User Comments

1. 

   1/09/09

   Anok

   Ouch, poor doggie. It might not be food related though.
   
   Have you considered that she might be doing her business in an area with oily plants that could irritate her bum? Or wiping the bum crumbs on something a bit too abrasive?
   
   I know that when I adopted my cats, they had serious skin/fur problems. Turns out they had rolled into something oily (maybe poison ivy or something) and then couldn't clean their skin because it would get on their tongue. So not only were they irritated, but they couldn't un-irritate themselves.
   
   I gave them a bath in warm water with gentle no tears baby shampoo with a creamy oatmeal conditioner rinse. It worked. (You may have to...yuo know...get an old face cloth to wipe the bum.)

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   1. 

      1/09/09

      armywife65

      @Anok--we are in the desert. Nothing here but dirt and rocks.We've only been here since July 28th (US ARMY) Can't wait to leave in April. We can't even take our dogs on regular walks because they get stickers in their paws. I'm trying fish oil and benedryl and see how that works.
      Thanks for your info. greatly appreciate you.
2. 

   1/09/09

   timethief

   Causes
   1. Fleas
   2. Airborne allergens like pollen, which result in hay fever
   3. Parasites, such as ear mites, scabies or cheyletiellosis, also known as walking dandruff
   4. Skin infections caused by bacteria
   5. Ticks and lice
   6. Food allergies
   7. Fungal infections, including yeast infections
   8. Seborrhea
   9. Contact allergies
   10. Whole-body illnesses, such as liver disease, immune-system problems and some cancers.
   
   The following is a list of potentially harmful sprays and chemicals that you might have lying around your house
   * Carpet cleaners, deodorizers, and brand new carpet
   * Cat litter
   * Cement
   * Certain medications such as neomycin
   * Chlorinated water
   * Dishwashing detergents
   * Disinfectants
   * Fertilizers
   * Home furnishings, fibers, dyes, polishes and cleansers
   * Lanolin
   * Leather and metal collars
   * Rubber and plastics
   * Soaps and shampoos, petroleum-derived products
   
   Treatments
   1. Bathe the dog regularly in cool water. Warm or hot water will only make the itch worse. Soak for 5 to 10 minutes. Adding some Epsom salts, baking soda, or colloidal oatmeal (like Aveeno) to the water will increase the soothing effects. This will provide only a temporary relief lasting from a few hours to a few days. After the bath, pat the dog with a towel. Do not rub the skin, this will only increase the dogs itch. Do not use a hair dryer on a heat setting. A cool (no heat) setting would be okay. Heat and rubbing the dogs skin will increase your dogs itch, making the bath ineffective.
   
   2.Fatty Acids, found in either marine oils or evening primrose oil, can be very effective in easing an itch. You can try giving one of these fatty acid supplements. It will take several weeks before the benefit will take effect, so they are for treating long term problems rather than an on-off irritation. You can find these at your local health food store.
   
   3.Antihistamines can sometimes be effective with short term itches. For example; insect bites or a flare-up of hay fever. You can use an over the counter antihistamine such as clemastine (Tavist), chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton) or diphenhydramine (Benadryl). Be sure to consult your veterinarian first. Your vet will give you the proper dosage and tell you if this will be a good thing to try for your dogs problem.
   
   Food
   A dog’s exposure to the same ingredients day after day can create food allergies, which is why many experts now advise rotating between foods with different meat and grain sources to prevent sensitivities from occurring. Common allergens are high gluten grains like corn and wheat, or even certain meats. Lamb, once considered “hypoallergenic”, is really no more beneficial for skin problems than other proteins. A hidden cause of dog allergies may be storage mites (related to dust mites) that attack stored grains. Levels of mite feces are higher in “pet quality” grain sources, so stick to foods that use grains fit for human consumption.
   
   Foods designed to relieve skin problems typically have a single meat source and either a single grain source or only low gluten grains. Try California Natural Chicken & Rice, Wellness Fish & Sweet Potato, Pinnacle Trout and Sweet Potato, or a similar simple food. Raw food diets, especially those with low grain content, can be very helpful. Pepperdogz and Nature’s Variety have grain-free frozen diets in a variety of meats.
   
   Home preparing your dog’s food is an option that gives you total control over ingredients, and you can experiment to find the combinations that best relieve your dog’s symptoms.
   
   This is what I had to feed one of my dogs - nothing else worked
   In general, dog food should comprise 1/3 protein from meat, eggs or dairy products, 2/3 grains and vegetables. Try making a mixture of ground turkey, rice and carrot for your own dog food. Meals made of ground beef, brown rice, and carrots are also good. Use oatmeal, pasta, rice or potatoes for your dog's starch requirement.
   
   Avoid these
   * Onions and onion powder
   * Garlic (raw, cooked and powdered)
   * Yeast
   
   I hope this information helps.

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3. 

   1/10/09

   armywife65

   @TT--Thanks for your info you researched.
   I decided to give her Benadryl and put some Benadryl itch stopping cream on her 2 scratching areas and well that seems to be working great. And I've added some fish oil into her diet.
   
   Sarah has really dry skin and we can only give her baths once a month. However, I do use a damp paper towel to wipe down her top coat.
   
   I know that I'm suppose to rotate dog foods and I did forget to mention that in above post. We do rotate about every year.
   
   [* Garlic (raw, cooked and powdered)] - this is only true for some dogs, while other dogs are perfectly fine if used in mild portions. I use garlic in my dogs treats, when we are in an area where there are fleas. Here in El Paso, there are no fleas luckily. Garlic is a good home remedy to rid of fleas
   
   Also some dogs, like our Sarah, can not eat wheat or anything with Red Dye in product, but our Chuck can eat wheat and red dye does not appear to bother him.
   
   I just wanted to see if anyone had their own home remedies that are not found on the net.
   
   Thank you for your responses

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4. 

   1/10/09

   MadameX

   My mother's dog is allergic to storage mites, which are apparently present in all grain products. You mentioned that your dog is allergic to wheat, but I don't know whether you are avoiding all grain products. If not, you may want to try that; it's worked wonders for my mom's dog, who previously had very similar symptoms to what you describe and even had trouble sleeping because of the itching.

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   1. 

      1/10/09

      armywife65

      @MadameX--
      Yes,I have to avoid wheat with Sarah. I also think it might be because of where we are. It is very dry here in El Paso, Tx and even my allergies are severe. Can't wait to get out of here. They are suppose to get us stationed out end of March or so.
      Thanks for your response
5. 

   1/10/09

   klaraau01

   Just wanted to add - natural goats milk soap or olive oil soap is the best to use when you wash your dog - they are very mild and been used for centuries on humans and animals with skin problems.
   
   And as far as diet - try putting her on protein only for about a month with meat, chicken, etc only and then gradually introducing back grains and veg

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6. 

   1/10/09

   armywife65

   @klaraau01--thanks, I didn't know that. I sound right though especially with the olive oil soap because of the oil, to help with dry skin.

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7. 

   2/11/09

   armywife65

   In closing of this tread. I want to thank everyone who contributed to my delima. Sarah is doing well. They still get sick once in a while, but that's because of the area we are in. El Paso, Tx. It is so dirty here & so close to Mexico. It's disgusting. We'll be out of here by end of March and My Doggies will be much better.
   So anyway, Thank you everyone

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8. 

   2/11/09

   busylizzy

   You need to take doggie to a vet.

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