skin problems for max

[burnsyboxer]

We've had max about a month now, it seems since we've had him he's started to have issue with his skin. He's losing a fair amount of fur around the top of his neck and then down his back some. He also has little bumps here and there...one on his head and another on his back..maybe mostquito bites? He had been itching a fair amount too so I took him to the vet.

The vet did a skin scrape and said he doesnt have mange but said he had a little "infection." The doctor gave me antibiotics and an antihistamine to help with the itching. He still itches...maybe not as much...and he's been on the antibiotics for a week...but I don't see any progress. I thought it might have been a reacion to the flea and tick drops but those were used nearly a month ago at this point. The vet mentioned washing him in dawn "if you want" to get any of the residual oil from the drops out. I did that today. I'm also not sure if it could be a reaction to his food. His previous owners said they fed him kibbles and bits, which i thought wasnt a very healthy brand so we tried Natural Life Lamaderm.

Links to a couple pictures of his skin below...any thoughts?

http://www.burnsyspot.com/Gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=1977

http://www.burnsyspot.com/Gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=1989

http://www.burnsyspot.com/Gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=1993

 

[Murp.mm]

Ah, your poor baby. The guy that repairs my car told me his boxer lost all her fur and he changed her diet to a better brand (she was on pedigree or some lower type of dog food) and it all grew back perfect. I think it's Candidae (not spelled right) but I'm not sure. Maybe that's all your baby needs. Good luck and keep us updated on his condition.

 

[Cami]

Hum.
Sure does resemble a few dogs in rescue that I have seen with D-mange. I would be inclined to have another scraping done.
If truth be told I just picked up a new client (two Boxers yeah!) and one has d-mange. Looks IDENTICAL.
Since when do infections cause hair loss? I am not saying that it can't but that just seems odd.
What type of infection does the vet think it is??
Very strange!

 

[Rbucher]

MAYBE It's a staph infection. The same thing happened to our baby just after getting over mange. He had little bumps and then lost some hair. N o more mange but suspected stapf infection.

 

[ELubas]

I agree about getting another scrape. My girl was scraped once and they said she did not have it but I went back a week later and they said she did so it might be worth it. From then on I added VIT C and Fish Oil to her food and she was fine. Good luck

 

[burnsyboxer]

Hum.
Sure does resemble a few dogs in rescue that I have seen with D-mange. I would be inclined to have another scraping done.
If truth be told I just picked up a new client (two Boxers yeah!) and one has d-mange. Looks IDENTICAL.
Since when do infections cause hair loss? I am not saying that it can't but that just seems odd.
What type of infection does the vet think it is??
Very strange!

The vet didnt speak to what type of infection it was. I wasn't impressed with her. She basically told me that he didn't have mange but had a little infection and that she was going to give me some anti-biotics and antihistamine...then she threw down a smoke bomb and disappeared....

I thought she was going to come back but she didn't...

 

[sarah_bailey]

Tink had bad skin problems, it turned out to be an allergic reaction to storage mites - found in dry dog food.

We switched her diet, onto homecooked, and she hasn't had problems since. Her fur has all grown back, shinier than ever - plus she loves the food too!

I'd suggest having a look in the homecooking forum, feed your dog some stew!!

 

[burnsyboxer]

Max finished off his antibiotics but I don't see that it helped any. We started switching him over to blue buffalo food last week. The food my wife had bought, natural life lamaderm, is actually supposed to be for dogs that had allergies to other food...it's all lamb. I'm wondering if maybe he was allergic to the lamb.

I'm hopefull the better food helps out, we're also going to start giving him some vitamin E. If the new food and Vitamin E does help, how long should it take before we see improvement?

 

[ROROSHELTON]

First of all, sounds like you need to find a new vet! You don't sound comfortable with the one you have. And they should be alot more helpful than throwing down pills and walking away. I had one that did that only once, and I switched in a hurry. Never know when something more serious will come along and you need a vet you are comfortable with. Second, poor Max! Those pics look like he's miserable. Since you've only had him a month, it's going to take some time to get his food situation turned around. How old is he?? You are on the right track though. www.dogfoodanalysis.com was a big help for me to find a high quality food. My vet recommends fish oil for allergy prone skin issues. I found out by trial and error of foods that Brutus was allergic to Milk Bones and chicken. Some dogs are allergic to dust mites, a change in soap used on bedding, grass, seasons, etc. It will take alot of dedication on your part to figure it out. I don't know his age, but if he's older than 2 years old, and you find a vet you like, have him allergy tested. It's a cost, but so is going to the vet all the time for allergy issues like infections, not to mention the discomfort your dog is having. Bathing with Dawn to get an oily residue off is good. I use shampoo with tea tree oil in it, helps with the itching. He may be stressed by the change too. So many things to consider, but it's good you are on here to find out answers to make Max's life more enjoyable. Good luck!

 

[burnsyboxer]

The family I got Max from said he was three. Max doesn't seem to be all that bothered by it...but he does scratch...he's been scratching since we got him...but he doesnt appear to have fleas at all. I'd like to get Max back to the vet...but money is really tight...and I'm hoping holistic treatment will help...its been a while since I had to take an animal to the vet....I wasn't prepared for the 170.00 visit.

He seems to have the most hair loss around his neck...but then he does have some patches here and there on his body and legs...