# Skin problems



## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

It looks like the Pedigree isn't working for him at all. It's one of the pretty low-end foods. You should be able to find a good mid-range food for a reasonable price. I would also try supplementing with some fish or salmon oil tablets.


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

Ouch, poor baby. To give him some instant relief while you're sorting out foods etc, please look at Micro-Tek shampoo. It can even be used on hot spots, and literally was a life saver for our auto-immune compromised springer. I washed Cody every 3-4 days while he had infections/sores and even now use it for our weekly shampoo. www.eqyss.com


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

I agree with Betty. That shampoo is a wonder. If you cant go for the more expensive food, maybe you can put some fish oil capsules on Max's food to give him the Omega 3. I saw them on sale at Walmart for 6.99 for two bottles.


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## vixen (Jul 26, 2008)

well it got aworse and we went to the vets today.

It was different vet to last time, and he thinks it a food allergie and wants us to try some new food, he also given us some anti biotics.

will keep you posted on how we get on.


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

If he has been neutered, you might also think about having his thyroid checked. A low normal score would be considered very low for a Golden. Some of the symptoms of low thyroid are just as you have described-thinning coat, allergies, etc.


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## coppers-mom (Jan 9, 2009)

Hopefully the new vet will give you better advice and treatment for Max.

My old GR has had skin issues all summer and this fall. It turns out he had a skin infection so everything kept flaring back up. He was finally put on really strong antibiotics and I have to wash him in Chlorhexadine shampoo I buy from my vet.

His skin is looking much better now. He also had the discolored skin, itchy areas, sores and thin coat and it has all improved drastically in the last 6 - 8 weeks. I am not familiar with the Micro-tek shampoo mentioned earlier, but the Chlorhexadine based stuff worked wonders.

I hope Max gets better soon.


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

The first thing I would do is get him on a different food. I wouldn't feed either Pedigree and Hill's. Even though it seems a higher grade food costs more, you actually feed less so the cost won't be much different. And as Tahnee said, have his thyroid checked. His skin problems could be cause by either a food allergy, low thyroid or a combination of both.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

New food and a thyroid check are good ideas. In addition your pup may have environmental allergies. My Barkley has a whole slew of things that set him off including grasses, molds, ragweed, cedar, and some things I've never heard of. Usually antihistamines help him. We have him on generic chloraphenamarine and hydroxyzine. Once he got a staph infection and we did a double shampoo regimine with a couple of prescription shampoos (Malasab was one and the other I can't remember) but we had to leave each one in for 20 minutes by shampooing, waiting 20 minutes, rinsing, shampooing with the second shampoo, waiting 20 minutes, rinsing. Thank goodness it was in the summer. We walked him around the block while we waited. The neighbors must have thought we lost our minds walking a dog with shampoo suds! During this time I kept on insisting on a thyroid check and after a full panel sent of to MSU he was diagnosed with hypotyroidism. Antibiotics, weekly shampoos and thyroid medication did the trick.


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## alanckaye (Feb 7, 2009)

I ordered some of the spray and shampoo for Karma and KD, they are driving me crazy with the biting, itching and licking - it's not fleas, their skin seems dry - I found Gold Bond medicated cream and put that on their tummies because they were biting all down there - their tummies are really smooth and nice now but it doesn't seem to work on other areas. As for the fish oil, just fish oil that humans take? Do you just get them to eat it or put it in food? thanks


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## rappwizard (May 27, 2009)

I give Mac one fish oil capsule daily (Omega 3) that I buy at Publix (1000 MG). The capsule is slippery enough where I can entice her to swallow it, but to make things easier for me (and for her) I put it in between a sliced cube of cheese, right before her morning meal, and give it to her that way.


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

You can just give them the capsules as treats or put it on their food.
Mine eat Nature's Variety Prairie Salmon and Gunner's (who has hypothyroid and allergy issues ) coat became so soft, super thick and lush.

Right now we are having allergy issues again because I tried a supposedly healthy treat and he obviously had an allergic reaction.

Good Luck! Poor baby. Those sores look nasty. Gunner's skin doesn't seem to be affected,but his hair falls out. We are getting his thyroid checked again next week.


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## alanckaye (Feb 7, 2009)

can I ask how long it took to get relief with the fish oil?


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## paula bedard (Feb 5, 2008)

Ike is having some similar issues with itching right now. His is definitely not food related as nothing's changed. I'm assuming it's the weather and dryness resulting from indoor heat. I had him bathed and groomed just before Christmas and he felt wonderful for about a week and then the itching started up again. I'm giving fish oil and kelp supplements with his food now to help bolster his skin and coat. I've put Gold Bond powder on his itchiest spots and when I'm in the house, I'm now keeping a large T shirt on him so he can't get to him belly. THIS has worked wonders! He loves wearing it too....go figure.  I'm going to try the Shampoo Betty suggested. Good luck with your itchy guy too.


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## vixen (Jul 26, 2008)

we having him thyroid tested, and to hear from the vets if they will use the companey I want to do allergie tests with. My vet will do it the pratice manager stopped using the companey resently.

to keep updated with Max's progress see his skin diary thread


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## ginger&diego (Jan 8, 2010)

is it expensive to have the thyroid checked-my vet has never suggested that before -he has suggested allergy testing which is expensive. online i read that intradermal skin testing is better than allergy testing-not sure how expensive that is. has anyone heard of that.


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