My dog"s skin problems, Hot Spots, Itching

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Expert: Valentina Vayntraub – 8/5/2010

Question
Hi, I have an eight-year-old Norsk Buhund and he has skin problems. He has patches of red skin, some spots where the skin seems to have been scratched off, and he pulls out his own fur at these areas. He had this really badly once before, but over time it went away. The other day I saw him itching, and even grabbing at his fur and trying to pull it out, and when I checked on him, I realised he had this problem again.
I took some photos of it, please look at them: http://www.deviantart.com/download/174055448/dog_skin_rash_by_threevoices.jpg
Please get back to me! I know they went away before but I’m just worried about him. He is a European dog, and we moved to Asia a few years ago, so it might be the humidity, but this has only happened recently.
We feed him only pedigree dog food and use frontline, heartguard and worm pills, so I’m concerned …
Thanks for your time,
Naomi Answer
Dear Naomi,

Some dog breeds are notorious for hot spots and skin rashes.  They are usually caused by mites, fleas, other parasites, low quality foods, allergies, and boredom. There are several things you  can do to help aid this situation.

1. Bathe him in oatmeal shampoo and get an oatmeal after rinse (conditioner type of product). Oatmeal soothes dry, itchy skin and helps it heal. This is one of my favorites: http://www.petco.com/product/111501/Nature-s-Dog-Fresh-Goat-s-Milk-All-Natural-O…
2. Make sure you are feeding him a good quality diet. By products, fillers, and grains can aggravate this issue. Heres a link that can help you make sense of what your dog is eating:
http://lapofluxurypets.com/blog/choosing-your-pet-food/
3. There are hot spot specific sprays and ointments that have worked wonders
4. Keep your home allergen free. Frequent dusting, vacuuming, and air purifiers can help.
5. In some cases unflavored Benadryl with vets permission may do the trick.
6. If it is boredom, get your dog walking, running, playing, and learning new tricks. This will help keep his mind off of it.
7. A vet can prescribe antibiotics or cortisone if the above doesn’t work.

Dog Itching, Scratching and Hot Spots Can Be Due to Food Allergies

Wanted to provide more information about dog itching, scratching and hot spots. Many times, people go from veterinarian to veterinarian, searching for the answer as to why their dog continues to scratch constantly, chewing, licking on paws. If the owner is using flea treatment and has ruled out parasites and other infections, chances are it is allergies. Pets can have both food and environmental allergies as well as difficulties digesting the foods they eat. Many commercial diets are loaded with carbohydrates and fillers such as corn, wheat gluten, etc and many people shower their pets with allergy provoking wheat-filled dog biscuits!!! More and more, there are alternate choices but the bulk of all dog treats are loaded with wheat–which for many is a recipe for allergic reactions. We urge you to discontinue these potentially itchy treat and use hypoallergenic treats such as Wildside Salmon Treats which contain good healthy fats to actually help your pets skin and coats. Other alternatives are venison jerky, carrots or sliced apples.. If your dog has chronic skin and coat problems, itching, scratching, hair loss, most likely it is due to the food you are feeding and poor digestion. Take a look at the brand you are using—does it contain corn and other grains???? Even hypoallergenic diets that are full of potatoes can be potentially problematic because of the high carbohydrate count and the propensity this can cause in creating yeast. A list of potential foods to be avoided can be seen below. There is no “one” allergy diet that works for everyone. Each pet is different. You will need to try a few diets and/or learn how to prepare a homemade diet. We offer Holistic Pet Health Telephone Consultations and also in-person office visits at VCA Arroyo in Lake Forest, CA to assist you with this.

Common Allergens in Pet Food:

Corn

Soy

Gluten (found in wheat, barley, spelt and other grains)

Milk Products

Casein (found in cheese)

Beef (problem for some dogs)

Chicken (problem for some cats and dogs)

Fish (cats can often be allergic)

Peanut Butter (big allergen!)

Ask Ariel offers supplements to help with environmental allergies:

Amazing Omegas— potent formula for lustrous skin and coat
Proaller— homeopathic remedy that reduces a itching, red, itchy eyes and all allergy symptoms
Notatum— works great with Proaller and helps fights infection and inflammation
Syallgen— very helpful for itching and environmental allergies
AllerEaze— excellent for environmental allergies

How To Cure Dog Hot Spots

Dog hot spots, sometimes referred to as moist dermatitis, are a common skin condition experienced by dogs, which is brought on by persistent licking and gnawing at an inflamed area that is causing it irritation. A small inflamed spot can rapidly flare up to cover a much larger surface area, and if left untreated can result in painful pussy lesions causing much discomfort.

Symptoms: Moist dermatitis can be recognized as a hot patch of moist, reddened skin, which is very obviously causing the dog much discomfort and distress. In extreme cases where the skin is broken, the area may be bleeding, and if left untreated can develop into pussy secretions as infection sets in.

Causes: Environmental allergies stemming from grass seeds, pollen, house dust, or reactions to fleas can all cause allergic skin reactions, whilst some dogs are allergic to certain types of foods, or to food additives, which can cause an allergic skin reaction. However, mange mites, anal gland impaction, and side affects from veterinary medicines or injections, may also cause allergic skin reactions in dogs. Dogs with sensitive skins may come out in a skin rash following grooming or shaving, which if aggravated by constant biting at the area could result in moist dermatitis. Moist dermatitis is common amongst all breeds of dogs, but Retrievers, collies and shepherds are more susceptible due to their long thick fur.

Treatment: To treat these types of skin allergies it is necessary to first treat the symptoms, and then to isolate and treat the cause of problem in order to prevent recurrence. When treating a dog at home, it may be necessary to restrain or even sedate the dog, as the skin my be painful to touch, causing him to show aggression when handled. After treatment an Elizabethan collar may need to be temporarily fitted to allow the area to heal without the dog interfering with the wound.

The following steps need to be taken to treat the affected area:

Firstly, the hair surrounding the inflammation needs to be clipped or shaved short so that the infected area can be properly treated.

Wash the affected area with a mild antibacterial soap or shampoo, then gently towel dry to ensure moisture removal, without causing further discomfort to the area.

Keep the inflamed area cool by applying cool compresses. Home remedies using tea bags as a compress to help cool down the skin also help to dry out the lesions.

Depending on the severity of the inflammation and infection, you may need to take a multi-pronged approach to treating the skin lesions. This may include administering oral antibiotics to treat the bacterial infection and antihistamines to reduce inflammation, or the application of a hydro-cortisone or anti-bacterial cream or ointment.

But no matter how successful your treatment, dog hot spots will recur unless the cause of the problem is addressed. You will need to ascertain whether the allergy is food related or caused by some stimulus in the environment, or whether there is some other underlying cause of the reaction. You will then need to take steps to prevent it from flaring up again as this will not only save you time and money, but will spare you and your dog further anguish as well.