Dog with Skin Problems - Worse in Rainy Season

[RuamRudy]

We have a 6 year-old male shorkie who usually has skin tags at one time or another, but during rainy season they become noticeably worse, with little lumps all over his skin, and his persistent scratching and licking causes some to well up in painful lumps. 

 

We treat the sites with coconut oil, which helps reduce the redness, and we shower him using medicated shampoo. He is very much an indoors dog so he doesn't spend long periods with a damp coat, and when he does get wet we dry him thoroughly afterwards, but despite all that, invariably he gets worse this time of year. The vet has not been able to really come up with a solution, mainly telling us to manage it, but it clearly gets him down. 

 

Has anyone found a means of reducing or even eliminating skin tags?

 

 

[Sheryl]

I don't know about skin tags per se but my dig several times got fungal skin infections during the rainy season, resolved with a medicated antifungal shampoo and keeping him indoors overnight instead of in outdoor dog house.

 

Did the vet exam with a special light to see if there is a fungal infection? If not maybe try a better Vet...

[yellowboat]

My dog needed a non meat diet to get over his skin problems.  He eats a special dog food and eggs.  He gets meat, but only once or twice a week after his skin condition went away. 

[connda]

Step 1: Take the dog to a qualified vet and get a diagnosis.
Step 2: Make a treatment plan. 

 

Having TV members make guesses isn't going to get very far, imho.

[RuamRudy]

1 hour ago, connda said:

Step 1: Take the dog to a qualified vet and get a diagnosis.
Step 2: Make a treatment plan. 

 

Having TV members make guesses isn't going to get very far, imho.

I did mention that we have consulted a vet. I also stated that the vet advised that this was something controllable rather than curable. What I am asking for is whether anyone has found effective control measures.

[RuamRudy]

20 hours ago, Sheryl said:

I don't know about skin tags per se but my dig several times got fungal skin infections during the rainy season, resolved with a medicated antifungal shampoo and keeping him indoors overnight instead of in outdoor dog house.

 

Did the vet exam with a special light to see if there is a fungal infection? If not maybe try a better Vet...

Thanks - I will go back again and ask about the light check.  

[RuamRudy]

2 hours ago, yellowboat said:

My dog needed a non meat diet to get over his skin problems.  He eats a special dog food and eggs.  He gets meat, but only once or twice a week after his skin condition went away. 

Ours already eats lots of salad and raw veggies - I will try to reduce his meat intake further. We give him skin sensitive kibbles too so maybe these measures combined will assist, plus the anti-fungal shampoo that Sheryl mentioned.

[Tambs2020]

Our full size short hair Jack russell had this a few years ago.

 

We started giving him forced/crushed chicken frames as we were told the marrow & oils in them would benefit his overall skin & fur. We then also gave him a vegetable dry food at night.

It took a cpl of months but worked an absolute treat ?

 

I must say though ,this was advice from a breeder ?

[fredge45]

An oral medicine called Bravecto, available from most vets, work wonders for skin diseases on dogs as well as being a tick and flea repellent.   I've treated quite a number of dogs in the village and in a couple of months you would know it was the same critter.  Not cheap but works great!

[Jaybott]

Is your dog on any type of medication; heartworm pills, flea & tick dips, etc? He could be having an allergic reaction to something.  

[RuamRudy]

16 minutes ago, Jaybott said:

Is your dog on any type of medication; heartworm pills, flea & tick dips, etc? He could be having an allergic reaction to something.  

Normally  he doesn't mix with other dogs or run in long grass. He did spend time with the inlaws in the province last month but we haven't found any sign of ticks. But other than Roundup, he gets no regular medication.

 

He is quite a nervous dog though - his first 6 months are a bit of a mystery, but we think he was badly treated during that time because, years later and after many dog training classes he is still scared of the most innocuous things such as bicycles and umbrellas. Also thunder, which we get nightly at present, really upsets him, although a thunder wrap helps calm him down. 

 

[Shouldhaveknownbetter]

3 hours ago, fredge45 said:

An oral medicine called Bravecto, available from most vets, work wonders for skin diseases on dogs as well as being a tick and flea repellent.   I've treated quite a number of dogs in the village and in a couple of months you would know it was the same critter.  Not cheap but works great!

I agree.  Bravecto  worked on my dogs.

[The Deerhunter]

What we were told was coconut oil and sulphur powder mixed into a paste and rubbed in for dog eczema or whatever we call it. Wet weather itching scratching biting, hair falling out, raw patches appearing.  I tried all sorts of expensive medicated shampoo 4 of our 6 dogs bathed twice a week.  Cost a fortune and didn't work.  In desperation tried coconut oil and sulphur paste.  Dirt cheap and works like a charm.  Hair starts to grow back in days.  Neither compounds are toxic to dogs in small quantities.  Buy a cone collar if you don't have one and the dog licks it off straight away.  Hint.  Sulphur tends to clump and not wet through very well.  Mix with an old table fork or sift the sulphur with an old baking flour sifter.  P.S. our dogs are farm guard dogs. (We have 11rai of orchard and people like free fruit and doing drug deals in the trees away from the road.)  Anyway our dogs are outside 24/7.

Edited June 13, 2018 by The Deerhunter

[RuamRudy]

Thank you all very much for the suggestions and advice - it is much appreciated. We went back to the vet this afternoon and she suggested an alternative anti fungal shampoo so we bathed him in that this evening - hopefully we should see some improvements in the coming days. 

[The Deerhunter]

2 hours ago, The Deerhunter said:

What we were told was coconut oil and sulphur powder mixed into a paste and rubbed in for dog eczema or whatever we call it. Wet weather itching scratching biting, hair falling out, raw patches appearing.  I tried all sorts of expensive medicated shampoo 4 of our 6 dogs bathed twice a week.  Cost a fortune and didn't work.  In desperation tried coconut oil and sulphur paste.  Dirt cheap and works like a charm.  Hair starts to grow back in days.  Neither compounds are toxic to dogs in small quantities.  Buy a cone collar if you don't have one and the dog licks it off straight away.  Hint.  Sulphur tends to clump and not wet through very well.  Mix with an old table fork or sift the sulphur with an old baking flour sifter.  P.S. our dogs are farm guard dogs. (We have 11rai of orchard and people like free fruit and doing drug deals in the trees away from the road.)  Anyway our dogs are outside 24/7.

Let me know by PM how you get on.  Most old fashioned type pharmacies, especially the ones doing Chinese herbal stuff will have both items.  Several pharmacies in my reasonably small town have them.

[White Tiger]

One of my dogs had big skin problems. The vet prescribed BRAVECTO tablets (you can Google it). They worked. His skin problem has disappeared. Not sure if your dog and my dog have the same skin problem but might be worth asking your vet about these tablets. (they were THB850 by the way). 

 

[RuamRudy]

Thanks everyone for your comments - much appreciated. I the end, the vet changed his shampoo to one called SeboHex and within 12 hours of bathing him, there was a dramatic reduction in his scratching and the general inflammation. Now, 3 days later, he is much, much better. 

[dick dasterdly]

On 6/13/2018 at 2:39 PM, RuamRudy said:

Normally  he doesn't mix with other dogs or run in long grass. He did spend time with the inlaws in the province last month but we haven't found any sign of ticks. But other than Roundup, he gets no regular medication.

 

He is quite a nervous dog though - his first 6 months are a bit of a mystery, but we think he was badly treated during that time because, years later and after many dog training classes he is still scared of the most innocuous things such as bicycles and umbrellas. Also thunder, which we get nightly at present, really upsets him, although a thunder wrap helps calm him down. 

 

Can't thank you enough for the mention of 'thunder wraps'!

 

I'd never heard of them before, but as one of my dogs is very frightened of thunder and fireworks, I googled it and - the timing was perfect as a few minutes later I heard thunder in the distance.

 

The home-made 'wrap' worked brilliantly!  She was still concerned, but none of the normal shaking etc.!

 

I'd recommend anyone with dogs frightened of thunder, to give it a try to see whether it helps their dogs.

[RuamRudy]

1 hour ago, dick dasterdly said:

Can't thank you enough for the mention of 'thunder wraps'!

 

I'd never heard of them before, but as one of my dogs is very frightened of thunder and fireworks, I googled it and - the timing was perfect as a few minutes later I heard thunder in the distance.

 

The home-made 'wrap' worked brilliantly!  She was still concerned, but none of the normal shaking etc.!

 

I'd recommend anyone with dogs frightened of thunder, to give it a try to see whether it helps their dogs.

They are amazingly effective, aren't they? Apparently there are zip-up jerkins specially to do the job but I have been unable to find any here in Manila, however a wide crepe bandage does the job perfectly and, as you say, the improvement is dramatic.