Dog with skin Problem - HELP?

I have a 2 year-old female Bull Mastif and she was spade at 6 onths old. She now has this terrrible habbit of finding bricks or a wall to scratch herself on her back and its become so bad that her skin on her back area as well as the hair is thinning. Yesterday, when i came home from wok I thought she had varnish on her back because we are varnishing at the moment and when I took a closer look i saw the blood dripping of her back so I proceeded to rinse her off with cold water, her back is so sore it broke my heart because she was crying when i put the water on her. What can i do to stop her itchyness, I bought a dip and got an injction but it has not seemed to help, the vet said that it should help as it always helps other animals.\





PLEASE HELP!!!!

Dog with skin Problem - HELP?
Your dog might have developed some sort of allergy. Sometimes after flea infestation, they get that kind of reaction. I would assume that your vet has given the dog a cortisone injection? Cortisone is a steroid that essentially suppresses the immune system to stop the immune system from producing that type of itchy reaction. It will usually help if not cure the problem. Unfortunately it is also often a temporary thing as it doens't last forever and if the underlying cause isn't identified and treated, it may return. I wonder if your dog has a food allergy. It is actually a very common thing and owners won't realise what it is. Food allergies can manifest themselves in a variety of manners. A few examples are the skin condition you've mentioned, ear infections, diarrhoea, inability to put on weight (due to diarrhoea) - but not necessarily all these symptoms in combination. With food allergies, it is often beneficial to switch foods. I don't know what type of food you're feeding her, but I would definitely put her on a high end food such as eukanuba. Avoid the ones with red meat (most of them). You would have to specifically give her something like a lamb and rice or chicken and rice formula. This usually helps very quickly and if it's a food allergy, you should see results fairly soon. I would definitely avoid that dip you were talking about if she has open wounds on her. It is just going to traumatise her sores. There are also creams/ointments available that have cortisone in them that promote the healing of skin. If it isn't some kind of allergy, she may have a behavioural problem. Some dogs have imbalances in chemicals in their brains that cause compulsive behaviour (just like us!) such as constant licking to the point where they give themselves sores, or scratching as you've mentioned. Doggy antidepressants can help with behavioural problems. She may also have a grass allergy which isn't uncommon in dogs. One other thing it could be is a condition called cushings disease, but this usually occurs in dogs older than your baby and there would be other symptoms as well. If your vet is unable to help, I would suggest that you ask around and try to find a better vet. I'm surprised that he hasn't discussed all of the things I've mentioned above to you before prescribing this preliminary treatment. Good luck with your poor baby.
Reply:Relief spray or wipes.Sold at the vet or a pet store.
Reply:Have you changed the dogs food lately??? It could be a allergy to the food. Even if the dog has been use to the same food they can acquire an allergy to it. The best thing to do is put it on a food with no corn in it it is the corn they usually are allergic to that is in the food. Innova, wellness, canidae, solid gold. california natural are all good foods.





You also say you have been using varnish. Dogs can have allergic reactions to chemicals and substances we use. They can have allergies the same as people.
Reply:you give her to drinks sugar water,ang do no give her eat,seafood like crab or anything?
Reply:Check your dogs food...most dogs are allergic to soy.
Reply:I have a Jack Russell and he has done this every winter since he was born (3 1/2 yrs old)





I use a cortisone spray on him, it seems to calm the skin. There are also special shampoos that help with itching.





I believe it is where he is inside more. I haven't changed his food and he is eating nothing in addition to his regular kibble. Of course if you have changed his food then that might be something to consider.





I have not found anything that has given me permanent relief for him....I would love that since he scratches and whines when doing so.





I also give him a Benedryl @ night to help him rest without digging. (Vet suggested) he is about 15 pounds, Jack Russell, so they said one tablet.





Good luck
Reply:Is she allergic to anything? Quite often it's a food allergy. I had a Sheppard that had seizures until I noticed it only happened shortly after she was given a new brand of dog treat, Stopped them and no more problem. My other dog had no problem with them-of course he had the stomach of a goat. Also gently wash the area with tearless baby shampoo or try "baby wipes". My one dog also had a "hot spot" which I treated successfully with a cortisone based cream-got it at the local supermarket. Make sure it's rubbed into the skin, and not just on the fur.
Reply:She has alleriges or red mange. I'm shooting more for allergies though. However, you should have her skin scrapped and looked at under the scope to make sure. If it is allergies then changing her food might help. What is she on now? A really great food for allergies is Eukanuba Response FP. You will start noticing a great difference within a few days. Also, get some clemastine (Tavist) and give her twice a day (12 hours apart) this is also a great allergy medicine however it is quite pricy. You can get it at http://www.allivet.com for like $14 for 100 pills (cheapest place ever to get it). Good Luck
Reply:try baby shampoo and if that dont work take her to the vet they will give u meds 4 her
Reply:Good lord... you might want to try to get a second opinion from a second vet. Shots (probably prednisone) can often help the symptoms of severe itching but they won't solve the reason why she's itchy in the first place.





I third or fourth or fifth or whatever the suggestion to look at the food. It's not always about the food, but it very often about the food.





I finally had luck with a similar situation by getting off kibble altogether and going to raw diet (http://www.rawfed.com/myths). Lower quality kibbles, though, have ingredients like corn and other fillers that can definitely trigger itching.





Fleas can also cause extreme reactions to the point where *a* flea can make a dog insane. Make sure you rule out fleas as a possibility as well, and keep your girl on a flea preventative like Frontline.