I have a 6 yr old poodle mix that has had chronic skin problems since age 3 yr. I have had him tested for diabetes, hypothyroidism, autoimmune diseases.
This dog has been on antibiotics off and on for four years.
I now live in the Caribbean and of course with the humidity it just hangs around. I have cut his hair down very short. I keep him dry when he gets wet, I give him cod liver oil, turmeric root, I have bathed him in the sea and with coconut water (which the islanders swear by) and nothing is helping him. I even put triple antibiotic powder on his skin.
He had the same problem back in the States but it would only come twice a year.
These bouts also required cortisone shots and I am NOT crazy about cortisone therapy.
Please don’t suggest changing his food. There is only Pedigree on the Island (for now). Next week it might be Purina only on the shelf.
Any holistic or traditional suggestions would be appreciated!
Howdy!
I’m sorry to hear about your Poodle! Below is some information on allergies as this is most likely the cause of chronic or recurring skin problems in dogs. Make sure to see your vet and rule out any infectious problems like bacterial or fungal skin infections or mange.
Allergies in general: Poodles are well known to have allergies. Allergies in dogs typically present in the form of skin reactions and ear infections. This is because dogs have more receptors in their skin than in their sinuses like humans. Flea allergies are the most common skin allergies in dogs. Always make sure that your dog stays on a good quality flea preventative (one that you can get from the vet, not over the counter). Ensure that you use a preventative that will actually kill adult fleas because if there is an allergy, the best thing to do is kill the fleas as soon as possible. In high humidity environments fleas typically are a year round problem and flea allergies are the most common form of allergies in dogs. Dogs can still suffer greatly even if you never actually see a flea because a single flea bite can make a dog miserable for up to a week. The second most common form of allergies is seasonal or inhalant allergies. Typically, seasonal (or inhalant and contact allergies) in dogs present between the ages of 2 and 5 and typically get worse as the dog ages. While they seem to present seasonally at first, the time periods tend to lengthen each season until symptoms last all year long. Lastly, food allergies make up the third most seen allergies in dogs. Food allergies are not very common and other causes should be ruled out first. Unfortunately, allergies can not be cured, but they can be managed.
Managing allergies in dogs (contact and inhalant): Since symptoms tend to get worse as dogs age, it may be necessary to start with one or two options and increase treatment as the years go on.
– General care – Keep the ears clean and dry. Poodles are known for getting ear infections. Regularly flush out and clean the ears with an ear cleaner recommended by your vet. The ideal cleaner is one that is a cleaning and drying formula. This way, there is no extra moisture that is left in the ear to increase chances of an infection. The ears should be cleaned out every couple of weeks and after every time your dog gets a bath (or gets her head wet). During allergy season or times of an infection, you may need to increase the number of cleanings to weekly or a couple times per week. Wipe off your dogs feet when she comes inside. This will help to physically remove allergens before they get an opportunity to absorb through the skin. Again, during allergy season, you may need to use a medicated wipe to help keep back any infections that may be starting to fester.
– Antihistamines – Dogs tend to respond to antihistamines fairly well. Benedryl is very popular because it is extremely safe. Dogs typically require higher doses than humans do. Benedryl can cause drowsiness or hyperactivity in dogs just as it can in children. If your dog does not seem to be helped by Benedryl, there are other antihistamines out there. Talk to your vet about hydroxizine (atarax) or doxepin to name a few. Just as no single antihistamine will work with every person, dogs will respond differently to different antihistamines. Sometimes, all you need to do is find the one your dog does well on.
– Omega 3 Fatty Acids (as in fish oils) – Fish oils and other omega 3 fatty acids have some anti-inflammatory properties and can help significantly reduce the amount of redness and itching of the skin. High doses are typically very safe, but if started too abruptly, can cause diarrhea. Talk to your vet about appropriate dosing for your dog’s weight. This is something that can be supplemented pretty easily. Also ask your vet if he/she has a brand that they recommend. There are some products specifically made for pets, but if you don’t get them from a vet, I’d worry about potency and product quality. Some over the counter human products can work too, but again, there may be potency or quality concerns which may decrease the beneficial effect. Avoid Omega-6 supplementation. Omega-6 fatty acids can help support healthy skin and are needed for certain body processes, but the amounts that are in a good quality food are all your pet should need. Omega-6 fatty acids can have an inflammatory effect and cause further problems with already irritated skin if added as a supplement.
– Special diets – Certain foods can help with food allergies, but watch the claims especially with over the counter foods. Food allergies are not very common in dogs and can not be identified accurately by allergy testing. Feeding trials must be performed to identify if your dog is allergic to a food component, for this, talk to your vet. Most likely, the allergies are contact or inhalant. Certain foods can still help, but know what to look for. Foods that are made as skin support formulas, sensitive skin formulas, etc. are good choices. Fish based foods, like those made with salmon, typically are helpful because they have higher levels of fish oils (omega-3 fatty acids) naturally occuring in the food. Many foods may be advertised as allergy formulas, but they overemphasize the occurrance of food allergies and focus on those. Look for skin formulas, rather than allergy formulas. Some veterinary diets that are made for food allergies actually have super high levels of Omega 3 fatty acids and can help with itchy skin even if your dog does not have food allergies.
– Immune suppressive medications – Several medications can be administered to assist with the very worst of allergies. They vary in strength based on your individual dog. It can be as simple as low doses of steroids (Temaril-P is especially popular because it has a unique effect with a combination of an antihistamine and low dose prednisolone allowing lower doses of both drug components) or more intensive. Food allergies can be ruled out if the dog responds well to steroid therapy. Steroids are best given in decreasing doses during the very worst of allergy season, and avoided at other times of the year if symptoms decrease or disappear. Steroids, while inexpensive, can have long term detrimental effects which is why they are used sparingly. They can be extremely helpful. Other drugs are available (Atopica/cyclosporin) that are non-steroidal and immune suppressive. These drugs help to decrease the reaction to allergens. They are given in decreasing doses at first and given indefinitely when the dog reaches the maintenance dose. The downside to these nonsteroidal drugs is that they are expensive.
– Allergy injections – Allergy injections can be formulated for dogs just like with people. This is done by running a blood test for allergens and then formulating injections specifically for your dog. This can be fairly expensive, but has been known to help a great deal for severe allergies. Occasionally, these injections will need to be reformulated (allergies can change over time) if the injections stop working or show decreased effects.
I hope this all helps shed some light on your dogs allergies. let me know if you have any additional questions.
Beth Endsley
Pet Nutrition Consultant
Veterinary Nutritional Advocate
Veterinary Technical Nutritional Consultant
I was hesitant to respond to your question as I feel you would have to change the diet.
However, you could start doing that in your own kitchen.
I advocate a raw organic diet but you could start with a cooked protein and add some cut up or a puree of veggies. You would cut out all grain. Then, my suggestion would be to start building up your dogs immune system. There are several ways of doing this.
Depending if these symptoms have been suppressed for many years with antibiotics and or steroids , I think you have a good chance to turn this around. For more detail, please contact me.
Hello,
I am sorry to hear of the skin problem with your poodle mix. I have a Siberian Husky girl with skin problems. Her breed is known to be zinc deficient so I am supplementing her diet with zinc. She also eats homecooked meals. She does not like dogfood. She eats a lot of liver, lean beef, lean pork and eggs, some chicken but that’s not her favorite. Have you tried healthy home cooked meals for your baby? There are so many preservatives in dog food which is not good for them.
There are several things that could be wrong with your poodle. You may want to look into what I list below.
Subaceous adentitis
Bacterial or fungal infections
Allergic skin problems.
Do some background checking on breed specifics. See what you can find out and try dietary changes.
Marie