itchy flakey skin - YorkieTalk.com Forums

hunniebunnie · 02-22-2006, 02:36 PM

bunjee is scratching a lot, and now i noticed flaking skin. anyone have ideas about why this is? what can it be?

i'm also noticing that his stool has gotten a little soft as well and more 'brick color'.

i'm feeling him innova puppy and just switched him over from royal canin over the process of 3 weeks. he gets a shower once a week. and brushed every other day with a blunt brush.

AngeliFlad · 02-22-2006, 02:51 PM

Hi Sandy,

Simba has dry, flaky skin on his lower back. I took him to the vet and she recommended to feed him Omega 3 fatty acid. I therefore bought Grizzlys Salmon oil at Bella & Daisys last week and I am watching to see if it gets better. Lucy actually mentioned that Poki had dry skin too and when she cut down on treats it got better. I therefore, at least for right now, have cut out all the treats, such as Pupperoni, etc., but still give the flossies.

Max, on the other hand, has been itching alot too and Jeannie believes it hads either 1) to do with the flee medication Advantix or 2) Max is having food allergies. She also cut out all treats and now feeds cooked baby carrots instead. Max's skin also has red blotches.

As for Royal Canin, both Max's and Simba's stool were never firm while on that diet. We now feed both Natural Balance and their stool has been hard.

~Anita

hunniebunnie · 02-22-2006, 03:43 PM

thanks anita. it's kinda weird 'cause bunjee's been on mostly (a mix of nearly 90% innova, 10% royal canin) for the past week. his stool has been pretty solid until the last couple days. i'm not sure what happened. i'll probably start cutting down on treats though. i've been giving him more treats 'cause i've been trying to do some basic grooming myself.

bunjee's on revolution right now, but i guess i'll try the omega 3 and reduce treats first and see if there's improvement. i got some omega 3 tablets last month but never got around to feeding them to bunjee. shows how diligent i am at taking my own vitamins as well.

thanks for the feedback. i'll have to check with lucy and jeannie to see if they've noticed any signs of improvement in poki and max.

hunniebunnie · 02-22-2006, 09:36 PM

okay, now i'm concerned... in his evening poop, not only was his stool kinda soft (not watery, just soft), he finished with 2 drops of fresh looking blood.

his appointment at the vet's is suppose to be friday, but i think i'm going to call and possibly take him in tomorrow morning instead.

Weezer · 02-23-2006, 07:22 AM

My yorkie was scratching until she had horrible matts in her hair. I had to have her hair cut short. She now takes cyclosporin which has cured her problem. This is an expensive drug but it works and she takes only a tiny bit of it. Ask your vet. Good luck

AngeliFlad · 02-23-2006, 11:57 AM

Hi Sandy,

Yes, I think it won't hurt to take him to the vet earlier. The soft poo could also be coccidia which is easily treatable but I don't know what the blood could be. Good luck and keep us posted. Anita

P.S. I would stop feeding Royal Canine for right now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hunniebunnie

okay, now i'm concerned... in his evening poop, not only was his stool kinda soft (not watery, just soft), he finished with 2 drops of fresh looking blood.

his appointment at the vet's is suppose to be friday, but i think i'm going to call and possibly take him in tomorrow morning instead.

barkatme · 02-23-2006, 12:33 PM

maybe allergic to his own food.

xtine · 02-23-2006, 01:10 PM

regarding the softness of the stool, (not the blood you might want to check on that with a vet asap). but it could be that Innova EVO is clearing out the toxins of the other food, like trying to get rid of the Royal Canin.. i don't know if that makes sense, but sometimes that happens.

hunniebunnie · 02-23-2006, 05:16 PM

okay, so this morning he seemed alright. stool is still soft, but the color isn't weird anymore and no blood. i called the vet and the nurse suggested that i elminate treats for now and make sure he gets plenty of fluids, as well as monitor his activity to see if there's any change in energy. so i'm still going to wait for his appointment tomorrow morning to bring him in. he pay not be able to get his vaccines like he's suppose to tho.

so today... he's eating and drinking as normal. activity and energy level didn't change. i took him outside to run a couple of errands and ran up 4 flights of stairs faster than me at one point (the elevator was busted on site). but while i was running one of my errands, i noticed that he started to heave. so i quickly picked him up and took him outside... he didn't make it though, he threw up while in my hand on our way out the door. i quickly cleaned up the vomit, which was slimey and light yellow in color. lucky for us, the establishment was very sympathetic and asked if he was doing okay when we came back after going to the bathroom to clean up.

he finished the last of the royal canine 3 days ago and is now exclusively on innova puppy (not evo). he's not liking it, but i picked up all his flossies, bully sticks, and other edible chew toys and stop giving him the little beef jerky treats and cottage cheese i normally use as training treats. he's just looking up at me with those puppy dog eyes going... what? no treats?

we'll see how it goes tomorrow...

txshopper73 · 02-23-2006, 05:50 PM

Glad to hear that he's better. Also, I'd try an oatmeal shampoo for the dry skin.

hunniebunnie · 02-24-2006, 01:44 PM

first off... after nearly a month of no accidents at home, i wake up to not 1, not 2, but 3 pee accidents this morning! so we went to the vet's this morning for bunjee's appointment. the nurse did a fecal test and there's still blood in his stool. upon examination by the vet, he's determined to have coccidia (i think that's what he said) and is getting a shot of antibiotics. the vet is also running some blood work just to be certain there are no other problems. total tab will come out to about $140...

. oh well, so long as he gets better.

i'll be picking him up again later on this afternoon. i've noticed that he's gotten a lot more aggressive about not wanting to have his temperature taken and his fecal sample taken. he was growling at the nurse and struggling A LOT when i was holding him. because he's sick, he won't be getting his vaccines today either. he'll have to come back for it another day. my poor baby.

sandraj · 02-24-2006, 04:40 PM

What is the cause of coccidia?Is it a virus? It wouldn't have anything to do with the food? I feed Royal Cannin and am worried that this was a factor?

hunniebunnie · 02-25-2006, 12:50 AM

okay i have my vet report here... he's diagnosed with enteritis and colitis. which is an infection or inflamation of the intestines and the large bowel respectively. he was given an antibiotic shot as well as antiparasitic medication. the vet also sent us home with antibiotics he should take orally for the next 7 days.

the vet said it may have been caused by something foreign he picked up and ate off the ground. so it's not petfood related. however, i don't feed bunjee royal canin anymore because it contains corn and many dogs are allergic to corn. i've since switched him to innova puppy.

Marie · 02-25-2006, 01:24 AM

Im so sorry that Bunjee is sick. He will get better soon with the antibiotics. regarding the itchy and flaky skin, did you ask your vet?
Gucci had flaky and itchy skin when I was feeding her Nutro max. I switched her to Natural Balance and added Omega 3 to her food. I aslo used Oatmeal shampoo on her. She didnt like the Natural Balanca and decided to try Canidae. She doesnt have flaky or itchy skin anymore.

hunniebunnie · 02-25-2006, 04:09 AM

bunjee's skin condition seem so inconsistent. of course today when i took him to the vet today, his skin was alright (prolly because i've had him in a tshirt for the past few days so he can't scratch too hard). the vet did suggest that i bath him less frequently (i currently bath him once a week) or try milder shampoos.

i'm going to keep bunjee on innova at least for the duration of this 6 lbs bag. it'll probably last him until about april. then i'm considering rotating between innova and natural balance. right now i'm giving him natural balance sample packs as treats and he loves it too.

one other thing i've noticed from this last vet visit is that his growth has slowed down a bit. he used to gain about .2 lbs per week. now he's gained about .5 lbs in the last month. hopefully it's not due to him being sick and it's because he's just getting to that age...

02-22-2006, 02:36 PM	#1
hunniebunnie Follower of Yorkietology Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Cali-fo-nee-ya Posts: 1,325	itchy flakey skin bunjee is scratching a lot, and now i noticed flaking skin. anyone have ideas about why this is? what can it be? i'm also noticing that his stool has gotten a little soft as well and more 'brick color'. i'm feeling him innova puppy and just switched him over from royal canin over the process of 3 weeks. he gets a shower once a week. and brushed every other day with a blunt brush.

02-23-2006, 07:22 AM	#5
Weezer YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: oxford Posts: 3	itchy skin My yorkie was scratching until she had horrible matts in her hair. I had to have her hair cut short. She now takes cyclosporin which has cured her problem. This is an expensive drug but it works and she takes only a tiny bit of it. Ask your vet. Good luck

02-23-2006, 05:50 PM	#10
txshopper73 Donating YT 14K Club Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 14,226 Blog Entries: 1	Glad to hear that he's better. Also, I'd try an oatmeal shampoo for the dry skin. __________________ As always...JMO (Just My Opinion) Kimberley

02-25-2006, 01:24 AM	#14
Marie Mom loves Gucci Donating Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: New York City Posts: 6,427	Im so sorry that Bunjee is sick. He will get better soon with the antibiotics. regarding the itchy and flaky skin, did you ask your vet? Gucci had flaky and itchy skin when I was feeding her Nutro max. I switched her to Natural Balance and added Omega 3 to her food. I aslo used Oatmeal shampoo on her. She didnt like the Natural Balanca and decided to try Canidae. She doesnt have flaky or itchy skin anymore. __________________ Huggies, Gucci and Marie http://www.dogster.com/?132187 "I have been egged"

02-22-2006, 02:51 PM	#2
AngeliFlad Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: San Francisco Posts: 170	Hi Sandy, Simba has dry, flaky skin on his lower back. I took him to the vet and she recommended to feed him Omega 3 fatty acid. I therefore bought Grizzlys Salmon oil at Bella & Daisys last week and I am watching to see if it gets better. Lucy actually mentioned that Poki had dry skin too and when she cut down on treats it got better. I therefore, at least for right now, have cut out all the treats, such as Pupperoni, etc., but still give the flossies. Max, on the other hand, has been itching alot too and Jeannie believes it hads either 1) to do with the flee medication Advantix or 2) Max is having food allergies. She also cut out all treats and now feeds cooked baby carrots instead. Max's skin also has red blotches. As for Royal Canin, both Max's and Simba's stool were never firm while on that diet. We now feed both Natural Balance and their stool has been hard. ~Anita

02-22-2006, 03:43 PM	#3
hunniebunnie Follower of Yorkietology Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Cali-fo-nee-ya Posts: 1,325	thanks anita. it's kinda weird 'cause bunjee's been on mostly (a mix of nearly 90% innova, 10% royal canin) for the past week. his stool has been pretty solid until the last couple days. i'm not sure what happened. i'll probably start cutting down on treats though. i've been giving him more treats 'cause i've been trying to do some basic grooming myself. bunjee's on revolution right now, but i guess i'll try the omega 3 and reduce treats first and see if there's improvement. i got some omega 3 tablets last month but never got around to feeding them to bunjee. shows how diligent i am at taking my own vitamins as well. thanks for the feedback. i'll have to check with lucy and jeannie to see if they've noticed any signs of improvement in poki and max.

02-22-2006, 09:36 PM	#4
hunniebunnie Follower of Yorkietology Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Cali-fo-nee-ya Posts: 1,325	okay, now i'm concerned... in his evening poop, not only was his stool kinda soft (not watery, just soft), he finished with 2 drops of fresh looking blood. his appointment at the vet's is suppose to be friday, but i think i'm going to call and possibly take him in tomorrow morning instead.

02-23-2006, 12:33 PM	#7
barkatme Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: California Posts: 285	maybe allergic to his own food.

02-23-2006, 01:10 PM	#8
xtine Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: CA Posts: 1,406	regarding the softness of the stool, (not the blood you might want to check on that with a vet asap). but it could be that Innova EVO is clearing out the toxins of the other food, like trying to get rid of the Royal Canin.. i don't know if that makes sense, but sometimes that happens.

02-23-2006, 05:16 PM	#9
hunniebunnie Follower of Yorkietology Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Cali-fo-nee-ya Posts: 1,325	okay, so this morning he seemed alright. stool is still soft, but the color isn't weird anymore and no blood. i called the vet and the nurse suggested that i elminate treats for now and make sure he gets plenty of fluids, as well as monitor his activity to see if there's any change in energy. so i'm still going to wait for his appointment tomorrow morning to bring him in. he pay not be able to get his vaccines like he's suppose to tho. so today... he's eating and drinking as normal. activity and energy level didn't change. i took him outside to run a couple of errands and ran up 4 flights of stairs faster than me at one point (the elevator was busted on site). but while i was running one of my errands, i noticed that he started to heave. so i quickly picked him up and took him outside... he didn't make it though, he threw up while in my hand on our way out the door. i quickly cleaned up the vomit, which was slimey and light yellow in color. lucky for us, the establishment was very sympathetic and asked if he was doing okay when we came back after going to the bathroom to clean up. he finished the last of the royal canine 3 days ago and is now exclusively on innova puppy (not evo). he's not liking it, but i picked up all his flossies, bully sticks, and other edible chew toys and stop giving him the little beef jerky treats and cottage cheese i normally use as training treats. he's just looking up at me with those puppy dog eyes going... what? no treats? we'll see how it goes tomorrow...

02-24-2006, 01:44 PM	#11
hunniebunnie Follower of Yorkietology Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Cali-fo-nee-ya Posts: 1,325	first off... after nearly a month of no accidents at home, i wake up to not 1, not 2, but 3 pee accidents this morning! so we went to the vet's this morning for bunjee's appointment. the nurse did a fecal test and there's still blood in his stool. upon examination by the vet, he's determined to have coccidia (i think that's what he said) and is getting a shot of antibiotics. the vet is also running some blood work just to be certain there are no other problems. total tab will come out to about $140... . oh well, so long as he gets better. i'll be picking him up again later on this afternoon. i've noticed that he's gotten a lot more aggressive about not wanting to have his temperature taken and his fecal sample taken. he was growling at the nurse and struggling A LOT when i was holding him. because he's sick, he won't be getting his vaccines today either. he'll have to come back for it another day. my poor baby.

02-24-2006, 04:40 PM	#12
sandraj YT Addict Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: New Zealand Posts: 370	What is the cause of coccidia?Is it a virus? It wouldn't have anything to do with the food? I feed Royal Cannin and am worried that this was a factor?

02-25-2006, 12:50 AM	#13
hunniebunnie Follower of Yorkietology Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Cali-fo-nee-ya Posts: 1,325	okay i have my vet report here... he's diagnosed with enteritis and colitis. which is an infection or inflamation of the intestines and the large bowel respectively. he was given an antibiotic shot as well as antiparasitic medication. the vet also sent us home with antibiotics he should take orally for the next 7 days. the vet said it may have been caused by something foreign he picked up and ate off the ground. so it's not petfood related. however, i don't feed bunjee royal canin anymore because it contains corn and many dogs are allergic to corn. i've since switched him to innova puppy.

02-25-2006, 04:09 AM	#15
hunniebunnie Follower of Yorkietology Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Cali-fo-nee-ya Posts: 1,325	bunjee's skin condition seem so inconsistent. of course today when i took him to the vet today, his skin was alright (prolly because i've had him in a tshirt for the past few days so he can't scratch too hard). the vet did suggest that i bath him less frequently (i currently bath him once a week) or try milder shampoos. i'm going to keep bunjee on innova at least for the duration of this 6 lbs bag. it'll probably last him until about april. then i'm considering rotating between innova and natural balance. right now i'm giving him natural balance sample packs as treats and he loves it too. one other thing i've noticed from this last vet visit is that his growth has slowed down a bit. he used to gain about .2 lbs per week. now he's gained about .5 lbs in the last month. hopefully it's not due to him being sick and it's because he's just getting to that age...