HELP Rescue dog has SEVERE itching issues - Page 2

My girl had a nice coat too when I adopted her, but scratched none stop.

I agree with Tingiesandtails on the diet. one thing i did find my girl to be highly allergic to is chicken. If I gave it to her she would scratch worse than ever.  She's not nearly as sensitive as she used to be. 

As for probiotics, my holistic vet said they are very beneficial for a dog's overall health and immune system. Stress lowers the immune system and a rescue dog is going to experience some stress, therefore the probiotics should be of some benefit for Candy.

The only shampoo I found that helped was a coconut based hypoallergenic, unscented shampoo by Bio-groom. 

My girl has to have a no grain high protein diet or she is constantly itching and will get severe ear infections. I occasionally throw in fish oil, just the OTC in the human vitamin section, she thinks it's a yummy treat. I use an oatmeal shampoo on her. I also will rub pure coconut oil on her when I feel the dry CO air affecting me.  
A dog at the shelter I work at gets a fish oil liquid supplement added to a salmon dog food Amia has a great top coat but itchy skin. 
There is also the possibility it's something OCD/psychological going on.

Poor Candy has Mange 

At least now you know which way to treat. Which mange mite is it?
This is a funny story, "now".
We rescued two baby foxes a couple years back. They were so little and cute that I couldn't help put one under my jacket and shirt to try to stop it from shaking. BIG Mistake.
Red Mange (sarcoptic), and you guessed it, I got it. It was horrible, so I know how your poor Candy girl feels.
We treated the fox babies with Ivermec. Both myself and my niece got the mange.
I had to keep telling my dogs to stay away from me or you will get the mange (shoe def on the other foot there).
My niece went to the hospitol for treatment because it was so bad, I went to my vet for treatment.
Vet had me make myself a lyme sulfer paste to smother myself in, my niece got an ointment from the pharmacy.
Mine was cleared up quicker.
Happily, the baby foxes cleared up pretty quickly and they were released back into the wild.
That's why I ask which one, you can get it from the dog. Thank God my dogs did not catch it from me.

Red mange is not sarcopic mange but demodectic Mange. Candy has sarcopic mange and it is so contagious. I've been trying to do preventative maintenance so I or my son don't get it. Not sure how it will work out. Trying to be proactive. I'm allergic to sulpha meds so that isn't an option to treat.

Any suggestions to limit my son and I from getting this are welcome.

Barb

You are right Barb, I guess I keep relating Red Fox to Red Mange. I (we) had Sarcoptic Mange and it sucked. Talk about miserable.
I do know we treated the foxes with Ivermec, and it did clear up pretty quickly.
I certainly would limit contact with dog, which I know will be hard.
I guess you just need to keep the dog confined to a certain area, no rugs or nothing. Wash ALL bedding that comes in contact with the dog thoroughly, or better yet throw it out.
I kept my dogs away from me and foxes, covered my furniture with sheets that I bleached "everyday".
It should be easier since you don't have it, just the dog.
The Ivermec injectable did work GREAT for the fox. Good Luck

Lime sulphur baths and Ivermectin every week to ten days. This is scabies. Keep her away from other dogs and you . Prednisone for itching. Vet should have prescibed all of this. Heat will kill on her bedding hot water very hot steam her crate if you have a steamer. Saw this once on household with three dogs. It was a mess.

Problem is you need to have contact and establish a rapport to settle this girl, so contact is inevitable and desirable. However, I have found that if you wear surgical gloves and establish a routine of clothes off, into the washer and self into shower after contact it should be fine. If you have overalls, all the better (and get some disposable overshoes too). This way you can treat her and gain her trust and spend quality time with her, while preserving yourself and your family and other dogs from getting it. Just usual 'quarantine' procedures.  I have been in contact with a number of dogs with sarcoptic mange and never contracted it and neither have my own dogs.
Bless her, she must be feeling terrible, but will start feeling better very quickly with treatment.

has she been checked for scabies? early stage will have no hair loss. can be fixed with 2 injections of ivermec 21 days apart, but with DR.s supervision.

this will also take care of most any other skin parasite that could cause itching. but she must be heartword neg.

after a very short time she will stop itching, the adults will die and the second shot will kill the ones that hatched ...

treatment for skin infections may also be necessary as they burrow into the skin to lay their eggs.




i rescued a dog from the side of the road with this condition. my vet treated her, i taught a bit of obedience before finding her a home.

i went with the 2 shots, because it was the least stressful for this dog. no bathing, no every day treatments......
just 2 shots and a 10 days of antibiotics hidden in a glob of cream cheese.

Apply as much coconut oil to the body as possible, the oil is a great benefit and will suffocate the mange mite as well. You can also let it melt into the ear to suffocate any thing in there and kill bacteria.