health questions...please help - Page 2

When I first put my girl on RAW she detoxed and itched for a couple months (I just about gave up), I used the tea tree oil diluted as a rinse on her and it helped her itching.

Sounds like my1  little guy in stereo.I am trying to find a link for you which has a video on mange and its affects.I personally did the Ivermectin injections(3) to rule it out in my dog BUT it looks like it was'nt that.Now i have him on the Hills Ultra ZD which i cant stand but at least it will rule out if its food or not.The revolution way is far less harmfull than the Ivermectin injections so I would listen to your vet and try that first.Food trials take AT LEAST 12 WEEKS to get a proper result,and thats with NO colostrum,treats or ANYTHING other than the food.Hope this helps.I will send you that short video if i find it cause i have it on the old pc but it does'nt always start up.

Hi, My 3 year old male GSD is having the same issues as you listed above.  Have you found anything that helps?   We've been to derms and regular vets but nothing seems to 'cure' his  itching.  The vets still cannot figure out if it is allergy related, parasitic or fungi (yeast).  We’ve had him on a chemical cocktail (antibiotics, revolution once a week and a bath once a week with an anti-fungi shampoo ) for about three months now and the only thing that seems to work  (so he’s not scratching his skin off) is washing him once a week with an anti-yeast shampoo.  His skin clears up on the antibotics but as soon as he is off - the itching starts again.  The derm vet said this would happen b/c the meds only clear up the secondary infection (sores caused by the scratching) not the ichy skin.  We took him off of the revolution once a week & the antibotics (advice from the vet) and are still trying to figure out what the cause is and how to help.  

Thank you in advance if you have any advice.

-Lisa   

If washing with antifungal works I'd look to see whats in the diet.  Remove any yeast based items, especially brewers yeast. Also check the carbohydrate level of the foods.

Think thrush/atheletes feet in humans - its is often triggered or made worse by diet.

i just realized this was my post from a while back so i figured i'd give you guys an update.  it didn't clear up with revolution, and i still don't think it's scabies.  i did a few different things out of desperation, and i know it makes it harder for me to pin point the problem, but we're getting closer.  he stopped itching for a while, but then started up again, and now it's more of a ring around his neck...weird. 

here's what i did:  1. I switched the food up, he seems to itch more on chicken and turkey (and sometimes beef...yeah, i know, doesn't leave much to feed that's cheap).  i then learned that many gsd's have problems with chicken or beef, but i don't know why yet.  2. tea tree oil seems to help clear the bare spots up.  3. I wipe him down with a water/vinegar solution, seems to help as well.  and i add apple cider vinegar to his food.  4. i've been coating his ears with vaseline, vitamin e oil, and olive oil...the hair on the tips of his ears looks like it's growing back, keep your fingers crossed for us.

Lisa, what are you feeding?  antibiotics actually just treat the symptoms in most cases, and they just weaken your dog's immune system.  it usually does have something to do with food, like hodie mentioned.  i know, i have proof.  my pup had hot spots and ear infections when he was little, and i compromised his health by giving him antibiotics (as per my vet), when all i had to do was switch food, and it cleared everything up (and i was feeding top of the line dog food too).

beepy is right, get him off of all yeast, grain, carbs, veggies, etc., if you can order some bragg's apple cider vinegar, put a teaspoon in his food once a day, you can also pat some of it on his sores.  add some salmon oil/fish oil to his food once a day.

Thanks! I never thought of that.  For the past three months he's been on a diet of Fish and Sweet Potato Dog food.  No treats and the food is a single source carb and single source protein.  We switched him from Natural Balance Sweet Potato and Fish to Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream Canine Formula a week ago due to inconsistencies in quality of the Natural Balance food. 

I know of many dogs treated initialy for upto 6mths for mites after having negative skin scrapes but positive blood tests both in the UK and Europe,  when later it as turned out to be multiple allergies. most of these dogs have had a combination of meat protien and enviromental allergies.