# Skin Allergy?



## KB87

I've seen a lot of posts lately about allergies and skin issues with the pups on here and now our 4 month old Haeden has started with them as well. A week or two back I noticed he had a bald spot on his hind leg which the hair fell out of quite easily when I went to look at it. I figured it was from a bug bite as a few people have mentioned that after a bite their pup's hair may fall out so I cleaned it and let it be. This past Friday I noticed that he had bumps (maybe 7 of them) on his head which weren't anything like a hive, but a hard, raised, white bump on the skin which caused his fur to kind of stand up a little. It didn't seem to itch so I left it alone. A little later in the day I noticed that he had more bald spots coming in where the hair was just falling out on his leg, shoulder and head. The skin underneath is bright white and every now and again you'll find a black speck about the size of a pinhead that is attached to the skin, doesn't flake off and doesn't look like dirt or anything related to fleas. I've checked him repeatedly for fleas and see no sign of them, plus he's on flea prevention (although I know it isn't always 100%). He also doesn't seem itchy.

Over the weekend he stayed with family while we were out of town for a wedding. When I picked him up yesterday he still has his bumps on his head, the bald spots are still there and the hair is still falling out, and now he has scabs up and down his legs, on his chest, elbows, over his eye and on his neck in certain places. He isn't covered in them but there are a good number of small ones up and down his legs and in other places. My sister took him outside and let him lay in the grass so it's quite possible he was bitten by insects but the number of scabs and the fact that they popped up so quickly alarms me. Last night he was a little lethargic but is still eating well. We gave him a bath to try to see if that would help but as of this morning the bumps are still there.

We have an appointment to see our vet tonight for it but I am curious if anyone has seen anything like this or has any guidance from their experience. Thanks everyone!


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## born36

I recently posted on my pup Mac having bad allergies. He is 14 months old and they were bad hives. Last year though when he was 5 months he had exactly as you described. Much more mild than what he has this year. I am in no way saying that your pup will next year have a bad reaction just stating that last year he had bumps likes those you describe. There were treated with a single steroid injection from the vet. You are doing the right thing by taking them to the vet. Good luck and hope the bumps go soon. My boy is back on medicine for his horrible reaction and they are working a treat we are now just waiting to hear what the results of his skin and lymph node samples.


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## KB87

Thank you for the info, born36. This has really caught me off guard since he's so young and they popped up so quickly. I'm hoping we are able to get some sort of answer this evening or guidance on if it could be food related or what. We have also noticed that his eyelids will turn almost a bright red color when we take him outside sometimes, typically when it's humid or raining so we've worried that he has outdoor allergies.

I'm happy to hear Mac was able to be treated with a single shot of a steroid. I'm hoping a steroid will help but I would like to know the root cause of his issues, especially since they progressed so quickly. Was your vet able to offer any ideas on what may be causing any of Mac's issues?


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## born36

In the first instance as described last year no the vet just treated it as she wasn't sure and wanted to just stop them from developing. She did though think that they were an allergy to either grass or mold or moss as it happened in October. This second case we are awaiting the results of all the extensive tests. 

Your vet may offer you testing but tend to do so only on very extreme cases as it requires removing 6 bits of skin.


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## KB87

Thank you for the info re: testing. Our vet tends to be quite methodical about how she treats her patients so I could easily see her trying a few different treatments to try to narrow down our issue before we tried something like the allergy test. We typically don't let him just lay in the grass but my sister mentioned he was out there for the majority of the day. I just can't believe how quickly it scabbed over!

Once we see the vet I'll post to let you know what we found out. I'm hoping it isn't anything serious- it just looks so ugly and I feel so bad for my little guy. This morning he had to be touching myself or my boyfriend at all times and slept around my head/face which is a first. He definitely isn't feeling good


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## born36

Sorry he isn't feeling well too. Remember the youngster will feed of you as well so if you treat him with worry he will worry. 

I hope all is well and do let me know. Fingers crossed it is a small reaction that then goes.


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## hotmischief

KB - sorry to hear that Haeden is suffering from possible allergies.

I posted a few weeks ago when my pup broke out in hives. He had a steriod injection and we gave him anithistamine for a week and he is pretty okay now. He didn't have any scabs or hair loss but swollen nose and red eyes. He seems fine now, but often his lower eye lid drops and the membrane in his eye is very red.

We are trying to get to the bottom of it by removing things from his enviroment one by one. At the moment there is a lot of pollen about and I obviously can't remove that, but I have washed all his bedding and towels in Surcare which is what hayfever suffers use. Do not dry outside because the pollen then gets back into the fabric.

Whilst out walking the other day with a Vizsla group another person had a similar problem with their V last year. She thought it might be the ivy in the garden as they have now moved and he is fine. However her other theory is that as he was a young pup last year when he was tired his lower lid drooped allowing dust and pollen to irritate the eye and membrane - so she suggesting keeping everything clean... but you can't stop grass seed and pollen getting in. I just hope he will grow out of it, but it does seem to be a problem with these Vs judging by the number of posts on this forum.

Good luck and let us know what your vet says as you never know it might help one of us.


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## KB87

Thanks, hotmischief. I'm encouraged to hear that steroids and antihistamines seem to be helpful in these situations. I think one too many google searches has started to make me worry a little too much. Based on the fact that his eyes become red much like your pup I think it is some sort of environmental allergy. Myself and my boyfriend suffer from horrible allergies which have flared up for both of us after a weekend away so I know that it is in the air.

I will absolutely keep in mind washing his bedding. We usually hang laundry in the basement to avoid pollen and other allergens from getting into our clothing and bedding so I have done the same with our little guy. I will keep in mind to check on how awake he is when his eyes tend to get red. I never thought about his eyelids being droopy when he is tired and the impact that could have. That's a great observation that I will have to monitor. Like I said before, we typically see the redeye appear when it's humid or raining but it goes away quickly after we return inside.

I have quite a list going of symptoms, when they popped up and when they usually appear to show the vet. Thanks for your input- it definitely opens my eyes to think a little more about other impacts.


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## hotmischief

KB - I think it is really good if you relate yours and your boyfriends circumstances concerning your allergies to those of your pup. I ask any allergy suffer I meet what sets their allergies off. It is hard to know or understand what you are looking for when you don't suffer yourself - as neither my husband or I do. It was a client who said to me about drying his bedding out side - it never occurred to me that pollen would get into bedding etc. Yet it is so obvious when it is pointed out.

I can't say that Boris's eyes are worse at any given time. Yesterday his eyes were virtually closed after a walk - I was already to rush him to the emergency vet again. No other swelling. He had gone whizzing in long grass so thought he might have got seed in his eyes. So I used a syringe and sterile water and washed them out, a couple of piriton and this morning they were open but still a red. So what might have affect his eyes so drastically? I wonder if I will ever know.

You are obviously a lot more aware of things that might effect your pup - wish I was more knowledgeable. ??? ???


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## finch

We just took Finch to the vet this morning after similar bumps flared up worse on her over the weekend. She had bumps and black spots on her tummy a couple weeks ago but they seemed to be clearing up up after putting some natural pavia wound cream on them... but then this weekend the bumps started going up her legs & thighs and some on her sides too. The vet said that they were likely insect bites or a reaction to a new food, so he prescribed that we start with Benedryl and then keep an eye on it. If it doesn't clear up, we can come back in for a steroid shot. I think it is likely caused by insect bites or something in the grass/woods/water than the food since we feed a very high-quality grain-free diet, but we're going to keep an eye on it. Sounds like our V's have such sensitive skin that it reacts quickly to bites and environmental changes!


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## pippylongstocking

I have noticed a couple of raised bumps on Ester, one on her head and one on her hind leg. I wasn't sure what they were, but it's so nice to read of others with these same issues. She has been out in the fields/woods over the weekend, and that's when the spots appeared. She has previously had red eyelids and a rash on her belly, but these cleared up with no problem. Is it ok to give regular antihistamine tablets, or are they prescribed by a vet? Sorry for being dumb, I am a nurse, not a vet!


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## KB87

Well, we have a diagnosis. It isn't what I wanted to hear but our little guy has demodectic mange. I immediately freaked out because mange is caused by mites (my skin crawls just by typing that word). However, demodectic mange is something that cannot be transferred to other dogs or to humans and is specific only to the dog that has it. It causes the baldness that we have found on our pup and might be contributing to the scabs and bumps, although we aren't certain.

Demodectic is a genetic issue. After birth the mites are transferred from mom to puppies when they nurse so all dogs have these mites present but most have an immune system that is strong enough to fight them. Likely due to the fact that he is so young Haeden's immune system couldn't fight off the mange and that's why it is popping up. Our vet is weighing our options with treatment but it can be treated with certain flea medications or with a dip into a medical solution which could take 8 treatments every other week to treat.

Obviously this isn't what we wanted to hear but we have a diagnosis, it doesn't seem to be bothering him and we can't get it and he can't give it to any other dogs. He is acting like his normal goofy self so Wednesday we will decide on a treatment and go from there. I'll try to take a few pictures to post of what he's got going on. Here's a link to more info...

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/demodectic_mange.html


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## finch

Pippylongstocking said:


> Is it ok to give regular antihistamine tablets, or are they prescribed by a vet? Sorry for being dumb, I am a nurse, not a vet!



Our vet just prescribed regular Benedryl tablets for Finch. He said to start with 1 every 12 hours but she would be fine up to 3 at a time (42 lbs). He said if it doesn't heal up, come back for a shot. We usually have Benedryl on hand for one of our labs who has a lot of allergies in the spring and he has always been fine taking it.


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## VictoriaW

KB87, the occasional black pinhead sounds just like an engorged deer tick nymph. If you pluck one off at the base with tweezers & put it under a magnifying glass, can you see legs? 

Sorry about the demodectic mange. I do think this is very common in puppies. We've heard of good success in treating with neem oil, but I am NOT a vet.

Finch, there must be something up in those Maine woods! Gracie was a mess a couple of days ago...I was desperate to get her home to the vet. But we got home late Sat PM and after 36 hours at home she is 90% better! Hope it continues.


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## SteelCityDozer

KB-I was going to ask if it could be
Mites. I think Revolution takes care of them. We used it on Dozer when his allergies started (before we knew they were allergies) and had no obvious side effects. It was a bit pricey though.


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## KB87

SteelCity- unfortunately he does have mites . Luckily they're the kind that he can keep to himself and won't be passing along to us or any of puppy friends. Our vet mentioned that Revolution might be an option so it's good to know it has worked for Dozer as well, especially without side effects. Since he is so little we are really trying to find the best and most gentle treatment for Haeden that will get rid of what he has going on. We are optimistic that flea medications will be a decent option as opposed to the time consuming, smelly chemical dips that have been used in the past. I will post which option we end up going with as we go forward with this medical adventure.


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## KB87

This is some of the hair loss that Haeden's showing on his chest/neck at the moment. He has patches in other places but his chest has the most by far.


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## born36

KB87 - Great news that you were able to identify the cause. That is the biggest step as now you can treat it with the correct treatment.

These horrible allergies and hive that some of the rest of the pups are getting are hard to treat as we don't know what is causing them.

So glad your pup is on the way to recovery.


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## dmp

To add in - Haeden's sister Aoife was dipped over the weekend for the same thing. After KB sent a PM I emailed the breeder.

Growing pretty frustrated; either our breeder turns a blind eye on purpose, or on accident. Either is unacceptable.


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## hotmischief

KB - I can understand that you are not too happy about this but as Born36 say it is sortable, and you now know what the cause is. In a way I think this is good news. I was very interested in the article you attached and at the same time itchy to hear that all dogs have mites!! Well I've learnt a lot from Haedens problems.

So glad he will be on the road to recovery soon.


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## adrino

I was following your post KB but couldn't add to it since i haven't experienced any similar issues yet. I hope never will... 

Anyway I'm glad the vet found what's the problem and it's a short term thing and not an ongoing health issue. Hope his hair will grow back quickly and all will be in the past soon!


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## KB87

I'm extremely happy we have a cause so we can treat this and it isn't the "bad" kind of mange. I'm just sad for my little guy and whatever treatment he will have to endure to get rid of this. I'm also sad to hear that Aoife is experiencing the same situation and now I worry for the remaining 8 pups in the litter. Not sure what to do as far as the breeder is concerned- I'm more focused on his treatment first.

hotmischief and adrino- thank you both. You make a great point- this isn't ongoing and hopefully this treatment will take care of the issue, although our vet was quick to point out that even if we treat this outbreak it could come back until his immune system is more developed. He is in good spirits so as long as he remains that way then I'll be happy. I just wish he didn't have to go through this.

We did get a gem of good news though- our vet believes that Haeden's murmur sounds like it is going away. Although it could have been a bad listen she believes that it isn't as strong and is getting better. I'll take it! We'll see if she thinks the same when we take him back for treatment for the mange or when he goes back for his shots in 2 weeks.


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## hotmischief

Yeh (bother Boris has broken my exclamation key on my lap top).

Think positively, I feel sure he will develop an immune system just like children do. I have a client that runs a child day care nursery and it is really interesting how the babies catch every little thing going around. By the time they reach 3 and 4 they are much more robust. Great news about his murmur.

KB - when I read your diagnosis and that it was genetic I also thought about the other poor puppies in the litter. I just hope that they have great parents like you and dmp.   

Personally, I would be reporting this breeder to the Kennel Club, they certainly shouldn't be breeding from that bitch again.


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## ryker

We are dealing with the same problem!

I'm so glad to have found this thread. Our poor Ryker is getting leprous looking.

Hopeful to have a steroid shot this week. Let me know how things go for you OP. You're not alone!


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## KB87

I'm sorry to hear that your pup and you are dealing with the same thing, ryker. At the same time I'm glad that there are other individuals who can offer information from their experience and we are all dealing with this at the same time.

I should hear from our vet tomorrow after she does research to see if the dip is our best option or if an oral flea/mite medication such as interceptor would be a better option due to the age of our pup and how small he is yet. I will post when I hear from her and we decide on a treatment. I'm going to ask how our vet feels about putting him on a flea/tick medication that also covers mites in his monthly treatment as she told us that even if we get through this battle it could come back. I would rather try to prevent it now if at all possible.

Let me know how the steroid works with your pup. I'm quite curious as I think it would help Haeden but we haven't covered all of the treatment possibilities just yet.


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## ryker

We went and got a second opinion from a different vet, and after a scrape to look at the cells, she concluded that it was more of a folliculitis with a secondary staph infection. We didn't do a steroid shot and are going to try antibiotics (which I was happier with in the first place) and see if it helps. If it doesn't, we'll go back.

Our second vet said that the mange wasn't visible under the scope, but our other vet seemed pretty confident that is what it might be. At any rate, we've given 5 doses of ABX and it actually appears to be a bit better. The swelling has gone down. We're just hoping his hair grows back.

The poor guy ended up having folliculitis with a secondary staph infection, conjunctivitis and a UTI on top of it. The vet said his immune system was definitely still developing 

Like any V though, he never let that stop him from being a rambunctious, happy dork 

Good luck. Let us know how it pans out for you.

Katie J


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## adrino

Hey KB! How's Haeden doing? Its been a couple of weeks and I was just wondering... : 

Adriana


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## KB87

Thanks for asking, Adriana!!

Haeden is getting better slowly but surely. He still has small (sometimes new) spots but they seem fewer and far between. He is on Advantage Multi as a Primary treatment so we're seeing how that goes. He received 1 dose two weeks ago and will be getting his second dose tonight. As a supplement he's getting an Omega 3 supplement for his coat and a multivitamin until his new herbal immune system booster shows us. Basically we're trying anything to boost his skin and immune system to fight this with guidance from our vet. I think it's working but only time will tell!

I'll try to post some pictures of his progress along the way. We aren't doing the "traditional" treatment (the dip) so this recovery is slow. We'll get there!!


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## SkyyMax

KB87, I would love to see the pictures!
We are also dealing with a skin issue for 3 months now, so far nothing is helping. 
The 2nd vet did not think Max has allergies, because he is so young, but antibiotics and demodex meds (he had 6 skin scrapes - no mites detected) did not improve his condition.


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## adrino

Even if it's a slow progress hopefully it will work! 

Let us know how he is doing after the second treatment.


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## KB87

Update time!
We are now 4 treatments of Advantage Multi in and about 5/6 weeks from when we initially started to treat. He has stopped the HORRIBLE shedding that he was doing when this first started. You could barely touch him and he would have half his coat on the floor. We have also stopped finding new bald spots and the old spots seem to be growing in just fine. We have an appointment next weekend to take him back for more scrapes so we'll officially know if the mites are gone. I would venture to say that treatment has been successful based on the changes to his coat but it could be a different story under a microscope. Our vet's alternative/experimental treatment seems to be successful thus far so we're happy.

He'll get another treatment on Monday and has continued to take his multivitamin daily and his immune system booster (powder) with 2 meals a day. I'll try to take some pictures of his chest tonight to compare the before/after. He's still thin on the chest but it isn't bare in spots like before.


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## Maxx

I am glad to find this thread, feel bad for the pups though but hopefully I can get some helpful information from you all. I've noticed Maxx itching himself a lot latley and more around his ear. Ive cleaned his ears out and went so far as to file the rough edges of his nails, afraid they were too sharp and breaking the skin. I myself have seasonal allergies and right now they are off the chart, so I am wondering if he may have allergies too.

I am taking him to the vet but thankful that I was able to read what you guys have put. He does have some bumps on his under belly and legs and I also noticed very small specks of black in his skin thinking it was dirt I tried to just rub it off but it was almost as if I had to squeeze it for it to come out. There were only a few of those specks. Maxx runs in tall grass almost daily and he is on flea and tick repellant but honestly I never gave a thought to mites.

Good luck to you all and thank you for posting


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## KB87

Someone on here pointed out that if you have allergies then it's entirely possible for your pup to have allergies. After reading that I would notice when my allergies would flare up and watch the pup- almost every time I'm sneezy and my eyes are itchy Haeden is dealing with the same thing. Allergies are pretty common and it tends to be a whole body reaction so the bumps make sense. If he gets really itchy or miserable you can always give him a dose of Benadryl that is right for his size.

I think your vet is a great idea so they can assess it and see exactly what is going on. Haeden's bumps went away within a few days and never seemed itchy but I think they were due to him laying in the grass at my parent's which he never does at home. Our huge clue that we had an issue was the hair loss. It just came out like none other. Our vet never gave any clue as to whether or not the black flecks had anything to do with his demodex- mites are microscopic so I know that isn't what it was.

I hope Maxx starts feeling better and your vet can give you a decent diagnosis. Let us know what the vet says!


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## SteelCityDozer

I'm not sure but I think you need a microscope to see mites. Are you sure it isn't fleas? My friends jack russel is on frontline plus and he got fleas that they're having a hard time getting rid of.


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## adrino

Great news KB87! I'm glad he's on the mend! It's a long process so far but if it works then it worth the wait!


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## texasred

SteelCityDozer said:


> I'm not sure but I think you need a microscope to see mites. Are you sure it isn't fleas? My friends jack russel is on frontline plus and he got fleas that they're having a hard time getting rid of.


Your right, you cant see mites. He could have fleas and the tiny black specks are from the fleas.
In bad years your dog can get fleas even using a flea preventive. You may need to treat your yard and ask your vet what else you can do to slow them down. We had a very warm winter last year, and the Spring had perfect weather for fleas. Ive treated the yard twice because the wild squirrels are covered in fleas.


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## KB87

Texasred, what do you use to treat your yard? I didn't know there was anything you could use on your yard to help prevent. I think it'd be a decent thing to know to keep in my back pocket in case we have another mild winter.


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## texasred

I'll look out in the building tomorrow.
I know the name but it escapes me right now.
You mix it different strengths depending on the use.


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## KB87

We had our checkup at the vet today. He had 4 skin scrapes done and all came back negative. Woo hoo!

We are going to stay with treatment for another month to stay ahead of this, then test again in a month. If that comes back negative then we're in the clear!

I'm so happy for my little guy!


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## adrino

Great news KB! Happy for you!


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