Marlfoxx Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Hi! I have a 11 week old GSD male pup that we've had since 8 weeks who always seems to scratch! Our vet recomended we use advocate and wash with aloveen - he also did a full search for fleas and found none with no traces of flea dirt. Any ideas on where to go from here? Can anyone also please recommend a good dog chiro in SA? Thanks very muchly in advance! I'm at a loss! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 what are you feeding the dog? Have you called up the breeder to ask for advice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 It could be a number of things, including allergies. My GSD has allergies , that is no fun and I hope in your case it is something simpler. They can be allergic to anything from food to something in the environment including grass and pollens. Some plants that can irritate dogs include Wandering Dew/Jew - do you have any of that in your yard? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marlfoxx Posted February 25, 2011 Author Share Posted February 25, 2011 what are you feeding the dog? Have you called up the breeder to ask for advice? We are feeding the pup Royal Canin as per the breeders feeding plan and we did ask what they recommended and that was to use Fidos Fre-itch rinse concentrate. I've ordered this through the internet and am waiting for it to arrive, but this also seems to be a pest directed thing which the vet has ruled out....unless it has some other properties? As to plants, we did obtain a short list off the Internet and I don't think we have anything bad there. It was by no means extensive though and if someone has a good reference I'd be glad to have a read? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 is the pup just scratching its collar or all over? Sometimes collars drive pups bananas and they scratch around the neck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marlfoxx Posted February 25, 2011 Author Share Posted February 25, 2011 is the pup just scratching its collar or all over? Sometimes collars drive pups bananas and they scratch around the neck All over unfortunately, when he's eating or sleeping he forgets about it, but he will stop whilst play to itch - mainly his sides and groin area, but sometimes his rear and front legs as well...sometimes his collar/chin area but not as much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harley Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 (edited) Matthew Condon - Chiropet. We used his acupuncture services, but he offers a chiropractic service too chiropet Edited February 25, 2011 by harley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DBT Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 I also put in a vote for Matthew Condon at Chiropet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormie Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Get yourself a referral to a Dermatologist from your regular vet. The sooner you get started on a plan, the sooner you'll know the cause. I wouldn't go changing the diet around either - if it turns out he's got allergies, he could also have food allergies, which they get to things they've previously eaten. If you start changing the diet now, it will make a food elimination diet much harder. In terms of plants, the ones you see on the internet tend to be plants that cause a reaction to dogs. For eg Wandering Jew is an irritant to all dogs. When a dog is allergic, it develops an abnormal immune response to just about anything. So they can be allergic to pollens, which are floating in the air, on the grass etc, or to the grass itself, to dustmites, flies, fleas, fungus - a whole range of things. My boy has allergies and he was itchy from the day we bought him home at 9wks of age. He's allergic to a multitude of things and will never be cured. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charli73 Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 My GSD itched because the kibble we fed her made her itch so we spent a year trying her on dry food that didnt make her scratch... Ended up feeding her Eagle pack holistic..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fordogs Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Hi, I feel for you as I also have an 11 week old that is doing the exact same thing she started scratching about 2 weeks ago and this is how it has gone, First day I saw her scratching really didn't think too much about it next day still scratching so I gave her a bath in Aloveen shampoo, it did relieve her some but the next day she was at it again so I took her to the vet where she was given a small injection of Dex and another of Antihistamine, she was fine for a few days and started again. Next I removed her and her sister form the grass area where they had been spending time during the day to a concrete area to see if that helped but it didn't, so back to the vet. The vet prescribed antihistamine tabs 2 each day (to break the itch cycle) and Megaderm, an Omega 3 & 6 supplement once a day and I am also in the process of changing her diet from ProPlan puppy to Bonnie and she no longer gets the human grade mince from my butcher instead she get a chicken frame or a meaty beef bone each day. It is now 4 days since the vet visit and I am finally seeing some improvement. For my puppy the area where she had scratched herself naked was from the chest - flank and groin area it looked to be environmental but removing her from that area did not improve her - no sign of mites - just a couple of red spots - no infection. It has me baffled but at least I am seeing improvement now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B-Q Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 I struggled with Quinn scratching for months, added some flax seed oil to her diet and it helped tremendously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clyde Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Just for now, try to keep him out of the garden/off your grass to see if it helps. I have nothing which I am aware about which is itchy to dogs in mine, but if my Stafford goes in to the garden area she scratches for days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DBT Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 can i also just add that if you look up Matthew Condon at Chiropet, he is also a very experienced vet with many years in general small animal practice. Matthew also has a holistic type approach and is open to alternative ideas. It may be worth speaking to him on both Chiro & itch/allergy topics. He was our family vet for many years and we were always very happy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuralPug Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 If it's an allergy it will probably respond short-term to anti-histamines. Discuss this with your vet. If the anti-histamines do make a difference then you will need to start eliminiating culprits to try and identify the source allergen. Allergens can be the weirdest things: Common ones are flea saliva allergy (flea may not be living on the dog), various plants and foods. But I have also known of allergies "cured" when - the carpet in the house was changed - a different laundry detergent was used - a different dog shampoo was used - the dog bed/blankets were replaced with different materials Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marlfoxx Posted February 26, 2011 Author Share Posted February 26, 2011 Thank you so very much to everyone that has replied so far, I at least have a few more options to try and will definitely make a trip to Chiropet to seek out Matthew Conlon's opinion. I'll let you all know how it goes! I'm hoping that as we ease into the cooler months that there might be a change in his condition as well due to environmental factors...I'll cross all my fingers and toes! Heres hoping! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bully Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 I also put in a vote for Matthew Condon at Chiropet :D Ditto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dianed Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 I break open a few fish oil capsules for my itchy gsd. It seems to help her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sas Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Speak to your Vet and Breeder. If it were me as the owner of a dog with severe allergic skin disease I would be sending the puppy back if it is infact an allergic dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Danni Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Quite a few GSD puppies get very, very itchy while they are changing coat. Once their adult coat is through, you should see a vast improvement. Anti-histamines wont make any noticeable difference to the scratching. While changing coat, make sure that they are getting extra fat/oils and zinc in their diet. Sardines/mackeral every few days in with their dry food, fish oil capsules on the other days, maybe some flax or maize/corn oil in some meals as well. Lots of meaty bones too, such as chicken frames/carcasses/wings depending on how your pup eats bones. Wash them in a shampoo that wont dry out the coat and make them worse, such as an oatmeal and aloe vera shampoo/conditioner. You can use Calamine lotion on any parts of their body that they scratch and break the skin, which will also ease the itch. Brush every day to remove the baby coat. I have also used Aloe Vera Juice with Manuka Honey with good success for itchy coat changing pups. For an 11 week GSD, probably about 10mls twice daily before food really helps. If they are still very itchy once their adult coat is through, you will most likely be looking at allergies, but at this stage, I'd be more inclined to suspect a horrid coat change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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