Hot Spot Issues - Page 1

Just wanted to share some information that has helped us--

 

our rescue dog has bad skin problems and gets super itchy in the summer. He used to have skin irritation and hot spots all the time but we finally found the cure.

 

at the beginning of summer when he starts to itch, we take him to the vet and they give him a steroid shot (and some cat treats :) ) 

 

this keeps the itching at bay for roughly two months.

 

he eats blue buffalo and that has helped a lot as well, but nothing has ever cured him.

 

just an idea if your dog is similar. I am not a vet so I would contact your vet or try changing food first since this is a more expensive route.

It would behoove anyone considering feeding Blue Buffalo to read the consumer reports...scary stuff. 

I won't get into steroids here, but suffice to say if your dog needs steroids, you do not have anything under control. Build them up from the inside out. Hot spots are secondary to an underlying problem. Fix immune system, fix the allergies (in most cases- there are true genetic issues in certain lines, however). 

Jenni, how would you suggest fixing the immune system? My vet has said this is their last idea for how to fix our pup. His lines are unknown. He is a rescue dog. Maybe time for a new vet? And here I was thinking we were feeding him a good quality food as well :(

So many allergies are from Food...It's more of a trial and error type thing but you can start with good foods...As Jenni has elluded to...Blue Buffalo...IS NOT a good food...

High Prices DOES NOT make a good food...

 

~Bob~

I'll start with hot spots. In over 40 years I have with GSDs one of the few occasions of having a hot spot they were caused by FLEAS.  I know that there can be other reasons but this is what I have found with mine.

Now I know that nobodies dog has Fleas any more  so please spare me that one.  For most flea products the fleas have to BITE the dog to kill it so they do bite the dog and can cause an allergic reaction.  I then treat that spot and it is clear in a day or two.  

Now I firmly believe that when a dog has this reaction it is because it has a bad immune system and that needs to be fixed.  I know this is a rescue and you are not planning to  breed but for those who have dogs like this and breed them it is hurting the breed.

Blue for a food no way and  like Jenni78 the shots would never happen. 

I would use a raw diet if that bothers you I have used Victor dog food with very good results and their are a few others.  Price does not equal good or bad.

We just eliminated an otherwise awesome dog from our breeding program because of a weak immune system.  We were given this dog back in Nov and have fought skin issues since we got him. When we picked him up he had slight fur lost on the inside of his back legs.  When we talked to his breeder about it, he told he it was a "black dog thing" and it would go away.  He Gave us kelp and told us to use it as he did and it took care of it.  We changed his food to a grain/chicken free diet and also started to feed him raw.   It did clear up but as soon as his coat was back to normal, he would start to break out again on the legs. The 3rd and final time he broke out, Poor baby also lost all the fur on his testicles and they became swollen.  After consultation with our vet it was diagnosed as a yeast infection. All dogs have good bacteria but the immune system's inability to keep it under control caused an outbreak and we noticed it was every time the dog was put under pressure or he was stressed. Such as when a bitch was in heat, separation anxiety or change in the weather.   This dog was otherwise a great working dog with awesome temperament.  Our vet suggested he be neutered to eliminate some causes of stress.  However his breeder chose not to allow us to do that and demanded we return the dog intact which we did as he stated he would breed him anyway.   The dog has since been diagnosed with flea allergies (by the breeder's vet,) which leads back to weak immune system.  While the dog was with us he was on a prescription flea prevention, but that still does not stop fleas from that initial bite before they die.

You are right Western Rider, no dogs have fleas anymore.   Oddly our other dogs are on flea prevention just like this dog, and was kenneled side by side with him, so I guess they share fleas. However this dog is the only one with skin issues.  Hummmm, guess that means the other have good immune systems.

Oh just for shits and giggles, we have learned that this dog's name has been changed. 

One of the things that has been  discussed here many times and I use is Vinegar. 

Feed it to your dog use the good stuff with the Mother in it 1/4 to 1/2 cups a day you can use brown vinegar try to get  the 5%

Uses for it

Keeps the dogs system on the acidic side helps repel fleas and bugs

If you decide to start feeding raw it will help you dogs weak stomach bile/acid to be able to break down the edible bones instead of vomiting them up.

I believe it keeps the GI tract from being a happy place for the many different bugs and worms that our dogs and puppies get. 

Now for the outside of your dog you can use the cheaper brown vinegar.

Put it into a spray bottle and a couple of time a day give the dog a quick spritz helps repel bugs.  This is one of the items I use on the early signs of a Hot spot.

I do not live where there a chiggers did visit an area with them though.  Is it possible that dogs can get them  You always here that a dogs under belly itches and loses hair there first could it be chiggers. 

 

 

Most allergies are not from food. They are environmental but inappropriate food exacerbates the problem- grains, for example, are unnatural and difficult to digest. When the gut isn't happy, the immune system isn't happy. Also, leaky gut can happen in dogs just like people. Intestinal permeability is probably far more common than real allergies. Yeast is often mistaken for allergies as well. 

I'm tired and lazy so I'll cheat and tell you that if your dog has "allergies," try the Great Dane Lady's protocol for yeast/candida. Also treat for giardia, as this can be a first step (prior to the rebuild of the gut) in healing. Great Dane Lady has good information and saves me a lot of typing, LOL. 

I would feed raw or grain and potato free. Zignature Trout and Salmon is a good one, as is Orijen 6 fish. Again, MOST dogs do not just have allergies. Most dogs have something else eiter in addition to, or underlying that is causing worse problems. 

Extra virgin coconut oil is excellent and an enemy of yeast, so that's a win-win any way you look at it. 

Anyone suspecing a dog of allergies needs to read up on yeast and what can cause a yeast imbalance before they needlessly cull a dog. Additionally, poisoning your dog monthly, I mean treating for fleas, is going to do nothing to help the immune system. I have never used flea prevention. I have seen nothing but disasters from people who do, both in neurological side effects and all over systemic weakness, depending on the product. None are that safe- if the goal is to make your dog toxic enough that whatever bites it dies, how can that be healthy? 

If I had a dog with recurring skin issues, I'd do 10 days of fenbendazole to take care of an underlying protozoal issue. I'd give super potent probiotics and digestive enzymes to give the gut a jump start on healing and help digestion that could have been affected by subclinical malabsortive problems from protozoa, and I'd eliminate anything that feeds yeast. Some say don't feed red meat if there is any inflammation in the body but I'm not convinced that's always a big deal. I'd choose raw turkey over chicken, feed lots of green tripe, and if I couldn't feed raw I'd feed a dehydrated raw or one of the kibbles I listed above. Rome wasn't built in a day; this didn't happen overnight and it won't be fixed over night. But only after I treated an underlying cause of yeast overgrowth would I condemn the dog's immune system. The longer things go untreated- like giardia- the worse the damage to the digestive system is. Damage does not equal bad genetics, so one must do their due diligence. MOST kennel dogs or dogs in multi-dog homes have giardia or have had it. They may be asymptomatic, but that doesn't mean there is no damage. 

Very good insight on a subject misunderstood by most.