# Help - vet not helpful



## S.Claire (Sep 1, 2011)

Hi All

You might remember sometime ago Nacho had some skin problems. Went to the vet and £80 later was prescribed molasab shampoo to help combat his diagnosed fungal infection (ring worm).

I followed the instructions to the letter and bathed him twice a day for 10 days and left it on for 10 minutes. It maybe improved slightly (although in hindsight I think it was wishful thinking).

When I went to Canada for 2 weeks and Nacho went to Bristol to stay, I came back and his skin had completely cleared.

Less than a month later the sores have come back in vengeance. I'm going to start again on the shampoo with hopefully more luck. However I'm convinced Nacho is picking this up in our garden - which is massive and quite frankly impossible to treat too. 

I feel that £80 a time trips to the vets are getting ridiculous without a result and pointless if I can't stop him from picking it up again.

Also, I will do anything for Nacho but bathing him and then spending 30 minutes drying him twice a day is extremely time consuming.

Can anyone recommend anything that can be taken orally that could help too or even a cream?

Nacho used to love his bi-weekly baths. Quite frankly now, he runs for the hills when he hears me run the tap. It's turned into quite an unenjoyable experience for both of us.

Phew enough questions there I think....

Thanks in advance.

Susie and Nacho (both frustrated) x


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

Hi Susie, first thing that strikes me from your post is the fact that Nacho's skin cleared completely while he was away so is there anything you can think of that he could be reacting to in your home? Anything that was so different where he stayed compared to home?
Just a thought?
X


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## S.Claire (Sep 1, 2011)

Yes all I can think of is that my garden is open and full of wildlife - foxes, badgers, rabbits. Whereas in Bristol the garden was entirely enclosed.

My thoughts are that it is an impossible task in finding out where he is picking it up without banning him from the outdoors completely. 

I was told that he probably fought the ring worm off himself when he was away but because he is subjected to my garden daily, he is constantly picking it up.

I have also been told it is highly contagious (only now) to humans (maybe I should have done my research myself but quite annoyed my vet didn't tell me that at the beginning). However I have not caught it, my dads dog hasn't got it (also in the garden all the time) so it makes me think it's not ring worm??? - Unless he is more susceptible to get it cos he is young? - I read that somewhere!

My reaction if someone posted this was to go to the vet - but I have done this numerous times at excessive costs.


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

How about a different vet?


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## S.Claire (Sep 1, 2011)

Yes it might have to be an option. Nacho seems fine. It's not affecting him in the sense that he is ill or uncomfortable. Either that or i'll have to move house!!!! xx


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

Ha ha you could house swap with your doggy sitters!


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## lady amanda (Nov 26, 2010)

sounds like an allergy to me as opposed to ring worm....as yes you would have gotten it by now....
do you have carpets and they don't or anything like that??


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## JoJo (Mar 2, 2011)

Ummm strange .. sounds like an allergy to me too .. but I am no expert on this. As we all know Betty Bossy Knickers has had her dad so worried about her scratching .. I know Betty's experience with skin tests were not conclusive but maybe Nacho will have better lucky with this type of testing, maybe worth a try  

Hugs coming your way .. I can feel your frustration xxx


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## colpa110 (Jul 5, 2011)

Sounds like an allergy to me too....Betty was 50 - 70 per cent less itchy at Sarah's....I'm still struggling to find out what her problem is!!


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## Enneirda. (Mar 5, 2010)

What food do you have Nacho on right now?


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## Jedicrazy (Apr 26, 2011)

If you do think he's picking something up from the garden could you ring fence a small area off so he doesn't have the full run of your land? That way you could maybe rule out some of the possibilities?


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## S.Claire (Sep 1, 2011)

Enneirda. said:


> What food do you have Nacho on right now?


He is on burns kibble and natures diet. Always has been. I know it's not his food as the problem cleared up when he was away and he was eating the same thing. xx


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## S.Claire (Sep 1, 2011)

Jedicrazy said:


> If you do think he's picking something up from the garden could you ring fence a small area off so he doesn't have the full run of your land? That way you could maybe rule out some of the possibilities?


Hi Claire. I wish I could. Very hard to explain the layout but no I couldn't fence it off. 

I think it must be an allergy rather than ring worm as I really think someone would have picked it up by now, especially me. He is a very social creature and we go everywhere together so he comes in contact with at least 10-15 people a day at work etc. Would u agree?

The problem is only on his underbelly and legs too - which makes me think that he's picking it up as he is low to the ground OR when he cocks his leg.

Nacho is going to Bristol for a week again next week - I'm jet setting again! - So we'll see if there is an improvement.

The house itself isn't different. I have tiles and carpet, they have wood floors and carpet.

I really think the problem lies outside. It's just finding out what it is outside!


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## colpa110 (Jul 5, 2011)

It sounds like he could have a grass allergy - different kinds of grass can prevoke different reactions. I initially thought my vet wasn't being very helpful but I think it is just that they don't know what the problem is as it could be so many things and they can do very little to provide relief.


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

Yes it sounds like grass or something on the grass that's irritating him. Perhaps there is a type of grass in your garden he is allergic too rather than all grass?You probably will never find out exactly what it is. 
Is there any way you can get away with not putting him in your garden for a couple of weeks? I know you are away again next week but perhaps when you return?
If it works you can tell your vet you are reasonably positive he has a grass allergy, they will probably be relieved to have some idea of the cause as like Colin says skin allergies are a vets nightmare as its so hard to pin down the cause.


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## S.Claire (Sep 1, 2011)

I will give it a go! Thank u everyone. I'll keep u updated x


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## RubyCockapoo (Feb 5, 2011)

Hi Susie

Why not give these people a call - they offer free advice on the phone (tiop of the website) and it's what they specialise in.

Not had to use them myself, but have always kept it as it looks useful.

http://www.myitchydog.co.uk/

Good luck with Nacho

Ian


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## S.Claire (Sep 1, 2011)

RubyCockapoo said:


> Hi Susie
> 
> Why not give these people a call - they offer free advice on the phone (tiop of the website) and it's what they specialise in.
> 
> ...


Thank you Ian. That's great! I will do this now x


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## mandym (Jun 5, 2011)

My american cocker kassia has allergies( food and also grass pollen) A lady i bumped in to recently said some dogs that have a grass pollen allergy react to different types of grass.Another option could be household products you use ie carpet freshners,floor cleaners etc,one of my friends dogs reacted quite badly to the shake and vac powder she used.I water down kassias malaseb shampoo in small bottle and spray her paws before e go for a walk,it kind of gives her a bit of a barrier when walking in the grass xxx


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## seiku01 (Jun 4, 2012)

*help for skin problems*

I have a 12 year old cockapoo puppy. Yes she still has a lot of energy but has suffered from skin problems for many years. I have found some thing that help. I give her 1000 mg fish oil capsule (the same one I take) every day, do not get the ordorless type, they seems to have some bowel issues with those. I get them a a discount food store (BJs) in the US. I also give her 1/2 tablet of benedral a day ( the same that humans take) the vet says they tolerate this and she does very well. I have tried changing her diet, all vegan, not grains, all meat and that does not work. She still gets irratations in the spring and fall, I think the pollen bothers them. Wash her with a medicated shampoo ( not jut some aloe and oatmeal thing) that is for keratosis. Make sure it stays on for 10 minutes at least. which is hard. I use an antibotic cream for under her neck which seems to get some infections, the vet stuffs works great, but I bet bacitracin works well also. It is certainly part of their breed, but we are all not perfect. It has been an ongoing battle which is difficult to stay ahead of some time. Good luck to all!


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