Hello to all whom read this, im hoping someone has some idea as to what may be causing my dog to lick his paws to the point where he has no hair on one of them!!! It all started when i went on holiday and although he stayed at homr with my parents and stuck to his daily routine i personally believe it affected him as ive never left him before. When i arrived back home my dog had a limp (reoccurring due to him badly spraining it a few months back). Anywho i decided to give him a thorough check all over which is when i saw these awful spots all over his belly and some disgusting looking yellow green pus inside, it looked like very bad acne :S as well as some hair missing from his paws/wrists. i booked a vet appointment for the monday where he got treated for a bacterial infection, fleas/mites/ticks and my vet also warned me about allergies as he had a very bad case last year however that only affected his face. The vet who i saw is the head vet of the practice whos worked for 20 odd years and said hes never seen anything like this!!!!! Its been almost a month now since this started and its getting worse :'( I switched him to a grain free diet, he has bath soaks with special shampoo. I also bought him special omega 3 treats to try help. I also got recommended some spray for his feet but it must make them burn as when i spray he completely loses it so i havent used it since. Not sure what else to do, the vets just give him more steriods and antibiotics which dont help his paws at all! Any advice would be greatly appreciated I must add his spots on his belly have healed they disappeared after a few days with his prescribed medicine
Hello there - that sounds very distressing. I'm sorry I don't have experience to share, but others will be along soon. The only thing I'd say is perhaps you should see a specialist dermatologist, if that is possible. Particularly since you think your vet is just prescribing things that don't help. It can work out cheaper in the long run, if you get a solution quicker....
I would agree 100% with the suggestion of seeing a specialist dermatologist. They will be much more experienced with this kind of problem. Do your own research online to find specialists who seem well qualified and then talk about them with your vet and get your vet to make a referral. Your vet should send your dog's medical history to the specialist as part of the referral. My dog is an itchy dog too, and we have to be very vigilant with it, so I understand how difficult it is and how awful it must feel for your dog. We are lucky as steroids help enormously in our dog's case.
Boogie -- what are harvest mites? Our boy is also very itchy and just a week ago at the hardware store a man overheard us telling the paint guy that our boy is itchy. He said he had a Lab that was itchy -- tried everything, different foods, etc. Then he bought an insecticide collar sold only at vets that lasts 8 months, kills mites as well as fleas and ticks -- his Lab was 4 at the time. She never scratched another day in her life and lived till 14 (put to sleep due to inability to walk). He believed it was mites that caused the itch. Can you actually see the mites? What would you look for if it were mites?
Harvest mites are in the news here (in the UK) right now because there is a possible link to Seasonal Canine Illness which can be serious. Thornit powder is often used for ear mites (which can also be resident on paws) but I have not heard of it being used as a treatment for harvest mites - it's possible, but you should check with your vet about how likely it is that harvest mites are a problem where you live (I am guessing that's the US), and you say your vet has already provided treatment for lice, fleas and mites? The advice at the moment in the UK is to use a insecticidal spray before taking your dog into potentially high risk areas, but you really need the advice of a local vet to work out what would be the best treatment for your dog if he does have harvest mites, and what preventative measures you could take.
You can sometimes see harvest mites in little orange clusters. If you dust Thornit powder (I use an old make up brush) on each evening for two or three days, especially between the toes, it should help if mites are the problem. You only need a really light dusting. But, if you go in the same field again the little b*ggers will return! zinc oxide, talc, iodoform and boric powder are the main ingredients. I still have the same bottle I got when Tatze first had them about 2 years ago. Wash all bedding and hoover often too.
Harvest mites?! Im from the uk, i haven't heard of them nor did my vet say it could be he said demodex mites. He has an expensive vet flea mite and tick treatment which he said would remove any pesty things from him. Ive also got one of those flea collars but cant use it until his treatment is finished which should be in 2 weeks. I havent seen any orange clusters on his skin, its only red and sometimes dry but i bought him a new shampoo with aloe vera and vit e which makes it look a bit better. New skin is coming though i think as the dead skin is coming off He wears a cone when im not supervising him, hes usually pretty good when i tell him to stop Ive washed all his bedding when this started but may do it again tomorrow
Sorry, Tori_lizzie, I was assuming MF was in the US (but of course I don't know that either!). Info on the different types of mite in the UK: http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/health/pet-health-information/mange-and-mites/ And one of the sources that link harvest mites to SCI (and I do not know this is true, I've just read a lot about it recently http://www.aht.org.uk/cms-xmodnewsr...N_HARVEST_MITES_AS_POSSIBLE_CAUSE_OF_SCI.html
Thank you Julie im glad Max hasnt had any symptoms of SCI but it's good to know as we walk in the woods 3 times a week
I'm in South Africa I did subsequently read of people getting chowed by harvest mites after camping at a musical festival some years back, but I could find nothing about dogs and harvest mites in my area.
