Food, For Skin Probs

[juice]

my bt mason has a skin issue. it wasn't as bad when he first arrived, its has got worse.so trying to rule out food first.

i have put him on optimum chicken and rice kibble, and chicken wings and necks. my dally has this food as he can't have red meat.

but after a couple of weeks no difference in his skin, how long should i give it before i try something else? should i have seen a change yet, or does food take a long time to show through?

i have been recommended to try eagle pack ,the fish one. but don't want to chop and change too quickly.

he has bald patches, which are dry and flaky all over his trunk, i am using malasab weekly too.

[SoL]

I'd take him to a vet first and get a skin scraping to rule out demdectic mange.

Then I would start giving him oily fish, such as sardines, mackeral, salmon etc.

I would stay away from over-using malasab as it can be very harsh. in fact, I think washing him weekly is harsh for a dogs skin in itself. Personally I recommend once a month, unless they're showies or they've rolled in something interesting If you have to wash him and it is purely a skin issue then I would recommend Aloveen, which is oatmeal based and not as stripping as some shampoos can be, but if you can, let him go without his weekly bath. If it's purely a skin/allergy issue then you may have to take him back to a basic diet of boiled chicken and rice for at least 2 weeks and then introduce a new food each week to see if anything triggers a reaction.

Good luck.

[WreckitWhippet]

I'd remove all dry foods that contain grains and any yeast from his diet.

[juice]

sorry, should have added he has had a skin scrape, which was ok.

the vet told me to use malasab twice week for his skin

Edited January 30, 2010 by juice

[juice]

sol, why boiled chicken? can i just use necks, wings ,or chicken mince and rice?

white rice?

he is also very fat, so trying to drop his weight too.

when he first came his skin wasn't bad, and i fed him supercoat lite and mature to try and drop his weight, and the skin just went really bad, and he was starving all the time.

[Danois]

If you're using Aloveen - make sure he is not allergic to oatmeal! I have been told to not use malaseb as it can be too harsh. Sas mentioned she uses goats milk soap.

I am using Palmers Cocoa Butter Shampoo and then MooGoo MSM cream on my boy at the moment as we have had a similar sounding problem.

Based on what we have just gone through - sounds like the bald patches with are flaky is the remnants of a staph infection? Did he have hives? Has he had anti-biotics?

I was told that it takes at least 4 weeks for a food to make a difference. I have noticed an improvement in coat since going on the EP Fish. Someone mentioned the other day that when switching to this food expect the coat to go downhill and then improve - something about the toxins being flushed out.

I'd be inclined to switch over to the EP now regardless - its a much better food.

Edited January 30, 2010 by Danois

[juice]

thanks danois, malasab does seem very harsh, although his skin is not as pink after a bath with it.

vet thought he had cushings ,as she gave him antibiotics for inflamed doodle, and cortisone for his skin, at same time, and skin didn't improve. so we have had 3 lots of bloods and cushings tests done, all negative.

so he has had alot done to him recently.

the reason i put him on optimum is my dally is already on it, and when my wei had sore skin i put him on it too, and his skin went back to normal, so thought it was worth a try, before i start going into ep which isn't cheap

although my friend stormy has used it for a long time for her sighthounds and swears by it.

[Danois]

This is what Boo looked like after we'd started on a 2 week course of ABs and 5 days of cortisone. You can see the damage to the coat from the bald patches - is that how you dog is looking?

If you're prepared to see another vet - go to Ian Murdoch at Pennant Hills Vet Clinic (on PH Road) - he has an excellent knowledge on allergic dogs.

Edited January 30, 2010 by Danois

[juice]

this is mase, happy to change vet, not been happy with this treatment. :D

[Danois]

Oh - poor thing.

Here is the link to them - cannot recommend them highly enough:

http://www.pennanthillsvet.com.au/

[PuddleDuck]

Allow 3-6 weeks to see a difference. I'm sure I read somewhere that skin cells take about 3 weeks to cycle, so you need to allow time for that to happen as well as for the food to start to make a difference.

My guys scratch for no particular reason occasionally and I find that as soon as I wash them with Aloveen, its goes away. Plus it smells great! :D

[trifecta]

Have you tried using Megaderm? It is a supplement containing the correct balance of Omega 3,6 & 9 together with trace elements such as zinc especially for skin problems. I would be cutting out the malaseb washes too & you could try a topical ointment such as Neocort on any lesions which are particularly inflamed.

[Jaxx'sBuddy]

my dog had skin issues and fungal infections. i changed her to a raw diet and this fixed it up. i saw results after 1 week (less scratching) and after 3 months she was good as new!

Edited January 30, 2010 by Jaxx'sBuddy

[Akay]

My dog had skin problems for along time and I tried everything; elimination diet, dry food that was supposed to be good for skin problems, malaseb, aloveen and other shampoos, prednisilone, 4 weeks x antibiotics etc. I then tried Dr Bruce Syme's meal for pets allergy blend and I haven't had an itchy dog since putting him on it. Absolute godsend. I get it from Pet Cafe. Having him itchy has been a constant source of anxiety for me and now I can relax. I'm one happy dog owner!!

[Nekhbet]

megaderm is pricey - I use human products. Ethical Nutrients make a super strength liquid fish oil which 5mls a day is enough for an ault human

I wouldnt call optimum anywhere near good enough for a skin problem dog. Go to a good pet store and try a few formulas like

Eagle Pack make a range of explusive protein diets like duck, fish etc

Royal Canin has an exclusive prtein formula with no meat at all, or you could try the Maxi adult which I find highly allergic dogs to do well on. There is also a Sensitive 28 formula.

pricey but they wipe the floor with supermarket products.

[Finnesse]

I buy Megaderm in a 1 litre bottle from the Vet Shed. Lasts forever and doesn't work out expensive at all compared to the sachets but is messier to use. I find it far more balanced than fish oil.

[poodlefan]

I'd be starting with some blood tests. A thyroid panel would be a good idea.

Then go for a premium kibble that contains none of the common food allergens. Also have a good look around your back yard.

Constant washing removes body oils from the skin - often making the problem worse.

And yep, a new vet sounds like a good plan too.

[juice]

we have had bloods done 3 times, first one was thyroid test.

i know optimum isn't a premium food, but to be brutally honest, single mum with 2 kids and 3 dogs, and self employed, so trying to keep within my budget if poss.

if i have to go o the more expensive food, i will, just trying this option first. but looking like eagle pack for him, and keep the other 2 on optimum. ;)

will look at royal canin too.

[Bully]

Hi Juice,

I'd eliminate any grains from Mase's diet. Many Bull Terriers are intolerant to grain/cereal. If possible feed Mase a raw diet Join the raw4bullies List. A fantastic group of Bull Terrier owners who feed raw and will help with raw feeding questions Many of the dogs on the List had allergy problems before switching to a raw and grain free diet ;)

I'd also add fish oil to Mase's diet. Some people will suggest Flax Seed Oil, but flax seed is a grain.

[sas]

I always find it interesting when people turn to food first, food allergies and food intolerances aren't as common as people think or make them out to be.

People are so ready to jump on the don't feed your dog this grain or kibble or don't feed your dog that but every dog is different and what works for one dog doesn't neccessarily work for the next.

The dogs of yester-year were fed junk food for dogs with all the things with frown upon these days and didn't have the problems dogs these days do to the degree they do. I'm not saying the food isn't the issue but I certainly don't think it's productive to be the first thing to jump on.

I'd follow the Vets advice first and use the Malaseb on those areas of concern, could just be a staph infection, anti-biotics could help to clear this up.

If you get a flare up then that's a different story.

My advice is work with your Vet then work with Derm if you get a re-occurance.