Please help!!

K

kirsten

Forums Novice
My sweet little Emmy has been sick and it just seems to be getting worse and worse. It started happening about a year ago. Red, itchy flaky skin that turns into an infection and constant ear infections. It started out pretty mild but it is slowly getting worse. She has bald patches and has lost a lot of her hair. We've been to the vet so many times and no one can tell us what's going on- we are being told it's allergies but no medication or diet change is helping.

Her thyroid was checked and came back normal. I think a skin biopsy should be done but my husband is disagreeing at this point. He is convinced it's environmental allergies because we lived in the south west (desert) for 8 months for his job and her skin got significantly worse when we were there (blistered and bleeding) and it has slightly improved since we've been back in the midwest. I'm just so tired of seeing her suffer. She looks so ill to me and is very depressed and calm (not barking or running around and playing). Any advice? The only thing that has helped her at all has been prednisone but the vet won't let me give it to her anymore because it can shorten her life span. At this point, I would rather her have a happy and shorter life span than a longer miserable one :(

I wanted to include pictures but I don't see a way to do that?
 
I would take her to another vet for a second opinion. Did they do a complete blood panel? Liver problems can also manifest as widespread skin disorder.
 
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I'd consider seeing a different vet and get at least a scraping if not actual biopsy.
 
Had a Golden like that. Ear infections so bad that the vet actually "quilted" his ears at each surgery. Oozing "hot spots". Loss of fur so much that he was bare on his back end. Tested for this and that. Vet even added some sort of lipro-liquid to his food and still... We practically lived at vet. He had really bad allergies--not mange and not hypothroidism. Finally the vet had us consider the food bowl and change it to stainless steel along with a change of kibble to one made from Avocados. Eureka! Finally a solution for him. Hope you find a solution for your little baby.

BTW the cleaners you use on your floors and the all the lawn care are also subject to being culprits when allergies are suspected. In fact, anything dog comes in contact with must be suspected.
 
Antihistamines can be hit and miss in dogs. So it's often a matter of trying different ones to find one that works. There are a wide variety of human antihistamines that can be used in dogs.

I've tried a great many with my female, including having a seasonal injection of steroids. I find the new generation of non-sedating antihistamines do not work. I've had best results with Phenergan (promethazine). It is sedating initially but Tully has gotten used to that. The dosage for her is 1/4 to 1/2 of a 10mg tablet (you'll need a decent pill cutter as the tablets are small). If you do want to try some of the human antihistamines speak to your vet first to confirm the dosage.

If she's getting constant skin infections you should probably give her medicated baths to soothe the skin and to reduce infections.
 
I agree about the second opinion. Check your area and see if there's a canine dermatologist you can get to. They specialize in skin issues and are the best suited to help you isolate the problem. And you're right, a skin scraping is a must!

Also, some vets aren't aware that a normal thyroid reading on other breeds is not normal for Shelties. I print out this information and take it with me to the vet when I have a thyroid question. It doesn't sound like you're dealing with thyroid but just in case....
http://www.illinoissheltierescue.com/thyroid.html

Good luck! I hope you find an answer!
 
At this point, I would reduce the dog to prey model raw food, no veggies, no carbs, no nothing but meat, bone and organ. No treats, no nothing. See if that makes a difference. This way, you are controlling 100% of the dog's intake, with no "surprises" that tend to be in kibbles. See if that makes a difference.

Have a culture and sensitivity run on the skin.

I would also have a full thyroid panel run, not just the free T4.
 
I would get a second opinion too. It possibly could be the thyroid.

Its a wonder the vet didn't do a skin scrapping right there in the office.
It is a process of elimination and my heart goes out to you.

No grain dog food might help.

What did your vet think about the immune system?

This is what I did with mine, I cleaned the area with Sea Breeze its an astringent
and used a triple anti-biotic cream. I have also used earth bath spritz its for
in between baths. Has excellent contents. For the baths the vet sold me a
shampoo to use. Lil' Lady had thyroid problems.

The vet also placed her on antibiotics and another med for her skin to clear it
up from the thyroid.

Best wishes, I know your getting a group hug right now.
 
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