Skin issues and perineum licking - help!

Thanks, Trini, for your reply. I checked the blood test done in June - nope it didn't test for thyroid function. Only that of the liver (ALT and another enzyme), kidney (creatinine, BUN), and blood glucose, total protein. All was well, except BUN was on the higher end, but still within the acceptable/normal range.

As an update, Chiral had diarrhea last night - the loose, 'splat' kind. He was still on kibble as it didn't seem to affect him adversely otherwise, even though it didn't stop the licking. I've just given him some water with a bit of cooked egg white in it (to entice him to drink), just to let his system rest. Sigh.
 
Hello again everyone,

It's been more than 2 weeks, and the butt-licking still hasn't abated :(

His stools gradually firmed up, but I brought him to the vet on Saturday as he was still licking. The newly-employed vet who saw us expressed his anal glands (left gland was slightly full with slightly grainy secretions; the right was empty) and prescribed probiotics as she believed it was his irregular bowel movements which caused anal gland irritation. She didn't think testing for hypothyroidism was necessary as she felt his coat was good, and weight-gain, not loss, was one of the signs of hypothyroidism. Poor Chiral had actually lost 1kilogram since his last visit in June.

So far the licking hasn't stopped; instead, after 3 days of gradually reintroducing the kibble he used to have and enjoying well-formed daily poop, today I woke to much loose stools. Since then he's had 3 bouts of diarrhea, though he's still alert and hungry. I'm not sure if the 2.5mg of the antihistamine loratadine I'd given him with his previous meal might have caused the diarrhea?

Another issue would be the reddish patch on the topside of Chiral's snout, at the junction between his nose and the rest of the snout. It seems to not get any better, n may have even expanded, with some brownish scab-like stuff. I don't seem to be able to post photos here, though I do have some of this peculiar symptom.

Advice/suggestions? I'd really hope to hear from you guys! At wits' end :(
 
c.sheltie, I'm sorry you are having so much trouble but something you need to remember is we aren't veterinarians, we are members of an Internet forum. The vets we do have on the forum won't offer diagnosis because they simply can't without actually seeing the dog. If they were to offer a diagnosis, and it was wrong, they'd be liable. Your vet is really the best place for a diagnosis.

If you aren't satisfied with your vets ability to diagnose the issue, you may need to find another vet or a specialist. The best we can do is offer advice based on experiences with our own dogs. That doesn't mean what you are experiencing will be the same problem.
 
I was reading an article and it stated that there is a number of vets who do not
think about thyroid problems, or doing the testing.

I believe this because Lady has a thyroid problem and I asked for the test, and
one of the vets thought also this could have been her problem from the
beginning. Her coat and gaining weight was my clue. Guess who gave me the
clues? Sheltie Nation and the terrible consequences from the posts. The
consequences have taught me so much, and taught me to do a lot of research
on thyroid and skin issues.

We have four vets and only one agreed with my thoughts. There it was the
thyroid. Yes the pills are cheap.
 
Does the kibble have chicken as an ingredient?

I ask because Deska has been booty scooting after he poops for about 6mths. He wasn't showing signs of an allergy otherwise, just the scooting. Eventually I decided to stop the chicken (because years ago I discovered he couldn't stomach turkey) and after a week or two he stopped scooting completely. Nuisance because poultry is cheap compared to red meat - I home prepare at least one meal and they get a small amount of kibble otherwise. Most manufacturers put turkey or chicken in their kibble because it's cheap.

Anyway, Deska is now on an elimination diet of white fish and potatoes (and he can have other mild veggies like cauliflower and pumpkin) because of his tail biting. Maybe that's something to try.
 
Thank you everyone for your replies!

Silaria: Thank you for your gentle reminder. I'm thankful for a sheltie-specific forum on which I could voice concerns, and hopefully get suggestions based on fellow sheltie-owners' own experiences. Sometimes the issue can be resolved via home remedies and does not require a vet visit, or be a non-issue altogether. Or, as with the hypothyroidism suggestion, be something sheltie-specific and not immediately a consideration at the vet's. I'm keen to hear from you guys' experiences, which I understand may not apply to all dogs, but which have definitely helped provide much insight into various matters.

Sable: Thank you for sharing your experience. Chiral's not gaining weight though - in fact, he has lost weight. I might just postpone hypothyroidism testing till his current issues are settled?

Caro: Thanks for your suggestion. I've just checked the ingredient list of the kibble - nope, no chicken. It has herring as the top ingredient. Right now, no matter what he's fed (even though it's just plain rice and rice water), he would still lick his bum area. So I'm starting to think it might really not be a food allergy.

After my last post, the following morning Sept 24) he threw up, and also had diarrhea. He hasn't vomited since, but had diarrhea again this morning. He seems perfectly fine otherwise and alert, though.

Another shout-out regarding the reddish/black patch on his snout (the bridge, perhaps) - anyone experienced something like that before? It is quite well-demarcated, with brownish/black scab-like stuff. He seems to be losing some hair from there too, and it seems to be increasing in area. The vet simply told me to keep an eye on it. Any ideas?

Thanks guys!
 
Nose Problem

While I truly hope with all my heart it is not, I would do some reading on Lupus. Our beloved Sheltie cross was diagnosed at 10 and had both systemic and discoid lupus. We changed her diet to home cooked chicken, sweet potato and rice and with the incredible care and love of wonderful holistic vets she lived to be 16 1/2. She had regular acupunture, some chiropractic treatments and a wide assortment of herbs. She was an incredible dog as when she was diagnosed we were told she likely would not live a year.
 
c.sheltie said:
Silaria: Thank you for your gentle reminder. I'm thankful for a sheltie-specific forum on which I could voice concerns, and hopefully get suggestions based on fellow sheltie-owners' own experiences. Sometimes the issue can be resolved via home remedies and does not require a vet visit, or be a non-issue altogether. Or, as with the hypothyroidism suggestion, be something sheltie-specific and not immediately a consideration at the vet's. I'm keen to hear from you guys' experiences, which I understand may not apply to all dogs, but which have definitely helped provide much insight into various matters
Click to expand...

Thank you for taking my comment as intended, a reminder. I was a bit nervous posting that because so many people can get upset over comments like what I made.

I really hope you and your vet can find what is ailing your boy.
 
chocopolo said:
While I truly hope with all my heart it is not, I would do some reading on Lupus.
Click to expand...

Yes lupus can cause changes to the nose pigment so it's worth checking. There's a particular type of lupus that occurs in Collies, so I assume Shelties are also prone to it. I know a couple of Collies that have lupus, both have the nose problem, with it looking raw. But other than that you wouldn't know they had lupus. Their owners manage it well, they have sunscreen on the nose, stay out of the sun and I know at least one of the owners gives home prepared meals.
 
Thank you all once again for your replies!

Chocopolo and Caro: Thanks for raising Lupus as a possibility. In googling a brief description of his symptoms Lupus did pop up, and after you mentioned that I attempted to read up a little more. A clarification, though: His nose in itself seems unaffected; it is the area between his nose and the rest of his snout (the bridge, perhaps, it's called) that is affected. I found conditions that presented similar symptoms, namely, pemphigus and eosinophilic furunculosis - anyone has experience with these? It doesn't seem to bother him, but I'm guessing it's an indicator that something's up.

Silaria: No worries, no offence taken :) I believe that as a pet parent I have the responsibility to be actively involved in my dog's health, which includes finding out as much as I can, and while I trust the vets at the clinic we frequent, being able (and allowed) to engage in meaningful discussion with them. I despair when vets are unwilling to do so, or even seem annoyed by that. In the case of bum-licking, the vet had only recommended dosing him with antihistamines, and it was only after about two months of research and trials did his previous episode of bum-licking stop, without the use of antihistamines at all. As such, I am reluctant to simply return to the vet for the same problem again.

Nevertheless, I will be scheduling a vet visit tonight as shortly after breakfast this morning he had liquid, bright red, mucousy poop. I was shocked as just before breakfast he'd had poop that was quite well-formed, even if it was still soft towards the end. Given that he'd thrown up on Thursday and had loose stools subsequently, I'd thought he was on the mend. He's been getting primarily rice, rice water, and only yesterday did I introduce very little boiled chicken breast and broth. Sigh. Colitis, perhaps?

I'll update again soon!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top