Argh! Broken hairs!!!

[capt_noonie]

I'm posting here b/c I think this may be an allergy issue with Uni and not a simple grooming thing. She keeps itching and it's breaking her hairs and that's driving me crazy!

I'm trying to grow out her hair. I want her to have long hair. everyone thinks she's a boy b/c I don't dress her in head to toe pink, it just doesn't suit her LOL. Ok fine, it doesn't suit ME to have her in pink

Anyway, the hairs get all tangled up when she itches, then when I brush them out, trying to be as gentle as possible, tons of hair breaks off and ends up in the comb. The hairs down her spine along the part are literally 1 or 2 inches long! Then the hairs down the side of her body are like 5 or 6 inches long. She gave herself a mullet!!! Also when she scratches her face she breaks hairs out of her clips and makes her look like she has these koopa trooper eyebrows things.

She is now refusing the Ark natural omega oil. I switched her to Wellness less than a week ago, so too soon for any signs of improvement.

Any other tips I could be doing to help her???

[Wylie's Mom]

How old is Uni again?

Besides the face, itching anywhere else? Licking/biting paws? Watery eyes?

It's hard to say...the change to Wellness could help. This sort of reminds of Wylie - when he was younger, omg, it seemed like he was matting SO badly and was more cottony or something. When I switched to cooking, then raw - his coat really changed. But I don't mean you have to switch to that at all...just saying that sometimes, diet does help. Like you mentioned it may take awhile - up to 3 mths possibly.

If this is seasonal/enviro (do you watch pollen.com? ragweed is bad here right now) - you could try some antihistamines and see how that goes. There are different ones you can try - and you'd want to try each for 7-14 days before switching. If you have Childrens Benadryl on hand, you can give 1mg/pound. I have a list of the other antihist. and dosages from my Vet Derm - so I can always get you more options, if needed.

From there, depending on so many things, Atopica, Temaril-P, and steroids come into play. If you think she needs BIG relief and right away, then a steroid shot would be the answer. But, if you think you have time - then I'd vote for waiting for the diet to see, and trying anithists.

What about trying to put the Ark Oil on bread...have you tried that? I may have mentioned that in a previous post. I hope she feels better...I truly know how frustrating this can be...

[kalina82]

business in the front, party in the back! hahahaha sorry Uni i couldn't help myself.

[kalina82]

ok, now for my helpful hint, tho i think i may have posted this before to you...could have been someone else tho, i don't really remember.

Morgan wasn't overly fond of the fish oil either So i switched to Coconut oil and she LOVES it so much more. it stopped her chewing at her feet i think.

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by kalina82

business in the front, party in the back! hahahaha sorry Uni i couldn't help myself.

LOL. LOVE that saying.

[capt_noonie]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

How old is Uni again?

Besides the face, itching anywhere else? Licking/biting paws? Watery eyes?

It's hard to say...the change to Wellness could help. This sort of reminds of Wylie - when he was younger, omg, it seemed like he was matting SO badly and was more cottony or something. When I switched to cooking, then raw - his coat really changed. But I don't mean you have to switch to that at all...just saying that sometimes, diet does help. Like you mentioned it may take awhile - up to 3 mths possibly.

If this is seasonal/enviro (do you watch pollen.com? ragweed is bad here right now) - you could try some antihistamines and see how that goes. There are different ones you can try - and you'd want to try each for 7-14 days before switching. If you have Childrens Benadryl on hand, you can give 1mg/pound. I have a list of the other antihist. and dosages from my Vet Derm - so I can always get you more options, if needed.

From there, depending on so many things, Atopica, Temaril-P, and steroids come into play. If you think she needs BIG relief and right away, then a steroid shot would be the answer. But, if you think you have time - then I'd vote for waiting for the diet to see, and trying anithists.

What about trying to put the Ark Oil on bread...have you tried that? I may have mentioned that in a previous post. I hope she feels better...I truly know how frustrating this can be...

Uni is 2 1/2 years. She scratches mainly on her shoulders and face. On her face it particularly on the sides of her nose (where she gets her "crustables" from her eyes), and up top in her topknot area. I try to block her scratching with my hand as soon as she does it if I can, and then I try to brush out the knot right after as well. Little balls of fur come out. I can see the knotted balls of fur before I even brush. I call them "Noonie Balls" LOL.

Her eyes are not that watery, more boogery. It takes about a week for her to build up "crustables" then it's bath time. I don't know if it's seasonal allergies, I think she's been itchy as far as I can remember, also with the licking of the paws. It's just that now I'm growing out her hair I have noticed the drastic difference between the short and long hairs and it really bothers me.

The Ark oil I have tried it with bread, mixed in cottage cheese, dipped with egg white, now she won't take any of it. Actually the ONLY way she will take it is if I dip it into a hamburger bun that I've ripped off my burger (the side without the sauce) but still, I know that's bad! So I don't really want to do that. I'm sure I would do better without all those burers too LOL.

I don't think I'd try a steroid shot. Her skin is fine, smooth and pinkish, not scabs or bites, so I know it not fleas. She had fleas a while back and I know how her skin looked then, patches of little bumps and scabs.

So Kalina suggested coconut oil. Maybe I will try that. I just hate buying something for $20-30 and she likes it at first, then she changes her mind after a week or two. argh!

Any other tips would be much appreciated. Thanks!!!

[Nancy1999]

Oh I'm so sorry to hear this, I know they can develop an allergy overnight, and it can be very hard to discover what's causing it. I suppose you know that some dogs are allergic to corn, and it usually shows up in intense itching. I've heard that oatmeal baths can be soothing. I really have no advice, I sure hope you discover what causing it soon, and find her some relief, she such a little doll.

[capt_noonie]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

Oh I'm so sorry to hear this, I know they can develop an allergy overnight, and it can be very hard to discover what's causing it. I suppose you know that some dogs are allergic to corn, and it usually shows up in intense itching. I've heard that oatmeal baths can be soothing. I really have no advice, I sure hope you discover what causing it soon, and find her some relief, she such a little doll.

Thanks Nancy. I don't think it was an overnight thing, she's been doing it for a while. She loves corn, but I don't know if sh'es allergic to it, but most dogs are, so I'm assuming she is too. I switched to Wellness which doesn't have corn. Also I eat wheat bread, and it's really hard not to give her any, I don't. Just those puppy dog eyes! Dang those! LOL

How do you give an oatmeal bath? Other than shampoo with oatmeal, I've never heard of a straight oatmeal bath.

[kalina82]

Originally Posted by capt_noonie

Thanks Nancy. I don't think it was an overnight thing, she's been doing it for a while. She loves corn, but I don't know if sh'es allergic to it, but most dogs are, so I'm assuming she is too. I switched to Wellness which doesn't have corn. Also I eat wheat bread, and it's really hard not to give her any, I don't. Just those puppy dog eyes! Dang those! LOL

How do you give an oatmeal bath? Other than shampoo with oatmeal, I've never heard of a straight oatmeal bath.

There are lot of oatmeal shampoos out there. I particularly like Espree shampoo (we use it in our grooming shop too and it works great).

I know what you mean about the coconut oil. it is expensive to try. I wish i could give you a sample of ours if you lived closer.

I would really try to stop giving her the bread, as it might be causing the problem. No grains at all for her for a few months and see what happens. if it doesn't help, then you can go back to giving it to her.

Have you tried giving her benadryl? if so, did it help? If you want to try an antihistamine, you can ask your vet for one. When i worked in general practice the vets prescribed hydroxamine for general allergies a lot. There is also an allergy test you can do (i think it might be over $100 tho) to find out what exactly she is allergic to. If its serious enough, with the results from the test, the company can make an allergy vaccine that needs to be given on a schedule to help Uni get over her allergies. the shot is given every week at first, then every 2, then 3, then 4, then 6, then 8. It does help a lot with a lot of dogs and cats and eventually its only needed every few months. Sometimes if its seasonal allergies the dog will need to get it every few weeks again but then it gets tapered off again.

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by capt_noonie

Thanks Nancy. I don't think it was an overnight thing, she's been doing it for a while. She loves corn, but I don't know if sh'es allergic to it, but most dogs are, so I'm assuming she is too. I switched to Wellness which doesn't have corn. Also I eat wheat bread, and it's really hard not to give her any, I don't. Just those puppy dog eyes! Dang those! LOL

How do you give an oatmeal bath? Other than shampoo with oatmeal, I've never heard of a straight oatmeal bath.

By saying an allergy can develop overnight, I meant that something that previously didn't cause a problem could start causing problems. I think there is a common misconception that most dogs are allergic to corn, it's considered a common allergy because it's in so many dog foods, and some dogs respond to it, but this doesn't mean most dogs are allergic to it, but since it's common food ingredient, it it's could be causing the allergy. In fact, most dogs aren't allergic to it, but one of the primary symptoms is extreme itching, and so this should be looked at. I'm not sure how long it would take to see an improvement. I would think you would see dramatic improvement as soon as you stopped the food with corn, but there might be a secondary problem of raw or irritated skin from all the previous itching.

People use to use regular oatmeal in baths, it's messy and I don't really know the way to do it, but if you use regular oatmeal, I would suggest putting it in a food processor to break it down first, it might mix with the water better. I was thinking of one of the oatmeal shampoos you buy, I've heard good things about them.

[bjh]

Do you use any kind of flea treatments on her? I know those make them scratch. Do you keep her in oil? Is her coat silky? Some coats do break very easily. When I am trying to grow a show coat I add a cap full of the Neutrogena Body Oil to a pint of warm water and I pour that over them after they have been bathed. I work it in and then rinse with warm water. It does not make the coat too oily but it does help protect it.

[FlDebra]

As for the oatmeal bath, here is a link for a homemade oatmeal bath: Homemade Oatmeal Bath - How to Make Your Own Oatmeal Bath but if I was going to go that route, I would just buy the packets of Aveeno Oatmeal Bath. I have used those for my kids and they do take away the itchies.

This is probably silly to ask because I know you take such good care of Noonie, but are you sure you are rinsing well enough? We have softer water here, and it is very difficult to make sure they are rinsed well enough. I just keep doing it til I think I am done, and then rinse a couple more times. I have had mine itch a little more than usual, and the first thing I do is give them a bath, in case they got into something that is an irritant to them, and to make sure I get them rinsed really well.

Allergies are difficult to pinpoint, could be anything from carpeting, shampoo, food, to outside environmental things. Wish you good luck in narrowing it down. I know I worry when they itch too. You just know that is not comfortable for them.

[capt_noonie]

Originally Posted by bjh

Do you use any kind of flea treatments on her? I know those make them scratch. Do you keep her in oil? Is her coat silky? Some coats do break very easily. When I am trying to grow a show coat I add a cap full of the Neutrogena Body Oil to a pint of warm water and I pour that over them after they have been bathed. I work it in and then rinse with warm water. It does not make the coat too oily but it does help protect it.

I don't use flea treatments on her. I've rarely seen fleas on her, and if i do, I just give a bath with a flea shampoo and that's the end of them. I don't oil her coat though. that sounds like a good idea, I'll try that. She has a silky soft coat but very thin. That's probably why it breaks so easily.

Originally Posted by FlDebra

As for the oatmeal bath, here is a link for a homemade oatmeal bath: Homemade Oatmeal Bath - How to Make Your Own Oatmeal Bath but if I was going to go that route, I would just buy the packets of Aveeno Oatmeal Bath. I have used those for my kids and they do take away the itchies.

This is probably silly to ask because I know you take such good care of Noonie, but are you sure you are rinsing well enough? We have softer water here, and it is very difficult to make sure they are rinsed well enough. I just keep doing it til I think I am done, and then rinse a couple more times. I have had mine itch a little more than usual, and the first thing I do is give them a bath, in case they got into something that is an irritant to them, and to make sure I get them rinsed really well.

Allergies are difficult to pinpoint, could be anything from carpeting, shampoo, food, to outside environmental things. Wish you good luck in narrowing it down. I know I worry when they itch too. You just know that is not comfortable for them.

I'll look into the Aveeno stuff too thanks.

Well I think I rinse her pretty good. I've always rinsed her well b/c I read in my yorkie book that leftover shampoo residue can dull the coat. I think her coat's pretty shiny. It's just the short hairs that are freaking annoying me! argh!