Well Ceejay is definitely allergic to something. I had samples taken to rule out mites and it is an allergic reaction to something. Poor baby, she is on antihistamine tablets at present and she is going to get booked in when the Dermatologist visits here next, once every 3 months. I have a large tub of water out so she can jump in and out after running around. How often should I wash her? I don't want to over wash her otherwise will strip the good oils out of her coat. She developed during the dry season and when it rained I thought that it would be okay, but she came out with the scratches and redness after our rain spell. Is there any creams/oils that I can rub into her belly to help with the dryness? At least she has stopped scratching, I felt so uncomfortable for her. I should be thankful that it is not a serious illness, I just have to wait for the dermatologist to find out what it is so then I can find a way to combat it. It is like I am fighting an unseen enemy.

Poor Ceejay... that sounds horrible and really uncomfortable for her.
I dont know of any products that you could use... have you asked the vet about creams/oils?

Neocorte cream from the vets it pretty successful, I think it contains cortisone though. But also has an anisthetic, usually after a couple of applications/days they practically roll over and say pleeeease.

Do you need to wash her? My guys live in the house and have a large paddle pool outside to put themselves in when they are hot. As they play hard they are in there numerous times each day. I was just thinking how I have only washed Bug 1 time in 3 months and she is a clean as a whistle, smells great and her coat shines. I am slowly getting used to a dripping wet Koolie running through the house all day long but thats why we have floor boards and i have a mop.

If you dont need to, then try to avoid washing her until you know what you are battling.

Natalie

We use malaseb shampoo twice a week for any tropical itchy spots or hot spots? especially in the wet season when the grass is seeding and there is all sorts of bugs and mites located in the grass seeds. Smith and Red (ACD) are very prone to it. When Rocco first arrived he got a bad dose of some sort of hair loss, Malaseb fixed that up.

I've heard of people using Calendula tea as a topical solution for their dogs skin problems. Make the tea as normal, you have to make your own tea bag (a stocking or fine cloth would do) - make as normal tea, take out your bag, squeeze excess moisture out and dab on dog. There is also a calendula cream available too if you don't want to go the tea route.

I have bought a shampoo, had a look at the Malaseb but it may be too strong for me to handle, I have to be careful in what I use. What do they say about owners and their dogs, I have problems with allergies too, lots of injections when I was a kid to help my immune system boost up. So I will check out the tea/cream will visit the chemist. Will keep using the tar shampoo too, it seems to soothe it a bit.

Good to hear you have at least found something in the interim that seems to soothe it a bit.
When does she see the dermatologist?

Still waiting to hear from the vet

haha thats funny ceejay yes owners and their dogs are so the same...my mum has to see a muscular skeletal dr for her neck...and recently her poodle Deano had to see a muscular skeletal vet for his hip haha so true!

Is she scratching or biting? I spray Phoenix's feet with lime bitter bite after I put his cream on. He has really bad allergies in mainly his feet but sometimes his belly too. He is allergic to some types of grass. The vet gave us Neocorte cream to treat his feet and belly. . I use disposable gloves to put the cream and then spray on. Helps with his blood red feet and stops him biting the cream off.

Good luck, I know how heart breaking it is watching them in pain and not being able to just "fix" the problem for them.

Yep that sounds similar, I think it may be grass related too. She is good today has been raining and this seems to help. They have been running around like loonies in the wet windy weather and loving it. Have gone through six towels so far and given up on my floor. Need a lino with muddy paw prints. Around her eyes and lips that also gets red and itchy too when it is really bad. My poor baby. Such a sensitive petal.

old fashioned oats in a sock in the bath, will help ease irrirated skin as well. you don't so much bath them but soak them in the oaty water.

Poor baby, both my two are interstate rescues and both have eye issues, the vet is hoping that once they 'settle' in after a year or so things should settle down.

Frazzle has irritations from the tropical grasses up here. With the wet season comes allergies. Certain grasses seed and this irritates his feet so he spends half the night chewing at his feet. They are not real bad but they obviously irritate him. We use malaseb shampoo on his feet twice a week and seems to be keeping it at bay. Smith has had it in previous years as well but does not seem to be effected this year.

I wonder whether it might be worth a try to put 'shoes' on him?? police & drug detection dogs are now being trained to wear them to stop contamination of crime scenes and to keep their 4 legged peoples feet safe.

Just a thought...

I don't think boots would suit Fraz, not that he wouldn't wear them, but its keeping them on. We walk through very long grass and they have swims and creek crossings. Once the grass settles and it stops raining so much the itch goes away.

Ceejay is getting hydrobathed in Malesab by a friend and then a cream goes on afterwards and during the week. It seems to alleviate the itch, her appointment is not until July that is the soonest I could get in and it is an hours travel to Rockhampton. Well it is not grass, she had the itch during the drought and no grass. It came on when we moved here....all I can think of is the dirt, what the hell would be in dirt?? Any ideas?

The obvious to say is fleas, but maybe a mould?? It can be nasty stuff if you have the wrong sort.

i had a friend who had a cat with lice, similar to nits that kids gets. It took the vet quite a while to get to the bottom of it, they thought the cat had feline aids, his poor coat was in tatters and hair was falling out in clumps. Dont overlook the obvious ...

Yeast infection is the first thing that comes to mind if it carries through all seasons. It could have been brought on through the stress of moving. Do her feet smell? Or a pollen allergy, but really it's all guesswork until she's tested properly. I hope she gets some relief until you can pinpoint the root cause.