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My Rottweiller is having some skin irritations. I ...


Sent to Pet Experts October 17, 2005 4:51 p.m.
My Rottweiller is having some skin irritations. I found a flea on him after noticing a Hot spot over his tail and quickly treated him for that. The hot spot has begun to clear up and he is no longer licking it. He now has several places arond his neck that are kind of scabby. I also noticed that when I brush him there are flakes like dandruff coming up from his coat. he is not scratching as much since I dipped him. I am however concerned about the spots on his neck. There are two. He is an inside dog and is never out for prolonged periods of time. I am thinking either the fleas moved or he has allergies. This all started when the weather started drying out. Could he have a form of psoriasis?
Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Status: Closed   Value: $10   
Answer
October 17, 2005 4:56 p.m. (5 minutes and 8 seconds later) 		ACCEPTED Check Mark

The most common cause of these crazy skin problems is allergies, especially with some dogs. Now you just need to find out what kind. These allergies could be from grass, contact with a cleaner or chemical or could even be food related. The allergy part is sometimes tough to treat but there are some simple things that you can do.

  1. Talk with your vet about a low allergy diet. Rabbit and potato is my favorite and my dogs do well on it. If your dog is already on it, keep her on it and avoid treats, table scraps and other foods completely for at least three months so that you can see if it helps.
  2. Get the dog started on frontline to eliminate the chance that this is a flea allergy. If he's already on it, keep in mind that it only takes ONE flea to get the cycle started if the dog is allergic to fleas.
  3. Use a prescribed dose of benadryl when this gets bad. My vet recommends 1 mg per lb of dog given every 8-12 hours as needed when the itching starts

When the dog abrades the skin by chewing and scratching, this opens up the body to infection. Many dogs need antibiotics because of this.

See the vet so that they can get the dog started on an antibiotic if you suspect this.

Many dogs also need a shot of prednisone to control the itch and give the skin time to heal.

I hope this helps and gives you some economical solutions!

"Hot spots" happen when the skin is abraded (it can even be something as small as a tick bite that causes the skin to open). When the skin is abraded and it then gets wet from licking or swimming, etc, bacteria is introduced because of the moisture and this causes the hot spot.

The best thing for a hot spot or bacterial problems is to wash the area well with peroxide and then shave all the hair away from the sore. Hair traps moisture and you don't want that. Then dry the area completely and apply some neosporine ointment. Distract the dog for 5 minutes and then he can lick it.

If this doesn't help, you will need to see the vet to be sure it IS a hot spot and to get possible antibiotics.

Let me know if you still have questions.
PictureTammy F.  -- Pet Care Expert -- 99% Positive Feedback on 5064 Pet Accepts
15+ years-Pet care, Veterinary shelter medicine and infectious disease, Behavior training, Rescue

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