Petie (skin condition)

Petie came from another state (South Carolina) to here in the Willamette Valley in Oregon.

He came as a 'blank slate', because we knew very little of his background, only that he was a stray dog that 'adopted' my nephew, who was going to be moving from South Carolina to Oregon and would be living with us until he got on his feet financially.

His dog, Petie, began to become my 'shadow', and a couple months later when it came time for my nephew to move out on his own, he didn't have the heart to take Petie with him. It was obvious to everyone that Petie was going to be my shadow for the rest of his (or my) days.

That was over five years ago, and Petie is still wherever I am, and when I must leave him for more than a couple of days, he gets very anxious, but wow....what a 'homecoming' I get from him.

He really is the sweetest dog! He has manners, and obeys me even though I rarely yell at him.

He has a terrible skin condition which we've been unable to solve. I guess I should pose a question in the 'health' forum. We've tried about everything we or the vet can think of. I just hate to see him suffering.

Aww, poor Petie
Have you had him tested for allergies at all?

Petie is still a fairly young dog (about 6 years) and a terrier mix. He is a short-haired mixed breed.

He's been to the vet so many times, and we have tried so many shampoos/conditioners, topical treatments, prednisone shots and pills, benydril, head cone, (which he always manages to get out of), flea-free, but continues to scratch way more than normal, chews on his tail till it's raw, and wimpers sometimes, scrathes his back on the rug, the bottom edge of our box springs, etc.

He doesn't know how to 'play'. He never did. When we try to play with him, he just stares at the object we're playing with.

I always make sure he is fully rinsed after his bath, but usually, he escapes to the outside the first chance he gets and rolls around in the grass and dirt.

Because of my health concerns, I haven't been able to take him for many walks, but when I do, I do notice a slight improvement.

I talked with my husband this morning (who is also physically disabled) and we're going to take him for walks morning and night, for as long as we can stand it, and hope that will help in releasing any pent-up energy.

I've often wondered about whether or not the vet (which happens to be whoever is availabe) is missing something. We live in a very small town with two vet offices, but have always chosen to remain with the one office that knows all our pets, and their history, etc.

I just found out that a lot of dogs are allergic to corn. My daughter has been a groomer for over 20 years, and hears a lot about her clients 'fur pets'. But I haven't checked the ingredents that closely, because we always go with the vets recommendation.

If you have any suggestions, I would be most grateful.

Sorry I could not locate the icons suggested below, so just put a question mark on the title.

Has he had any tests done for allergies?

No he hasn't any allergy tests, but he's on 'hypoallergenic' everything...food, skin products, shampoos, etc.

I'm actually thinking of changing vets. We've had the same vet clinic for over 10 years, so it's a hard decision to make, but if this clinic can't find something to help him, I'll have to change.

I just can't bear to watch him suffer. A lot of times, I bring him in my art studio (I use water based paints, so there's no 'fumes') and put on soft music and give him a massage, and believe it or not, it helps quite a bit, but it never lasts for long.

My husband and I are both retired and on a fixed income, so all the vets fees really pile up. How much do allergy tests run? Well, actually, I'll ask the vet about this tomorrow.

I can't remember if I mentioned this in another post or not, but my daughter has been a groomer for over 20 years, and hears a lot of things from her clients, and I just found out from her that a lot of pets are allergic to corn, which is apparently used in a lot of different dog foods and treats.

Awwwww....what a beautiful fur-baby you have! And thanks for the warm welcome from both of you!

Not a clue what the tests cost, I'm afraid, especially not in the US
Obviously not as quick or efficient, but you could always do an elimination test with his diet - wheat, corn, chicken, beef, dairy, soy and yeast I beleive are all common allergens.

What are you feeding him now?

Hi Rubie,

It may be worth asking for the tests that way you know exactly what you are dealing with, at his age it's unlikely to be a transient thing.

As for "Hypoallergenic" it's a bit of a buzz word, it should be used on products that are less likely to cause irritation but to be honest most manufacturers use it as a sales tool, you can be "allergic" to anything but in some cases it can take several exposures to something before a reaction will occur.

I had my dog tested as we where worried about food and it turned out to be her environment that caused the problem, nothing to do with food at all

Not just a buzz word but virtually meaningless. Has no legal definition etc. and is used as you say - as a sales tool.

Here's a snippet from a UK Parliamentary paper on the subject:

Same thing goes for 'dermatologically tested'.