# Swimmers itch?



## HudsensMama9 (Dec 17, 2009)

Hi! I'm having the same issue with Hudsen. I'm taking him to the vet tomorrow so I will update you if she gives me any information!


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## MidasMom (Jun 2, 2010)

Hot dog! Let me know what you find out. Looks like I might be visiting the vet as well. My poor itchy dog!


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

There have been a couple of discussions on Work_Gold regarding "duck yuckies" and extreme itchiness and rashes, that did not respond to normal treatment. At least one person had good luck with having her vet give injectable ivermectin-her dog was miserable, losing weight and hair, very red/rashy abdominal area-and the ivermectin cleared it up.


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## HudsensMama9 (Dec 17, 2009)

I took Hudsen to the vet today and she seemed to think his allergies are flaring up and his itchy skin and scabs are due to allergies rather than the water. She gave me some medicine to help with the itching, but once that is gone she said to give him 2 benadryl twice a day (he weighs 63lbs). Maybe Midas is developing some allergies too as they are pretty common this time of year. You could try benadryl for the itching too and see if that helps.


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## Mssjnnfer (Aug 9, 2009)

Last summer the dogs got super itchy after swimming all the time, so now we rinse them really well after they get done in a pond or lake. We haven't had any problems at all this summer.


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## MidasMom (Jun 2, 2010)

Thanks for the info everyone. And thank you HudsensMama9 for letting me know your story on Hudsen's vet visit. I am thinking Midas is having allergies too and maybe not so much do to the swimming either. Ugh, gotta love this time of year, NOT! Well, not the hotter than heck weather anyway. Hope Hudsen is itch free soon. Gonna try the benedryl tonight.


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## HudsensMama9 (Dec 17, 2009)

No problem! And thank you  I hope so too. My poor little boy. I'm still leary about letting him swim though. I tried benadryl on Tuesday and then yesterday before we went to the vet. He has been on her meds (which is essentially the same thing) since yesterday and I've only seen him scratch a couple times. Let me know how the benadryl works out for Midas. Just to warn you, the benadryl might make him a little sleepy. I gave some to Hudsen before bed on Tuesday and I had a hard time getting him to get up for breakfast yesterday! haha.. Poor guy. I hope it helps Midas and it's not the water.. Goldens love water too much, so it'd be terrible to have to keep them out of it!


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

Lib and Tracer are recovering from a bout of itchy-scratchies. 
The only place that they went, that Lexi didnt, was a local pond. Both were bathed and thoroughly dried as soon as we got home - but the next day were very itchy.
I treated with a cone, benedryl and hydrocortizone cream for a couple of days, but no relief....so called the vet.
They are on a three day prednisone burst (then taper).
After the first dose...the itching has completely stopped. The redness is fading fast. Thankfully no skin infections...


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## Wyatt's Human (Jul 2, 2014)

*canine schistosomiasis or water dermatitis*

Two out of three of my boys get swimmer's itch in our lake up north. Wyatt is always hunting minnows and spends a couple of hours or more every day in the water. He's always biting and itching his feet in the spring and the vet said it was allergies and to give him Zyrtec everyday. He seems to itch more up at the lake and I've wondered about swimmer's itch for him. 

Found this recent article and will be checking for the symptoms. If he has any pustules, I will be asking for the meds from the vet just in case. 

Swimmer's Itch on Dogs | eHow


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## Stardust (Apr 22, 2015)

So, I see this is an old post. Did anyone ever resolve this pond issue? My Star went to visit her brother at his "resort" and spent 2 days swimming in his pond. She was not itchy when she went. As soon as I picked her up I noticed itching, the next day, hot spots and now it is 10 days later and her skin is still red and itchy. She is on prescription allergy meds, I have bathed her in antibac/antifungal shampoo, and did 2 days of cortisone. The cortisone helped for a few days and then the itchies came back.  Her skin is all dark pink. Did anyone find anything that worked? Note... the dogs she was visiting do not have this issue and swim in the pond daily.


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## Golden9 (Jun 13, 2016)

After swimming, I would rinse the sea water or natural water off with fresh water, rub with a towel to remove excess water, then spray or sponge with White Vinegar. The itching is caused by yeast overgrowth that grows like crazy when your dog is wet for awhile and the yeast makes the dog itch, and the ears too. Vinegar kills the yeast on the hair and skin, let the vinegar air dry. I also had a squirt bottle that I would fill with vinegar, and would fill each ear with vinegar, let them shake, and its done. Vinegar air drys. Do NOT put vinegar on sores or red irritation as it will sting. 
The vinegar prevented yeast overgrowth, and the ears stayed healthy even with swimming daily in the sea.
The yeast overgrowth seems to be worse in Goldens that are overvaccinated. As the vaccines can damage the immune system, so the yeast growth is not controlled in an unhealthy dog. And I had a feline aids cat with yeast overgrowth, so 
we put vinegar in the ears, when the cat was wrapped up like a burrito in a towel. And that stopped the yeast overgrowth in my cats ears too.

I had a Golden puppy with every bad side effect from the puppy vaccines, so the immune system was so damaged by the puppy vaccines, that controlling the yeast was a big issue. We had to use vinegar daily to control it. The vets are clueless and didn't even have a solution except selling overpriced allergy chemical medicine. That was way before I started researching health in dogs. The allergy medicine only worked a short time then cancer from the chemical medicine.

I adopted a non vaccinated Golden that was the healthiest Golden ever. No health issues at all. Could swim, no yeast problems, no ear problems. no hot spots, no allergies, Never had a health issue because the Golden had never been chemical vaccinated, the holistic vet only used natural nosode vaccines to prevent disease so there were no side effects ever. The holistic vet said that is the difference if a dog or cat is Not poisoned with chemical vaccines at all than they have a chance to be healthy for life and a chance to live longer and healthier than the chemical vaccinated pets. I was amazed at the difference, no health issues and just healthy. The holistic vet said Goldens are super sensitive to chemical vaccines and chemical meds, so it is imperative to find natural alternatives when possible to maintain health for life for a Golden.


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