a plastic funnel collar you can get from your vets, just until the irritation has cleared up. Good luck
Change her food to a non-allergic formula like the Fish and Chips or Lamb formula from http://www.frrco.com/121668 This can help with the allergies/skin and coat problems.
Use a moisturizing oatmeal shampoo to bathe her, and don't bathe her frequently, as to many baths will dry her skin.
Good luck.
http://www.libertydogtraining.com.
I don't know if this will help but we used it on our dog for dry skin, he stopped scratching, it was skin so soft by avon. we bathed him with it. I thought my freind was crazy when she told us but it worked.
I think you need to see a different vet and have blood work and skin scrapes done. Try putting unperfumed talc on the itchy bits or aloe vera gel. I would also consider alllergies and ask the vet to rule this out by prescribing a suitable antihistamine pill. If the rash then goes away you know that she is allergic to something and a patch test can help find out what and eliminate it from her life.
If this was my dog, these are the steps I would be taking.
You need to get pro active and start by telling the vet that you are not happy and want tests done.You will only cure the problem by finding out the cause, not just alleviating the symptoms. HTH
It could be allergies or other health problems. You can have her screened. In the mean time switch the food you are using to a high quality food, holistic foods are better. Make sure there is no corn, wheat, soy, eggs or beef in the foods or treats that you give your dog because all of these are top allergy foods. As for itching you need to find out what is causing it first so a course of action can be taken.
My parents had a jack russell with a similar itching & rash condition, although it does not seem as severe as your poor doggy's. He also had steroid cream from the vet but my parents also used to smother him in Sudocrem (it's for babies bottoms!). It's a great cream and I use it myself when my hands get really dry & cracked in winter - may be worth a try on a small area to see if it helps?
tea tree oil is really good for that, because it soothes the itch, disinfects, and it tastes bitter so prevents biting and chewing. Two of my dogs have severe flea allergy, and I buy a product from petsmart called Vets Best Hotspot spray that has tea tree, chamomile, and aloe vera. Works really well! here's a link to the product:
http://www.epetpals.com/cgi-bin/commerce.
when you bathe her use gentle shampoos like baby shampoo, and bathe her as infrequently as possible so as not to dry out her skin. I have psoriasis (that's how you spell it) and the best thing I ever did was to stop the use of soap on my face. I only wash it with water. I haven't had any problems since.
Hope that helps!
if it helps - from personal experience and knowledge of skin disorders, it seems to me that the skin disorder is a symptom of a dietry problem.
an imbalance of bacteria in the digestive system can cause food particles in the blood and more acidic blood than normal.
i have used acidophilous capsules and changed my diet and seen a very noticable difference.
antibiotics kill off such bacteria, from what little knowledge i have of this sort of thing, what we are seeing today with the increase in asthma/eczema may be a result of too many antibiotics being prescribed too often.
if it was me id try to somehow find the suitable dog version of acidophilous (certainly would not try giving it to a dog), maybe ask this question to a vet and mention the possibility that it may be a symptom of dietry problem - ask how to improve / balance your dogs digestion.
keep her well watered and keep the place cool and free from dust, smoke, other irritants. maybe a bath with regular human bath mixes such as oilatum - for moisturising.
Don't worry, my old dog also had the same problem and my ol;d vet didn't like prescribing steroids pills so we worked out an alternative method of treatment.
The condition used to be known as 'stress related excema'. Any stress can trigger an attack. The skin becomes red, hot and unbearable itchy.
Start by keeping your dog free from fleas using something like Frontline from the vet. Flea bites trigger an attack.
Next, look at the dogs bedding. Switch to pure cotton, old towels are fine. Don't use a basket, any man - made fibres, or beanbag. Have 2 sets of bedding and boil wash it once a week with no washing powder or fabric conditioner. Your dog doesn't care if his bed looks grubby.
Next, look at diet. Try this;
NO treats, no food colourings.
Give raw carrots and plain, uncoloured rawhide chewsticks.
Feed 1 can of sardines per 20kg bodyweight per day. Drain off the oil.
For the first month use well cooked rice instead of biscuit. Then gradually switch back to plain mixer, NOT the 'basted with meat juices' kind. The cheap supermarket own brand is ideal.
Add about 2 - 3 tablespoons of green leafy veg and cooked carrot. You can buy frozen spinach nuggets and own brand frozen carrots from Asda, cook them with the rice.
If you stick to this then this attack should have cleared up in a month. Stick to it in future and it shouldn't return.
Best of luck!
Visit a different vet for a second opinion. If this is eczema it will probably be triggered by something like a flea bite, a certain food or ingredient etc and if you know you can take preventative action.
If it is a parasite like scabies, you should be able to eliminate it for good with a proper course of treatment.
What ever the diagnosis it is clear that your vet has not given you enough advice or even the correct treatment and a second opinion is required. You may need to have tests on allergies carried out to find the cause.
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Answers:
You could try Eurax. It might help her. It is designed for humans and in my job I've seen it work! Bathe her with a mild dog shampoo I use one containing T-tree oil and as it is antiseptic it should help her skin too!
Personally I would find another Vet! My dogs have had skin problems in the past and I've taken them to a lot of different vets!(we moved around the country a lot) Not one has every treated it lightly like that! If the steroid cream hasn't worked she may need them in tablet form or the vet should be looking for the cause!
Wrong her chances of getting cancer are greater because of her colour but it is not inevitable! My vet recommends Sun block on a White dog or Cats ears and not allowing them to lie in the sun. Not easy with a Cat they always find the sunniest place!
Treat her like a human with delicate skin. I was told White dogs have a higher risk of problems than other colours But I've known lots of them and only one has developed cancer and another has gone blind. She is a normal happy dog and people dont know unless told. I've only had a white cat but she died of heart-failure at 18. No signs ever of cancer!
Hi there, if you have found that the cream the vet gave you was working, why dont you try a plastic funnel collar you can get from your vets, just until the irritation has cleared up. Good luck
Change her food to a non-allergic formula like the Fish and Chips or Lamb formula from http://www.frrco.com/121668 This can help with the allergies/skin and coat problems.
Use a moisturizing oatmeal shampoo to bathe her, and don't bathe her frequently, as to many baths will dry her skin.
Good luck.
http://www.libertydogtraining.com.
I don't know if this will help but we used it on our dog for dry skin, he stopped scratching, it was skin so soft by avon. we bathed him with it. I thought my freind was crazy when she told us but it worked.
I think you need to see a different vet and have blood work and skin scrapes done. Try putting unperfumed talc on the itchy bits or aloe vera gel. I would also consider alllergies and ask the vet to rule this out by prescribing a suitable antihistamine pill. If the rash then goes away you know that she is allergic to something and a patch test can help find out what and eliminate it from her life.
If this was my dog, these are the steps I would be taking.
You need to get pro active and start by telling the vet that you are not happy and want tests done.You will only cure the problem by finding out the cause, not just alleviating the symptoms. HTH
It could be allergies or other health problems. You can have her screened. In the mean time switch the food you are using to a high quality food, holistic foods are better. Make sure there is no corn, wheat, soy, eggs or beef in the foods or treats that you give your dog because all of these are top allergy foods. As for itching you need to find out what is causing it first so a course of action can be taken.
My parents had a jack russell with a similar itching & rash condition, although it does not seem as severe as your poor doggy's. He also had steroid cream from the vet but my parents also used to smother him in Sudocrem (it's for babies bottoms!). It's a great cream and I use it myself when my hands get really dry & cracked in winter - may be worth a try on a small area to see if it helps?
tea tree oil is really good for that, because it soothes the itch, disinfects, and it tastes bitter so prevents biting and chewing. Two of my dogs have severe flea allergy, and I buy a product from petsmart called Vets Best Hotspot spray that has tea tree, chamomile, and aloe vera. Works really well! here's a link to the product:
http://www.epetpals.com/cgi-bin/commerce.
when you bathe her use gentle shampoos like baby shampoo, and bathe her as infrequently as possible so as not to dry out her skin. I have psoriasis (that's how you spell it) and the best thing I ever did was to stop the use of soap on my face. I only wash it with water. I haven't had any problems since.
Hope that helps!
if it helps - from personal experience and knowledge of skin disorders, it seems to me that the skin disorder is a symptom of a dietry problem.
an imbalance of bacteria in the digestive system can cause food particles in the blood and more acidic blood than normal.
i have used acidophilous capsules and changed my diet and seen a very noticable difference.
antibiotics kill off such bacteria, from what little knowledge i have of this sort of thing, what we are seeing today with the increase in asthma/eczema may be a result of too many antibiotics being prescribed too often.
if it was me id try to somehow find the suitable dog version of acidophilous (certainly would not try giving it to a dog), maybe ask this question to a vet and mention the possibility that it may be a symptom of dietry problem - ask how to improve / balance your dogs digestion.
keep her well watered and keep the place cool and free from dust, smoke, other irritants. maybe a bath with regular human bath mixes such as oilatum - for moisturising.
Don't worry, my old dog also had the same problem and my ol;d vet didn't like prescribing steroids pills so we worked out an alternative method of treatment.
The condition used to be known as 'stress related excema'. Any stress can trigger an attack. The skin becomes red, hot and unbearable itchy.
Start by keeping your dog free from fleas using something like Frontline from the vet. Flea bites trigger an attack.
Next, look at the dogs bedding. Switch to pure cotton, old towels are fine. Don't use a basket, any man - made fibres, or beanbag. Have 2 sets of bedding and boil wash it once a week with no washing powder or fabric conditioner. Your dog doesn't care if his bed looks grubby.
Next, look at diet. Try this;
NO treats, no food colourings.
Give raw carrots and plain, uncoloured rawhide chewsticks.
Feed 1 can of sardines per 20kg bodyweight per day. Drain off the oil.
For the first month use well cooked rice instead of biscuit. Then gradually switch back to plain mixer, NOT the 'basted with meat juices' kind. The cheap supermarket own brand is ideal.
Add about 2 - 3 tablespoons of green leafy veg and cooked carrot. You can buy frozen spinach nuggets and own brand frozen carrots from Asda, cook them with the rice.
If you stick to this then this attack should have cleared up in a month. Stick to it in future and it shouldn't return.
Best of luck!
Visit a different vet for a second opinion. If this is eczema it will probably be triggered by something like a flea bite, a certain food or ingredient etc and if you know you can take preventative action.
If it is a parasite like scabies, you should be able to eliminate it for good with a proper course of treatment.
What ever the diagnosis it is clear that your vet has not given you enough advice or even the correct treatment and a second opinion is required. You may need to have tests on allergies carried out to find the cause.
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