My dog has skin condition?

Question

My sis's rottie/gsd mix has a skin condition. His skin is flaky, and we took him to the vet and he said flea allergy...i gave him some flea stuff and did not work. Around the places the hair is very thin, and skin is flaky almost like dandruff. But bathing does not help. Trying to avoid another vet bill if anybody has any suggestions. PLease no negative comments.

Answer 1

Could be a chronic skin allergy,diet related too.

Washing too much can irritate.A good oatmeal shampoo is very soothing.

Try taking a very fine comb by one area with a white piece of paper.Then drop the dander on the paper.Look very carefully to see if anything is moving.Often times vets & even groomers can miss biting lice that may not be indiginous to the area you live in.This happens with rescue animals as well.

Also if you choose to use any oil on the skin, do be careful as it can also clog pores.You may wish to consider adding a bit of oil to the diet or some vitamins sprinkled on kibble.Too much oil will create the runs-go light on it.

Tar based shampoo is also available tor skin ailments.

Answer 2

our dog went through the same thing. Thought it was flea allergy. Vet suggested that most animals allergic to wheat and glutinen int food. we started checking labels and stopped wheat products. allergy and itching stopped. also stopped bathing unless dog rolled in something.Check it out .We had good luck with this proceedure.

Answer 3

Yes, like some of the other people said just keep using your Revolution, and when you put it on him take him and any other pets or family members out of your house and have it sprayed for fleas. You must have all the windows open and come back a few hours later though, or it's unhealthy for you and your pet. Get him some Medicated Dandruff Shampoo, your best bet is getting it from your local Vet... It shouldn't cost that much, $20 tops and you won't have to schedule an appointment to get it.

Hope this helps :)

Answer 4

I agree that revolution is a good choice.  Frontline works on my Lab, but my Aussie Shepard cross needs the Revolution and Preventic collar.  

I would not give him a bath for a while to see if that may be the issue.  

My Lab has had "dandruff" for years, it was suggested to switch her to a corn and wheat free food.  We went to the California Naturals Brand.  I mix the low fat with Herring and Sweet potato.  It's been two weeks and her coat it better looking and she does not seem as flaky.

Answer 5

A "flea allergy" is not the same as "having fleas"...Keep him on the monthly flea treatment to avoid getting fleas but use a skin conditioner (like Miracle Mist ot tea tree spray) daily to keep him from itching. Benadryl (children's dose) also works to stop the itching...

Stop the itch, stop the scratch., hair grows back.

Hope thois helps a little. Also,,,when bathinbg use an oatmeal or tea tree shampoo to soothe the skin (Tropiclean makes a good one - has both tea tree and oatmeal...they also have a medicated and very soothing rinse....I use it in the shop on certain dogs).

Also, are they SURE it is "flea" allergies??? Most of the dogs I see are actually allergic to something in their food....Try switching to a totally "holistic" food (more expensive BUT CHEAPER THAN VET BILLS!) and see if that helps.

Answer 6

When you give him his flea medication, Bathe him and  vacuum/clean everything that fleas could have infested, otherwise, the problem will continue.

Don't bathe too often and when you do, use a hypo allergenic shampoo or a soothing formula.

Answer 7

You can try a product called Genesis for dry itchy skin.  It is like a Calamine lotion for dogs except it is a spray.  It relieves the itching and scratching due to skin irritations and allergies. Talk to your vet about this product. It is around $19-20  bottle.

We recently found about this product a few weeks ago when Frontline Plus quit working and we then switched to Advantage Multi.  Corky had some dry itchy skin  so the vet suggested we use the Genesis.  I can't complain, We've had good luck with it.

Talk with your vet about which product he /she thinks would be best for your pet as it may not just be dry skin he has.

Answer 8

There is a new product out called comfortis.  It is a flea perventative that they actually swallow and it works from the inside out.  It will actually kill any fleas on the dog within 30 min and keep killing fleas and the eggs for 30 days.  It is what I use on my dogs and they are both flea free.  It isn't even very expensive and you only have to buy it from your vet once a month, or you can get a 6 mth supply.

As for helping the skin, I would check with your vet or a groomer.  Most don't mind answering questions over the phone for free.  My dog Pepper has a skin allergy.  We don't know what is causing it, and he has been referred to a dermatologist that we can't afford, so we pooled our resources so that we could be proactive in his care.  We called our groomer and asked for grooming/hygene suggestions.  She had no problem giving me advice on shampoos and other skin tips and grooming ideas for him.  We asked questions on products at our local Petco.  They were knowegable and very helpful.

Most important is to treat the problem...the fleas, and then heal the skin afterwards.  I wish you the best of luck.

Answer 9

What does he eat?  Poor quality diets (like the ones you can buy at the grocery store) often result in dry, flaky skin, excessive shedding, and a dull coat.  You can try switching to a higher quality diet and you can try adding vitamin E supplements to improve his skin.  If improving his diet doesn't work, then I would go back to a vet for a full skin work-up to find out what's wrong.  While flea allergies are quite common, so is ringworm, mange, and bacterial skin infections.  Be careful about bathing too.  Frequent bathing can actually dry out the skin.  Be sure you are using a mild dog shampoo (not flea shampoo, those products are ineffective and can actually be dangerous to dogs) and if you must bathe often be sure you are using a conditioner to keep the skin moisturized.

Answer 10

get him front line plus spray the yard and spray the house. put oil in his coat like baby oil and help him with the dry scalp that is washing him too much. it can help an if that does not help take to the vet or call them again.

Answer 11

if its a flea allergy, the flea medicine is not going to help.

It will kill the fleas.. but the dog's already been bit!

Its an allergy to the bites.. the dog will continue to itch and scratch, which irritates the skin, the skin is even more itchy because its irritated.. the dog will continue to itch and scatch for weeks even after the fleas are gone!

The vet can give a shot, like cortizone to relieve the itching