# Question for the room... Skincare?



## SweetMelissa (Apr 23, 2010)

My puppy Bailey is 16 weeks. Ever since I brought her home she has had a "belly rash". I cannot get rid of it. She eats Science Diet large breed puppy food only. We do live in FL and right now the pollen is off the charts, and I was thinking maybe it is a seasonal allergy thing, as she often has alot of "eye boogers" when she comes in, but now she is biting at the base of her tail, and when she comes in from being outside she has little welts on her back too. She is currently getting frontline flea spray for puppies, every two weeks, until she starts the Comfortis pill on May 1st. My yard is sprayed monthly for fleas/bugs and it is done professionally so it is safe for the animals. I don't believe it's flea bites, as I havent seen any on her. She is really light and they would show. 
Is it common for pits to have skin problems? Any advice? I have been putting neosporin on the base of her tail because it's almost raw in one little spot. She is cleaned nightly with Ivory soap and a wash cloth and I have been putting a 1% hydrocortisone cream on her belly and that seems to be working a bit, but if I were not diligent, they would come back worse! 

Please Help! The itching is making her nuts, and beginning to worry me.


----------



## ghosthellz (Apr 9, 2010)

SweetMelissa said:


> My puppy Bailey is 16 weeks. Ever since I brought her home she has had a "belly rash". I cannot get rid of it. She eats Science Diet large breed puppy food only. We do live in FL and right now the pollen is off the charts, and I was thinking maybe it is a seasonal allergy thing, as she often has alot of "eye boogers" when she comes in, but now she is biting at the base of her tail, and when she comes in from being outside she has little welts on her back too. She is currently getting frontline flea spray for puppies, every two weeks, until she starts the Comfortis pill on May 1st. My yard is sprayed monthly for fleas/bugs and it is done professionally so it is safe for the animals. I don't believe it's flea bites, as I havent seen any on her. She is really light and they would show.
> Is it common for pits to have skin problems? Any advice? I have been putting neosporin on the base of her tail because it's almost raw in one little spot. She is cleaned nightly with Ivory soap and a wash cloth and I have been putting a 1% hydrocortisone cream on her belly and that seems to be working a bit, but if I were not diligent, they would come back worse!
> 
> Please Help! The itching is making her nuts, and beginning to worry me.


My rednose had skin rashes when he was a pup and one day got into a bush and he got hives all over his body it looked like someone beat him up...i gave him some benadryl if that doesnt help i would take her to a vet...sorry if spelt wrong lol


----------



## SweetMelissa (Apr 23, 2010)

That's what they look like - Hives!!! I will try the Benadryl - how much did you give yours? She weighs between 25 and 20lbs I would guess right now. I have to pick up her Comfortis pills this week so I will be in to see the vet tech - maybe I will pick her brain too! 

Thanks so much for the advice!


----------



## beccaboo (Dec 27, 2009)

1 mg per pound and they come in 25 mg tablets. as far as the rashes go- could be a number of things, seasonal allergies, food, environmental allergies and more. i've never heard of washing with ivory soap before though... it may be a bit harsh for her skin. i use oatmeal shampoo anytime i'm washing mine for anything. think if you changed anything right before it started happening- washed her bedding in a new soap, cleaned the carpets, started her on a new medicine, changed food- that could be the cause of it. can u post pics so we have a better idea of wht it looks like and maybe other members may see and recognize it as something different? just a thought...


----------



## FloorCandy (Feb 19, 2009)

Benadryl is a good suggestion in case it is allergies. Science Diet is not a very good food, and she should not be on large breed puppy food unless she is an am bully and not an APBT. You can go by how much her parents weighed full grown to determine what size she will roughly be, and whether she should get large breed or medium. You can use the search feature to read some of our previous threads on the best foods. There is even a chart with ratings for food. Orijen and Taste of the Wild seem to be popular, and Costco's own brand, Kirkland's, I believe is also a favorite. 

How are her ears? Does she have goop in them? My EB's first indication of a food allergy is always crusty ear goop. 

There was a recent post on here about someone's pup with a stubborn rash, and they had been to the vet to rule out allergies or severe illness. My EB will occassionally develop a rash on his lower abdomen, and Animax ointment from the vet clears it right up. I have tried other treatments with varying success. My suggestion to you is to take the pup to the vet to get everything checked out. They should scrape the areas to determine if there are any parasites causing the infection, or if it's ringworm. You could switch to a better food and see if that helps, you will need to transition slowly, and give it a few weeks to see if it's working. You pup could also have environmental allergies, like grass, or cleaning products (febreez, laundry detergent, dish soap, shampoo, etc). What you want to do is eliminate potential causes one at a time, with plenty of time in between to observe the results. If you change everything all at once, you wont be able to narrow down the cause. 

If your pup continues to chew at the base of her tail, you can get some Nu-stock to put on it. If it does not start to heal, and she won't leave it alone, you can put a cone collar on her when you are unable to supervise. Sometimes it is as simple as breaking the chewing habit and letting it heal up. 

I read online all the time how people's vets dont seem to have a lot of knowledge about skin issues. I was at an EB meetup last saturday, and a woman approached me to ask about my Thrall's seasonal flank alopecia. Her dog had the same thing, but her vet had no idea what it was, and had been super medicating the dog for no reason, as there is no treatment shown to offer promising results, it is merely cosmetic. I got to thinking about why people would give steroids to their dog, and numerous anti-biotics, allergy meds etc, when every test run (bloodwork, thyroid, Lymes etc) showed no illness. The best I can figure is that they just blindly trust a vets advice because thats what they were always taught to do lol. If you take your pup to the vet and no solution is found, get a second opinion. This is not directed solely at the OP, it is just something that has been on my mind lately, so please no one take offense.


----------



## davidfitness83 (Jul 7, 2009)

Science diet is terrible plus your apbt is not a large breed it is a medium breed. Go to dogfoodanalysis.com to find a better kibble. Vets love to sell this to uneducated customers because they make comission of their sale. Don't let them fool you  once you discard the fact that it is not the food causing the rash then you can do a blood panel to test for different allergens. Please make sure that when you switch foods you do it gradually since it can upset the stomach. With that in mind you should see the full effects and benefits of the new food and skin clearing up within 2-3 months of using it.


----------



## SweetMelissa (Apr 23, 2010)

Oh, thank you all so much for the sage advice. I went and bought an oatmeal shampoo for her to try tonite, and I got some benadryl. We'll see how that shakes out. I will be seeing the vet tomorrow when I go to pick up the Comfortis for her. 

May I ask what you all feel is a good quality dog food for my puppy?? I feel like my head is swimming because I get such conflicting opinions from vet/ and everyone I talk to at the dog park. I started her on HunchenFlocken (sp?), but the vet shot that down, and steered me towards the Hill's. In all fairness, it was giving her a REALLY soft stool, and it was a mess to clean up when accidents occurred. Any advice is welcome

Thanks again, all of ya! This Forum is GREAT!!! Happy to be a member of such caring dog owners!!


----------



## beccaboo (Dec 27, 2009)

ooooh... ok 2 things- search threads on 1. dog food analysis and 2. dog parks.

if you swich your dogs food be sure to do it gradually or it will be harsh on thier tummy and give them VERY loose stools. as for the dog parks... yeah. don't do it. just an accident waiting to happen. but go check out those threads.


----------



## SweetMelissa (Apr 23, 2010)

Really? No dog parks?  She LOVES the dog park... That's sad to me because I am in St. Petersburg, FL and we just were awarded Best Dog Beach in the Nation @ Ft. Desoto Park. What are you referring to? A fight waiting to happen, bad habits, or just random things she can pick up there health wise? I am a clean slate, and am new to all things Pit Bull, and am willing to do absolutely whatever it is SHE needs. I will go read your 2 suggested threads, Becca! Thank you so much for your imput!!!


----------



## davidfitness83 (Jul 7, 2009)

SweetMelissa said:


> Really? No dog parks?  She LOVES the dog park... That's sad to me because I am in St. Petersburg, FL and we just were awarded Best Dog Beach in the Nation @ Ft. Desoto Park. What are you referring to? A fight waiting to happen, bad habits, or just random things she can pick up there health wise? I am a clean slate, and am new to all things Pit Bull, and am willing to do absolutely whatever it is SHE needs. I will go read your 2 suggested threads, Becca! Thank you so much for your imput!!!


As I mentioned in my previous posting, Vets will shot down any foods they cannot make commission or bonus from. Stay away from any of the foods the vets try to sell you. go to Dog Food Analysis - Reviews of kibble

With this breed there is a high probability that a fight can break out and most of the times our dogs do not start it. However, the difference with our breed is that our breed will FINISH the fight. Most people at dog parks take unexercised, untrained, hyper dogs that usually start the fights. These owners also do not pay attention to their dog's body language or are too busy socializing with other people and totally forget to look after their dog. The floor of the dog parks is also a potential health hazard since there can be a variety of viruses from all the dogs that go there. Even a vaccinated dog can get diseases from other sick dogs.

Arrange a play date in your yard or someone's yard with a group of people that supervise their dogs and you should get the same effect:woof:


----------



## SweetMelissa (Apr 23, 2010)

Thanks David - read the dog food analysis threads you and Becca pointed me to - and unless someone chimes in soon with a reason not to switch to it- I am going to go get Natural Balance on the way home from work today. lol... I was VERY skeptical about the Vet selling me his food, as he only sells Prescription Diet by Hills, whch is incredibly expensive, he said go get the S. Diet at petsmart - but he has been my vet for years, and is a really good guy. But a bucks, a buck, so to speak. All I want is a healthy puppy!

Now I am following ya'll about the dog parks. She doesn't have any issues with the dogs currently, but I understand that will change as she gets bigger, and I do see alot of people not watching their dogs. I am very vigilant, and while I have managed to make a few acquaintences there, I am always on alert and don't let her wander off to mingle, even when some folks tell me to let her be a puppy, and not to worry. 

While it does make me sad because it genuinely does make her a happy girl when we pull in that parking lot, (I just love to see her smile), I would rather quit while I'm ahead, so to speak. 

Thanks again!


----------



## beccaboo (Dec 27, 2009)

SweetMelissa said:


> Thanks David - read the dog food analysis threads you and Becca pointed me to - and unless someone chimes in soon with a reason not to switch to it- I am going to go get Natural Balance on the way home from work today. lol... I was VERY skeptical about the Vet selling me his food, as he only sells Prescription Diet by Hills, whch is incredibly expensive, he said go get the S. Diet at petsmart - but he has been my vet for years, and is a really good guy. But a bucks, a buck, so to speak. All I want is a healthy puppy!
> 
> Now I am following ya'll about the dog parks. She doesn't have any issues with the dogs currently, but I understand that will change as she gets bigger, and I do see alot of people not watching their dogs. I am very vigilant, and while I have managed to make a few acquaintences there, I am always on alert and don't let her wander off to mingle, even when some folks tell me to let her be a puppy, and not to worry.
> 
> ...


sounds like your on top of the game. just have one other thing to say about the dog park as it sounds like so far its been a good experience for you- all it takes is one dog. one dog to latch on to your pup and do serious damage. one dog to try to mount your dog when she is older for her to swing around and latch on to a leg or neck. or god forbid it happens- your little girl may suddenly one day BE that one dog.

now if you remained uneducated about this and you continued to take your dog to the park- the likelihood of any of these happening is so great, and you would have had to learn it the hard way. the worst consequence of which would be putting your dog down. now tell me- as sad as it is to think about not taking her to the park- can you imagine having to put her down as a result of her attacking another dog? how sad. an avoidable tragedy.

she is a puppy still and i'm sure full of energy. take her to obedience classes. continue to socialize her with puppies her size. your yard or a friends yard. somewhere safe and supervised. good clean fun, and you don't have to worry about all the nasty viruses and all that come from unvacc'd dogs at dog parks  enjoy this stage as the grow too quickly. take tons of pics and be sure to ask questions whenever you need help.


----------



## SweetMelissa (Apr 23, 2010)

You are 100% correct on all accounts, Becca! And yesterday, rather than go to the dog park, we went to my mother's where Bailey happily gets bossed around by her miniature pinscher and dacshund. I took the 3 of them for a long walk together, and it was a regular dog whisperer moment. An epiphany, if you will! lol! She needs to hang with the dog's I WANT her to be social with regularly, just like I do with my friends! Not a bunch of stranger's at a club! bawhahawha! You make absolute perfect sense. I couldn't imagine being the person that is "mean mugged" when I walk in the park, due to bad habits she may have learned there, nor do I want to risk any injury to her! Putting her down due to an act of aggression literally makes me wanna be sick. She graduates from puppy kindergarten in 2 weeks, and is already enrolled in Basic. I have no 2 legged children that I need to put through college - so I intend to send my girl clear to college!  I am interested in Flyball or Agility for her, depending on which she takes a shine to. So far, it's been agility, and the ball??? Meh, not so much. lol

Went and got Natural Balance Duck and Potatoe food yesterday, and she LOVES it! Never seen so much enthusiasm for anything she has eaten yet! So much for mixing the two, because ole smarty pants, ate all the new food, and left the Science Diet. lol
Found an organic oatmeal shampoo as well, so I am hoping to get the itchies under control soon!

Thanks for all your help!! You are wonderful! Bailey is eternally grateful!


----------



## beccaboo (Dec 27, 2009)

lmao @ sendin ur pup thru college  good job girly. everything else sounds awesome excpet the flyball part- i'm not too sure on exactly what it is except from what i have heard a bit of a free for all with lots of dogs runnin around... again may not be the best sport for an apbt known for DA... agility is great. spring and flirt pole is great exercise for them independently... hope that helps!


----------



## SweetMelissa (Apr 23, 2010)

Bailey did the lil pup agility course the other night at school - off lead!!! Perfectly!! Even skidded her butt across the table at the end and sat! I could have cried I was soooo happy for her!  She loves,loves, loves the Natural Balance Duck and Potato food I switched her to - no issues at all. AND... the oatmeal shampoo works like a dream! Belly bumps are GONE! still has some on her back but the difference is amazing. Thanks again for all your help to everyone who joined in on this thread. Going to go look and spring and flirt poles too now.  You all are fantastic sources of education and advice!!


----------



## marymarineau (Aug 6, 2010)

My bully has the same problem skin rash on her belly nd she scratches all the time nd it pains me to see her in so much distress,nd she had pups about 8 months ago nd i want to get her bac into shape again but i can't take her to dog parks around my area because otha dogs attack her.nd is it normal for pits to be afraid of bath tubs nd hoses ? mine is.


----------



## Blue_Nose_Bella (Jan 16, 2011)

Stress from a litter can do alot to a bitches body. I would steer clear of dog parks because of disease and the fact that you have a bully breed is no place for our breed. Is there any good reason why you bred her? Is she a show dog? Excercise and diet can help shape her back up as well as get her nipples back to a more normal size. Also, had she been to the vet since her litter or checked for mange? It also could be allergies. What are you feeding her?


----------



## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

Start your own thread and give us some more details and we would love to try and help. Thanks


----------



## marymarineau (Aug 6, 2010)

Blue_Nose_Bella said:


> Stress from a litter can do alot to a bitches body. I would steer clear of dog parks because of disease and the fact that you have a bully breed is no place for our breed. Is there any good reason why you bred her? Is she a show dog? Excercise and diet can help shape her back up as well as get her nipples back to a more normal size. Also, had she been to the vet since her litter or checked for mange? It also could be allergies. What are you feeding her?


purina dog chow it's the only food she will eat nd that won't make her fur fall out,well i bred her because i was plannin to keep 2 of her pups /1 from each litter so i can put them in bullies shows but it didn't work out that way,my landlord made me get rid of them,sold all the others to friends,but i would love to put her in shows but alot of bully shows ask for papers nd i don't have those both of her parents are bluenose/coby.... no i haven't been able to take her to the vet since last september,i no bad move but i have been sick ....:woof:


----------



## Blue_Nose_Bella (Jan 16, 2011)

marymarineau said:


> purina dog chow it's the only food she will eat nd that won't make her fur fall out,well i bred her because i was plannin to keep 2 of her pups /1 from each litter so i can put them in bullies shows but it didn't work out that way,my landlord made me get rid of them,sold all the others to friends,but i would love to put her in shows but alot of bully shows ask for papers nd i don't have those both of her parents are bluenose/coby.... no i haven't been able to take her to the vet since last september,i no bad move but i have been sick ....:woof:


You really need to put her on a better quality food and some salmon oil to supplement her diet. Purina dog chow is terrible low quality food and it has alot of grains in it along with other bad low quality ingredients. You should try taste of the wild which is a grain free dog food and very affordable if you are on a budget. Sounds like your girl wasn't even worthy of being bred since she has no papers and if she is a blue nose (as you said bully) with colby lines mixed in then she is most likely a scatterbred dog. Not trying to come across like a jerk just telling you what it sounds like you have. You should really spay her and not breed her again. I see you are from Boston as I am  the MSPCA has a certificate you can get called SNAP it stands for spay neuter assistant program and they cover half of the cost. I am going to use it for when I get my girl fixed as well. Is your dog a blue herself? She really should go to the vet if she hasn't been seen since she had her litter.....as I said, having puppies puts alot of stress on a bitches body.


----------



## marymarineau (Aug 6, 2010)

Blue_Nose_Bella said:


> You really need to put her on a better quality food and some salmon oil to supplement her diet. Purina dog chow is terrible low quality food and it has alot of grains in it along with other bad low quality ingredients. You should try taste of the wild which is a grain free dog food and very affordable if you are on a budget. Sounds like your girl wasn't even worthy of being bred since she has no papers and if she is a blue nose (as you said bully) with colby lines mixed in then she is most likely a scatterbred dog. Not trying to come across like a jerk just telling you what it sounds like you have. You should really spay her and not breed her again. I see you are from Boston as I am  the MSPCA has a certificate you can get called SNAP it stands for spay neuter assistant program and they cover half of the cost. I am going to use it for when I get my girl fixed as well. Is your dog a blue herself? She really should go to the vet if she hasn't been seen since she had her litter.....as I said, having puppies puts alot of stress on a bitches body.


really what part of boston? don't care what people think she is my all nd to me she is not a scatterbred dog! both her parents are blue but before i got her ,her parents were put down (police) ok . tried all those high end foods she got sick or just wouldn't touch it,nd i was thinkin about gettin her fixed at a place on silver st FOR FREE but like i said i have been sick....nd i no havin puppies puts stress on females of any breed!!!! plannin on takin her to the vet soon.... not tryin to be a jerk or anything but she is my bully nd really don't care about the papers sayin if she is or not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but i would like to meet you some day if that's cool with you ?nd you could meet VIDA my meathead....lol have a good nite,nd god bless you nd your bullies....:woof:


----------



## marymarineau (Aug 6, 2010)

goodnite everyone god bless nd peace


----------



## Blue_Nose_Bella (Jan 16, 2011)

marymarineau said:


> really what part of boston? don't care what people think she is my all nd to me she is not a scatterbred dog! both her parents are blue but before i got her ,her parents were put down (police) ok . tried all those high end foods she got sick or just wouldn't touch it,nd i was thinkin about gettin her fixed at a place on silver st FOR FREE but like i said i have been sick....nd i no havin puppies puts stress on females of any breed!!!! plannin on takin her to the vet soon.... not tryin to be a jerk or anything but she is my bully nd really don't care about the papers sayin if she is or not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but i would like to meet you some day if that's cool with you ?nd you could meet VIDA my meathead....lol have a good nite,nd god bless you nd your bullies....:woof:


Wasn't trying to upset you by saying she sounds scatterbred. There are alot of great scatterbred dogs it's just they are mixed bully/APBT or Pitterstaff. Without papers you will never know anyways  You asked what you could do to help her skin issues and I am telling you what you need to do but sounds like you will continue feeding her junk food so I can't change that. To bad though because it would benefit her greatly in a situation like hers. You could at least try adding some salmon oil to her food. I am sure she would love the taste of fish oil. Also, blue dogs can have ALOT of skin issues and if you stay here and read some old threads you would see that holds true  My girl is blue and she was a bit flaky at one point. But with a great diet and added supplements like the oil she shines bright now  I hope you stick around......It's nice to have more Boston folks here. There are a few of us here from Massachusetts who are on this board regularly. Great place to learn and alot of great people! Oh, and I am sorry you have been sick  that's to bad......Hope you get well soon


----------



## marymarineau (Aug 6, 2010)

Blue_Nose_Bella said:


> Wasn't trying to upset you by saying she sounds scatterbred. There are alot of great scatterbred dogs it's just they are mixed bully/APBT or Pitterstaff. Without papers you will never know anyways  You asked what you could do to help her skin issues and I am telling you what you need to do but sounds like you will continue feeding her junk food so I can't change that. To bad though because it would benefit her greatly in a situation like hers. You could at least try adding some salmon oil to her food. I am sure she would love the taste of fish oil. Also, blue dogs can have ALOT of skin issues and if you stay here and read some old threads you would see that holds true  My girl is blue and she was a bit flaky at one point. But with a great diet and added supplements like the oil she shines bright now  I hope you stick around......It's nice to have more Boston folks here. There are a few of us here from Massachusetts who are on this board regularly. Great place to learn and alot of great people! Oh, and I am sorry you have been sick  that's to bad......Hope you get well soon


Thanks i will/you didn't upset me i am very protective when it comes to Vida,nd i will try the fish oil ,the vet says she's healthy nd all,but she did say that the rash may be caused by her rollin in the grass at the park nd dog park plus she has dry skin also but she is growin nicely nd wash her with oatmeal shampoo it will help her, hope so.... :goodpost:


----------

