both dogs scratching constantly.

[ben1191 9]

[update]I bought a bottle of advocate and used that on them and it hasnt come back since,im guessing it was possibly mites from rabbits?

 

My Jack Russell is scratching crazily and has been for id say a month,ive taken her to the vets and they said it might be a skin allergy so they gave me some pills,used them up now and shes still doing the same,she has not got fleas,shes scratching the underside of her belly so often and much that more or less ontop of her tit is a inflamed large lump ( the vet told me this was a fatty cyst).She rolls around the floor to scratch her head and back,her legs are almost always juttering up and down to scratch herself.I also have a patterdale who has lost a patch of fur on his back,although i cant see a cut or anything i can feel a slight lump,possibly a bite,he also has a scab on his back that he keeps trying to bite and lick,both dogs have some kind of reaction when u scratch them in a certain place their body tenses up and they try to scratch it.The patt isnt too bad but the jrt is forever scratching and it must be annoying for her.

 

Both dogs are 10 years old,i have bathed them with flea shampoo.Lost for what else could be the problem really,the vets are useless and all foreign so you cant understand half the fkin words they say for a start.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thats the lump she has

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 12, 2013 by ben1191

[mally 832]

Go back to the vets and ask for some advocate mate. Pop it on the back of there necks and the problem should be sorted if it's mites etc.

[j316 119]

feeding them to much protien can cause itching just a thought

[billybaltic 308]

A high protien diet can cause irritable skin as j316 say's, check level of protien in food, good luck.

[sandymere 8,263]

Skin problems are notoriously difficult but it sounds like you have two different things going on with each dog having its own problem.

Firstly are they exercising near nettles? If so that is the most likely cause.

Second get a vet you can talk too and understand then talk to them about what it could be and what can be done about it. The JRT may have atopic dermatitis which is a difficult one.

[skycat 6,174]

Like S. says: very difficult to determine the cause. House dust mites can be a major cause of itching. I've had to Frontline one of my dogs all over, and I mean all over: use the spray, and completely cover the dog, even the feet, between the toes etc. That worked for me with a very itchy dog who constantly scratched and nibbled her legs and body.

 

Skin problems are either because something is trying to get in, or trying to get out.

 

Also, what food are you feeding? Have you changed it recently? Even if you haven't the food might still be a cause because the manufacturers may have changed the recipe. I'd try and exclusion diet. It is a long winded approach and demands patience and commitment: feed the dogs only on cooked chicken and boiled rice for a month and see if the problem goes away. If it does, then you know that the problem is in the food. Mind you, if you've also Frontlined them then you won't know!

 

Give the Frontline a few weeks to take effect: dogs often keep itching through habit and and because they have become over-sensitized to the cause. And if you do suspect mites, then use a good household spray such as Indorex to treat the entire house, soft furnishings, carpets etc.

 

If that doesn't work, then try the exclusion diet for a month. In my experience, over 30 years of feeding dogs on different things, I've found that the diet least likely to cause any problems is a raw diet with no additives, preservatives, colourants etc etc.

 

Intolerance to a certain additive can build up over a long period of time before you actually see any symptoms, though the fact that your dogs both started itching about a month ago seems to me that the cause is more likely to be external than internal. Hope this helps.

[mally 832]

Like S. says: very difficult to determine the cause. House dust mites can be a major cause of itching. I've had to Frontline one of my dogs all over, and I mean all over: use the spray, and completely cover the dog, even the feet, between the toes etc. That worked for me with a very itchy dog who constantly scratched and nibbled her legs and body.

 

Skin problems are either because something is trying to get in, or trying to get out.

 

Also, what food are you feeding? Have you changed it recently? Even if you haven't the food might still be a cause because the manufacturers may have changed the recipe. I'd try and exclusion diet. It is a long winded approach and demands patience and commitment: feed the dogs only on cooked chicken and boiled rice for a month and see if the problem goes away. If it does, then you know that the problem is in the food. Mind you, if you've also Frontlined them then you won't know!

 

Give the Frontline a few weeks to take effect: dogs often keep itching through habit and and because they have become over-sensitized to the cause. And if you do suspect mites, then use a good household spray such as Indorex to treat the entire house, soft furnishings, carpets etc.

 

If that doesn't work, then try the exclusion diet for a month. In my experience, over 30 years of feeding dogs on different things, I've found that the diet least likely to cause any problems is a raw diet with no additives, preservatives, colourants etc etc.

 

Intolerance to a certain additive can build up over a long period of time before you actually see any symptoms, though the fact that your dogs both started itching about a month ago seems to me that the cause is more likely to be external than internal. Hope this helps.

Like S. says: very difficult to determine the cause. House dust mites can be a major cause of itching. I've had to Frontline one of my dogs all over, and I mean all over: use the spray, and completely cover the dog, even the feet, between the toes etc. That worked for me with a very itchy dog who constantly scratched and nibbled her legs and body.

 

Skin problems are either because something is trying to get in, or trying to get out.

 

Also, what food are you feeding? Have you changed it recently? Even if you haven't the food might still be a cause because the manufacturers may have changed the recipe. I'd try and exclusion diet. It is a long winded approach and demands patience and commitment: feed the dogs only on cooked chicken and boiled rice for a month and see if the problem goes away. If it does, then you know that the problem is in the food. Mind you, if you've also Frontlined them then you won't know!

 

Give the Frontline a few weeks to take effect: dogs often keep itching through habit and and because they have become over-sensitized to the cause. And if you do suspect mites, then use a good household spray such as Indorex to treat the entire house, soft furnishings, carpets etc.

 

If that doesn't work, then try the exclusion diet for a month. In my experience, over 30 years of feeding dogs on different things, I've found that the diet least likely to cause any problems is a raw diet with no additives, preservatives, colourants etc etc.

 

Intolerance to a certain additive can build up over a long period of time before you actually see any symptoms, though the fact that your dogs both started itching about a month ago seems to me that the cause is more likely to be external than internal. Hope this helps.

 

I'd never use frontline again Skycat, the advocate does all mites including both mange types, ear mites, fleas, ticks and even roundworms. As also stated it could be a diet issue. If they were my dogs i'd use advocate and if that didn't help alter there diet.

[ben1191 9]

they do exercise near nettles,but i have not been to that part for a good 3 weeks,tried to upload some pics when i made this thread but then the site whent down.

[Attack Fell Terrier 864]

Sounds like what was happening to my bitch. She was constantly riffing, I frontlined her, washed, cleaned and sprayed her bedding and bedding area, but still she was riffing? turns out she was just molting heavily as she stopped the itching and scratching after about a month.

 

If its not that, What do you wash their bedding in? Try washing their bedding on a hot wash with no washing powder. I never use washing powder for the dogs bedding. Diet can be another thing what are you feeding them on? Sometimes theres ingredients in some of this dry food that gives them reactions.

[ben1191 9]

Dont know,i dont do the washing

[Attack Fell Terrier 864]

Dont know,i dont do the washing

 

Well you want to find out because it could be the cause of a lot of discomfort to your dogs. All the best with it.

[Tania Welsh 3]

Poor dogs. Can i suggest you try a product called "Ekoneem" - its 100% natural so don't worry about side effects and also a darn miracle product for skin irritations on dogs, cats, horses. I used it on my cairn terrier after being pissed off with the vets giving me no end of crap medication for my poor boy and charging me the earth with no relief for my dog. I tried this product and within 3 days his skin was like new, no itching, no redness just healthy skin and the fur grew back. I swear by this stuff! One word of caution; it absolutely reeks to high heaven but that's a very small price to pay to help your dogs get back to good health.

It contains 'neem oil' but on its own the oil is too strong for direct use on the skin so buy "ekoneem" as its ready to go. U can buy a shampoo with the oil in but it may not be a high enough concentration so perhaps save your dosh and just go straight for the 'hard' stuff. Good luck, poor dogs must be going demented with the itching!

 

ps. i agree with other posters re: negatives of dry dog food (or manufactured food). Feed your dogs meaty bones instead, cheaper and healthier :-)

Edited May 1, 2012 by Tania Welsh

[ben1191 9]

Been using that ekoneem you suggested,scratching has stopped so far.

[skycat 6,174]

That's a useful thing to know Might give it a go as I've got a couple who suffer from seasonal itching. Thanks to Tania Welsh for putting that post up. I'd sooner try natural remedies than endlessly smother the dogs in chemical stuff.