Hi, So Lucius has had sensitive skin since we had him when he was a puppy, but recently its gotten to the point where he's constantly scratching and itching. His skin isnt too sore but it the constant itching is causing him to scratch his skin and cause skin infections from the scratches which we have been treating. He gets the occasional rash but nothing that stays any longer than a few days. Our vet has reccomended monthly baths in some episoothe dog shampoo but is there anything else we can do? We brush him regularly and we are keeping our carpets hoovered regularly in case he might be allergic to the dust or hair in the carpet. I've seen some websites reccomend shaving him but I dont really want to do that unless it is my only option, I love his coat and would really hate to see it clipped off but if that would help him I'd definitley consider it. Any thoughts?
My lab has been itchy since we had him. Not helped by him having a cancer that is linked to a histamine release. The only time he has stopped completely was when he was on steroids during his chemo. We have a follow up oncologist appointment on Tuesday and I have asked to see a dermatologist as the specialists think hiss itching it is protein related. I have had a certain degree of success changing his diet. Initially I put him on Hills D/D which is a hydrolysed duck based kibble. That helped his stools and reduced the itching. Now he has finished chemo he is raw fed but limiting him to duck turkey and salmon at the moment. Chicken gives him real stomach issues. If I get any useful information from the dermatologist who is apparently well respected in his field I will post on here. In the meantime has your vet not suggested antihistamines or even golden paste(turmeric based)?
Poor him That must be very frustrating for you both! I've never heard shaving recommended for itching, and i'd definitely stick with whatever your vet recommends. Although it can't hurt to get a second opinion if you aren't getting anywhere. I have heard of dogs having mite allergies that cause really bad itching, so it might be worth looking into that if it's not something the vet has covered yet? Do let us know how he gets along!
We had our very expensive dermatologist appointment to tie in with Toby being knocked out for scans. Initial findings are he has Malassezia(over growth of yeast) on his feet and lip folds which apparently is common in dogs with food intolerances or allergic skin disease. I have to bath his feet and lips in a special shampoo 3 times a week and he has a month of itraconazole tablets. I go back in 4 weeks. If no improvement in the scratching it is an elimination diet. I feel we will need to do that anyway otherwise it will surely come back. Have you been offered this as a possibility?
Thanks for all the help! Vet recommend bathing regularly in a skin calming shampoo as well as trying various skin supplements he ended up having a skin infection on his armpits which has since gone away with antibiotics. Hasn't been itching much since the regular baths so hopefully this works! Have started him on some Dorwest natural products for skin which seem to be helping him a lot.
That’s good news. Glad things are improving. Toby’s treatment made no difference. We go back Tuesday. Think next move is an elimination diet.
Not a whole lot I'm afraid. The only thing that's working so far is steroids and antibiotics which makes him stop as soon as he takes them. It's not a permanent solution but at the moment it's the only thing that works. Worse still, his constant itching and build up of allergens (were still not sure what is causing the itching as diet has changed and his environment has stayed the same. No allergies to dust or pollen) caused an asthma attack a few weeks ago and he is now on asthma medication.
Hi again Did you see this thread recently? https://thelabradorforum.com/threads/alternative-to-apoquel-for-dogs.29385/
You never shave a labs coat ,you damage it , you can get him tested for allergies,probably something with food
