Skin Issues?????

[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.....

[Mimi]

Often an allergy will show itself as a yeast problem either in the ears or between the toes that is the reason I asked about odor coming from the ears.

[Chealsie508]

Maybe he meant a dog (of any breed) that has such clean ears for a dog with bad allergies…boh dogs and humans tend to get gucky ears with allergies, some kind of buildup I guess

[tanza]

Interesting, because I had not heard that, especially with a dog with up right ears… and the only place that I have seen yeast problems is on the belly area... and without any odor.

[Chealsie508]

I don't know the reason or cause but I have smelt many a dogs ears that have a yeasty smell with a lot of build up that isn't only wax but more of a greasy goopy wax, in particular was a puggle who is sensative to environmental allergies. I do agree it's probably not so common in dogs with upright ears….it is a very distinct and pungent smell, ugh- makes me want to clean Oakleys ears out right now!!

[tanza]

Agreed that it is not uncommon for many breeds… just not found it in Basenjis...

[TwinDogsDifferentMothers]

Its quite possible that somewhere along the line your puppy came in contact with something that caused this reaction. So maybe it is just a contact allergy, You really are not going to know if its a life long allergy until it presents itself again. At least you are better prepared if there is a next time.

The shampoo you were told to use, probably exacerbated the rash. Sometimes its not a great idea to bathe a dog who has a rash for fear of spreading it. There is also the possibility of stripping away the natural oils on the skin which will make the rash itch more. Maybe the rash that your dog experienced was something that was spread similar to how poison ivy is spread on human skin.

We think its great that you actually found a competent vet. If you do not mind we would like to know the actual names of the antibiotics that were used. We would like store this information away just in case we have a similar experience.

Sometimes, owners suffer as much as their dogs when they see them in discomfort. Have faith, maybe this will not re-occur.

[Mimi]

Great article for allergies and pet food as well as another one on pet food. Love that they mention the importance of rotating your protein sources

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/05/07/protein-diets-for-pets-allergy.aspx

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/05/10/my-top-3-pet-food-picks-from-an-upscale-boutique-shop.aspx

There are some different plants and herbs that can help with allergies - nettle for instance (I use it in capsul form but you can also do tea) is helpful wth allergies

[TwinDogsDifferentMothers]

After reading this post, and thinking about what you have experienced, we wonder if your dog possibly got into some poison Ivy or poison oak. While we have no experience ourselves, we have read that some dogs are susceptible to poison ivy. Maybe someone more experienced can add this post and tell us how susceptible Basenji's might be to this. It would also be good to know what symptoms show up and how to best treat them.

[eeeefarm]

I don't know about all Basenjis, but mine have shown no sensitivity to poison ivy. Unfortunately, I do! Walking my guy down forest trails where there is a considerable amount of it, I ended up with rashes on a number of occasions…...and yes, I do know what it looks like and try to avoid it.......but my dog was unaffected. He does seem to have a seasonal problem with ragweed, however. (guessing a bit here, he hasn't been tested, but there appears to be a correlation that indicates a contact allergy, not airborne......he is affected when he runs through it in the fields, not if we stay away from it by walking on the road)

[ZolasMommy]

Just a quick update on Zola's skin condition. So she certainly has seasonal allergies. Poor girl. But….. after using her antibiotics, her skin looks BEAUTIFUL!!!!!! So the vet put her on Temaril-P which she has taken now for about 3 weeks. Temaril-P is known as "Benadryl on steroids" so now we are giving her the Temaril-P only 2 times a week, and we put the liquid from a benadryl gel cap in her food every night. She looks gorgeous!!!!! This combo should get her through allergy season. I am just so glad we figured this out.... and found a competent vet in the process!

[Buddys Pal]

Pertaining to your comment about a life long sufferer of allergies….may not be true. Canine pups go through a lot of hormonal changes before they are adults...(varies with breed, physically about 2 years +_) So, she may just outgrow them, hopefully!!!

[Buddys Pal]

@Mimi:

Great article for allergies and pet food as well as another one on pet food. Love that they mention the importance of rotating your protein sources

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/05/07/protein-diets-for-pets-allergy.aspx

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/05/10/my-top-3-pet-food-picks-from-an-upscale-boutique-shop.aspx

There are some different plants and herbs that can help with allergies - nettle for instance (I use it in capsul form but you can also do tea) is helpful wth allergies

Thanks Mimi, good reading…I will pass it on to my clients for their information....

[dcmclcm4]

You might want to try a soap-free shampoo. Virbac makes Allergroom and Epi-Soothe which is an oatmeal shampoo. I am sure there are other brands that offer this.

Jennifer

[Mimi]

Shampoo and conditioners are great for aiding with symptoms, but they dont fix the problem and they only offer help for the short term, the number of times I've had clients come in with vet shampoos and have me do their dogs every week with the stupid things….. only help about half the time. You have to get the the cause or you wont get anywhere.
12 years grooming and I still havent found a shampoo or conditioner that really makes that much of a difference unless you are dealing with a yeast problem where once the yeast is killed off things start to improve. Regular allergies, dry skin and itching cant be cleared up with a shampoo or conditioner.