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I need help. I’ve got an 8 year old allergic bichon with flaky skin almost like dandruff all over his little body. The vet recommended I use Etiderm shampoo. Been there, done that. As of one week, I’ve also been using a product called Dinovite, which is like a vitamin supplement. I haven’t seen much of a difference yet. I’m hoping to be able to use a home remedy rather than going back to the vet again. I know I have to give everything some time to work, but I just feel so bad for him. He just seems to be so uncomfortable, not to mention keeping me awake in the evening by his on and off scratching. I have put a little hydrocortisone cream on his little groin area because it’s not real hairy. It did help, but I’m not sure how I can put that on his skin without shaving the poor kid!

So I’m stumped…
Eva
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I have had several animals that have had the same problem. One I have to use prednisone from the vet but use it very sparingly as too much prednisone can cause problems. She is a large lab and the vet says it is a fungus. She only takes the meds once a week and it works wonders. You might also try putting a tablesthingy of Wesson Oil in your dogs food. There is also a product on the market for the skin and coat called Linotone which is wonderful for skin problems. Linotone can be bought at a pet store. I do suggest that you take a vets advice as the dog sounds like he is very uncomfortable.
dogs4all
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Just curious.. are you using a hypoallergenic food?
Many food allergies show up as itchy skin.
libbymae
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Hi all , I just read your post and will be going to the pet store and getting Linotone for my shep. maybe that will help her with the itchy skin. I hate yelling at her to stop scratching but she does it all the time. I feel so bad for her, I know I would be miserable if I had to scratch like she does. Thank you for the help.
lil-things
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If your dog has already been checked out by a vet, some kind of oil is really great at helping out flaky, dry skin. It’s worth a try.
redfire
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Eva
Have you tried giving your dog vitamin E ? it helps with skin problems.
if your dog’s anything like our’s you ‘ll have to rap it in a piece of sandwwich meat.
H.B.G
Big_Dogs_Rule

My big 9 year old dog excessively pants and drools. His forelegs and chest are constantly soaked. Any Ideas?
ortell6
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Some breeds are known for excessive salivation, and all dogs will pant heavily in high heat and humidity. If you feel your dog is doing either to an extent that is out of normal range for his own behavior, you should take him to your vet to be checked out.

All the best,

Tempest

my cat is dribbling all over the place he has 2 little red patches on his tongue, which are bald…(as in have none of them little spiky things on them) and his breath is realy bad, he seems fine but is not eating as much food as he normly does…..anyone have any idea what this could be?…..if it dont get better in a few days i will go to the vets
galileo
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Sounds like he could potentially have ulcers in his mouth which could be from numerous things. Are you noticing any other sores around his lips? Or on his face?

You mentioned there is a change in his appetite. My guess would be because it’s painful to him to eat. I would take him to the vet to have it looked at and have him put on some meds to help relieve the discomfort and prevent further infection.
hscvt
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I agree with the previous post. It could potentially be serious. You need to take him to the vet as soon as possible. It could be ulcers or some sort of tooth root abcess. If his breath has a bad odor to it (and it is worse than usual) then that probably means there is some sort of infection in his mouth.
redfire
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I agree too. It could be a burn, too, either from heat (hot food?) or some sort of chemical. Or it could be …
Definitely time for a vet visit.

Hope he’ll be okay!
For_the_dogs

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All the symptoms you describe could indicate a kidney problem too. He needs to go to the vet now. It is not going to get better by itself.
suebgone

My 6 year old cat Trouble has been sounding like Darth Vader for the last couple of weeks. In September I took her to a new vet (I recently moved) for skin allergies. He gave her a shot, this was the first time she had been given a shot for her allergies. Towards the beginning of August I rushed her to the ER vet for an asthma attack (according to him her tongue was purple and the roof of her mouth was blue but to tell you the truth I will never go back there because the vet just wasn’t awake?? or something) He gave her two shots (the first he just jabbed in there and she actually flinched and cried and I pretty much told him that wasn’t acceptable. Trouble has never flinched or cried at a shot before). They were both for her attack. When day arrived I call and went to the new vet I had choosen and he gave her some really strong antibiotics for a cold but said she wasn’t weazing or anything. I gave her the medicine for two weeks. When I called back he wanted to do x-rays and a cardio-ultrasound. I just moved, I can’t afford it. So, instead, I continued with the children’s benadryl that he said I could give her. Today she is playing (quite intensly), eating, drinking, pooping, peeing, everything she would normally do but she continues to sneeze and snort and have drainage in her eyes. I have found that if I give her the benadryl daily she improves. Does anyone know of something else I can give besides Benadryl? She really hates it. I am going to be taking her to the vet as soon as I get paid but that will be a while. Any advice? Thanks.
LadyDarya
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Try putting her in a carrier on your bathroom floor with the door closed for 20 mins twice a day while the shower runs hot. The steam from the shower should clear her sinuses and help her breathe easier.

Also, ask your vet if it might be advisable to give your cat L-Lysine. You can buy it in the vitamin section of any drug store, crush a tablet, and mix it with 1/4 can of canned cat food once a day. It’ll help boost her immune system. I have a cat with a chronic herpes infection in his eyes, but 500 mg of L-Lysine daily keeps the infection under control.

I hope Trouble’s troubles resolve quickly and completely.

Tempest

Hello, our lab has developed some strange hypersensitivity along his back in the past two days. If touched in a single spot along the middle of his spine (as one would press a doorbell quickly), it seems that the surrounding muscles contract. If rubbed, he will start kicking one of his hind legs as if here were being rubbed on his belly. This interferes with his ability to walk or stand. He does not wag his tail while touched or rubbed, but seems normal and happy at all other times. We have also noticed some nasty sores (the largest about 1/3 inch in diameter, total of 7 or 8 sores in a 3 square inch area) just between his neck and where his front shoulders meet. The sores do not seem to have a direct relationship to the sensitivity, but since they are a recent development I thought I would include them here. Does anyone know what may be causing this, or if we should worry? We have not found any fleas, although he does seem to be scratching a bit more than normal. Thanks for any info.
houston
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This sounds like something your vet should be evaluating. The sensitivity might be a spinal or neurological problem of some sort, perhaps caused by an injury or mismovement. The sores could be anything: allergic reactions, bug bites, or injuries of some sort. They may or may not be related to the back sensitivity. Perhaps the sensitivity is a precursor to him developing sores in that spot. You really won’t know what’s going on with your boy until you have him examined by a competent vet.

Good luck,

Tempest
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I completely agree with Tempest that an exam is in order for your boy. Usually with a hypersensitivity it is something which causes the nerves to become hypersensitive to stimuli. In the area such as the back, this could be narrowed disc spaces, bulging disc, collapsing disc, etc…there could be numerous causes as to what is causing this..and no one is going to be able to tell for sure without having a vet palpate the area and see what is going on and where the sensitivity is stemming from. I am a bit concerned about the comment of it affecting his ability to walk or stand.

I dont’ know what the sores could be a cause from..skin infection? Mites? Fleas? Immune disease? Again the possibilities could be a number of things.

Hope things turn out for him and let us know what happens.
hscvt
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Thanks for the info and suggestions everybody, we also found three lumps during one of our impromptu and amateur inspections (they are all movable and a bit squishy and pliable, giving us room to hope that they are just cysts). The sores are still crusty and don’t seem to be improving. I’m carting him off to the vet in a couple of hours, so we’ll see what they come back with. At the very least I can make them clip his nails, so I won’t have to be the one trying to hold him down
houston
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Big relief - the lumps turned out to be fatty, and the vet attributes his sensitivity to an allergen (we haven’t narrowed down the specific agent yet). Thanks again everyone!
houston

My 10 month old dog has been shivering this morning and acting like he doesn’t feel good. I think he may be running a fever. I tried to take his temperature, but he does not like me to take it and will not be still. I have noticed that he does not want me touching his ears and he tried to bite me earlier when I touched his ear. Normally, he does not mind me touching his ears.

Could he have an ear infection and do dogs run a fever with an ear infection?

Is there anything I could give him at home to make him feel better until the vet opens tomorrow?
all4upets
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Usually dogs do not run fevers with ear infections. Has he ever had one before? If he has allergies and his skin is inflammed then he may feel hot to the touch but not have a fever. You could try mixing a half vinegar 1/2 alcohol solution to clean his ears but the symptoms you are describing do not really sound like an ear infection. Perhaps you should just wait to take him to the vet. Keep us posted!
redfire
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He had ear mites about 3 weeks ago and his ears were cleaned at the vet then. His ears still smell bad, though. He is supposed to have the last treatment today. As far as I know, he has never had an ear infection. I just remembered that he kept shivering when he was only 3 months old and when I took him to the vet, he had a temperature. I decided to give him 1/2 of a baby aspirin in case he was in pain. He does not feel hot. I took his temp under his leg (even though it probably isn’t accurate there) and it was 101. He is still eating good, but I did notice him coughing a couple of times yesterday. Last night I thought he was going to vomit but he never did.
I will keep an eye on him and take him to the vet tomorrow if he is not better.

Thank you for your help.
all4upets
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I wanted to let you know what the vet said about my sick dog. He had an abcess on his throat that was causing the fever and listlessness. I don’t know what caused it but it is a possibility that my older dog could have bit him on his throat when they were playing. If this is the case, does anyone know what I can do to keep my older dog from biting him on the neck again? They both bite on each other when they play, and I never thought something like this could happen. The other possibility is that something like a stick got could have stuck him in his throat. He was given antibiotics and hopefully will get better. He is acting more like himself now, but not completely well. My vet did not drain the pus and said to watch it closely and bring him back if it got any bigger. Does anyone know why my vet chose not to drain the abcess on his neck? Could it be the location of the abcess? I read on the Internet that an abcess should be drained and was wondering if it will get smaller like my vet said or if it needs to be drained first.

Thank you for any input on this.
all4upets
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There are some abcesses that we do not drain- the location might be a factor. But yes, what you read on the internet is correct. Most abcesses do need to be drained before they get better. Where was the abcess on your puppy? Was it right under his chin? It wasn’t puppy strangles was it? Because we do not drain those type of abcesses.

With antibiotics the abcess will probably get smaller on its own. Beware though-the abcess might open up and drain itself. If it does, that is normal and you should just clean it with peroxide and a cotton ball or something like that.
redfire
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Just letting you know that his abcess went down and he is acting 100% normal. Thanks for all your help!
all4upets

I am wondering if anyone has a similar problem with their cats. I have 2 ragdolls–one a 9 year old male and an 8 year old female and recently, against my better judgement added a 12 week old kitten whom we all love. My older cats have the herpes virus in their eyes–we have dealt with it for several years—don’t know how they got it–I have kept them vaccinated–but we do have to deal with the runny eyes. I am wondering if anyone has this problem–I know there is no cure–but how to control it better—we have had numerous visits to the vets and we are always just given antibiotic ointment to avoid infection. My oldest cat did get a nasty infection in the eye this time around—and I feel so sorry for them—and me—when it comes to treating it.
annie
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Unfortunately because herpes is a virus that your cats won’t be cured from, eye problems are a part of the virus…mostly what can be done is treat the symptoms that they are displaying. So how things are currently being handled is probably what is going to continue happening.

One thing that you can ask your vet about and get their opinion on is something called l-Lysine (which is an anti-viral) l-Lysine is a food supplement which can interfere with viral replication and may help in the long run. It can be expensive..but check with your vet.

Hope this helps.
hscvt

I have a 35 lb dog who isn’t too active- runs for about 10 minutes once a day. My vet told me that I am feeding her too much- I feed her one whole can (the larger ones) in the morning and at night. She said that I should be doing 1/2 in the morning and 1/2 at night.

Does that sound right to anyone? The feeding guidlines on the can say I should be feeding the whole can.
bmack
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Feeding guidelines on food bags or cans are always going to tell you to feed more than you should..think about it..the more you feed, the faster you go through their product, in turn means more often buying more of the product…therefore you should look at what the manufacturer recommends and then REDUCE…..especially with your dog who isn’t very active.less calories are required…so 1/2 can am and pm sounds very reasonable..
hscvt
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I agree. 1/2 can sounds very resonable to me also. If I knew how big the can was it would be easier to help you. You should typically feed one cup per 20lbs. That amt can be cut back if your dog is less active and/or overweight.
redfire
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Why feed canned at all? Dry is much better for their teeth, & doesn’t have as much junk in it as the canned. If you change to a good quality food you will feed much less too. You can add fresh green beans to the dry to make up for some of the bulk of the canned. You can wean him off the canned by just using a tablesthingy of canned & mix it in thoroughly.

When reading the instructions on the bag - go by the amount the dog should weigh, not what it does weigh. Even a half a can sounds like a lot to me.

Don’t give junk foods for treats. Apple slices, carrots, brocolli, pear slices are a very good substitute.

Is there some reason the dog doesn’t get exercised more often? If there are no health problems it should get walked at least twice a day. Runs about 10 minutes a day is not nearly enough altho “running” it like that could be harmful because the dog is clearly not in shape.
suebgone
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BLAH. Who needs guidelines to feed a dog?

I just look at my pets. If they start getting too fat, I cut back on the amount I feed them. If they start to get too skinny, I increase the amount of food. I own many pets and they have always been the perfect weight at the vet. This is like an old timey remedy. It works for me and I don’t plan to ever follow any guidelines unless given by my vet.
furrypals

What is the normal temperature in a dog? My vet told me 102.5, but I saw 103.5 somewhere else. Now I am confused at what temperature is normal for a dog.
furrypals
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From 100.5 to 102.5 is considered within the normal limits.
suebgone
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Yup 100.5 to 102.5 is normal..isn’t abnormal to see 103 when in a clinic situation especially if they are worked up from the car ride over and nervous about going into the clinic.
hscvt
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Thanks all for your help. I thought 103.5 was a bit high.
furrypals
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103.5 is definetly not abnormal if your dog was really hyper/nervous/active. It is a little higher than normal, but not at all uncommon. I wouldn’t worry at all if your dog is otherwise feeling good.
redfire
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What would be considered high in a nervous dog?
furrypals
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A nervous dog would be a dog that shakes alot, runs away from the doctor or just acts abnormal. It is hard to say, you know your dog better than anyone so it is hard to say what your dog would act like if he was nervous.
redfire
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The other thing to factor in for very nervous dogs is do they run a higher temp normally. When dogs came into the clinic and they had a higher temp, we could look back to see if they normally ran that high..and could then point it to nervousness and being worked up/excited. As redfire previously stated..have to see if there are other things associated with it..how is the animal acting? Do they show any symptoms of illness? etc.

Are you taking temps at home? Are these related to when your pet goes to the vet?
hscvt
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I take the temps at home when they are sick and the vet takes them when we go there. I just saw that 103.5 was normal and wanted to clarify it.

Thanks for replies.
furrypals