Does anyone know anything about dogs with skin problems?
My dog is a 10 year old Chow / Rottweiler mix and recently he has started to get black looking, scabby patches under his fur, and when you pet him or brush him, small clumps of hair with skin attached fall out, does anyone know what might cause this, or how to fix it? He also seems to have some new black patches around his nose. Please help.
My dog does have a flea allergy, he has to get frontline and coritisone injections each year, but usually the only reaction he has from the fleas is he digs a hole in his hip, thats usually how we know it’s time to get him started on the meds. And I know we should take him to the vet, and we will, but the last time we took him in for a very substantail weight loss, the doc pretty much seemed to brush it off as him getting older and said to limit his protein, and now, not much later this is happening, don’t know if I might need to find a new vet. It’s common sense he needs to see a vet, was just hoping someone on here might have some answers or ideas for us.
First of all the weight problem is because of the fleas. The blood loss from the fleas biting your dog make him anemic and he doesn’t get necessary vitamins or iron and therefore looses weight. Get him on a good healthy diet…Eukanuba or Iams dry dog foods are some good suggestions. Buy the one that is specific to the age of your dog. You might also get some liquid doggie vitamins to supplement his diet (sprinkled on his food).
The hair loss could be from the fleas but the black spots and hair loss could be sarcoptic mange…if the hair is loosening in clumps. This is a dog "scabies" and it is contagious to humans. You will need to have the dog dipped in an insecticide if this is the case. Just go to the vet and have him do a skin scraping to test for mites/scabies (aka; sarcoptic mange). If it is positive you will need to sterilize everything (dog bedding etc..) in hot water and bleach the hard surfaces.
Before you go crazy sterilizing everything…have the vet do the tests, then let me know how it comes out.
Mange again? my dog…more medical problems?
Seriously weekly my dog has some type of medical issue..Its getting very overwhelming with the new baby on the way..i just do not know what to do anymore, I have had him for 3 years he is my HEART and i love him to DEATH! but he had mange like not even 3 months ago we got treatment for it and the vet said it should go away…He told us to check his ears to see if it was coming back…Lately he has been shaking his head again and just now i looked in his right ear, Wadda ya know scabs and a bit of blood he must have just been itching them as i went downstairs to get ready for the day. "I know call a vet" Duh but hey its thanksgiving so i am just seeking advice until i can get him in. Seriously this vet crap is becoming horrible we just can NOT afford this he has so many allergy’s and problems i just am starting to get really upset about it "Not mad" More sad. What do you think about this how often does mange come back? and can you really tell by his ears? Is it contagious? i have a new born that will be here at the end of January i mean hes just going to keep getting this over and over? Ill have like NO money for my family if he does keep getting it…My boyfriend is going to get mad at me and blah blah…this is soo stressful i feel horrible for him the poor guy always has something wrong with im..i rescued him when he was a pup, and he just is falling apart!!
well i do not have any plants but i am trying a new food right now.
and to the first answer thanks a lot! That is a good idea i will try these vitamins asap…
and really we do not let him on any furniture, Because his anal glands are ALWAYS full no matter how much the vet OR i squeezes them…He tends to lick his butt all over everything and get it all nasty and juicy "TMI" i know haha so i do not know what i would really need to wash you know? he really just chills on the floor…..
your dog has demedectic mange right? sorry to say girlie but that type never completly goes away. thats a life-long condition. you can supress it by a proper diet and vitamins, but theres always a chance of a rebound…..
you need a new vet. there are alot of vets out there who will work with you as far as price goes for these type of conditions…..
i dont remember what you said the dog eats, but he needs to be on a food for sensitive skin/systems because its made from salmon, not chicken or beef like most others. the salmon has nutrients in it that help with skin and coat, and boost the immune system. also pills/treats for the immune system would help greatly.
the best treatments are dips for mange. they also arent very expensive.
demedectic mange is NOT contagious. all dogs have mites. the ones that get mange are the ones with the poor immune systems, so they cant fight off the mites.
my dog has demedectic mange…. BAD. when i adopted him he was bald and scabbed…. i got him through a series of dips, switched his diet to pro plan senstive systems ($30 for a 34 lbs bag at petsmart) and got him on vitamins.
since then, he has all his fur now! i havent had to do the dips since the first round, and i owe it to his change in diet. i cannot stress how important that is!!! and chuckie had parvo too, so his immune system was shot!
i dont know where you live, but cbbr (chicagoland bully breed rescue) helps dogs from across the country (my chuckie was rescued by them in ohio!) check out their website
girl if you got any ?s hit me up. my dog has it so i know what im talkin bout!
Is it bad for a dog’s health if they only eat dog biscuits?
We have a little miniature fox terrier that is so addicted to killing vermin that she only eats those lamb meal biscuits you get at Costco for fear of missing a second of the action. She’s a little chunky but she’s so high strung she seems to be burning it off. But she won’t stick around inside to eat any dog food. She’s like a human, all drive-thru and git’er done. The biscuits are nutritious, but it just seems weird to us.
yeah its healty for her\him but if you reed on the back theres a warning on the back that says use only as rewards or treats ….. to many does somthing with thier hearts or something like that cant remember
What would my role be in a dog training class?
No, i’m not taking a dog to be trained myself… i offered myself as a volunteer and i got a couple of replies back saying that they could use my help.
I have never been to a dog training session, so i was just wondering what kind of tasks you think they might give me being neither an owner or an instructor.
My trainer has assistants that help him to check the dog’s collars (to make sure they are fitted properly), brew coffee (lol), "fetch" treats from the cupboard to drop in front of the dogs when teaching/practicing food refusal, act as distractions (walking by and snapping fingers, etc). All sorts of fun stuff!
I hope you like it! I did the same thing, and am now apprenticing under my trainer, to become one myself!
Breeding for Ability?
I’ve seen some people on this forum say one of the stipulations of being a reputable breeder is showing your dog to championship. But what about preserving the ability the dog was originally bred for? How about a dog who stands out in his breed, not in show conformation, but ,for example, his ability to hunt, and one who is a field trial champion? Accounting for all other things (i.e health certification, temperament etc..), would you not breed such a dog because he isn’t a champ in conformation? Would you instead opt to breed the dog who conforms to the breed standard, but possibly lose working ability along the way? And finally, would you consider someone who breeds for ability, along with health and temperament, a disreputable breeder?
Well, a good example of the difference between form & function and AKC breed standard is the Greyhound. I have been involved with RACING greys for years. I know exactly what the body type and form can do to help or inhibit performance. I have also seen show greys and with jaw dropped watched a dog crowned breed champion that couldn’t compete in the wiener dog races (well, OK it COULD beat a group of wieners, but you get my point). What the ACK deems as perfect is far from athletic structure. Probably why most racing greys do not "sport" an AKC registration. But anyone breeding Greyhounds for ANY reason other than race or show (and some of those breeders too) should be shot.
I also hunt Chessies and Pointers. I think sporting conformation and show conformation is somewhat similar to the horse industry scenario. "Halter" horses are judged at mostly a standstill for conformation (much like the dog shows). I NEVER met a champion halter horse that could jump a 3′6" fence much less 8 of them……
i have a dog that is itching loosing hair its not mange can any one send me pictures of other skin problems
the dog is also chewing at herself i have seen mange befor thats not the problem its my friends dog i said flea problem alergy from bites she said the dog never had an alergy to flies befor i would like some pitures of other typs of dog related skin condisions to see if i can figure out this problem thank you
The pet could possibly have mites that the human eye can’t see.Try dipping it in a dip called LYM dip,this will kill any type of mite and also used for dogs with mange.Can be purchased at any pet supply store or ordered over internet at pet outlets.
my dog likes going in dark corners and scratching the walls, could there be a medical reason for this?
my 6 years old dog has recently developed this habbit of going to the corners and scratching the walls. could this be because of a medical problem? (she also whines sometimes without any reason)
Off the top of my head I can think of two possibilities. If she has scratched in other areas and gotten into trouble, she may be trying to hide her new habit by doing it in a dark corner.
OTOH it could be a sign of dementia. I had a cat who had a stroke and started standing in corners, facing the corner. I’d pull him out and he’d go right back.
If you’re concerned about a medical problem, your vet is really the only one who can make a reliable diagnosis. You might give his office a call and describe what your dog is doing and ask if the vet thinks he should come in. Many vets will advise you over the phone about whether they think something is serious and may even offer some suggestions for home care without having to bring them in. He’ll probably want to ask more questions to get some details before he decides whether he needs to see your dog.
Cost effective dog food for health longevity of life?
Looking for a cost effective dog food for health, longevity of life, where they get the most out of it, less bowel movements, less shedding? is that possible > 2 austrailian sheperds 1 year old and 5 mo. old. thanks oh and no animal byproducts.
We arent looking for cheapo or anything I just want what is best for them at the best price definitely not grocery store brands like purina etc. thanks
by animal by products I mean bones the four d’s dead dying deceased and cant member the fourth. please list brand names and where to possibly buy
Try the Canidae.. Not an expensive food, but has no wheat, corn, fillers, is human grade, naturally preserved, no animal by products, and more… They eat FAR less, I was stunned how much less the dogs ate and still got all the nutrition they needed.. FAR less poop.. even more shocking when you go to clean up the yard.. I was also very pleased when it came to shedding. This was a bad year for shedding no matter the breed.. Weird weather etc.. Our guys really shed alot, within a week of feeding the Canidae, it was down to nearly nothing again.
Forget Iams, Beneful, All Purina, Eukanuba, Kibbles n Bits, Ol Roy, Pedigree, Science Diet etc.. They are all garbage foods that are preserved with cancer causing BHA/BHT or ethoxyquin, or cancer causing dyes, or use a Synthetic Vitamin K which makes the body not be able to normally use K from other sources. Horrible foods..
Some of them have sugars that your dog gets hooked on, making you feel like he loves the food, and it’s a horrible addiction to something that is dangerous and causes diabetes
Good Quality dogfood, might seem like it costs more but they actually eat far less and get their nutrition easier from the quality foods.
Is there anyway I can learn dog training without owning a dog?
I would like to get a dog but I cannot currently, circumstances wont allow it. But since I have never had owned a dog myself I don’t even know how to teach a dog how to sit! Where can I go to learn dog training without having a dog to train?
You could borrow one from a friend and start with something as simple as Petsmart classes. You also might consider a Schutzhund club….possibly training as a "helper". Eventually, you’d want to apprentice under a seasoned trainer for 1-3 years. The more dogs and the more diverse the breeds, the better.