A dog & canine forum. DogBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » DogBanter forum » Dog forums » Dog health
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Yes, I too have a Golden with skin problems



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old August 18th 05, 06:02 PM
manowatt
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Yes, I too have a Golden with skin problems

I've got a Golden Retriever with some troubling skin issues. I've spent
many hours here reading about food allergies, contact allergies, diet
and just Goldens in general, but I've yet to find a solution to this.
This summer has been particularly bad with hotspots. Through the winter
and fall he went months without any hotspots, but He broke out
overnight with about eight large hotspots around the beginning of this
summer. Our vet shaved all the spots (much to the dog's dismay) and
they've since healed, but he's continued to get rather large hotspots
pretty regularly throughout the summer. He also spends a great deal of
time licking his feet/legs and scratching (which he never really does
during the winter).

Certainly there is something about the weather that is causing all of
this right? If this is a seasonal allergy, is there anything at all I
can do to at least lessen the symptoms and make him a little more
comfortable? The vets I've visited seem to have very little information
on how to actually prevent skin problems focusing more on treating the
damage after it's done.

Other important info: I'm currently feeding him a natural food diet
consisting of turkey, beef, veggies, oats, olive oil, garlic, and
Missing Link supplement. We bathe him every two weeks with Dr.
Goodpet's hypo-allergenic shampoo, and I've seen maybe three fleas on
him the entire summer.

Sorry for the enormous post,
branden

  #2  
Old August 18th 05, 06:12 PM
Janet B
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On 18 Aug 2005 10:02:51 -0700, "manowatt" , clicked
their heels and said:


Sorry for the enormous post,
branden


not enormous, and you have sympathy here. Cool and dry are key words
when it comes to Goldens and hotspots. Keeping the undercoat raked
out (do you have and use an undercoat rake? An invaluable tool for a
Golden), keeping the dog in and cool, drying completely in a cool
environment after a swim.

As you have seen, shaving gives AIR to the area and that's how it can
heal. Hotspots are moist dermatitis. Take away the moist and half
the problem is licked. Topical preps can include itch relief sprays
with bad taste added to them, Milk of Magnesia dabbed on (and it's
cheap!), and some veterinary products. I have found that ocean swims
have done amazing things for hotspots - and excuse to go to the beach!

The only ways to find out food senstitivities or allergies or
contact/inhalant allergies is skin testing and elimination diets. And
some things, like grass, can't be avoided.

Coat maintenance and massage are good in general and can help skin
heal and stay healthy.

--
Janet B
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bestfr...bedience/album
  #3  
Old August 18th 05, 06:16 PM
Sharon
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Goodpet's hypo-allergenic shampoo, and I've seen maybe three fleas on
him the entire summer.


Chances are all the grooming he's doing is disappearing the fleas on him
before you can account for any. All it takes is one to really cause a
horrible flea allergy. Treat for fleas with Advantix/Advantage or Frontline
or whatever your vet recommends first to eliminate that issue.

As for hot spots, our dog has horrible food allergies that only responded to
Hills Z/D diet. however, it's about that time of year that the seasonal
issues pop up in the form of hot spots. She only gets them for a couple
months. Hubby vet treats with something topical and steroids if need be
since it's for a short period of time.

I've seen some creative solutions for hot spots here and am going to try
them myself. I look forward to seeing the suggestions here.

-Sharon


  #4  
Old August 18th 05, 06:22 PM
manowatt
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Janet, Thanks for your advice. I brush him twice a day everyday, but I
don't even know what an undercoat rake is, so I'm definitely off to the
pet supply store tonight. He's an indoor dog, so his only real exposure
to the heat and humidity comes during his walks. Maybe I should keep
our house cooler during the day?

  #5  
Old August 18th 05, 06:30 PM
Janet B
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On 18 Aug 2005 10:22:45 -0700, "manowatt" , clicked
their heels and said:

I
don't even know what an undercoat rake is, so I'm definitely off to the
pet supply store tonight.


You will be truly amazed at the new dog's worth of hair you can rake
out. Walmart actually has a decent quality one at a good price
(their whole line of grooming tools, with dark green handles, are
pretty nice).

He's an indoor dog, so his only real exposure
to the heat and humidity comes during his walks. Maybe I should keep
our house cooler during the day?


Can't hurt! Spend it on electric bills or on vet visits! ;-D I feel
for both of you - hotspots are not fun and pop up out of nowhere.

--
Janet B
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bestfr...bedience/album
  #6  
Old August 18th 05, 06:40 PM
Branden
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

We've been giving him Dr. Goodpet's Flea Relief this summer, and it
really seems to be working. I'm not real kean on the toxic stuff. Last
fall when he first came to live with us we weren't giving him anything
and it was quite obvious that he had fleas. Fleas were visible in the
house, the cats had them, and luckily the onset of winter cleared all
of that up. This summer I've yet to see any fleas in the house and only
a couple on Judah, so I'm hoping that I can eliminate this as a cause.

I haven't tried Hills, but I've learned from experience that Judah is
not real found of store-bought kibble. When we first got him (we
adopted him at five years old btw), he was on kibble and canned food,
and we constantly struggled to get him to eat. After trying a lot of
different high-quality kibble (Innova et al) to no avail, we finally
switched him over to a raw diet and he's been cleaning his bowl ever
since. His diet has so few ingredients I can't imagine that he's
allergic to anything there, and even if he was wouldn't these symptoms
show all year round?

Maybe I should move to someplace that has no summer.

_b

  #7  
Old August 18th 05, 06:44 PM
Janet B
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On 18 Aug 2005 10:40:54 -0700, "Branden" , clicked
their heels and said:

we finally
switched him over to a raw diet and he's been cleaning his bowl ever
since. His diet has so few ingredients I can't imagine that he's
allergic to anything there, and even if he was wouldn't these symptoms
show all year round?


Yes, although allergies compound as well. But, it sounds like he's
not food allergic. Just curious what raw you're using. I use BRAVO
and am very happy with it.

Maybe I should move to someplace that has no summer.


LOL - good luck!

--
Janet B
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bestfr...bedience/album
  #8  
Old August 18th 05, 07:09 PM
Sharon
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

His diet has so few ingredients I can't imagine that he's
allergic to anything there, and even if he was wouldn't these symptoms
show all year round?


Yes. Typical food allergy symptoms would be iching, redness, recurrent ear
infections etc. But as you say it would be year round. Sounds like your dog
has some nasty seasonal stuff going on.

Maybe I should move to someplace that has no summer.


Well, sometimes we think that summer will never come here! However, this
summer we're in a 3 month heat wave and drought! Best of luck.

-Sharon


  #9  
Old August 18th 05, 07:10 PM
Branden
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Actually Janet, I'm using the low-tech approach of just making the
stuff myself. We whip up a big batch every week. It's time consuming,
but the cost is about the same as the kibble/can food we were feeding
him. The Bravo stuff looks good and I'm sure it's a time saver. What
are you paying per pound if you don't mind me asking?

_b

  #10  
Old August 18th 05, 07:10 PM
Dr GW Graham
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

My dog gets that seasonally. I wash him in a grapefruit seed extract soap
and it goes away.

Dr GW Graham
http://wwwgrandpagraham.com
free environmental newsletter

"manowatt" wrote in message
oups.com...
I've got a Golden Retriever with some troubling skin issues. I've spent
many hours here reading about food allergies, contact allergies, diet
and just Goldens in general, but I've yet to find a solution to this.
This summer has been particularly bad with hotspots. Through the winter
and fall he went months without any hotspots, but He broke out
overnight with about eight large hotspots around the beginning of this
summer. Our vet shaved all the spots (much to the dog's dismay) and
they've since healed, but he's continued to get rather large hotspots
pretty regularly throughout the summer. He also spends a great deal of
time licking his feet/legs and scratching (which he never really does
during the winter).

Certainly there is something about the weather that is causing all of
this right? If this is a seasonal allergy, is there anything at all I
can do to at least lessen the symptoms and make him a little more
comfortable? The vets I've visited seem to have very little information
on how to actually prevent skin problems focusing more on treating the
damage after it's done.

Other important info: I'm currently feeding him a natural food diet
consisting of turkey, beef, veggies, oats, olive oil, garlic, and
Missing Link supplement. We bathe him every two weeks with Dr.
Goodpet's hypo-allergenic shampoo, and I've seen maybe three fleas on
him the entire summer.

Sorry for the enormous post,
branden



 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
shelly DETHRONES NESSA as MVP (Most Valuable Psychotic) of dog newsgroups!! _michael 2.76 Dog behavior 0 September 20th 04 01:28 AM
Black & flakey skin on Golden Retriver [email protected] Dog health 2 December 6th 03 09:15 PM
Black & flakey skin on Golden Retriver [email protected] Dog health 0 December 6th 03 03:03 PM
Skin problems and Prednisone Andrea Dog health 0 August 29th 03 10:53 PM
Skin problems and Prednisone Andrea Dog health 0 August 29th 03 10:53 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 06:34 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.2.0 (Unauthorized Upgrade)
Copyright ©2004-2024 DogBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.