Malaseb

frugallass

I presume they are, fresh veggies are good for everyone (including dogs) surely?

He can hear me peeling a carrot a mile away ! and he sits and waits for the broccoli stalks too !

hdeusi

lol - how funny! I'll see if he will eat them then!

Do you also feed dry food?

frugallass

I know not to give him onion tho !

frugallass

hdeusi wrote: »

Do you also feed dry food?

yeah he eats Eukanuba - Sensitive Skin - it's the best food he's ever had - he's 8 years old but has the energy of a pup !

hdeusi

Oh kewl that's good news! Ill speak to the vet about getting the sensitive skin one - lucky as his usual bag is just about running out!

frugallass

there's lots of choice of sensitive skin foods out there, it's just a case of finding the one your dog likes, try different manufacturers and ask for samples.

Not everyone likes Eukanuba / Iams as they think they're involved in cruel animal laboratory testing, I contacted Eukanuba and they provided me with some factual information which satisfied my curiosity and didn't put me off from continuing to buy the product. Just thought I should tell you before some animal rights activist jumps down my throat !

hdeusi

That's great thanks - as he is already eating Hill's it may make sense to continue using this one but I'll ask the vet tonight and see what she recommends.

simontheiceman

frugallass wrote: »

there's lots of choice of sensitive skin foods out there, it's just a case of finding the one your dog likes, try different manufacturers and ask for samples.

Not everyone likes Eukanuba / Iams as they think they're involved in cruel animal laboratory testing, I contacted Eukanuba and they provided me with some factual information which satisfied my curiosity and didn't put me off from continuing to buy the product. Just thought I should tell you before some animal rights activist jumps down my throat !

Its a funny old thing but... Malaseb is known as Simonshine in our practice, as I prescribe so much of it. I really rate it as a medicated shampoo. Its also really really good for dandruff in humans (dont ask how I know but I have first-hand experience ;but I didn't say that you should use it).

Diet change for skin disorders is recommended by many vets. Indeed I used to advocate such action but have stopped doing so by the sheer mediocrity of the response of skin disease to diet change. Food allergic skin disease is extremely uncommon. Inhaled allergic skin disease is far more common.

The answer to 90% of skin disease in dogs is FLEA CONTROL. If you dont do this as a first line then you are missing a vital opportunity.

The remaining 10% is much harder to manage. A large number of these will be inhaled allergies and I have the ultimate answer to these. Indeed I can stop them ALL from scratching. You aint going to like the answer though. The answer is to stop them living in our centrally heated allergy box western living houses and to chuck 'em out in the backyard. Ask yourself a very pertinent question - If you think back 30years, where did the family pet sleep? I'll tell you: it was in a kennel in the yard. In 2008 where do they sleep? More often than not they are now in the family bedroom and some are in the humans beds (ZOMG). Most allergic dogs will have normal skin after a period of "outdoor" living i.e. kennel and run. Those owners who can bear the initial strain of this will almost always say that they wish they had done it earlier and they have fewer trips to the vet for skin flare ups and have no need of allergy vaccines, atopica and all that other expensive nonsense. I would rather my clients sought this "retro" option than all the medication I can provide. If "fluffy" simply must stay in the house then you really do open yourself up to expensive and long term skin management - Its kinda your choice. All I can say is my less-well-off clients love the simple solution of outside management.

We are seeing vast increases in skin disease and this parallels the rise in allergies in the human population and for the same reasons. Outside living gets rid of the "flea issue" at the same time - double bonus!! Fleas hate it outdoors - please dont get me going on the "grass fleas" issue - I'm almost as long winded on that as I am on ...

In summary - Malaseb is superb, but please look at the underlying issue and always treat for fleas in every case of skin problems.

simontheiceman

frugallass wrote: »

the vet prescribed it for my westie when he had itchy feet - I just use baby shampoo on him now and it seems to do a good enough job.

I only use non-bio washing powder on his bedding

I rinse his feet in the shower if they are extra dirty

I changed his food to one specifically for sensitive skin

I encourage him to eat fresh carrots and broccoli as a 'treat'

A word of caution - baby shampoo can be useful and I have advised its use on occasion but... The pH is quite acidic and dogs have a neutral skin. Baby shampoo will therefore strip out a lot of natural protection on the dog's skin. You may actually exacerbate skin disease in this way. Human skin is naturally slightly acidic (about pH 5.5) but baby's skin is slightly more so (about pH 5.0). Shampoo's should be formulated for the skin type on which they are to be used or they could lead to issues. if you are at all unsure as to this please consult Mullers Veterinary dermatology which will give you the same answer in about 100 pages of reading (you can savour the rest of it at your leisure).

frugallass

I understand what you are saying but in my dogs case the food has made a difference to the condition of his skin. I also make sure his bedding is washed in non-bio powder and I don't use air fresheners etc

I only bathe him when I really have no choice (ie when he has rolled in something that stinks to high heaven) but when I do, I used baby shampoo and it works fine on him

but thanks for the advice anyway.....