|
Welcome to the YorkieTalk.com Forums Community - the community for Yorkshire Terriers. You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. You will be able to chat with over 35,000 YorkieTalk members, read over 2,000,000 posted discussions, and view more than 15,000 Yorkie photos in the YorkieTalk Photo Gallery after you register. We would love to have you as a member! Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today! If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please click here to contact us. |
|
| LinkBack | Thread Tools |
01-01-2014, 02:40 PM | #1 |
YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: london
Posts: 1
| Help! Constant itching, course/dry & short hair Hello! My name is Virginia and i have a beautiful 9 month old toy yorkie called Lu Lu. When i went to Liverpool to meet the breeder and little lu lu he assured me that her parents were healthy and so were all the pups. He also told me she was the 'runt' of the litter and that i was to take extra special care of her but told me that she was the bravest and most fiesiest of them all. After taking her home and watching her grow months later i realised her hair was not growing as i thought it should so i called the breeder to ask. He said she could have taken after the dad and inherited alopecia (as her dad has alopecia ears) something which he only told me months after when i asked. Ever since i can remember i have noticed her itching but recently over christmas it has got out of control. I have noticed her constantly itching, causing red/dry skin. Her hair has always been very short, wirey and has always shed. She is particularly thin of hair on her head (since it has started changing colour), legs and neck. Her hair is wispy all over but does not seem to grow. I have over the recent months changed her diet from kibble - wet (canned) food, boiled chicken with rice and veg. Over Christmas i took her to the groomers to get her nails clipped, whilst i was there the groomers alerted me saying her hair is not how it should be and could be down to thyroid, mange, hormonal imbalance, skin allergies, food allergies and the list goes on. I told them also that online i have seen many articles written about 'red-legged' yorkie who have short wirey hair... they told me with conviction that this is nonsence and that all yorkies should have long, silky hair. After telling them of the situation they advised i go to the vet asap to see what they suggest. Since then i have taken her to the vets and they seem at a loss. I was recommended antihistamine tablets and a medicated shampoo which i am to bath her in twice a week. The vet also advised me to feed her 1 type of protein starting with raw beef +veg for 1 month, then Boiled chicken +veg for 1 month, raw fish +veg for 1 month..... to see what foods she may be allergic too.( this sounding like a very long process) If her itching persists she suggested she have a skin scraping done (but would put her under local anasthetic to avoid discomfort and mental trauma.) I am going back to London later this month, and have booked an appointment with my regular vet there for a second opinion. Can anyone help me..... please have a look at pictures of lu lu in the album and a picture of her mum and dad. Please help im at such a loss... i just want her to be healthy and happy!!! Your help would be greatly appreciated. |
Welcome Guest! | |
01-02-2014, 08:47 PM | #2 |
Don't Litter Spay&Neuter Donating Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: So Cal
Posts: 9,874
| A skin scraping doesn't require anesthesia! It's a simple procedure where they collect the sample of the skin by gently scraping it w/a scalpel or cotton tipped applicator, then viewing it under the microscope. You must get skin scrape w/cytology done for Lu Lu to rule out any skin issues...I would look for another vet!
__________________ |
01-03-2014, 05:52 AM | #3 |
YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: NY
Posts: 6,582
| I'm not sure what is going on here. I would advise having the skin scrapped and looked at under a microscope. If the vet is not helping you then it may be best to go to a specialist. Do you have a veterinary college you can take her to? They usually have more access to testing that a regular vet would not have. Have you tried adding an Omega 3 supplement to her diet? It is very good for the skin. She could have some sort of allergy to one of the ingredients you are feeding her. Steroid injection can temporarily give relief but that will not be a long term solution. Pinpointing the cause of the itching is really important or you are just playing medication roulette. Sometimes you can find the offending substance by limiting her diet for several weeks and then slowly adding one ingredient at a time, watching for reactions. As for the length of her fur......it could very well be an inherited thing. Did you actually see both parents? Some breeders of less than quality dogs are very reluctant to show buyers both parents. The red legged thing is not a normal attribute for Yorkies. A normal healthy Yorkie will have long flowing hair. If the breeding was not the best then all kinds of variations can happen. It doesn't mean the dog is not a good pet. It just means that the breeding did not produce the type that is typical for the breed. A breeding that results in non typical attributes should not be repeated and the pups should all be spayed and neutered. Sadly, that does not happen in many cases. I hope you can somehow find the solution to your little girls problem. It must be terribly uncomfortable for her. |
01-03-2014, 09:10 AM | #4 | |
Furbutts = LOVE Donating Member Moderator | Quote:
To me it sounds like she either has pyoderma or mites. Pyoderma requires Simplicef x 30 days. Mites is more involved. Btw, you can't always see the mites...in longer infestations (which she may have) the mites actually burrow and live UNDER the skin, so then you need a skin biopsy to test for them. I'd get testing done ASAP both bc of the severity of symptoms, and bc whatever is going on is going to cause worsening problems, and possibly go systemic.
__________________ ~ A friend told me I was delusional. I nearly fell off my unicorn. ~ °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° Ann | Pfeiffer | Marcel Verdel Purcell | Wylie | Artie °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° | |
Bookmarks |
|
|
| |
|
|
SHOP NOW: Amazon :: eBay :: Buy.com :: Newegg :: PetStore :: Petco :: PetSmart