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My dog's skin has been turning black in spots for a while now. She is a 14 year old shitzu. The vet told me that it was a mild sebborrhea. About a week ago, she came home from the groomer and her 1/2 black stomach was red and inflamed, and she kept licking it. I called the vet and he told me to use a holistic neem spray that he sold in his office. It seems to cut down on the licking, but the area is still very red and looks sore as heck! Is there anything else I could do for my poor girl? I can't stand to see her suffer, but I really don't have the money to go to another vet for a second opinion. Do her symptoms sound like they have been diagnosed correctly? Please give me some suggestions quickly. She also suffers from dry eye, and can barely see. She has been given Optimmune and Neomycin and Polymyxin B Bacigtracin Zinc Ophthalmic Ointments. I would really like to try and treat her with something more natural if at all possible, because it seenms as though each time she is given a "drug," she develops another symptom that we have to then chase. For intance, she had a granuloma treated with some sort of antibiotic this past summer. Before she was even finished with the medicine, she had to be treated for a yeast infection in her ears and a bladder infection--which they said was likely a side effect of the antibiotics. With the exception of this latest skin ailment that seems to have worsened rather recently--she has been doing quite well--knock on wood. Thank you.

Submitted: 321 days and 15 hours ago.

Category: Dog

Value: $9

Status: CLOSED

Breed: Shitzu

Already Tried:
I have tried "Neem Protect Spray" by Ark Naturals. Before that I tried wiping it down with a cotton ball of peroxide to clean it, then tried to put Neosporin on it because it looked really red and she kept licking and scratching at it. I stopped though, because I was worried about her licking off the medicine when I wasn't looking. The neem spray seems to take a bit of the "itch" away and helps her not to dig at her skin so much, but the skin is still black on top, pink and irritated looking underneath, and the black skin is sort of "thick" and dry. It's hard to explain. She also hates me trying to touch it to do anything with it at all. Do you think an oatmeal bath would help "moisten" up her skin any, or would that just make it worse? The vet originally told me that sometimes with older dogs, they actually become allergic to their own saliva--and that that could be what was happening to her. The problem is--I need to know what is, not just would could be. My poor dog is suffering, and I am running out of money and patience. Please help us! Thank you.

Posted by DrAndy 321 days and 14 hours ago.

Answer

Hello,
I am sorry to hear about your dog. I do have a few other thoughts and they do not include a diagnosis of only seborrhea. It is also not being allergic to saliva. Of course, I cannot say anything with certainty without examining the skin, but I have some thoughts:
1. The diffuse black skin you are describing is likely what we call hyperpigmentation. It is not allergic from saliva. It is caused by excessive licking, period. This strongly suggests to me we have a primary allergy problem. This can include flea allergy, food allergies and environmental allergies. So, lets break these down:
So, to rule-out food allergies you need to do a diet trial.
Summary: The primary protein in most dog foods is lamb, chicken, or beef. The primary carbohydrate is rice or corn. So, we need to change both. The most popular alternative diets are Venison and Potato, Duck and Potato, or Fish and Potato. It is available in prescription formulas (i.e. Science Diet D/D) or you can find some similar foods at the big pet stores like PetSmart or PetCo. Keep in mind, holistic or all-natural foods are not necessarily any better when trying to remove a food allergy. Chicken is chicken, and rice is rice. When you perform a diet trial, you must stick with the food for 2-3 months to see if there is any benefit. No other treats or human food can be given during this time period.
http://www.petplace.com/dogs/food-allergy-in-dogs/page1.aspx

This link is an excellent and concise summary of atopy or environmental allergies:
http://www.petplace.com/dogs/atopy-in-dogs/page1.aspx

Of course, I cannot account for any internal problems without blood testing, so I am assuming some basic testing has been performed.

To get the licking under control, especially if it is allergy induced, you really need steroids. Yep, steroids. In addition, antihistamines may be helpful as well. If your vet has not mentioned either, you really need a second opinion.
That should do it.
Good Luck
Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance.

321 days and 14 hours ago.

Reply

Well, last summer when she had the granuloma on her paw, the antibiotics also gave her diarrhea, so the vet told me to stop feeding her dog food (I was giving her Wellness Senior) and had me making her a bland diet of whole grain brown rice and boiled free-range chicken. Once she was back to "normal," he told me that she could stay on that diet--but gave me a few variations that he had typed up that also included various veggies. I have been doing it ever since. I used to find little piles of vomit and yellow bile after she ate (dog food), especially if she ate too quickly--but I am happy to report that I have never found either since. She had also become a lot more energetic and playful since being weened off the dog food. The only "treats" she gets now are carrot sticks (her favorite) and frozen snap peas. Her coat has never been more beautiful either. She had blood work done recently to rule out cushings (another thing that the Vet thought might be causing her black skin), but thankfully that was negative. The skin on her back is black also (although you can't really see it unless she is wet down) so I don't think it could be due to just licking because she can't lick her back. Although the black skin is unsightly, I wouldn't care about it if it recently wouldn't have started looking irritated, sort of "underneath" the black. Before it was just black skin, now it's irritated black skin that appears sore. Should I continue with the Neem spray? Or can I put something else on the skin to help soothe it? I almost wonder if it wasn't due to something "new" that the groomer may have used on her. I really need a more "immediate" solution--as I do not honestly feel as though a food allergy is the culprit. Cream, spray, different bathing schedule, different shampoo (oh, and I forgot to mention that the shampoo I bath her with at home inbetween grooming appointments is also from the Vet--"Hexadene" medicated shampoo by Virbac) SOMETHING, other than another $200.00 visit to another Vet office to be told "we really can't be sure" again. I love my dog to pieces, but I've already spent more in the past month at the Vet's office than I have on my mortgage--and the poor thing hasn't gotten any better. Can you please advise me on something "comfort-wise" that I can at least do for her?

Accepted Answer

I cannot say the Neem spray is helping. The most immediate from a comfort stand point will be the steroids, hands down. For a shampoo, my favorite is "Relief shampoo." Hypo-allergenic, soap-free and contains promaxine, an anti-itch ingredient. I believe you can even get it off the internet. Do not let the groomer use any shampoo other than this Relief stuff or the Hexadene. Literally, bring the hexadene to the groomer. In addition, any shampoo residue left on the skin by accident could exacerbate the problem. There is also a "Relief cream rinse or leave-on lotion" you could look into.
Other considerations for allergy control include "Atopica" but it is costly. A steroid injection "Vetalog" or some oral prednisone will provide the quickest relief.

Accepts:
Expert:	DrAndy
Pos. Feedback:	99.8 %
Answered:	1/5/2009

Veterinarian

UC Davis graduate, Canine and Feline emphasis, Dermatology, Internal Medicine, Geriatrics

321 days and 13 hours ago.

Reply

Thank you for getting back to me regarding this problem. I will look into the "Relief Shampoo" immediately. Thanks again.

Posted by DrAndy 321 days and 13 hours ago.

Answer

You are welcome. Good Luck

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Thank you for getting back to me regarding this problem. I will look into the "Relief Shampoo" immediately. Thanks again.

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You are welcome. Good Luck

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Thank you for getting back to me regarding this problem. I will look into the "Relief Shampoo" immediately. Thanks again.

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You are welcome. Good Luck

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