Skin irritation and pulling hair out

[Jennifer]

My Pyr is now 5 months old and he is going through stages where he pulls his hair out and can't stop scratching. He sometimes leaves scabs from where he bites himself and he has picked his back legs almost bald. I asked my veterinarian about it and he told me it was not hot spots but a flea allergy and he prescribed Epi Soothe shampoo and antibiotics. I don't think he was right though because we've had the dog flea dipped and we keep him very clean and brushed all the time. We cut the bathing down because we thought it might be irritating his skin and we have tried changing his food a few times. Has anyone else had this trouble with their Pyr? I'm inclined to think it's hot spots because he only scratches in certain areas. He also has small red spots on his belly. It has been a couple of months since that last vet visit and I would rather try any solution suggested here than go back there and spend a ton of money on something that won't work again.

I've attached a few pictures of the rash on his underside

[Joseph Gentzel]

Hi Jennifer
It is pretty clear to me its a allergy most likely from food. You could go back to the vet and do the antibiotic routine, which you may have to do anyway and then proceed to allergy testing, or we could try some things first. Sounds like you want to try some things first. First tell me what food they have been eating. Be specific and let me know even treats. Changing the diet might help, but since its an inflammatory problem your Pyr will benefit form a super omega 3 fatty acid capsule. It need to be from a lower food chain fish as salmon oil and larger fish can carry mercury and other problems found in the sea these days.
If your Pyr does not have infection and does not need antibiotics, the high Omege 3 capsule with a different alternate protein diet will likely take care of the problem. The high quality high omega 3 capsule is less than 10 dollars for 100 caps and only one cap per day is needed. The alternate protein food will likely be a bit more expensive, but it will not be that much in all probability.
Let me know about the food being fed.
Joe

[Jennifer]

Right now we are feeding him Beneful: Healthy Growth for Puppies and the bag says it contains chicken, rice, and vegetables. A neighbor told me her rottweiler is allergic to red dye in dog food and that I should try food without red chunks (Beneful has red chunks). I have fed him both Alpo and Iams puppy food in the past but that was when he was very young and was before the irritation began. After the irritation got bad the first time and we saw the vet, we switched him to Beneful: Healthy Radiance, which sounds like what you are describing, and he started clearing up (but I thought it was due to the flea dip and soothing shampoo). It seems that it must be the food though and it makes more sense now after your answer. Thanks! I will switch him back to Beneful Healthy Radiance and see what happens and I will look for the omega 3 capsules. I only switched him back to the puppy food from the Healthy Radiance type because I was concerned that he wouldn't grow as well unless he had puppy food. Will it really matter at this point that he's not getting puppy food?

We have fed him several types of treats and I will do my best to list them:
*Purina Tiny T-Bonz filet mignon flavor (ground wheat; corn gluten meal; water; wheat flour; ground yellow corn; sugar; glycerin; beef; chicken by-product meal; hydrogenated starch hydrolysate; corn starch-modified; liver; soybean meal; salt; bacon fat preserved with BHA; phosphoric acid; red 40, yellow 5, blue 2 and other colors; dried whey; sorbic acid; gelatin; animal digest; natural filet mignon flavors; calcium propionate; soy protein isolate; citric acid

*Meaty Bones (ground wheat; grain sorghum; animal fat BHA preserved; beef and bone meal; meat by-products; salt; sodium tripolyphosphate; cracked wheat; caramel color; animal plasma; beef; potassium sorbate; natural smoke flavor; red 40; ferrous sulfate; zinc oxide; manganous oxide; copper sulfate; calcium iodate; sodium selenite; vitamins E and A; niacin; D-calcium pantothenate; riboflavin; pyridoxine hydrochloride; thiamine mononitrate; vitamin D3; folic acid; biotin; vitamin b12

*Other treats we've had in the past include an off brand version of Beggin Strips and beef jerky and another type of mini steak treats. I don't have them right now so can't list the ingredients. We also occasionally feed him half a can of Purina canned dog food mixed with his dry food. I have tried giving him milk twice in the past but he vomited it up both times. He rarely gets table scraps (maybe once a week) and I've researched about what types of human foods are safe and not safe for dogs.

[pat ramapuram]

I agree with Joe In addition all of the foods you are feeding are just loaded with grains and artifical ingrediants and often it is the grains that cause the most problems with allergies and the skin. In switching dog foods I would switch to a more natural ingrediant food with NO corn or wheat for a start, along with a different protein source There are tons of foods out there that would fit the bill I also would change the treats to a more natural ones- nothing better than a good ole soup bone and you can get all sorts of dog biscuits without grains in them. The rash on the belly is not that uncommon with puppies but frequently require a course of antibiotics to clear up. Instead of an occasional flea dip I would get an all natural flea shampoo Eqyss has a great one but there are several out there. Does he have on Advantix or Frontline? Specially in the fall fleas can make their last hurrah I also treat my yard and rarely have a flea problem-its a big help.

[pat ramapuram]

Forgot- I use a colloidal silver spray at the start of any skin irritation. Its called Peace and Kindness and can be ordered fron Chris Christensen I almost never have a hot spot - but if I missed the beginning and get a real hot spot then I use tea tree oil. Both products give me fabulous results and saves me a trip to the vet

[Michelle Kay]

Beneful is a horrible food jam packed with allergens!...Before I did allergy tests I'd switch to a good food to see what happens...Here is a good & unbiased site for rating dog food:
www.dogfoodanalysis.com
Good luck!

[Karin]

I agree !
I think the food he has got, gives him al these troubles !
In this case the best is to gives him less dryfood and more "fresh", but ...........
I can understand that is a problem for you.
You have to have the knowledge especially for growing up Pyrs.
I have good experience in Holland with CANIDAE, with dogs who had skinproblems ....
I think it is necessairy for your dog to try to find a "natural" dryfood, with less grains and without chemical anti-oxidants, BHA and BHT

[Jennifer]

Thanks to everyone for their replies. From my experience with dogs in the past I just assumed that most dogs have stomachs of steel and can eat nearly anything without trouble. I've never owned a dog with this type of problem before and they've always eaten anything given to them without getting sick or irritated. I will give an update when I find a food and treat combination that works.

[Joseph Gentzel]

Hi Jennifer
Sorry I have been absent for a day or so. Good info offered so far, but lets look at what to feed as opposed now to what not to feed.
Sounds like you are buying dog food and treats from grocery store? If so, they carry the cheap really poor stuff mostly. Find someplace that you can buy a food that is not chicken and has no corn or wheat in it. The more I study commercial dog foods even the good ones are not really so good and raw is sometimes just as bad. Also since there is a raging inflammatory reaction going on now for a few weeks we need to increase the Omega 3 fatty acids real high for awhile. Best way to do that is give a very high Omega 3 suppliment, but there are many out there with potential toxins in them, so we need to be careful and get the ones that are marine life based, but lower food chain also i.e. not salmon or larger fish and processed to be pure. I just ordered some that should arrive today or tomorrow. Message me privately if you want some more information. My source I need to order huge quanities to get the quality i.e. from cold water wild seas and small fish like sardines and anchovies.
See what you can find in dog food and let me know. We need to be careful now with his food. I agree with Pat stop the treats and find some good old soup bones or knuckle bones for his treats. You can try some canned salmon, mackrel or sardines now as they will help and are human grade.

[pat ramapuram]

And dogs LOVE the canned fishes- better than steak even!! I sometimes add to their kibble as a treat. The more natural foods do not necessarily have to be more expensive Beneful is not cheap and costs more than what I feed as a base. Do you have a Petco or Petsmart or even a TSC nearby- they all carry some of the healthier brands?

[Jennifer]

The only store nearby that sells any variety of dog food at all is Wal-Mart, and according to this website www.dogfoodanalysis.com recommended by Michelle Kay, every brand sold at Wal-Mart is rated very low. There is a Petco in the next county though and I travel there about once a month to do some recycling so I will be able to check it out and possibly stock up on something better then. In the meantime I picked up the best thing I could find at Wal-Mart according to the advice I've gotten here. I got Purina One Sensitive Systems hard food and Pedigree Healthy Skin & Coat canned food. I also picked up some Pro-Pet Skin & Coat capsules and Pro-Pet Itch Relief hydrocortisone spray. He is still scratching but is not leaving clumps of hair on the floor like before.

[pat ramapuram]

Sounds like you are off to a good start then! A breeder/handler friend of mine uses the Purina ONE with good results

[Marion-Silvia Diener]

This website should not be taken 101% pure truth. The maker of this does not know everything about the food making business. Some food are marked there as quality 5 star witch they are not and also the lowest rank should be ranked higher.