# At my wits end



## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

I am on my phone so please forgive typos

My nine year old dachshund/poodle mix has always suffered from allergies. Not sure what he is allergic to but I know fleas are a definite yes. My moms dog gave my dogs fleas. We both treated out animals and bombed our houses in october/november. 

Sargeant is showing signs of allergies again. He is constantly biting and scratching himsef as well as licking his paws, my couch, my bed, etc. I feel terrible! Now don't get me wrong. If there is something I should take my animals to the vet for, I will. But the last few times I have gone were just me being overly paranoid and I just can't afford to keep doing that (ex: this past summer I took sarge because he wasn't walking on our walks. Had him xrayed and everything. Vet said he appeared to be fine). I have started giving Sarge some of Hunters old meds (I brought Hunter in for scratching and it turned out he was allergic to chicken which I found out by myself after a nice fat vet bill). These meds are prednisone and and antihistime (which I cut in half since Sarge is much smaller).

I have also been spraying Sarge's raw, wounded skin with antiseptic spray and anti itch spray. I also give him colostrum on ocassion.

He has been eating mostly venison from a deer I got this season and some ebeef heart.


I don't know what to do for my baby! Should I retreat him for fleas? I hate putting that toxic stuff on him and I haven't seen any signs of fleas! But I know he is miserable and it kills me! What more could a vet do anyways? 


Help and empathy are currently being accepted, thanks.


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## Makovach (Jan 24, 2012)

Do you give eggs? Coconut oil? I know you were talking about all the snow. My guys have dry dandruffy coats right not with this weather so I had to up the coconut oil and they get an egg a day. Is there a chance (if you don't see fleas) that it could just be dry skin?


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

I could try eggs....I don't have coconut oil at the moment. Thanks for the suggestion. I will have to hide it in ground meat because he doesn't like eggs.


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## GoingPostal (Sep 5, 2011)

High doses of fish or coconut oil seem to help somewhat with my allergy boy. You can put the coconut oil right on him and see if it helps too. Meanwhile I would treat the house like it has fleas just in case, I'm glad I've never had to deal with them, sounds like they can be a real pain to get rid of.


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## Herzo (Feb 5, 2011)

You know I got a green cleaning book has all kinds of things in it like lemon juice, borax, baking soda and of course vinegar. It say's you can put it in your dogs water start with a little and increase it and it will help to keep the fleas away.

I'm sure you would have to do it all the time but maybe worth a try. I would try spraying also. I don't have time to look it up right now but it also said you can sprinkle borax around the house and it will kill fleas. I will look it all up tomorrow.


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## ceramand (Jan 4, 2013)

My big dog Jack was suffering from a yeast infection that carried over onto his stomach. He would chew his stomach and toes a lot. My vet did a scrapping and he was on a course of meds for the yeast infection and a consequential bacterial infection. I give him Nutrisca grain free and potato free food. The only treats he gets are freeze dried liver. No more peanut butter, fruits or dehydrated sweet potatoes. He has been itch free since last fall and his ears are perfectly clear, too. 

Maybe this information will healp.


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## monster'sdad (Jul 29, 2012)

Are you saying all this dog eats is venison and beef heart? Or is that just the protein portion of his diet?


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

He eats a raw diet. So lately (last month or so) he has had venison, liver, beef heart, and a little chicken. He has been on the raw diet a year now. I don't think lack of carbs is his problem. He has had allergies all his life. It comes and goes with him (sometimes he turns red, no obsessive scratching though) . But sometimes, his allergies are VERY bad (like now) where he won't stop scratching. 

Just checked him again. No fleas, no flea dirt. I did already treat the house.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Can you try adding in more fish to his diet?


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

He hates fish  I have tried....oh how I have tried....


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

Perhaps the dry winter air is affecting him? 

Does anyone in the house smoke? Sprocket scratched himself bald and bloody when we lived with Drews smoker parents.


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

Venison is pretty lean, isn't it? I would add more fat to the diet, since it is winter too it can cause drier skin. Ruby had dry skin for a little while in the beginning, at the suggestion of either Liz or Re (I can't remember which one told me lol) I mixed some olive oil with water, and rubbed it into Rubys skin and coat once a day for about a week. It helped A LOT. I would treat internally and externally, hopefully that will do the trick to strengthen his skin barrier.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Mollie also gets really itchy when it's not humid, but she seems to have sensitive skin for some reason. Like right now, I'm fighting a hot spot on her side, a right nasty one, the first one for years. I'm going to do the olive oil and water and see if it makes a difference.
Can you remember the recipe for it Kat?


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## Khan (Jan 17, 2010)

I've noticed Khan itching more lately and could not figure out what he could have possibly gotten into. Now that I'm reading the suggestions about the dry itchy skin, I just wonder if that's his problem too!! He's allergic to salmon, coconut, and flax. seemingly all the omega 3's. I think I will try giving him an egg every day rather than every other day...maybe that will help! 
Thanks for the suggestions!!


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Found it.
2oz Olive Oil, 8oz Water and 20 drops of essential essence.
Just used it on Mol, minus the essential essence for now. 
Considering she's such a little bruiser, she sure has touchy skin. She's feeling quite grotty right now, so hope this helps. I used raw organic apple cider vinegar and black tea bags on her hot spot.
Anyway, sorry to carry on, I just wanted to jot down some info in case it helps anyone else.


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

Yea I did it without the essential oil too. Olive oil and water worked perfectly, I didn't need the fragrance.


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

Sprocket: no smokers here 

Kat: Thanks. But how does oil mix with water? I may have to try this (sans fragrance as well...might irritate my seemingly ever growing sensitive boy).


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## BeagleCountry (Jan 20, 2012)

As has been said venison is a lean meat. Add more fat. I get 5 lb. of fat trim at the local grocery store. They assume I am making sausage. Not happening. If the beef heart only has the end cap fat it will be on the lean side. Try feeding more chicken with the skin and fat included. It may take a couple of weeks to see improvement.


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

Glad you don't smoke 

Definitely add fat, fatty acids, and oil to his diet. Eggs, fish, fish oil, fat.


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## woganvonderweidenstrasse (Nov 22, 2012)

Makovach said:


> Do you give eggs? Coconut oil? I know you were talking about all the snow. My guys have dry dandruffy coats right not with this weather so I had to up the coconut oil and they get an egg a day. Is there a chance (if you don't see fleas) that it could just be dry skin?


I was also thinking this. Agree with other poster...add fat - and fish oil supplement if you can. Logan definitely scratches more when I don't add fish oil to his diet.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

And, I wasn't going to say this, but coincidentally, I ran out of salmon oil about a month ago, so maybe this is why mollie is scratching so badly and has her first hotspot in years. I didn't want anyone saying that her raw diet is deficient in any way, but then I remembered her last hotspot was when she was on kibble/canned/raw/cooked. So maybe salmon oil benefits dogs on all types of diets.
mol looks a touch greasy this morning, but I was just dipping my hand in the oil/water mixture and massaging it really well through her coat, so I expected that. Mol was drinking it too, hope she doesn't get the trots! But, tell you what, she slept solidly through the night. First time in days she wasn't up all night scratching herself. And, I've been using different commercial anti-itch sprays for days.
So yes, I tend to agree with the others, try upping the fat content and add salmon oil (if you aren't already) to the diet.


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

wolfsnaps88 said:


> Kat: Thanks. But how does oil mix with water? I may have to try this (sans fragrance as well...might irritate my seemingly ever growing sensitive boy).


It never mixes perfectly, but I just shake it up in the little bottle I have for it, and quickly pour it on while rubbing it in. At the end I also put some in my hands, rub my hands together and massage more. If you put just olive oil, it is too slick, so the water helps. Also, oil is better absorbed into the skin when it is done with water.


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## Caty M (Aug 13, 2010)

Agree with the extra fat suggestion. Venison is great but it IS lean. Maybe add some pork fat to the meals? You can buy it pretty cheap.

As for fish, Bishop and Josie don't love it.. Josie won't eat it at all. I give canned sardines or mackerel once a week canned in water and they LOVE that. Not raw but there you go.


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

Wow look how many ppl are having the same issues!!! It must be "that time of the year" no matter where you live.

Avery has been itching and licking and biting like no other! Probably for the past month or so. I too ran out of fish oil but I also don't give it that regularly, so I wasn't sure that was it.

Initially I just thought it was a bout of dry skin because you could actually see the skin flaking off, so I waited to see if it would improve on its own. 

Then days later he was still itching like crazy, so I took him to get bathed with special shampoo (this has helped in the past with the dry skin)..and it helped a bit but that's when I noticed a single flea, so I treated him for fleas. I started giving him Benadryl everyday at this point, but wasn't sure if it was helping so I stopped.

After a week he was still itching so I've upped his egg intake and I just received my new order of fish oil. His itching has decreased, but he is still itching and licking...His private part area is discolored from licking so much. I too am at my whits end. I know if I take him to the vet they will give me a medicated shampoo, if that, and that will be it.


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## Nana52 (Apr 28, 2012)

I hesitate to post this, but I'm just gonna say it, and you're obviously free to disregard it, throw in the the circular file or whatever.

I've been muddling my way through the "unlocking the ancestral diet" book; I'm not sure how much of it I'm buying; heck, I'm not sure how much I understand. BUT one thing I've changed since starting to read it is I completely stop fish oil (supposedly too much can created an even bigger omega 6/omega 3 imbalance) and coconut oil (only omega 6, no omega 3) and just give frozen anchovies and/or sardines (canned in water if that's all I can get), plus a tiny bit of ground chia seed when feeding turkey or chicken, and my dogs' itching has significantly  decreased this past week. I'm not going to say (can't say) 100% if this is the "cure" and/or that the whole "balancing oils" is for real or pure BS. I'm just sharing something I'm trying ... almost as a last resort ... and the result thus far. It may be pure coincidence that they're doing better. 

Whatever the case may be, I'm certainly hoping you can find the source and the fix, because it's awful to see them so miserable! Best of luck!


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

I can't blame the use of oils. I have run out of fish oil and haven't gotten any in a while so the dogs have gone without. And I have never used coconut oil so it can't be oils in my case. I have started increasing fat content as it does make sense. I am a little concerned though because when I did Sarge's blood work, his cholesterol was a smidge high above the average. I don't want to give him eggs or a lot of fat every day because of this reason.

Today he got deer penis, deer testicle, deer rib (with a little bit of meat) beef heart and extra fat from beef heart. I mixed it all up with an egg from my chickens (who eat omega rich foods which goes into their eggs) and I topped it off with probiotics and bovine colostrum.


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## woganvonderweidenstrasse (Nov 22, 2012)

wolfsnaps88 said:


> I can't blame the use of oils. I have run out of fish oil and haven't gotten any in a while so the dogs have gone without. And I have never used coconut oil so it can't be oils in my case. I have started increasing fat content as it does make sense. I am a little concerned though because when I did Sarge's blood work, his cholesterol was a smidge high above the average. I don't want to give him eggs or a lot of fat every day because of this reason.
> 
> Today he got deer penis, deer testicle, deer rib (with a little bit of meat) beef heart and extra fat from beef heart. I mixed it all up with an egg from my chickens (who eat omega rich foods which goes into their eggs) and I topped it off with probiotics and bovine colostrum.


But fat doesn't cause cholesterol in dogs like it does in humans? They use it as energy. Only reason his cholesterol is high may be cause he's slightly overweight? Get his weight down and cholesterol will also decrease. Also remember that fish oil decreases cholesterol levels in humans...don't know if it will do the same for dogs?


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## monster'sdad (Jul 29, 2012)

lauren43 said:


> Wow look how many ppl are having the same issues!!! It must be "that time of the year" no matter where you live.
> 
> Avery has been itching and licking and biting like no other! Probably for the past month or so. I too ran out of fish oil but I also don't give it that regularly, so I wasn't sure that was it.
> 
> ...


It would be interesting if this was linked to a zinc deficiency.


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## frogdog (Aug 10, 2011)

I would say/suggest adding fat since primarily feeding deer meat and hope this will resolve the issue. It is unfortunate your dogs will not eat fish...I feed a rotation of anchovy, sardine and mackerel daily throughout the week. It truly makes a difference in their skin and coat.


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

monster'sdad said:


> It would be interesting if this was linked to a zinc deficiency.


While I agree that something else may be going on..most likely some sort or environmental allergy, I find a zinc deficiency very unlikely. Considering most of the zinc in a dogs diet comes from meat and bones and that meat and bones practically make up my dogs' diet it's seems very difficult for him to have a deficiency in that area...


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## Sheltielover25 (Jan 18, 2011)

lauren43 said:


> While I agree that something else may be going on..most likely some sort or environmental allergy, I find a zinc deficiency very unlikely. Considering most of the zinc in a dogs diet comes from meat and bones and that meat and bones practically make up my dogs' diet it's seems very difficult for him to have a deficiency in that area...


I'd be shocked too but if you wanted to entertain the thought you could add in oysters, lamb, veal liver or pumpkin seeds and see if it changes. Those are some of the foods highest in zinc.

I'm almost sure it's not because other high sources are chicken legs, pork shoulder/tenderloin, and chicken breast and I bet one or more of those are in his diet already.


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

Even though I don't actually know what it is, a big thank you to everyone who responded with ideas! This forum is the best! I know I can count on your experience and knowledge to help me out and put me at ease (as I tend to freak out when it comes to my canine kids). If anything changes, I will update! As it stands, he has matted his butt fur with all this chewing


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

Do you cone him to keep him from chewing? The constant chewing will just irritate it over and over. Letting the skin dry out and stay clean will help a lot. A friend of mine had a corgi that chewed himself bloody. She shaved his butt and coned him to let it dry out and heal, he stopped chewing when the skin healed because the cycle of chewing and infecting was broken. When we lived with Drews parents and Sprocket had the itchies, coning him (we used the blow up tube kind) was the best thing for his skin. It allowed it to heal and quit the itching while the healing process was going on.


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