Have a eight year old yorkshire terrier with itchy skin,if you wash him even in shampoo for dry skin it gets worse.Any one else had same prob?

Had a similar problem with my Staffie. She even went bald in a few places due to scratching.
It seemed to get a lot better when i brushed her a lot, ie: 2x a day and really brush hard (My dog loved it anyway)


PS....She is still the same to this day. I need to brush her constantly, or else.......

Could this be mange? Suggest you take your dog to vet.

Originally posted by redrobbo
Could this be mange? Suggest you take your dog to vet.

Mine defiantly wasn't mange. I tried everything i could buy but nothing worked :?

I gave up on the lotions and potions the vet was charging a fortune for for our westie, and found that dettol or similar liquid antiseptic watered down and used as shampoo cured him pretty rapidly :thumbsup:

He did go orange first though! when the dead skin absorbed the antiseptic. The healthy skin didn't, so it was also easy to tell when he was fully cured ;)

Originally posted by Strix
I gave up on the lotions and potions the vet was charging a fortune for for our westie, and found that dettol or similar liquid antiseptic watered down and used as shampoo cured him pretty rapidly :thumbsup:

He did go orange first though! when the dead skin absorbed the antiseptic. The healthy skin didn't, so it was also easy to tell when he was fully cured ;)

Thanks for the tip Strix :clap: I'll try that next Tara goes a bit 'flaky'

Originally posted by redrobbo
Could this be mange? Suggest you take your dog to vet.

Does mange actually exist? I thought it was a made up disease? That said, I have been wrong before....

Originally posted by Kristian
Does mange actually exist? I thought it was a made up disease? That said, I have been wrong before....
It does, and some strains of it are serious. It's caused by mites.

Our lad's rabbit has a similar bald patch on its' back where we've brushed him & removed what appeared to be a thick patch of dandruff.
Currently using a soothing over-the-counter tea tree cream for pets - awaiting results.


Can rabbits get mange? :confused:

Could there be an allergy to something?

One of the cats here at The Towers, Kizzy, gets bad dandruff is she has the slightest contact with fleas. As long as we keep the fleas at bay she's fine, but she has a definite allergy to either flea crap or the biting process itself.

I'd definitely see the vet - if it is to do with fleas or mites then a systemic insecticide will do the job quickly and cleanly.

Joe

no bald patches have been to the vet before but as you say cost a fortune.He gave us a shampoo one time made him worse.Has said it could be a allergy to mite,or flea bite.i use the flea treatment on back of his neck.Dont have this problem all the time.When you look under him where it is skin not hair as such has like little red blobs?

I know this sounds strange but it worked for a cat of mine with psoriasis (spelling?) but try adding safflower oil to his/her food (a teaspoon a time,i think). you can probably buy it in supermarkets, if not try a health food shop. It's good for eczema too- a lot of lotions/ potions are very harsh and drying to the skin.

As above a tea tree cream is probably a good idea. I have used it on horses, cats, dogs, and rats to date and it seems to help. Ideally you want an aqueous cream which is very light, and very mild, too much tea tree will sting.

The red spots could be flea bites, tea tree will help repel fleas for a short time, but not for long. You could also try sulphur, not sure of the doseages for a yorkshire terrier but sulphur can help with skin complaints.

Tea Tree is ok used sparingly but it sounds like rather than treating the problem its best looking for a cure. I'd definately try some alternative medication.

BE VERY CAREFUL OF HUMAN LOTIONS AS SOME CONTAIN STEROIDS AND MAY BE DANGEROUS TO DOGS!!

You could try cod liver oil capsules in the food or even olive oil, working the oils inside out would be beneficial and will eventually soften and condition the skin. Sounds abit like eczema. putting lotions on dogs wont last as all they do is lick them off! I suppose its a good way for them to get it into their systems but wont be very good for your carpets and furniture.

Poor little blighter. Have you thought if your dog is stressed or could there be a habitual/mental problem.

good luck

Mange does indeed exist and can be passed to humans, so if you start itching...... :gag:

Ringworm can also cause itching and spread to humans. I would get the dog down to a vet for a skin scraping to ensure its neither of these as they won't go away with antiseptic.

Hia,

I know a black labrador who has similar issues - he is alergic to everything - Grass, dust mites etc. He also has ezcema!

He has been to the vets lots and lots and is now on de-sensitising injections! You can get lots of sprays from the vets / Pets shops that will reduce the itchyness. Also keep him cool, coz the heat can aggravate it.

Originally posted by Twiglet
Mange does indeed exist and can be passed to humans, so if you start itching...... :gag:

Ringworm can also cause itching and spread to humans. I would get the dog down to a vet for a skin scraping to ensure its neither of these as they won't go away with antiseptic. it sounds like an allergy to me try giving him an anti histamine tablet piriton or somthing similar,thats all the vet will give him only as an injection and charge you a fortune,then buy some oilatum from chemist and bathe him in that.
my daughters dog had an allergy and after very extensive tests she found she was allergic to fleas,she flead her \and did the above,whenever she starts itching again she just gives her some anti histamine,:clap: :clap: :clap:

Hiya, my dog had the same problem the vet told me to put it on a chicken and rice diet, it soon cleared up and has been fine ever since. However, it's put me off chicken for life because I have to cook it everyday for the dog, even the smell makes me want to gip. Nevertheless, her coat has never been shinier and it's eliminated the scratching and bald patches so it's worth a try.

I am not qualified to give a vetinary opinion. However, from experience with English Bull Terriers, this sounds a lot like atopy, or a yeast infection. Please do not listen to idiotic breeders who tell you to use Cider Vinegar added to the dog's water. This is fatuous rubbish. I would be very careful too about brushing your dog very hard, as the Staffie owner recommends. No offence intended, but this could worsen the problem in my experience.

The thing is to go straight to the vet and ask for Malaseb shampoo. This should cure it. The vet is highly unlikely to offer it as a first resort because, as a previous poster suggested, they would prefer [generally speaking] to charge you for steroid injections, and maybe even for expensive medicated cereal diets that the dog will detest. Roughy 101 may be correct re anti-histamine tablets for short term relief too, but for the long term, try Malaseb Shampoo. It honestly did wonders for two white Bull Terrier bitches I owned. If only the vet had suggested this solution in the first place. We had weeks of lotions, tablets, steroids, cereal diets all to no avail.

Wishing you the best of luck.