# Need HELP - goldens skin condition



## cody2003 (May 9, 2010)

3 mths ago my golden retrievers whole body broke out in itchy bumps .... benadryl and cortizone shots did NOTHING for him .... took him to vet and he had skin scrapings and blood test .... everything normal but his skin was infected. Vet put him on antibotics, an antihistimin, and predesone. I started him on a food trial with Natural Balance venison/sweet potatoe ....

antibiotics worked for awhile ... pred and antihist didn't work .... his skin started clearing up on top of his body ... than the itchy bumps started on his belly and he started chewing his back feet .... vet upped his meds and he started clearing up, but skin was still infected, and nothing at all ever worked for his itching. Vet changed his antibotics and weaned him off predisone, and took him off antihistimin. He just wasn't getting better. Even with food trial no changes. On out last follow up his ears were all inflated, and he needed surgery to drain them ... now he has drains in them for 2 mths.

He than refered me to a dermatologist ... (I think is a sham) hes very expensive, I spend less than 10 min with him. I asked him to do an allergy test on him ... he says he wants to rule out everything else. He recomends a medicated shampoo, revolution every 2 weeks, same antibiotics and antihistimine.
says come back in a mth. (??? what a joke) now his hair is falling out, and still itching.

Looking for anyone who went through this with there dog ... and why is nothing working and did anyone else have this problem of not finding anything out .... just wonder if it is a waste to go back to this dermatologist. 

Any help would be greatly appreciated .... is there anything else that I could do???

thanks.
Codys mom


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## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

So sorry you are going through this. I would certainly think about changing vets. Thyroid disease can cause skin problems too. Have they done a complete thyroid panel yet?


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## Oakley&SegersMom (Feb 1, 2009)

Hi there - I am so sorry to hear that you are going through this with your golden. All I can offer is that we had similar problems with our Seger - skin condition, brittle coat, infected paws, ear infections etc. I don't think his was as extreme as your's sounds though. We finally tried a single protein source elimination diet. We chose the Natural Balance Duck and Sweet Potato dry food. After one day Seger's entire face puffed up, his eyes were swollen almost closed and runny and he was in obvious distress. What we concluded is that he has a "poultry" allergy. We had been feeding him Eagle Pack which contained chicken, and I guess the Duck (another poultry) in the Natural Balance affected him even more. We now feed Orijen 6-fish and avoid anything with any poultry whatsoever. He has improved 200%. Skin and coat are beautiful, and ears cleared right up. We are still having issues with his paws but Seger has other things going on which we are investigating . We are confident his problems were due to the poultry allergy. Hope you figure it out soon.I know how sad and frustrating it can be when they are so uncomfortable with these ailments. Carol


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## vixen (Jul 26, 2008)

your going through what I been going through for 10 years and finaly got somewhere.

Would highly suggest allergie testing and thyriod testing.

I feel for you I realy do, its so frustrating knowing there something not right and have no idea what it is, sadly allergies take time to sort out if thats what it is, my vet said to me if anti biotic and steroyed don't sort it nine time out of ten its an allergie, we where told this last November when Max's fur was falling out, food trials allergie and thyroid test's later we know he has a Dust allergy (my worse nightmare) and some form of food allergie but not 100% shore what yet.

For years we have delt with horrible dry brttle coat many hot spots and granuolars.

My main adivce it learn what you can online, go prepeard when your at the vets write things down if you need to, and if you beleave your right make shore they know it.

sending hugs as this is not life threatening but its blasted frustrating.


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## cody2003 (May 9, 2010)

Oaklys Dad ...

Yes did the thyroid panel along with the whole blood panel ... everything checked out fine. 

Oakley&SegersMom ..

I'm not convinced he has a food allergy, bcause he has been on the natural balance venison and sweet potatoe for close to 2 mths now, and it isn't making him worse and it isn't making him better. The dermatologist gave me permision to put him on a probiotic, being I was concerned he has been on antibiotics for so long .

Its not a matter of changing vets ... he had a great vet, but he could only do so much before he sent me to the specialist ... which is the dermatologist... which he only saw once so far 2 weeks ago .... will not see him again for another 2 weeks ...??? 

He wanted me to put my dog on The Prescription science diet food for allergys ... I told him no way .... that bit of advice alone concerns me ... his old vet never pushed that horrible food onto me. like I said I have researched and researched untill I got nothing new. Another vet at this point isn't really going to help me .... he is now seeing a specialist .... I think my dog will have lost all his hair by the time I see him again.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

I would find an allergy specialist that will run the full allergy panel bloodtest. 

It's possible he is allergic to the Sweet Potato. One of the dogs that GRRNT has is allergic to everything imaginable, including Sweet Potato, but she is not allergic to regular potatoes.

Have the allergy test run, it's the only way to find out what he is allergic to so you can avoid those in his food and try to elminate or limit his environmental exposure.


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## cody2003 (May 9, 2010)

He is seeing an allergy specialist .... but I was told by him and every other vet, that the ONLY way to find out what food they are allergic too is food trial. That doing a blood test doesn't accurately tell you what food he is allergic too .... they said no sense wasting money on it .... they can do an allergy test that will test for pollons etc ... airbourn allergens .

I am curious to know, when you found out your dog was allergic to pollon, what are you doing for him .... did the vet give him some special allergy medication for it?


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

Since his lab work came back ok, please buy some Micro Tek shampoo by eqyss ( www.eqyss.com ). It literally saved our Cody's life when we first adopted him. He had autoimmune issues and his skin was one giant infection. I bathed him every few days while he was bad. It really helped keep the infections at bay and gave him IMMEDIATE relief. Your dog may still need antibiotics if there is an active staph infection. BTW, some tack stores sell the micro-tek or you can order online. Also, you might want to do some reading on the great dane lady's site about yeast infection which can also manifest as severe skin issues (www.greatdanelady.com) . We also used the nzymes and a probiotic/dietary enzymes with Cody. In fact, now all our crew gets it. You can see how healthy Cody's (springer) coat looks now in my siggie.


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## cody2003 (May 9, 2010)

Thank you everyone for all your info .... just was looking for something I havent already learned .... 

Penny & Maggie's Mom,

Cody is still on antibiotics, his skin is still infected .... I am giving him a probiatic, but it is the powderd kind ... which is hard to do .... when a dog is still on antibiotics, they cant be taken at same time ... only 2 hours apart .... I give cody his pills with his food, or he gets sick ... so it is hard to use the powder, casue I have to feed him again .... do you have the probiaotic in pill form? and where did you get it, I looked at all pet stores in my area and they don't sell them.

also Cody had his skin scraped for evrything, he doesn't have a yeast infection either ...

I think I used that shampoo before I took him to vet ... this allergy vet has him on a medicated Etiderm shampoo .... should maybe check out the other to se if it makes a difference .... just frustrated, I wanted to get an allergy test on him, but this specialist works from the bottom up ... I guess its to soak up all of my money he can ....


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## vixen (Jul 26, 2008)

Mate if you want an allergie test demand it, its your money.

I made my vets use a lab they'd stop using because thats what I wanted.

Whats the food they wanna use?


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## cody2003 (May 9, 2010)

The allergy specialist wanted me to put my dog on one of the worst food on the planet ...

science diet prescription by hills .... he was a little annoyed by my rejection of it.

I figured he is the specialist, my last resort as of now, that is why I didin't fight it, figured he must know what he is doing .... ????


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## BayBeams (Jan 3, 2010)

I am sorry you didn't get much help from your dermatologist. I see you live in the Los Angeles area. I got great help from a dermatologist in Tustin for both my cat and my dog. The thing about skin problems is that it can be a bit of trial and error until you find what works best for your particular pup's condition, especially if it is related to allergies. 
Definitely I would make sure there is no thyroid problem as that is a big skin culprit. 
Best of luck!


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## vixen (Jul 26, 2008)

cody2003 said:


> The allergy specialist wanted me to put my dog on one of the worst food on the planet ...
> 
> science diet prescription by hills .... he was a little annoyed by my rejection of it.
> 
> I figured he is the specialist, my last resort as of now, that is why I didin't fight it, figured he must know what he is doing .... ????


Max was on the J/D for about 3 years and its great, the allergy stuff is not, never had such an unhappy dog, and his poo's well I had to trim his fethers they still haven't grown back yet, they where beautiful but we where getting streaks. So I understand your reation to it. We are on James welbeloved now but not shore what you would use in the US.

I had problem with so called specialist's granted it was with a ferret, but this guys was supose to be the BIG man when it came to them, he was utter rubbish, made my old girl suffer 6 weeks longer than she should have done. Some Of these vets get to big for there boots. As I said its your money you call the shots.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

Hope I'm not reiterating, but did they do the full thyroid panel and have it sent out? Many vets don't realize that a reading of low normal is actually low in goldens and needs supplementation. If this could be a possibility, you may want to look at Dr Jean Dodds site, www.hemopet.com She is a leading expert in the field ( and located in CA).


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## cody2003 (May 9, 2010)

Yeah, his original vet did the thyroid panel .... his thyroid is normal .... thats why I was refered to the allergist .... It would have been so much easier to have had a thyroid problem .... just wished his itching responded to the antihistimes or cortizone so he could have relief .... would make the waiting for answers easier.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

If you have copies of his labs, you may want to arrange a phone consult with Dr. Dodds. She has done this with several members here and also on the AIHA board and she is very helpful.


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## BayBeams (Jan 3, 2010)

Penny & Maggie's Mom said:


> If you have copies of his labs, you may want to arrange a phone consult with Dr. Dodds. She has done this with several members here and also on the AIHA board and she is very helpful.


Her office at Hemopet is located in Orange County and you can actually go there for a consultation in person if you would like her opinion.


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## Katie and Paddy's Mum (Mar 31, 2010)

This sounds like such a confusing, frustrating and very painful process for you and of course your pup. 
I too wanted to pipe in and tell you to insist on an allergy panel for both food borne and inhaled allergies. I have had such testing done on two occasions and they have worked and helped me to eliminate right away. The only problem now though is that your dog has been on steroids and anti-biotics and I am not sure if that will create false readings on the test. But don't let anyone tell you that those tests are not good - I find, while expensive, they have worked for me.
I agree with you about the science diet - i too would not feed it. vet's recommend it because it has limited ingredients. I know a lot of people on this board that have had lots of luck with raw diets - as their dogs react to grains (often causing severe skin infections). It might be worth investigating even in the short run. Again it is very limited in it's ingredients and contains no grain. I do not do raw but I personally know two dogs that have had skin issues completely clear up on a raw diet (not Golden's, but other breeds - a chinese crested and a German Shepard). Granted, their issues were not as bad, but they were recurrent ear and skin infections. It might be worth a try - at this point, trying any kind of an elimination diet should be considered and raw is one with the most limited of ingredients and it would quickly become apparent whether things were getting better or not. If you choose to go that route there are a lot of knowledgeable people on this site that could certainly help.
I know you mentioned things did not get worse when you fed the venison diet, but things should get better. It might just appear it did not get worse because of all the anti-biotics etc. 
If it is some kind of a staph infection you would need some really powerful antibiotics.

As for the consult with Dr. Dodd's regarding thyroid panel - it too might be worth a shot. I just consulted with her last week after my vet told me Katie's panel results were perfect - but she said Katie is low-normal and needs supplementation as she is a Golden Retriever.

I wish I could be of more assistance. Your poor guy sounds like he is in misery. 
But please if nothing else, look into the allergy testing - it really worked for my dogs!
Sending you good wishes


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## Katie and Paddy's Mum (Mar 31, 2010)

Just another quick note -
to reach Dr. Dodd's send her an email at [email protected]
within the subject of the email note that you want a consult re: thyroid panel for your dog.
In your email detail some of the conditions noted and note the results of any thyroid panel testing you had performed. Preferabally more than just a T4 was run. 
She too may say all is normal, but her insights are worth it!


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

cody2003 said:


> The allergy specialist wanted me to put my dog on one of the worst food on the planet ...
> 
> science diet prescription by hills .... he was a little annoyed by my rejection of it.
> 
> I figured he is the specialist, my last resort as of now, that is why I didin't fight it, figured he must know what he is doing .... ????


Though I'm not a fan of SD either, I'd personally follow the vet's advice for the short term to see if there's improvement. You can't complain that the vet's advice isn't working if you pick and choose what you're following based on internet rumors about a particular piece of the regimen. Dogs may not have great coat or energy on SD, but it won't kill him, and it might help him.

It sounds like antibiotic resistant staph to me, but it would be really hard to say if the skin infection is perpetuating itself because it's resistant or if the allergies are persistently making the skin hospitable to infections.

Since the dog's been on prednisone without improving, I'm inclined to think it's antibiotic resistant staph. Has the bacteria been cultured?


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

cody2003 said:


> He is seeing an allergy specialist .... but I was told by him and every other vet, that the ONLY way to find out what food they are allergic too is food trial. That doing a blood test doesn't accurately tell you what food he is allergic too .... they said no sense wasting money on it .... they can do an allergy test that will test for pollons etc ... airbourn allergens .
> 
> I am curious to know, when you found out your dog was allergic to pollon, what are you doing for him .... did the vet give him some special allergy medication for it?


I don't understand why an allergy vet would tell you that! The test is definitive, it most definitely shows what they are allergic to.

It is absolutely worth it to have the blood tests run for allergies. Go look at GRRNT's website and Delta. She had the bloodtest done, it identified exactly what she is allergic too, food and environmental. She has improved 100% since getting her off the food she was allergic to.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Board members, can anyone direct Cody to a good allergy vet in the Los Angeles area?


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

mylissyk said:


> Board members, can anyone direct Cody to a good allergy vet in the Los Angeles area?


Andrea already referred him to someone in Tustin.

I'd also recommend a homeopathic vet, Dr. Gael Parks. She's at Best Friends Animal Hospital in Studio City (San Fernando Valley).


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## Duke's Momma (Mar 1, 2007)

So, maybe I missed it, but how old is your dog? I noticed at one point that he was on some food for 3 years with no problems, so he's at least 3 years old.

The dermatologist is trying to SAVE you money as a full panel of allergy tests is very expensive. I would insist on the blood tests right away however. There's several schools of thought concerning that - Duke's regular vet said they are a waste of money. His therapy vet said absolutely they can get good answers.

Because he was suffering so and we were short on money, we did do the blood panels. Although it showed that he was allergic to most everything through trial and error and being very observant we discovered that most of his discomfort was caused by environmental allergies.

One winter we had snow on the ground for over 60 days - a record. During that time, he did not itch once. NOT ONCE. Once the snow melted and the dry grass was showing up again, his allergies kicked into high gear. Same thing happened the next year. LIGHT BULB! 

In the summer we bathed him manytimes 2 x per week with medicated shampoo. We allowed it to sit on him for up to 20 minutes manytimes - continuing to mist so it would remain active. Then we would use a steroid cream/conditioner to leave on his skin and kept gold bond spray around to spray any particularly red itchy areas in between baths.

Also, a good secret is to rinse prior to sudsing with baking soda.

I'm thinking either thyroid as well, (if there isn't a base level for his thyroid it could still be wacked and you not know it if you don't know his norm - check it again and see if the levels have changed) or some environmental issue - have you changed soaps, laundry detergents, rinse - anything there at all? Something different in your yard? Have you moved and the tap water is different? Do you have plastic bowls instead of ceramic or metal?

Bless his heart - I know he's miserable.

I would insist on at least the blood panel and start bathing several times a week to give him some relief. Oh, and maybe acupuncture for a short time as well as the homeopathic.


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## eeneymeanymineymo (Oct 5, 2009)

Anyone mention Staph Bacterin injections?

This might be interesting reading:

http://www.revmedvet.com/2007/RMV158_234_238.pdf


Also, homeopathic approach of Vitamin A, C & E plus added fatty acids (Omega 3 & 6) to strengthen the Immune System (Vit A & C), Vit A facilitates healing of sores, Vit C relieves allergies and the combination of Vit. C & E enhances the antioxidant effect in Vit E which is also an anti-inflammatory. 

I am not a fan of feeding my goldens sweet potato or any type of potato in their diet. A diet of no corn, no wheat and no soy may help your boy. The food I feed my goldens does not give them bad ears or any skin issues. I have switched food on a new dog that was eating another brand that gave them red, stinky ears and within 2 weeks on my food, ears cleared up.

Good luck and I hope you can find someone to help your boy!


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Beef, egg, chicken, and dairy are the most common food allergens, just as an FYI.

That bacterin injection thing sounds really cool; I'd still want to see if they could culture a particular strain from the sores first.


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## cody2003 (May 9, 2010)

Cody doesn't have anything like staph .... is that from a skin scraping? becasue he has had his skin scraped and tested for everything ....

Also someone mentioned the allergy test results wouldn't come out acurate if he has steroids in his system .... thanks for reminding me, ( I forgot about this) that is the reason he is waiting to do allergy test, all the cortizone and predisone needs to be out of his system.

Katie and Paddy's Mum, can you tell me exactly what kind of FOOD allergy testing you had doen on your dog? I was told by many and even researching the internet also says that bllod test for food allergy isn't accurate and most vets don't do that.... I would really like to know what you did. thanks

The reason I will NOT use the science diet food, is becasue it is a food that they (vets) make money selling ... my regular vet (they do sell it also) told me it is NOT the best food and that Natural Balance Limited diet is much better, and after researching and talking to others.... I agree.

As for everything else the dermatologist recomended, I am doing. I go back and forth on the raw diet, becasue I hear 2 different sides to it .... and I would have to find the raw protien like lamb, venison, rabbit etc.... a protein he has never had before. 

The problem with the dermatologist, si he give you less than 10 min of his time makes recomendations what to do and says come back in a mth .... no in betweens.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Skin scrapings would be to look for mites, and maybe fungus. Without seeing the bumps, I can't say if they look like a typical staph infection or not, but given that steroids didn't help him, an infection might make sense. Most skin infections start with staph, and many kinds of staph have antibiotic resistance of one kind or another.


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## RedDogs (Jan 30, 2010)

cody2003 said:


> The reason I will NOT use the science diet food, is becasue it is a food that they (vets) make money selling ... my regular vet (they do sell it also) told me it is NOT the best food and that Natural Balance Limited diet is much better, and after researching and talking to others.... I agree.


My understanding of the prescription allergy diet by SD is that the protein is so broken down that the body cannot react to it. LID could be an option if your dog is not allergic to the ingredients in it, but the processing of the SD product is very, very different and why it can be very successful in some cases.

I'm no expert on foods or SD (....typically not something I feed! But the prescription diets have way more research to back them than other 'high quality kibbles') but I think there's more to the prescription diet than money/promotions. The product can be functional.


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## cody2003 (May 9, 2010)

eeneymeanymineymo

he is on a diet of no corn, no wheat and no soy , that what Natural Balance is, it has 2 ingrediants .... he just so happens to be on sweet potatoe and venison, have also tried the potato and duck

Dukes Mom ...

I have changes detergents to hypo allergenic , dried all his and my bedding without dryer sheets, and we have hardwood floors so I steam cleaned them all to make sure it wasn't anything in the house.

tippykayak

Beef, egg, chicken, and dairy are the most common food allergens, just as an FYI.

yeah, Im aware, thanks.

also, his skin was tested for mites, fungus etc .... his skin is infected, that is why he is has been on an antibiotic for 3 mths now. I took him off the antihistimines ...they do not work for him at all.

I also had to take him off of pet tab vitamins for the food trial, and he is also on a probiotic, and I recently am adding omaga oils to his diet.

also for who ever asked ... cody turned 8 in feb, and shortly after is when this started.


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## maggie1951 (Apr 20, 2007)

Poor boy its make my skin itch just reading it.
I used to have a JRT many years ago with skin probles we had tried everything we had to bath her in lethal stuff we had to get like a wet suit on to bath her it helped a bit but then my husband was listening to homophatic vet on the radio and he recomended evening primrose oil tablets so we thought why not and it took about 3 months to get in her system but she never had those problems again  now Blarney my JRT i have now has had itchy skin and i have put him on them and its helping he is nowhere near as bad as he was.


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## Duke's Momma (Mar 1, 2007)

cody2003 said:


> eeneymeanymineymo
> 
> he is on a diet of no corn, no wheat and no soy , that what Natural Balance is, it has 2 ingrediants .... he just so happens to be on sweet potatoe and venison, have also tried the potato and duck
> 
> ...


I wasn't meaning NOW, I was meaning something that maybe triggered a reaction. How old is he?


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## eeneymeanymineymo (Oct 5, 2009)

Sorry ~ I meant a no corn, no soy and no wheat food as well as no sweet potatoes. Natural Balance Sweet Potato and Venison lists the first 10 ingredients as:
Sweet Potatoes, Venison, Potato Protein, Canola Oil, Dicalcium Phosphate, Potato Fiber, Flaxseed, Natural Flavor, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Chloride,

That is a lot of potatoes in my opinion as well as carbs. I have fed this food before and honestly did not like it for my goldens. Protein is too low and so is the fat at 20% protein/10% fat.

Tippykayak mentioned the staph and most skin issues are related to staph. His skin is infected still after 3 months of antibiotics, and the antihistamines aren't working either?? Are you drying him with a dryer after bathing him? Getting the skin completely dry helps. 

I hope you can find some relief for your boy soon.


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## cody2003 (May 9, 2010)

Actually sweet potatoes and potatoes are NOT on the list of common allergys ... 

They wouldn't make allergy formulas with potatoes if it was on list .... even the vets recomend these foods .... many other brands besides Natural Balance like ukanoba (sp) have duck and potatoe allergy formulas....

although some dogs could still be allergic to them as anything else not on the list.


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## MILLIESMOM (Aug 13, 2006)

when Millie started to have problems with allergies, my vet put her on Purina HA. It is very expensive, but it helped her out. I kept her on it until she cleared and then he suggested California Natural Herring and Sweet Potato. She did not have anymore issues unless she got a snack with corn or wheat in it she also had a mild allergy to chicken. Ask about Purina HA at your vet.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Going back to the original post: if cortisone shots did nothing at all, I don't see how it could be allergies. If antibiotics kind of worked but didn't kick it completely, why isn't a resistant staph infection being considered here? It seems like the frontrunner in terms if likelihood.


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## Duke's Momma (Mar 1, 2007)

I agree with Tippy after reconsidering this. Call the dermatologist and make another appointment. Or, if you're not comfortable with this one, get another name from your vet and go there.

While they're messing around, your boy is probably going nuts with the itching!

Can we see a picture?


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## cody2003 (May 9, 2010)

This is cody ....








Okay, I'm confused ... is a staph infection tested through a skin scraping? becasue he had all the skin scrapings ... which concluded his skin was infected ...

somebody mentioned in a PM to take him to a dermatologist .... he is seeing one.

someone mentioned he could be allergi to potatoes and sweet potatoes .... than in that case, what is a good Limited Ingrediant food? not purina or science diet ... and does anyone know of already pre packaged limited raw food diet with limited ingredients?

he isnt itching non stop .... he has his moments .... and I realized the reason the dermatologist couldn't do an allergy test on him is because he needs to get rid of all the steroids in his body, said could take 5-6 weeks ... than he would do it.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

What is "okay" on the thyroid panel? Did they do a free T3 and Free T4 -= a complete panel? 

Low normal is NOT okay for a Golden - if the results were in the low normal range I'd insist on supplementation. 

Send the results to Dr. Jean Dodds, as well.


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## cody2003 (May 9, 2010)

He did the thyroid test and he told me everything came back normal .... when the dermatologist read my vets notes on all his test, he didn't question it or have a need to retake it .... The dermatologist he is seeing in studio city california is known as the best ... so spending more money to go else where doesn't make much sence ... I am already very tight with money, being I have already spent so much. I am following the directions of the dr. he is on revelution every 2 weeks, a medicated shampoo every week, antibiotics and probiaotics ... I recently added fish oil to his diet.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

Personally, I'd want a copy of that thyroid panel, and I'd send it to Dr Dodds like I mentioned yesterday and Laura mentioned also. LOTS of vets don't realize that low normal is LOW LOW LOW for goldens and needs supplementation. A consultation with Dr Dodds is a very minimal cost. And her price for a complete panel is less than what most vets charge. She is THE definitive expert in hematology in dogs.. AND in your area of the country. Believe me, if it's thyroid, you will see dramatic improvement quickly once being treated and the meds are cheap.


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## eeneymeanymineymo (Oct 5, 2009)

Did they say it was Pyoderma?

"Pyoderma--Infections of the skin caused by bacteria. Staphylococci are the most common organisms found in Pyoderma's in dogs. Pyoderma are classified as surface, superficial or deep. The origination and development of any of the three types of pyoderma depend on three major factors.
1. The actual disease-causing properties of the invading bacteria
2. The route of entry the bacteria used to penetrate the skin
3. The action or reaction of the animals' immune system toward the bacteria.
4.
Staph infection in dogs is different than the staph infection in humans.
MRSA ( Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) is a greater problem in humans than dogs.
Staphylococcus Aureus--In Humans
Staphylococcus Intermetius--In Dogs. Humans can get Staph Intermedius from Dog Bites. But these bacteria are not contagious to humans or other pets.
Two of the most common types of Surface pyoderma:
1. pyotraumatic dermatitis--Hot Spots (Acute moist dermatitis)
2. Skin fold dermatitis--associated with moisture and accumulation of debris.
Intertrigo--folds: lip, vulva
Mucocutaneous pyoderma--infection is uncommon.
Superficial Pyoderma--Commonly called superficial folliculitis, which present themselves beneath the stratum corneum layer of the epidermis.
1. Impetigo
2. Superficial Bacterial folliculitis
3. Spreading pyoderma
Lesions of Superficial pyoderma:
1. papules--red spots
2. pustules--white heads
3. crusts--scabs
Pyoderma Infection Hair Follicle: Hair will fall out
Alopecia--Hair Loss
Deep Pyoderma--Bacterial infection that extends to the dermis.
1. Folliculitis ( follicle--a small secretory sac or cavity)
The lesions may be localized or generalized and often appear on the face, feet and pressure points.
2. German Shepard pyoderma
3. Muzzle pyoderma
4. Pedal pyoderma
5. Cellulitis
Most dogs with skin infections have an underlying disease related to allergies: Allergic Dermatitis.
Staph recurrance is "Bacterial" Immune Mediated Issues.
Folliculitis-Three Causes:
Bacterial (Staph Bacteria) -which is the most common. Not all bacterial staph infections are irritated, but most are.
Ring Worm--Fungal--The fungi live in dead skin tissues, hairs and nails. Hair loss, usually in circular patches--Fungal Culture 1-3 Weeks.
Demodectic Mange- Generalized demodectic mange is often a sign of underlying internal disease or a hereditary problem.--Skin Scraping
Pseudomonas is a cause of Chronic Ear Disease…Pseudomonas Pyoderma *Blood Blister
Some Staph infections look like hives."


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## eeneymeanymineymo (Oct 5, 2009)

Oma's Pride:

http://www.omaspride.com/products.htm


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

cody2003 said:


> He did the thyroid test and he told me everything came back normal .... when the dermatologist read my vets notes on all his test, he didn't question it or have a need to retake it .... The dermatologist he is seeing in studio city california is known as the best ... so spending more money to go else where doesn't make much sence ... I am already very tight with money, being I have already spent so much. I am following the directions of the dr. he is on revelution every 2 weeks, a medicated shampoo every week, antibiotics and probiaotics ... I recently added fish oil to his diet.


 
"Low normal" for a "canine" is VERY low for a Golden. Your derm specialist will treat the symptoms, not finding the cause. If a complete panel (incl. free T3 and free T4 were done) and the results were low normal, supplementing the dog would be far less expensive, and far more effective. The thyroid controls the immume syste, and skin problems, ear infections, hot spots, allergies, etc, more often than not are directly linked to hypothroidism. Having Dr. Dodd's read the results is very inexpensive, and she is highly regard nationwide as the foremost expert on hypothyroidism. She, like the late great Dr. George Padgett, understands that results are _breed specific._


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## cody2003 (May 9, 2010)

what do you mean by supplementing, is that a vitamin or a medication??? thx


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## nixietink (Apr 3, 2008)

cody2003 said:


> what do you mean by supplementing, is that a vitamin or a medication??? thx


Medication that is _very _inexpensive.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

If the dog is hypothyroid, they supplement with a thyroid medication just as they do in humans. LOW normal is LOW in goldens and needs the med.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

cody2003 said:


> Okay, I'm confused ... is a staph infection tested through a skin scraping? becasue he had all the skin scrapings ... which concluded his skin was infected ...


It depends. Skin scrapings are often taken to look for mites and mange.

When they told you the scrapings showed an infection, did they name it for you? Did they say "staph" or "pyoderma?"


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Just to clarify on the potatoe content in LID foods.

One dog in the rescue had a full allergy blood panel run, which showed, among myriad other things, she is allergic to SWEET Potato, but she is NOT allergic to regular potato. I was only mentioning that as a side note to the food allergy discussion.


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## cody2003 (May 9, 2010)

mylissyk ,

I am going to change his food to be safe, thanks


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## cody2003 (May 9, 2010)

thanks to everyone on here who shared info on the thyroid test ... 

I am going to check with his vet today about those specific results to find out if it is a low normal .... if it is, I will be asking to put him on the meds.


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## nixietink (Apr 3, 2008)

cody2003 said:


> thanks to everyone on here who shared info on the thyroid test ...
> 
> I am going to check with his vet today about those specific results to find out if it is a low normal .... if it is, I will be asking to put him on the meds.


If I were you, I would get a copy of the results from your vet and send them to Dr. Dodds (like PG suggested). I think it's $30 bucks for her analysis of the results.

My vet told me I didn't need supplementation, but Dr. Dodds did. I'm glad I went with suggestion as I have seen much improvement of Vito's condition overall.


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## cody2003 (May 9, 2010)

"My vet told me I didn't need supplementation, but Dr. Dodds did. I'm glad I went with suggestion as I have seen much improvement of Vito's condition overall."
________________

who did you get your meds from than? your own vet or Dr. Dodds?


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## nixietink (Apr 3, 2008)

cody2003 said:


> "My vet told me I didn't need supplementation, but Dr. Dodds did. I'm glad I went with suggestion as I have seen much improvement of Vito's condition overall."
> ________________
> 
> who did you get your meds from than? your own vet or Dr. Dodds?


My own vet. I actually had the test ran through Dr. Dodds and she sent the results to my vet which included her recommendation for how much medication. He said he didn't feel that supplementing was necessary, but that it was up to me. I told him I wanted to follow Dr. Dodd's protocol and they have prescribed the meds for me no problem.


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## eeneymeanymineymo (Oct 5, 2009)

mylissyk said:


> Just to clarify on the potatoe content in LID foods.
> 
> One dog in the rescue had a full allergy blood panel run, which showed, among myriad other things, she is allergic to SWEET Potato, but she is NOT allergic to regular potato. I was only mentioning that as a side note to the food allergy discussion.


Thank you mylissyk for posting this as dogs CAN be allergic to sweet potatoes and regular potatoes ~ that is why I mentioned that PERHAPS the potato and the sweet potato was giving him issues. Not sure what the source of potato protein and potato fiber in the NB food is without asking them. 

"Clinical tests of IgE allergies in 313 cats and dogs at CRVC revealed the top food allergens to be: corn, wheat, soy, yeast, potato and beet. These common allergens are foods these patients should avoid during a 90-day food elimination trial. We suspect that food additives, colorings, and artificial preservatives also cause hypersensitivity. Dogs and cats can develop a food intolerance at an early age: from the maternal antibodies, when their immune system is depressed, following gastrointestinal illness, antigen overload (including vaccinations), or secondary to a parasite infection."

Many dog food companies add corn, wheat, soy, yeast, potato and beet to their formulas so the argument of WHY would NB put sweet potatoes in their food if it wasn't good for them doesn't mean ALL dogs can tolerate sweet potatoes. Same for corn, wheat, soy, yeast and beet.

JMHO and from past experience of feeding almost every dog food out there and those with potato & sweet potato have not worked for my goldens. Found this out many years ago before NB even started making their food. 

Hope you find a solution for your boy.


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## cody2003 (May 9, 2010)

"If I were you, I would get a copy of the results from your vet and send them to Dr. Dodds (like PG suggested). I think it's $30 bucks for her analysis of the results."
____________________________________

I went to her site .... doesn't mention anything about sending out a copy of results to be analysed .... it sounds like a site where you send the actual blood work to them ...

do you know how I go about doing this? I'm not going to get the blood work done again. thanks


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

You can just send results. I know that what Debles did... hope she chimes in....


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

Here's a price list for her consultation fee ($35.) http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/DrDoddsInstructions.htm


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## nixietink (Apr 3, 2008)

View attachment TestRequestForm effective 01 01 2010-6.pdf


There ya go. There is an option to select consultation.


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