Dog skin infection re-occuring

[Tutty*]

Hi, I have a 4 year old large mixed-breed dog named Max. 2 years ago he had a "bacterial skin infection" and was treated with antibiotics which cleared most of it up, however, his tail got worse because he was always scratching and picking at it. He eventually had to have surgery to have his tail removed. He sheds alot and always gets ear infections. Lately, I noticed a few skin irritations on him again. I'm not sure what could be the cause. Any ideas? Thanks! Tutty*

[hazelrunpack]

What is Max eating, Tutty*? Often fur/skin/ear problems can be caused by food allergies and a change to a different high-quality food can be the answer.

[Tutty*]

He usually eats mostly all dry food. (Alpo I think is the brand I have now) Every now and then I will give him a can of wet food (2-3 times a week) Should he switch to a more nutritional dry food or be fed more wet food maybe? I did notice the skin irritation lately when I gave him a different type of can food. Thanks for replying

[hazelrunpack]

I'm no food guru But I do know when we started looking for a good food for our dogs, we looked for one with named meat as at least 3 of the first 5 ingredients listed on the bag. Look for one without fillers, unnamed meal, grains or lots of additives. Corn is a no-no--it's one of the most problematic allergens in dogs.

If you check out the food forums on this board, you'll find some really good suggestions

Remember to make the switch slowly if you find a new food--do it gradually over 7 -10 days to avoid tummy upsets.

One thing we noticed when we switched to Innova was that they only needed about half the amount they had been eating to maintain their weight--so you'll likely need to reduce the amount you feed if you go to a higher quality food.

[Tutty*]

Oh I see. I will try a more healthier food. Thanks for the advice! I hope this works. I've noticed some fleas on him lately and used treatment right away. Hopefully this has nothing to do with that like mange or something. The internet can be scary when you google skin irritations in dogs. haha thanks again!

[hazelrunpack]

You might want to talk to your vet again if you're seeing fleas. He may be sensitive to fleas and could benefit from something more effective than the treatments you can by over the counter! And if he has a flea infestation, you'll have to de-flea your living quarters, too, to get rid of them entirely.

[Tutty*]

Good idea, I'll pick something up and see what they have. I also noticed the first ingredient in his food is Corn.

[coppperbelle]

Does your dog go swimming in a river or lake where there are water fowl? My dog used to get skin infections every summer after swimming. It was especially bad at this time of year. The vet explained that it could be something like what people get called "swimmer's itch".
If it is an allergy to food then you may want to look for something without corn or wheat.

[ancientgirl]

Apart from the food and the advice to have your pup looked at by a vet, if you can try to find some sulfur soap. I've used it on my gang when they've had minor skin issues. I started using it about a year ago or so, and my vet has even started recommending it to some of her other patients.

Good luck!

[Tutty*]

No he doesn't go swimming. Hard enough to get him in the tub haha He hates water. I gave him a flea bath though to see if it would help with his itching. Sulfer soap? Where can I find that?

[ancientgirl]

Originally Posted by Tutty*

No he doesn't go swimming. Hard enough to get him in the tub haha He hates water. I gave him a flea bath though to see if it would help with his itching. Sulfer soap? Where can I find that?

I bought the soap at a small pharmacy, over the counter.

[mummummum]

Changing food is a definite.

You might also think about recurring yeast infections. If you take Max to the Vet make sure they do a skin scraping and take swabs of his ears. I feed my gang plain, unsweetened yoghurt as a matter of course but you may find it's helpful in getting rid of the yeasties. Good for settling tummies too!

[Tutty*]

I wonder if yeast infections are common in dogs? He seems to be better now. Hopefully he'll stay that way

[hazelrunpack]

Yeast infections do seem to be fairly common in dogs--especially in the ears. Some people have luck supplementing with virgin 100% pure coconut oil. Here's one of the threads talking about it: http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=43716

[Tutty*]

Coconut oil? Thanks! I'll have a look for some.