Skin Issues?????

[ZolasMommy]

Hello Everyone,

So down here is Houston, TX the mosquitoes get really really bad after a good rain. Lately, we have had a lot of mosquitoes, and I am wondering of they are causing Zola's skin to break out. I have noticed quite a few bumps on the surface of her skin that are beginning to concern me. She is on Trifexis for her monthly heartworm/flea/intestinal worm medication as prescribed by the vet. But her skin is so sensitive. Is there any type of doggy mosquito repellent that is safe to use on Bs? Or should I be concerned that maybe her bumps are something else entirely? I also know that many Bs are shedding their coats at this time….. but even around the ears????? Any thoughts?

Thanks.

[Chealsie508]

Food or environmental allergy? A change in diet or maybe springtime allergies…??

[krunzer]

I use a product developed for horses up here in Alberta, Canada. I don't remember what the name of it is but it does say that you can use it on dogs also. I put it on a paper towel and then rub down the dogs so that the chemical doesn't saturate the skin. It seems to work very well. Tucker was getting bumps all over him and I thought they were mosquito bites but they were actually ant bites. This stuff does work well though, I will see if I can find the bottle tomorrow and let you know what the name is.

[nomrbddgs]

How long ago did the vet prescribe trifexis and how long have you been putting it on? The only reason I ask, is that I have one girl that cannot tolerate any chemicals on her skin and she breaks out all over. It sounds like either an allergy or bug bites, or a combination. Also, do you have a lot of ants? That could be a problem as well.

[tanza]

What do you mean around the ears? Usually hair loss around the ears are from flies at least this time of year.

And for the mosquitoes, I have been told that Avon Skin So Soft works well…... of course that was a while ago

[eeeefarm]

I would say Skin So Soft helps, especially around the ears. I used to use it on my Border Collie, and it seemed to help him.

[ZolasMommy]

Zola has been on the Trifexis for about 4 months now. We continue to check her for fleas, but never see any. However, she LOVES to do her girly business in tall grass (I don't know why) so maybe she is getting bugs attached to her when she does that. I just read some reviews online about the Avon Skin-So-Soft, and it's highly recommended! I am putting in an order today.

But yes…. she is loosing hair around her ears. She also has eye discharge... mostly after a long walk.... I am cleaning her eyes out like she just woke up in the morning. Is that bad? Allergies maybe???

[Chealsie508]

Eye yuckies….allergies?

[eeeefarm]

Losing hair around the ears I might consider demodetic mange. How old is she??

[ZolasMommy]

Zola is two now. OK….. I just looked up demodetic mange... that looks scary. :(

[eeeefarm]

Usually it's not that big a deal. It's more common with pups or young dogs, but adults can get it. My Border Collie used to have occasional episodes. From what I understand, the mites that cause it are carried without consequence by many (most?) dogs, and only become apparent if for some reason the dog's immune system is a bit low. I believe Ivermectin is used for it, but you shouldn't use it at the same time as Trifexis. Your vet should be able to tell you if that is the cause…..

[krunzer]

@ZolasMommy:

Zola is two now. OK….. I just looked up demodetic mange... that looks scary. :(

My female got demodetic mange when she had her first heat. She lost a tiny patch of hair on her cheek and still went to a conformation show and managed to get two points that weekend over the other basenji that was there. Hers went away after she went out of heat and it has never happened since. But yes some of the pictures that you can google look horrible. Do you have some pictures that we could take a look at? Demodetic mange makes the skin look really dirty….

[dcmclcm4]

Had a rescue dog that had a bad reaction to mosquitos. He developed bumps/hives all over his body. We were in Northern IN lure coursing and the mosquitos were horrible but he was the only dog that had a reaction. We gave him Benadryl.

Jennifer

[ZolasMommy]

Hey everyone. Sorry to reply to this thread so late. I do have an update. So we took Queen Zola to the vet. She ran some test and found that Zola was having a skin reaction…. but can't figure out WHAT is causing it. So I have to bathe her in Benzoyl Plus shampoo twice a week to get rid of her "Folliculitis". Well.... after two weeks of bathing her with this stuff, her bumps have INCREASED massively, and now she is always scratching herself. Her skin is irritated, and I feel like a horrible mommy.

But I don't know what to do. The vet said it may get worse before it gets better.... but I don't know if she meant THIS much worse. My husband thinks we need to find a new vet.

dcmclcm4, did the Benadryl work? How much did you give?

[tanza]

Can you ask your Vet for a referral to a specialist? I think that is your best choice

[ownedbyspencer]

Do you think it could be a reaction to the Trifexis? Sounds like something that is in her system or that she is still exposed to.

Regarding the Benadryl, Spencer used to have a terrible reaction to his rabies shot, so the vet would give him a Benadryl shot before and that would prevent it. The vet also gave us Benadryl tabs and they cleared up irritations quickly. Hope Zola feels better!

[Mimi]

My suggestion is to make sure her food does not contain wheat, corn or soy, and no animal byproducts

Stop using the shampoo it's crap, having used it myself many times as a groomer I can tell you I've never actually seen it work. Take her off the chemical flea stuff only use it if she gets fleas. Benedryl to get rid of the symptoms at her size I'd use 1/4 of the dose (this works well for any random allergy for the short term and good for bee stings) but only use it for a few days. How long before this reaction was the last set of shots? If it was within 3 months there is a good chance that is part of the problem. Stay away from all chemicals on her and for cleaning - there are MANY safe things you can use that kill bacteria and do just as good a job on your surfaces. Have you recently installed new carpet or had the carpet cleaned by a pro? I've seen this cause MASSIVE reactions on dogs that present as you have described. A picture of the problem would be helpful.

Are you also noticing a different odor on her anywhere? Perhapse in the ears?

[Mimi]

I would also consider finding a Holistic vet in your area

[ZolasMommy]

Thanks for all of your knowledge Mimi, and everyone. So…...Zola has a new vet that actually has Basenjis on his client roster, and knows the breed. She has seasonal allergies (we ruled out food or drug allergies). So instead of using the shampoo that the other vet prescribed, she is on two antibiotics. He called one of them "Benedryl on steroids" and she will likely take them for about 3 weeks.

After only two days of taking them, she has already stopped scratching herself so much, and we have not seen any new bumps. So I think the meds are doing the trick. Unfortunately, she will probably be a lifetime allergy sufferer (at least for as long as we live in Houston). So we will need to get her on a preventative once this protocol is complete.

The vet said that she had the cleanest ears he has seen in a long time. We are feeding her Blue Buffalo Basic, which has no byproducts, soy, corn, etc. We threw out that shampoo..... and will NEVER go back to that first vet.

Oh.... and I was never able to figure out how to add photos to specific posts on here. :(

So.... there it is. I am just glad that we found a more knowledgeable vet.... and he is right down the street from us!!!!! That is also a plus. :)

[tanza]

Interesting comment about the ears? I have never had a Basenji with "unclean" ears…. Especially since they are up right, typically are not a problem unless they roll is lots of dirt and/or swim.....