Itchy Dog for 6 Months - All tests NEGATIVE - HELP!
 

k so I've been not posting this because I know once I type this that it's real... and I can't have my baby be sick because with me having the brain tumor AND neural Behcet's Disease AND endometriosis my husband and I have enough scary days...plus my luck is awful...and we had a cat once that, after having him a year, he developed an allergy or an illness that caused him to be so itchy he would EAT HIS OWN FLESH - I'm talking TO-THE-BONE (no - I'm not exaggerating - the vet had us put him down pleading we be 'humane'...)...

...anyway - so Rock Star has been itching his EVERYTHING since the day we got him. Sometimes he scratches his ears (does the hine-leg thumper move?) and CRIES - so I assumed fleas but found none after numerous baths. So we began weekly vet visits where they checked for fleas - found none every time - and had us do weekly baths with this vet shampoo for itchy skin (for canines) - but no luck. So next he did a skin scrape in FIVE different spots and found nothing under the scope... so they gave us REVOLUTION in case it was mange and we waited on the culture. Still, he spends 50% of his day itching and crying!! We finished the revolution (which is for fleas, ticks, and heartworm) and they had us give him these tablets for 2 months - 2 a day for 1 month and then 1 every other day - he took them like a champ but STILL - no change! We thought it was our house or something in it and luckily we were moving the month after we got him to upstate NY. Now we're in a brand new apartment and a culture came up positive for YEAST so now we wipe him down with these yeast wipes daily - but STILL he is itching. I have no idea what this is and what to do. He was 'the itchy one' at the breeder too but I just assumed he had fleas (we've done lots of rescue work so we're used to this and I'm the kind of reject who adopts the 3 legged puppy if you know what I mean so his itchiness just made us want him more) but no dice. I've tried tea-tree oil spray for itchy skin - no luck. And the vet insists he's fine but his life is spent 50% of the time itching and whimpering while he itches!!! Please help!!

It sounds like his quality of life isn't very good right now. It sounds like the vet has been trying to do the right things, but I think they are declaring him okay way too early. So I'd get a second opinion. Actually, probably best to just go straight to a dermatologist since it's so bad.

What was done to rule out allergies and systemic yeast issues?
Did the vet offer to go ahead and give steroids to try and stop the itch cycle for a bit?

have you checked what washing powder and conditioner you use on his bedding? sounds dumb , but it could be as simple as that (I hope) xx

Have you tried a chicken and rice diet (homecooked) for a few days?

Chicken (in dog food) is at the top of the list of allergens in Yorkies.

When you used the Revolution, did you repeat the dose in 2-3 weeks? Did you see any improvement at all for a few days?

Do you use any plug in air freshners? Have new carpeting?

Does he itch in all parts of the house and outside... or is it worse in a particular room or outside?

Are you feeding him out of plastic food and water dishes?

Are you using oatmeal based shampoo on him? Do you use a conditioner?

:thumbup: These are all awesome questions! My little Gizzy used to itch and itch too as does our new puppy Teddi. The pollen count in FL is horrible! We use Duoxo shampoos from the veterinarian. With Giz we used the seborrhea one and with Teddi it is the Calming one. Both of these are great but they still itch from being outside. *sigh*

Has he taken any oral meds for his yeast infection? (I'm assuming it's prednisone he had taken before)

Does he feel oily or gooey to touch and smell weird?

Yeast (Malassezia) Infections in Dogs

Not dumb... excellent question.:D


Tea tree oil can be toxic to dogs... it has to be less than 5% in solution and not applied too frequently.

Revolution also kills Sarcoptic mites...

The dog needs to see a board certified veterinary dermatologist as soon as possible for an opinion. My dog was eating herself raw and the dermatologist got right to the issues since that is their specialty. Good luck.

Great idea! :D

Also if the dog has yeast, you can try Maleseb shampoo or even a 50% white vinegar to 50% water solution which I have been told works well (ask LadyJane about this). If those fail, the dog will likely need oral medicine (i.e. ketoconazole) for the yeast.

Thanks! PS love the new avatar! :D

Oh thanks... I was going to PM you about yours the other day... nice!:D

What made your pup itch so badly?

:goodpost: Ya I agree you should get a second opinion, sounds like allergies and prednisone or something should help to stop it at least temporarily. I wouldn't settle for being told he's fine.

I agree with everyone else. It's time to ask for a referral to a board certified dermatologist.

We've bought done everything from trashing his bedding, toys, and clothes and re-buying it ALL to washing his things in boiling water and using just his dog shampoo for sensitive skin to clean his clothes

They drew blood, did cultures, tested skin samples, had him on steroid pills (after doing an injection first) - no change. We have two vets - a woman and a man - both unaffiliated - both ran shot-gun work-ups (for the first 8 weeks we had him we had a visit with each per week - $$$$$$$$$$$$$$) - they don't know what else to do as we've seemed to rule everything out in terms of allergies...

Did they do a Bile Acid Test to check his liver function?

Sounds systemic... maybe oral meds will help... definitely time to see a derm specialist...

Many shampoos for sensitive skin contain oatmeal... and some pups are allergic to it... Maybe try coconut oil based shampoo as it is good for the skin and coat.

Revolution had 3 doses - did the first and wrote down each administration; hence we did each of the 3 doses with 14 days to the dot between doses... 0 change.

He doesn't go outside. As I said, he was the "itchy one" of the pups when I was at the breeders house but papers stated he was healthy. Itching continued through treatments at my parents house (where we lived until moving an hour upstate to an apartment 4 weeks later - but continued to drive down back 1x a week to see the vet). We moved to a new apartment - he still itches....

...in every room...

As I stated above - we went as far as to try 3 different types of bowls and 3 different foods (eukanuba puppy hard, caesar puppy wet food, and in the beginning mighty dog until I read about the ingredients) - the bowls were 2 and one ceramic....

no air fresheners (we have asthma) - no perfume on me or my husband - and we've changed our sheets as well as are on a new bed now that we've moved and no change - also changed deodorant...

I've also tried oatmeal based lavender puppy wipes for sensitive skin, and tea-tree skin calm for dogs spray for itchy skin...no dice...

He doesn't itch to the point of pulling hair (like when itching his paws) - but still...

OH and they have us dosing his ears daily with ZYMOX OTIV 1.02OZ W/HYDROCOTISONE for apx 2 months...

Done both. No change. Oral steroids have been administered until weened off for a month...no change.

I don't know about the liver...

He's dry - dry coat, cottony - which is why the first thing we ruled out dandruff/dry scalp/flesh by first using the vets' prescription shampoo/conditioner for dry, itchy skin and he smells fine - the vet also is perplexed and smells him up and down (like lifts fur all over and pushes his own face into Rock Stars' coat and takes huge wiffs) and doesn't smell the yeast - in fact, the yeast that they did find was after found after a week-long culture to one of the skin scrapes...

He doesn't tear hair out (like when he is itching his paws) - he has no exposed 'legions' or scaled flesh or scabs...

Have you tried Atopica yet? My Marcel has allergies - and his symptoms are always about the paws...he used to wake at 1am to bite his paws :(. We put him on Atopica and within a week, he was feeling so much better...it was amazing.

We did allergy testing in October, and started allergy shots. Going very well!

I can't recommend a Vet Derm highly enough.

Oh also, try Duoxo Chlor-Hex shampoo...worth a try...our vet derm prescribed it.

That's what we're using and have been since our first vet visit when we first got him..

My dog didn't either but she was very uncomfortable. We saw a vet dermatologist who treated her yeast and put her on Atopica and for the past several years she hasn't itched. Good luck.

Sounds like your vet should have referred you to a dermatologist long ago. It is a shame this poor baby has had months of this. I'll bet there are other YT'ers in your area that could recommend one if he won't. Good luck and your baby is in my prayers as itching can be almost as bad as pain due to the misery and stress of no relief. Keep us posted, please.

Also, I am so sorry you are going through so much yourself. It sounds like you truly have had a horrible time and have had about all you can take with your own health! And still, you are trying to get help for your baby. That is a true Yorkie mommie! God bless you and your husband and pup and hopefully YT prayers will help. Hugs from Tibbe and me!:hands::hands::hands:

Poor baby! We went through something similar with Holly until we went to the derm. Maybe it's time to take him to one. Our vet did everything too, and gave us several medications, but it wasn't until we went to the derm that we figured out it was mites. Also, have you tried a grain free food? California Natural is a good one, but now that Holly's skin is normal we switched to Innova Small Bites, and she LOVES it! I know diet is important when it comes to allergies as well.

it's funny and kind of you to mention condolances in terms of my "terminal condition" (MD quote) - I've made multiple mentions of the hell I'm going through (I itch more than the dog because of the vascular legions literally eating holes through my epidermis from head to toe - not even thinking about what this disease is eating UNDER the skin because all surgeons are too hesitant to cut...) yet everyone is kind of over-reacting to his pain...I gotta say in all honesty I'd trade my life for his in a heart beat - because besides itching he has the life... the reason I care so much is because since this brain tumor just *landed* on my pituitary my hormones both rocketed while others plumetted and a week after my honey moon at age 23 doctors were insisting I get a radical hysterectomy (which I didn't do, thank god...but I haven't menstruated since my honeymoon...I'm turning 26 April 11th...) my biggest dream - the only thing that got me through a very, very difficult emotional and physically traumatizing childhood (or lack-there-of...) was that I could CREATE (what my vision of) *UNCONDITIONAL LOVE* by creating a LIFE...and from age 8 until I was diagnosed I'd watch TLC's "A BABY STORY" back-to-back everyday and I couldn't wait to get pregnant...I never thought I'd get anyone to commit to loving me unless I physically gave them birth hence they'd *have to* love me out of gratitude... and then it was all gone ... then we got a yorkie and were bate-and-switched - the dog turned out to have canine epilepsy and after trying to kill us about 50-100 times in a complex partial seizure-like state we finally agreed with the vet that he be euthanized...and it took us over 2 years before we even SPOKE about getting another dog...now it just seems everything I touch turns to sh*t ...

:rain:

Could he be allergic to the yeast or dyes in the food you feed him?

I will be praying
 

Oh, it sounds like you have had such a bad life with way to much horror for any single person to handle in a whole lifetime - let alone such a young and loving person! The pain you describe is palpable and no wonder you are feeling so desperate. There are no words I can use to say how sorry I am that such a nice person is having to endure such things as you live through daily and who can blame you for wondering why your life has had such misery. It seems that some of the people in this world who really live the most meaningful lives are those who have known great pain and illness and fought their way through somehow. I will pray that your own medical conditions can be successfully treated and that you will come through these awful times strong and true. I believe in the power of prayer.
Please keep us posted with updates and let us know how things are going.:love: