breeders please help
by KathyD
ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
My 5 lb maltese is pregnant, due last week February, lst week of March. She was recently to the groomer and is now itchy. I am suspecting some type of fungal, possibly the beginning of ringworm ( as there is a small red slightly raised circle on her stomach with lots of white dandruff around the area. (I only noticed this about 1 hour ago.) I am concerned about treatment as I don't want to harm the pups, but want to cure her problem. I have put a baby sleeper on her with appropriate cutouts so she will not chew her fur off. I have taken her to the vet when she first started itching, but she was useless, giving me bitter apple spray. She also said I could treat with an antipruretic cream but didn't know if it would harm the pups so I didn't buy it. She didn't have an ultraviolet light, I should have asked first. I have examined her thoroughly with a magnifying glass over countless hours and have never seen a flea. She also in contact with my 4 other dogs, to date they have no problems. She does not appear ill otherwise as she is full of energy, eating, and happy etc, except when plagued with itching. She usually bites her feet, her hips etc. I have not noticed any hair falling out. She is, ofcourse, my house pet as are the others, and greatly loved!! I would greatly appreciate any help, suggestions etc. from all experienced people, especially breeders, on this wonderful web site. Thank you in advance, KathyD
DISCUSSION:
Call your vet first thing, it may only be ringworm & treatment is definitely in order, but especially in her condition I would take no chances and also treat the other dogs if need be. Good Luck
Leslie R
Thanks Leslie, I called the vet and described the new area on her stomach. (the vet is sick with pneumonia! She told me to bath her in nizoral (for dandruff) and wash the area on her stomach with clearasil facial wash (antibacterial) . She said it wasn't ringworm, but probably a bacterial infection from laying on something damp. The only thing I can think of is that sometimes she lays on the door mat, and it is sometimes wet with slush etc. So far, so good. She also told me it would be soothing to put Phillips milk of magnesia on her skin, but I haven't done that yet. Right now she isn't scratching!!Hope it worked.---KathyD
KathyD
Just an update, her scratching is worse. I have chosen to get a second opinion. This vet did skin scrapings for sarcoptic mange, and said they were negative, then a toothbrush brushed over her body and sent to the lab for ringworm. She doesn't really think it is either because the rest of the gang is fine and we don't have rashes. She said treating her with large doses of invermectin right now could be a problem as she is pregnant, but just in case it is sarcoptic mange we should try this route after the pups are weaned. If the probem settles then we know it was this mange. If it is mange, then she said she caught it at the groomer as she doesn't go anywhere else. She doesn't have any fur falling out, or red skin etc. just wild itchiness usually on her feet and hind hip but I think if she wasn't wearing a baby sleeper she would be chewing off all of her fur. She put her on dermacaps(omega6and 3 fatty acids),and said to try a fish and potato diet which I started to change over to tonight (thank God she likes it) She can't send me to have a skin biopsy done now as she can't have anesthetic. If anyone has any suggestions, please, please help us. We are holding her and massaging her little body as much as we can as it distracts her and she doesn't scratch. Please pray that the capsules and diet will work. We want so much to get this under control for her before she delivers in 10 to 14 days. Thanks to all who take the time to read this. Sincerely, KathyD
KathyD
I haven't had much experience like this with dogs, but it sounds like some humans I know with contact allergies. The groomer might have used products that triggered an allergic reaction. Also I wonder if you have changed detergents or other cleaning products for floors, her bedding or her sleeper or other clothes? You might try rinsing things with plain water or re-washing them with detergent that is supposed to be free of irritants. Also, a woman I worked with told me that when she was pregnant the hormone changes triggered a bad case of "urticaria" --the dictionary says it means "hives". Maybe your girl will get better when she has delivered her pups and the hormones return to pre-pregnancy level. Finally, for treatment--my dog Penny had itchy, scaly skin and was given a soothing conditioner that helped while we got to the bottom of the problem (an endocrine imbalance called Cushing's syndrome, found in older dogs). I think the conditioner was called Resiprox. The vet said it was better than a cortisone lotion. If I can find it I'll see what it says about use on pregnant females. It worked on my dog and on my hands, too!
Margy S
Thank you so much Margy, I did change my floor cleaning product to spin and span. I'm going to rinse everything. I look forward to any information you can find.--KathyD
KathyD
Kathy, the product I used is called Resiprox. It is made by Allerderm whose customer service and technical personnel (phone 1-800-338-3659) told me that (even though it says keep it away from mucous membranes) it is safe to use on pregnant and nursing dogs. They told me that you should stay away from hydrocortisone. The active ingredient in Resiprox is something else which they say is safe. I believe Resiprox is supposed to be available only through a vet but in my experience lots of things that are supposed to be are found in independent pet supply stores. But even if it is I would recommend checking with your vet before you use this just in case it might interfere with what your vet is trying to do now. Also Resprox is kind of creamy and I don't know what it would do to a long coat.
There are other products that Allerderm makes that don't have such medicinal ingredients but seem to be soothing to the skin or at least non-irritating. The shampoo Allergroom and a spray on moisturizer or conditioner called Humilac are products I have used on several dogs for years. including a schnauzer/mix with a fluffy coat and my current young maltese who I keep in a fairly short coat. They seem to be good for the skin, make the coat soft, smell good and they apparently taste good to a dog, too!
Good luck to you.
Margy S
Took my little girl to yet another vet who told me she needed more scrapings, blood work etc. Told me it could be allergies or even the sarcoptic mange, but he didn't think so. The scrapings were negative again. Sold me some episoothe oatmeal shampoo and conditioner, told me to stay on dermcaps and the fish and potato diet, and also put her on ferinsol (an iron supplement) said her hgb and hct could be a little higher especially before delivery. When he calls me on Monday I am going to mention Resiprox to him. On my own yesterday, I spoke to my pharmacist who recommended trying teatree oil shampoo for lice, but said to rinse well. We did that yesterday. Poor little thing, she is so patient and sweet natured--didn't even pull away when the vet was taking her blood, just looked me in the eye trustingly. ---KathyD
KathyD
I'm so sorry that your little baby is so uncomfortable. As the tests continue to come back negative I'm beginning to think it is some sort of allergic reaction - possibly from her hormones. A
while back Snowball had a rash on her stomach and I was advised
to give her an oatmeal bath (kind of what you use for itching during chicken pox) and it took care of both the rash and the itching. I'd watch any and all toxic products because of the risk to both mom and the puppies. She sounds like such a sweetie
and I sure hope she is feeling better soon. Please continue to keep us posted. Kathy & Snowball
Kathy
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