Help my dog is tearing himself apart??

Question

steriods were to keep him from itching

Answer 1

idk what is wrong, but maybe one of those cone things will help... so he cant scratch himself

hope i helped

Answer 2

I spent 8 years with recently passed bullmastiff struggling with allergies. I am going to give you some very improtant information coming from me and my vet, who is the best in Bflo NY.

First and foremost, steroids are a last resort method for stopping the itching and do not let your dog stay on them very long as they can cause kidney damage. Use them only if you really have to. I am a clinical lab specialist so I knew what to have my vet do, that is, allergy test. It is a simple blood test and it will tell you what he is allergic to. My dog had a few food allergies and many environmental So we changed his diet, and seasonally he would get itchy but we would treat that with antihistamines as a human would be treated. We changed them up every few months so his body did not get used to them. It worked for the most part. To aid in the itching without use of steroids you need to have him take an antihistimine and see if your vet can get you Tresaderm. Tresaderm is a topical steroidal, anti inflammatory lotion/conditioner that you can apply to the affected areas once a day. It contains spherufiles which allow it to penetrate the animals skin and remain there for some time and aid in the itching.

The most important thing to do is have him allergy tested so you can get to the root of his problem and then procede with alleviating his symptoms without systemic steroids. The name of the the allergy testing back when I had my dogs done was "liquid Gold" and it was the best at the time.

By chance you may ask them to test your dogs thyroid while you are at it. That can also cause skin problems. My guy had both thyroid and allergy.

Answer 3

The steroids do not fix the problem, they are designed to help the symptoms.  What kind of food/treats do you feed.  Many dogs are allergic to grains.  Corn and wheat are the 2 big problems for some dogs.  Find a quality dogfood like Evo that doesn't have grains.  You will see results pretty quickly if this is the problem.  

Answer 4

Dogs can have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. If your dog is acting out when you are not home or when the attention is not on him, I would say that is a good indication of an OCD problem.

Answer 5

Sometimes excessive l*****g can be a psychological problem, and related to severe anxiety issues.

However, the kind of scratching, l*****g etc. you describe sounds much more like allergies. The steroids should have controlled the itching somewhat, but unless you find the 'trigger' that is making your dog so miserable you won't cure the problem.

Your veterinarian could take blood samples and run some allergy tests for you, or you could do some detective work yourself.

If the itching, scratching and so on is a year-round problem, then seasonal allergies (similar to those seen in humans) is not so likely. Flea allergies are very common as many dogs react badly to flea saliva. Of course, if your dog has fleas, treating him with a good flea preventative should help dramatically. If he's flea-free already, then you need to be looking elsewhere.

Dog food allergies are much more common than most people realize, and usually occur as a reaction to a well-known and previously well-tolerated food, rather than to a new diet as many people think.

There are many excellent dog foods specifically formulated for dogs with allergies or intolerances. Changing over to one of these (give it 4 - 6 weeks on the new food before evaluating how effective it is being) can really help. As your dog is so miserable I would definitely recommend trying this right away.

Meantime, there are also many products on the market that can help alleviate some of the itching. Hydrocortisone-based products can be soothing, and shampoos, salves, creams etc.  are available without prescription. Hypoallergenic products are also good.

The webpages listed below have tons of information and tips on dealing with dog allergies, and also link to the types of dog food and other products mentioned above.

Best of luck, hope your dog is feeling much more comfortable soon.

Answer 6

This dog's name wouldn't happen to be Billy, would it?

Answer 7

IMHO i suspect a food allergy. most likely due to corn products in your dogs food.

what are you feeding him?

Answer 8

what kind of vet would put them on STERIODS poor dog!!!!!!

Answer 9

My dog was doing that. He had fleas. We didn't actually see any fleas for a long time until the dog groomer pulled one off of him. I would first try looking for fleas?  

Answer 10

It is common for small white fluffy dogs to get allergies. OK here is what you need to do

- get him an elizabethan (bucket) collar so he cannot cause himself more damage and he lives in it to let himself heal

- Get a soothing shampoo from your vet (NOT the supermarket or pet store) and wash him in it every couple of days. Do not blow dry him, towel dry and keep him warm

- Look at his diet. You need to take him off all snacks, canned food, treats and coloured dog kibble. Buy a LOW allergenic dog food for him with low grains and one source of protein (premium brands) a lot of dogs have food allergies. I would also be adding flax seed oil or an omega oil supplement (get from the human health food it is cheaper) to help his skin heal. He can stay on this permanently, start on half a teaspoon then gradually increase to a whole teaspoon.

- Immediately put Frontline on him as it prevents fleas biting, re do him in two weeks then every month after that

- He would be on Corticosteroids to prevent the itching, keep them up

- make sure he does not go out on the lawn, or near a lot of exotic plants (lillies, wadering jew etc) as these are common allergy causing plants

- give his skin time to settle, ask your vet too about an antihistamine that is safe to use with his current tablets to settle the itching. There is also a cream called Neocort/Neotopic which has lignocaine in it and settles itching. Remember always consult your vet first especially when he is already on tablets.

Answer 11

It's important to find the source of the allergy - that's most likely what his problem is.

Email me if you need more help,

but here is my Itchy Dog Answer - most of what the top dermatologist in the US would tell you to do...

First. rinse him every day with tepid, not warm water.

That will remove anything that is causing a contact allergy - pollen, dust, grass ...

Make sure he has Frontline on, to ward off fleas.

Next, switch him carefully over to a 2 ingredient diet.

The *top food allergens* are

corn, chicken,beef,soy, wheat, and dairy,

                  but dogs can be allergic to just about anything.

Sometimes you can get away with just putting them on something like Nutro Natural Choice lamb & rice - you might try that first, just to see if it'll be that easy. Wellness has a very good line of hypoallergenic foods, and a bunch dogs have found relief with Atlantic Whitefish & Sweet potato (of course my dog is the only one in the world that is allergic to sweet potato!)... But READ THE LABEL - some things SAY lamb and rice, and the third ingredient ius chicken something...

You may have to resort to feeding a two ingredient diet - if the kibble doesn't work, pick two ingredients and feed them exclusively in their original form - like fish and oatmeal, say - so you actually know what the dog is eating. Jack Mackeral comes in a nice big can at the supermarket.

A couple weeks on that kind of diet won't hurt him, and if you find that is necessary too continue, you can look on www.BalanceIt.com for a recipe tool that will help you balance it for him, and Rx vitamins with no additives that will round out the diet so it's a good long term one.

Remember that any other treats - like beef bones, rawhide, or pig's ears - are the wrong food, and will cause a reaction if that's what he's allergic to, so cut those all out, and no table scraps, either. Chewable heartworm tablets are usually beef based, so you would also need the ones that aren't - there are some, I don't remember the name...

Speak to your vet about giving his some fish oil - omega 3 is a powerful anti-inflammatory, and only a food - but you must take into consideration whether your dog is susceptible to pancreatitis. Most healthy dogs are fine, but little dogs can get into trouble with smaller amounts of stuff - but it is a really good thing or dogs with any kind of skin problem, and a very easy fix.

Good luck, this is a tough problem to solve - but not impossible. But this is the way the top veterinary dermatologist in the US does it - and I have used it sucessfully on many dogs.

Answer 12

If it's allergies, it could be a number of things. You could take him to an allergist, it will probobly cost a lot of $$.

It's common for dogs to have allergies to their food. Look into a hypoallergenic diet. Good luck.

Answer 13

Same as you would with an allergic child. Change soaps and shampoo. Consider changing his food. Clean his bed and toys. It's a pain, but necessary.  Could he be getting into something outside?

Answer 14

You need to ask your vet for a different perscription, or for anxiety medicine. Alot of smaller dogs itch when they are nervous, scared or just out of habit. To help with his already raw back I would rub neosporin on it every night, if he licks it, it wont hurt him but it will taste bad!! I hope I helped a little :)