shampoo for smelly dog with skin problems

fran2491

suki1964 wrote: »

Usually is doesnt work because owners are not using it correctly

You have to shampoo it in and leave it for a good 10 mins - and do it every other day to start. Then once the skin is under control you use it say twice a week, then down to once a week. If it flares up again then you shampoo more often.

It does work - you just have to be prepared to put in the time and effort needed. I have to shampoo my lad twice weekly at the moment as I tend to have to in very wet weather. He gets a lot better in the summer months and I might only need to shampoo him once a month

when we first got the shampoo i was told to do it daily left on for a min of 15 mins which i did,didnt work went back to the vets got a diff vet and was told to try not to wash him at all as it would make him worse! can`t win lol! either way wash or not he still stinks! dog smell i can deal with but stale feet i can`t lol! :rotfl:

almond

we have been using this for lucy for 7 years and gave up when my hands became very dry looked like my skin was pealing, i got some http://www.petsathome.com/shop/shampoo-cucumber-melon-by-nootie-62901
nootie read all the reviews and use it on the two of them now

krlyr

fran2491 wrote: »

hes had various allergy tests with the vets at a cost of over £200 to date and all has come back normal the vets are unalbe to pinpoint what it is thats causing him problems :-( hence him on steroids and piriton. diet wise i`v tried just about every kind of food and have settled with james wellbeloved fish and he seems to be a little better on this one. the shampoo i get from the vets is called epi sooth and its useless lol!

I have heard mixed opinions on how effective the tests can be (apparently skin tests are more accurate than the blood tests, and there's a saliva test that's been developed in the USA that's meant to be more effective but you need to order and send back to USA for analysis I think), I would be tempted to try a diet change just to give it a try. With an exclusion/elimination diet, ideally you want to try a novel food (i.e. one he's not had before - if he's had chicken, beef and lamb for example, try fish or duck or turkey) - ideally given raw/cooked so you *just* feed that one meat (some people like to add carbs too, e.g. rice or potato - again, try to make it novel, if the dog is on a dry food with rice, try potato instead), though a commercial food with a limited ingredient list could be a compromise. I know many sensitive dogs do OK on salmon & potato dry food as it cuts out the grain and the meat (common ingredients like chicken can be a cause of allergies - I know of one dog who can't tolerate any meat protein so has to eat a vegan dog food!), if cooking potato and fish is too troublesome.
http://dogtorj.tripod.com/id37.html
http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/2010/06/08/pinpointing-allergies/
I've also heard of cases where dogs have been allergic to a cooked protein but not a raw one, so a raw diet may be worth considering.

Also have you looked at possible environmental triggers, such as the washing powder you use, any cleaning products used around the house, air fresheners, certain fabrics, etc.? Could be worth switching products (could be good to go 'natural' for a while, e.g. using a vinegar solution for washing floors, lemon juice as an airfreshener (or bicarbonate of soda in a dish to absorb odours), etc. to rule them out.

I know of a shampoo that's well recommended for dogs with allergies but the name is escaping me, will see if I can find it out for you.
Also could be worth checking for thyroid problems as skin problems can be a symptom of hypothyroidism. When testing for thyroid problems it's important to have a full panel done rather than just the T4 levels as this can give a false result - T4 results can appear normal even in a dog with hypothyroidism as the correct amount of T4 is being produced but the other levels are wrong and the dog isn't able to use the T4 efficiently.

Edit: This seems to come well recommended - http://www.aromesse.com/skin-problem/natural-healthcare-dog-products.html

Also if he is smelling then I would want to investigate whether there's a problem with a yeast infection, causing or in conjunction with the skin problems.

Thriftkitten

fran2491 wrote: »

hes a pug x french bulldog hun thanks for all your advice i think im going to give it a try

Hahaha... How did I know you would say pug... or something crossed with pug, yes they do stink a lot more than other dogs, Has he had recurrent ear infections, or are his ears red sore, and look/feel like elephant skin as opposed the silky? One of my female pugs has ears like this and they smell awfully yeasty, all you can do is keep on top of the cleaning, baby wipe dipped in some organic apple cider vinegar works well daily.
If the ears are sore it is almost certainly food related, to be honest I can't stress enough the wonders of flax oil and a diet change, my poor pug lolly suffered for 2 yrs and a simple diet change cured everything, I am subscribed to pugslife on the net, google pugslife, they will also tell you it is probably diet related and unless you try a different diet and get his immune system up with flax oil you will find yourself in the dreaded circle of vet bills, miserable dog and piriton to calm him down. it's awful to watch them constantly scratching, but if the shampoo isnt working then try to tackle from the inside out.
You havent got anything to lose really as giving him a raw diet and raw bones will help express anal glands( which need emptying every few months on this type of dog) Could also be causing the smell.
Make sure you are wiping the nose fold daily as thats area is stinky too if uncleaned. Does he have any "Hot Spots" IE sore areas from scratching? Does he lick his paws profusely? and what are the insides of his ears like??
All symptoms of a probably food allergy.

fran2491

Thriftkitten wrote: »

Hahaha... How did I know you would say pug... or something crossed with pug, yes they do stink a lot more than other dogs, Has he had recurrent ear infections, or are his ears red sore, and look/feel like elephant skin as opposed the silky? One of my female pugs has ears like this and they smell awfully yeasty, all you can do is keep on top of the cleaning, baby wipe dipped in some organic apple cider vinegar works well daily.
If the ears are sore it is almost certainly food related, to be honest I can't stress enough the wonders of flax oil and a diet change, my poor pug lolly suffered for 2 yrs and a simple diet change cured everything, I am subscribed to pugslife on the net, google pugslife, they will also tell you it is probably diet related and unless you try a different diet and get his immune system up with flax oil you will find yourself in the dreaded circle of vet bills, miserable dog and piriton to calm him down. it's awful to watch them constantly scratching, but if the shampoo isnt working then try to tackle from the inside out.
You havent got anything to lose really as giving him a raw diet and raw bones will help express anal glands( which need emptying every few months on this type of dog) Could also be causing the smell.
Make sure you are wiping the nose fold daily as thats area is stinky too if uncleaned. Does he have any "Hot Spots" IE sore areas from scratching? Does he lick his paws profusely? and what are the insides of his ears like??
All symptoms of a probably food allergy.

lol i also have a full pug and i have no probs with him yes he smells but as much as to be expected lol my pug x frenchie has been treated for ear infections a few times now tends to just be his one ear so i`m on top of that one anyway lol,his main spots to itch is his lower belly and neck, anal glands are fine had the vet check last time i was there a few weeks ago! i even wash his bed in non bio washing powder lol, it just seems to be never ending and it was prob the reason he ended up being rehomed to me grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

krlyr

Itchiness and redness of the lower belly is often a sign of a food intolerance. I really would try changing his diet to at the very least rule it out, you may need to persist with an exclusion diet for a few weeks, or even month or so, to see a difference but it's a hard one to diagnose with blood tests. It's not a balanced diet to feed longterm but it will help you pinpoint the triggers so you can either make your own balanced diet (homecooked or raw diet) or buy a commercial food that doesn't contain the triggers.
Dogpages is a good general dog forum and many members there have experience of allergies in dogs, either dietary or environmental, so could give some fab advice if you post over there.

mucklebones

Have you tried organic shampoo, will be much more gentle on skin and chemical free. Scruffychops rings a bell but quite sure there are many others.