# Scabs, sores, losing hair



## mandiah89 (Jan 18, 2013)

Hi everyone,

When I first got Penny she has constant skin issues, she has puppy pyoderma twice and then it cleared up for a while. But she has the red bumps/sores on her belly again along with several other issues....

She has/had scabs all over the top of her back from the base of her tail to midway up her spine. She also has black spots on the inside of her front legs and the outside of her back legs with reddish bumps that she chews at. She does not have fleas so I know she isnt itching because of fleas. But she is ALWAYS scratching and chewing herself. She has started to lose some fur on the inside of her front legs and again on the outside of her back legs. Her fur on her back is really brittle and bunches of the hair comes out with the scabs.

I have an appointment for the vets on Friday morning (thats the earliest they could get me in) so I was wondering if any of you could please give me some insight as to whats going on with my dogs skin??

So to recap... red bumps/sores on her belly, scabs on her back, black and reddish skin with fur loss on the inside of her front legs and the outside of her back legs.

I can try to take some pictures if that will make a difference.


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

With the exception of the scabs on her back, the rest sound like Zoey's allergy symptoms.


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## gagsd (Apr 24, 2003)

Sometimes all it takes is one single flea.... and you may never see it.


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## mandiah89 (Jan 18, 2013)

gagsd said:


> Sometimes all it takes is one single flea.... and you may never see it.


When I picked her up from boarding 2 weeks ago I gave her a flea bath and put her revolution on her like I do every month, and I did not notice any fleas coming off her while in the bath. Also I am living with my mother who has a dog who does not have fleas or any of these symptoms, so I do not believe it is fleas (or flea) that would be causing this issues as she has never had fleas, and this issue has been on going.


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## mandiah89 (Jan 18, 2013)

Nigel said:


> With the exception of the scabs on her back, the rest sound like Zoey's allergy symptoms.


I am also thinking it is allergies but I have her on a hypoallergenic food... Go! Sensitivity and have had her on three of the formulas the Salmon, the Duck, and the Turkey + Trout. And her skin has not cleared up. But I know that does not mean she doesn't have food allergies. 

I was thinking of putting her on a raw diet to see if that helps but I live in a small town and where I live meat is VERY expensive and when I say very expensive here is a little insight... for a 4 pack of boneless skinless chicken breast if it is not on sale you will be paying $15+ a pack! I am going to go to the butchers today and see how much they would charge to do up a raw diet for my dog as I know they do it for other people but I know its fairly expensive and I really have no idea how to build a raw meal plan or what exactly is involved how much of what is needed ect.


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## MadLab (Jan 7, 2013)

Sounds like hot spots.

Scrub areas with a dry towel to remove any puss and scabs and apply some anti bacterial.

Grooming might help and wash regularly. When the dog gets wet make sure to dry properly to avoid dampness.


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## GatorBytes (Jul 16, 2012)

mandiah89 said:


> When I picked her up from boarding 2 weeks ago *I gave her a flea bath and put her revolution on her like I do every month*, and I did not notice any fleas coming off her while in the bath. Also I am living with my mother who has a dog who does not have fleas or any of these symptoms, so I do not believe it is fleas (or flea) that would be causing this issues as she has never had fleas, and this issue has been on going.


Sounds like she has overkill symptoms - too many toxins

Why does everyone on spot-on treatments and deadly toxic flea bath treatments go to food first?

Not that kibble isn't a toxin in of itself...but you have to seriously consider what this stuff (pesticides) is doing to your dog

Def. consider a RAW diet - that will at least give her a fighting chance


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

Despite manufacturers’ claims to the contrary, the ingredients of commonly used topical treatments *can and do enter the pets’ internal systems.*Merial’s website states that fipronil (the active ingredient in Frontline, Parastar, EasySpot and the new over the counter Sentry Fiproguard), is absorbed into the sebaceous glands of the skin which provide a natural reservoir, creating the impression that it does not migrate into the dog’s body. Dr. Dobozy of the EPA’s Pesticide Division took a look at fipronil and *found that it does in fact enter the body and was contained in the fat, organs, urine and feces of dogs. Laboratory tests have shown that with long term exposure at low doses, fipronil has the potential for nervous system and thyroid toxicity, thyroid cancer,** altered thyroid hormone levels, liver toxicity, kidney damage, convulsions, whining, barking, crying, loss of appetite, locomotor difficulty, reduced fertility, fetus mortality, smaller offspring, loss of hair at or beyond the point of application, moist inflammation, chemical burn and itching.* Read the whole article on page 24 here: http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/2012/May2012.pdf

Also: Side Effects of Advantage Flea Medication | The Daily Puppy
"Some pets with sensitive skin will get sores on the spot of application. These sores can bleed, become filled with pus, remain open for a length of time, and may require medical or surgical attention. Watch the application site for any splitting skin or areas that begin to swell, pus or crack. These are very painful to animals, so avoid touching these areas and seek medical attention for the animal. Watch your pet immediately after application and for a few days after. Some animals experience extreme cases where the neurotoxin in Advantage takes a toll on the pet. Some cases of organ damage have been reported in pets using Advantage in improper dosing or prolonged exposure. If your pet is exhibiting odd behavior, like seeming to not see objects in her path, stumbling or sleeping significantly more than normal, these are signs to discuss with your veterinarian.
Similar to the sores, Advantage can cause rashes on dogs with sensitive skin. These may only be noticeable by extreme scratching witnessed in dog behavior, but must be tended to immediately. If the dog scratches the area too much, it may cause bleeding, sores or an infection."


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## mandiah89 (Jan 18, 2013)

Madlab, I don't think its hot spots as it is not moist and does not look raw per se and it does not smell... (not that I've ever dealt with hot spots before but just from reading what hot spots are, although I'm not sure this excludes the possibility that it could be hot spots but I looked at pictures and it doesn't really look like what Penny's looks like)

Gatorbytes, I dont give her a flea bath every month but I have been giving her revolution every month since May, so only 4 months of revolution and she will get it for September and then wont be getting it on again till late next spring. Could such a limited use of revolution be the cause of this? Maybe...

Im going to try to take some pictures of the areas that are affected and post them later, have to wait till Penny is sleeping first so I can get decent shots.


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## mandiah89 (Jan 18, 2013)

Hi everyone.. I just got off the phone with my vet to see if Penny could get in any earlier than Friday, and they told me they would call me if a spot opens up. But was wondering if anyone has anything I could use on penny or give Penny to help calm her itching? She has been itching and chewing herself a lot more in the last two days and I dont want my girl to be uncomfortable. I was told to give her benadryl 50mg to see if that helps but is there anything else I could use with the benadryl incase if its not something allergy wise?


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## mandiah89 (Jan 18, 2013)

Well Penny had her vet appointment yesterday but I am not thrilled about what happened. So $120 later all for the vet to say "what kind of food is she on" and I told them Go! their response was... "oh I dont like that food it gives dogs problems, I think this is an issue of her food I think you should put her on medi cal or Science Diet because I trust them and they make good dogs"... 

Like really? I told her several times I wont put my dog on that crap but but she insists her skin issue is her food and that the cure would be to put her on Science Diet. She took a skin scrapping (which we both knew it would be negative for mites, the vet even told me that she knew it would be negative because Penny is on revolution every month). So I should have asked how much that would have been (turned out to cost $44) as it was such a waste of money. UGG

So the vets recommendations were to give her a bath every 3 - 5 days, give her benadryl, and switch her food to Science Diet. Not very helpful at all GRRR


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## a_dugas6 (Aug 27, 2013)

I know others have mentioned this, but for the record my cat has the same reaction to getting Frontline (or any other brand) of tick and flea treatments. He (Pez) lost all of his fur except on his tail, his skin was scabby, sores, just gross. With Pez, I use a flea and tick collar, he has not had any reactions since I stopped giving him that stuff.


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## a_dugas6 (Aug 27, 2013)

one other thing, my former vet, insisted it wasn't the frontline and that it was Pez's food.


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## lalachka (Aug 13, 2013)

Mandiah, I have the same problem with my dog. As a matter of fact I was so annoyed with the last visit (went exactly like yours except that I already spent 500$ and went in 3 times before they told me it's food, first they said it was my floor cleaners. So I basically messed up his health with a course of steroids and antibiotics and wasted money) that I'm not going back to my vet again. 

When I need a vet I will find another one. My vet tried putting me on purina, I guess they're sponsored by purina while your vet gets kick backs from science diet. 

I'm so annoyed with them. 


Anyway, I did switch my boy to raw that day ( they said it's the worst thing to do). While raw is the best thing you can do for them it doesn't mean the allergies will go away, his didnt but I'm keeping him on it anyway. 

He was also on revolution (did your vet sell it to you?) and I stopped it just in case. Basically I stopped giving him anything except meat and glucosamine. 

Your dog is either allergic to food or environment. Some dogs develop beef and chicken allergies after being vaccinated because most vaccines are beef and chicken based (to put it simple) so it might take time for them to be able to eat beef or chicken. I've been feeding mine duck, rAbbit, lamb and goat, so far no improvement. I do give need organs and beef treats though, I can't find a replacement. 

It's tough, I'm frustrated and I know what you're going through. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## lalachka (Aug 13, 2013)

Omg I just checked and his allergies ARE getting better!!!!! I don't know what did it, stopping revolution or limiting chicken and beef but the hot spots rr fading out and don't look wet anymore. 

I so hope they go away completely


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## Tasha2013 (Apr 13, 2015)

*Skin Problems*

Mandiah89- Did you ever find out what the skin condition was that your gsd had? And did a change in diet clear up the skin problems or was it something else? Your complaints/symptoms sound a lot like what I'm going thru with my gsd. After several vet appointments over the last couple years it seems like the condition only gets worse every time it comes back. The vet had put her on a low dose of penicillin at one point to see if it'd help, and it did cut down on the scratching and I thought the condition cleared up. The vet had also found a tick, so we gave her a treatment that would kill any ticks in case she had any more, and it was like that was the end of it. I don't believe this is a tick problem. I think it was just a coincidence. So I'm wondering if you were able to find out any answers that might point me in the right direction?? Thanks


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## Tasha2013 (Apr 13, 2015)

lalachka said:


> Mandiah, I have the same problem with my dog. As a matter of fact I was so annoyed with the last visit (went exactly like yours except that I already spent 500$ and went in 3 times before they told me it's food, first they said it was my floor cleaners. So I basically messed up his health with a course of steroids and antibiotics and wasted money) that I'm not going back to my vet again.
> 
> When I need a vet I will find another one. My vet tried putting me on purina, I guess they're sponsored by purina while your vet gets kick backs from science diet.
> 
> ...


So is your dog still on the raw diet? and skin issues have cleared up? Also I use mostly liver treats, my dog loves them, and I heard they are a better option


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

Tasha2013 said:


> Mandiah89- Did you ever find out what the skin condition was that your gsd had? And did a change in diet clear up the skin problems or was it something else? Your complaints/symptoms sound a lot like what I'm going thru with my gsd. After several vet appointments over the last couple years it seems like the condition only gets worse every time it comes back. The vet had put her on a low dose of penicillin at one point to see if it'd help, and it did cut down on the scratching and I thought the condition cleared up. The vet had also found a tick, so we gave her a treatment that would kill any ticks in case she had any more, and it was like that was the end of it. I don't believe this is a tick problem. I think it was just a coincidence. So I'm wondering if you were able to find out any answers that might point me in the right direction?? Thanks


Hello Tasha, this thread is old and I don't think the OP has posted in a while. You could try starting a new thread and read through some older ones while you wait for responses. There are some very knowledgeable people here who may be able to help, but they may not post everyday so it helps to bump ur thread occasionally.


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