Itchy Molly

[FayRose]

Molly has had sensitive skin from the start. She was prescribed 3 courses of steroid by the time she was 4 months old and the vet said she is probably grass sensitive, even allergic.

We have been able to keep control of her itchiness with a combination of salmon oil and coconut oil - she was 2 in April and has not had any steroids since those initial times as a pup. We were hoping to avoid a life on steroids and all had been well, her skin and coat has been soft with none of the flakiness that she started with.
However this summer has so far, been exceptional, with unusually high temperatures and abundant grass seed and pollen. Result, Molly is struggling and beginning to scratch herself sore.

My question - has anyone any other ideas to control this? I hate to see her so uncomfortable, poor little girl, so yes, I have got a vet appointment tomorrow but was just hoping someone may have further thoughts.

 

[Ashley]

Unfortunately, I have no advice as Quinn suffers the same and this year is especially bad, with hair loss despite being on apoquel and daily salmon oil the past month. I try and bring her swimming most days to get any grass/pollen off but she is still dry/flaky and itchy (plus basically bald in her armpits). She is fine once the weather is cold so changing foods, etc wouldn't make a difference and I don't give apoquel over the winter months so that she is not on meds all year long when not needed. I know there is a medicated shampoo I have seen mentioned by other members in the UK - since she hates baths I haven't gone that route yet. Hopefully your vet can help!

 

[Joy]

My last boy, a Lab, had skin problems for most of his life. I can’t help a lot as his seemed to be reactions to food rather than seasonal allergies. However in old age, when he could no longer have steroids due to being on Metacam for arthritis, the vet prescribed Malaseb bath which seemed to help.
If you do have to resort to the odd course of steroids (which I agree are best avoided) try not to worry. My dog had probably a couple of courses a year and lived happily to the ripe old age of 14 1/2 years. We did find that a very low dose would do the trick - lower than would usually be prescribed.

 

[kateincornwall]

Sam had a course of a drug called Apoquel , this was prior to his diagnosis when we all ( Vet included ) just thought he was itchy . It did help but apparently its hard to get hold of as it is becoming widely used poor Molly xx

 

[FayRose]

Thanks for your replies.
Ashley - what happens with Quinn is very much the same as Molly, though as I said we have been able to control it until this year. I have tried Molly with the antibacterial shampoo but it has not had any noticeable affect.
Joy - that is encouraging. I think in years like this one with exceptional weather, we may have to accept that Molly will have to have the occasional course of steroids.
kateincornwall - ah yes, your poor Sam, awful problems, I know you did everything to keep him as comfortable as possible x

 

[MaccieD]

Just a thought @FayRose but is it possible that the manufacturer has changed her food? Worth having a close look at the ingredients and percentages as sometimes a small change can have an effect.

 

[SilverFalcon]

Yes Beau is like this as well. He's very sensitive to a lot of things, for example wheat, dairy, and now very possibly these summertime pollens. The vet couldn't say for sure without undergoing an expensive allergy test, which she said may not even prove to be that accurate. He had to go on a 2 week round of Apoquel when he started to lick and bite his paws red raw, with the caveat that it may need to be a long term thing. It worked very well and pretty much stopped the itching cold, and allowed his feet to heal.

However before commiting him to a long term course of medication, I wanted to see if a proactive routine would help keep the itching at bay without the need for meds. I've been giving him an oil supplement (YuMega Itchy Dog), and being strict about always wiping down his paws and face after he's come in from a walk. If he's been off lead, then I also give him a good wipe down with a damp cloth (the Aquasorb kind). I use unscented Pogi's Grooming Wipes for his paws and face as they are quite quick and easy to use, and I am happy to report this routine is working well.

I'm not sure if this would work for Molly but thought I would share what has worked for us x

 

[FayRose]

Just a thought @FayRose but is it possible that the manufacturer has changed her food? Worth having a close look at the ingredients and percentages as sometimes a small change can have an effect.

Good point MaccieD. I can't see any changes and we buy in bulk. This has only started in the past few days, we've had the current sack of grub for a couple of weeks at least. I'm pretty sure its the grass/pollen. She's also got red rimmed eyes and slightly gooey ears - just like when it first happened.

 

[FayRose]

I've been giving him an oil supplement (YuMega Itchy Dog), and being strict about always wiping down his paws and face after he's come in from a walk. If he's been off lead, then I also give him a good wipe down with a damp cloth (the Aquasorb kind). I use unscented Pogi's Grooming Wipes for his paws and face as they are quite quick and easy to use, and I am happy to report this routine is working well.

I'm not sure if this would work for Molly but thought I would share what has worked for us x

Ah, that's not something I've heard of - I'll google it. I haven't actually done any paw wiping or face cleaning. Its only the past few days she's started to have a problem. Thanks though, I'll get some of those too.

 

[MaccieD]

I'm pretty sure its the grass/pollen. She's also got red rimmed eyes and slightly gooey ears - just like when it first happened.

Oh poor girl. Hope you get it sorted very soon

 

[Oberon]

We have an itchy dog here too. We need to use the occasional course of steroids, usually just one tablet a day for a few days which is a low dose. We have to get onto itchiness quickly and not wait to see if it improves. Steroids are safe if used under a vet’s guidance and they help so much. I know some people are reluctant to use them but the benefits to the poor itchy dog far, far outweigh any downside.

We also find that additional antihistamines help to keep the itchiness at bay but we have to give them every day in the itchy season (summer). We use Zyrtec. I had done some research and found that this was the one most likely to help in dogs with minimal chance of side effects. Some of the older style ones cause drowsiness.

Malaseb baths occasionally are also good as these reduce the bacterial and fungal load on the skin. Avoiding swimming is important as wet skin is more vulnerable to allergens (the skin becomes a weaker barrier when wet). We find that outdoor or natural water is especially likely to cause itchiness, as opposed to tap water.

In the last six months (since a very hot and humid summer) Obi has begun a practice of creating hotspots by chewing, scratching and licking at any annoyingly itchy place. It’s amazing how quickly he can cause a horrible sore. I’ve learned that these need to be pounced on instantly with steroids, a cone and, if it’s looking the slightest bit like infection may be an issue, a Vet visit. Next summer we will be ramping up our steroid use a bit to avoid hot spots.

 

[FayRose]

Thank you Rachael that is very helpful info. Yes, you make a good point, I should not have delayed the vet's visit. Sooner the better for steroids if inevitable. I'm unwise to delay just because I don't like the idea of Molly on steroids - comfortable dog is the first consideration. Thanks for the shake up

 

[FayRose]

Back from the vet with a bottle of Malaseb a low dose of steroid - (vet said she was borderline, so I feel a little less guilty now) and some antihistamine.
The vet also said her skin and coat are in very good condition and to continue with the oils as they are good and working well. Its nice to have our efforts to keep Molly well confirmed by a vet
Thanks for your advice and help everyone.

 

[Naya]

Glad you’ve managed to find her some relief. Fingers crossed the steroids help

 

[FayRose]

Thanks Naya. Of course there are side effects and for the 1st time since she was about 4 months old, she pee'd in the house overnight. Poor little Molls, she is so clean and would have been very upset.
Dogs don't go upstairs here, so we didn't know, she didn't cry . We do have an arrangement whereby the door to the room where the dogs sleep is on a bolt and hook arrangement so it is not actually shut and if a dog cries, we can hear it.
She had the tablet yesterday afternoon, so have switched to this morning and will watch her water consumption closely, AND take her out during the night.
Good news is that the drug seems to be working already, she has only scratched once this morning and we have been up and around since 6.30.

 

[Oberon]

Good news that she’s less itchy. That’s great. I’m sure she feels so much better.

Wee accidents happen....we get them too... Tends to just be when you start up with a course of tablets.

You might find you can manage it just giving steroids for a day or two or three when the itchiness crops up. We do that. We always have a stash of tablets and we deploy them as needed. We definitely don’t find that we need to use them continuously. We do use antihistamines pretty much continuously in spring/summer though (two Zyrtec every morning).

 

[M.F.]

With steroids, you need to wean off very slowly. So I’m not sure how safe it is to give “as needed”? My vet was very clear that we needed to wean Snowie off them gradually, that a sudden stop, no matter how small the dose, could cause health problems.

Edited to say: I have absolutely sympathy for anyone with an itchy dog, and for the dog, too! It’s very difficult getting to the bottom of it, and for us at least it is a work in progress, with good stretches and bad.

 

[Oberon]

It is safe for us to give steroids as needed. We have been fully worded up by our vet on the approach to use. Our vet is comfortable with us giving Obi one tablet a day for up to three days without any weaning off. That’s a very low dose with no health risk. If we have to give two tablets a day for more than a couple of days then weaning off is needed - we then do one day at one tablet and two days at half a tablet per day.

All dogs will need a different regime though and the doses above are what we know will work for our dog, after years of experience of managing this condition. And I stress again that we have a pretty high level of contact with our vet in relation to Obi’s itch management. Steroids are a prescription drug so you can’t just go freestyle with them.

 

[Joy]

Good news is that the drug seems to be working already, she has only scratched once this morning and we have been up and around since 6.30.

That’s good. I think it’s sensible to nip it in the bud quickly. I learnt through experience that waiting too long to give steroids led to infection ( through scratching) and that meant antibiotics. As it was a life-long condition with Rolo, our vet was also happy for us to give steroids ( I think it was 3mg a day but can’t quite remember) for just a few days, as @Oberon says.

 

[FayRose]

Thanks very much for your replies.
Our vet said Molly's need for steroids is borderline and has prescribed 1 tablet per day for 3 days - as you mention Rachael - then down to half a tablet which she is happy for us to stop if the itching stops. Same with the antihistamine, she is happy for us to decide.
Molly seems a bit subdued and sleepy this morning, not done her usual plea to go out, so I think she's being a bit affected by the meds but only 1 more day on full dose to go.