Skin Allergy

Question
QUESTION: Hello, I have a 5 month old male bull terrier puppy. He is current on all shots and vet care. He has developed skin spots of hair loss and itch. The vet first checked for mange and all scrapings came back negative. We also did a culture for ringworm and are waiting for the results. The vet also thinks it may likely be a skin allergy either to food or the enviroment. He was sent home on an antibiotic, medicated shampoo, and directions to give zyrtec just in case it is an allergy and to cut down on the mild itch. I have a question about the dose however. I was instructed to give my 26 lb 5 month old puppy 1 pill of 10mg Zyrtec once daily, is this the right dose? It seems like alot for a small dog considering a full grown human takes 1 pill. Is this dose the right amount to be giving him? I had previously been instructed to try Benedrly but did not seem to see a difference. Now the vet wants to try the Zyrtec. The vet said to try Zyrtec first and then if that does not work to try Clairten. The dose I was given for that was 1/2 to 1 pill once a day. Are these doses right for the Zyrtec and Clairiten for a 26lb 5 month old puppy? I know not to give both at the same time, I know to start with the Zyrtec and if that does not work switch to the Clairiten but I want to make sure the dose is normal as it seems high. Thanks.

ANSWER: No that's the correct dose. Dogs metabolize the drugs a bit differently then we do. One Benedryl will knock some people out, most dogs it barely makes drowsy.

What ever it turns out to be, let me know, but it really sounds like demodex or ringworm. Food intolerance's are usually pretty puretic and cause red spots and the dog really goes after them.

Inhalant allergies don't usually cause the kind of spots you are talking about.

I would go ahead and try the dose of Zyrtec he recommended and see how it goes.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Well, he has been on the Zyrtec for two days and on the antibiotic for 3 days. He has also had a bath with a medicated soothing shampoo and cream rinse from the vet. We have not got the results from the culture back yet so I am still waiting to rule out ringworm. However, I definately have noticed a decrease in his itching and the spots look less red than during the vet visit 3 days ago. However, it is hard to say what is helping considering he is taking Simplicef, Zyrtec and had a medicated bath. I have not changed any of his diet so it does not seem to be a food allergy. Before when the vet thought he had demodex he was put on goodwinol ointment daily. He was treated with that for 3 weeks. Now after the last visit and 6 negative skin scrappings we stopped the ointment. I was wondering, it is possible that the ointment killed all the mites and his immune system was able to take over and he actual cured the demodex without further treatment, would this explain the 6 negative skin scrappings? Or given the information I have provided do you think its possibly a skin infection being helped by the antibiotic or an allergy helped from the zyrtec or an allergy helped by the shampoo and cream rinse? I know sarcoptic mange is hard to find on a skin scrapping but is it also possible that the demodex is there just was not found on 6 different skin scrappings from 6 spots? The vet did scrappings on all these different spots and said she found no mites at all, not one. Either way, if it is demodex or one of the other problems he is being treated for he defintely has inproved in just the three days since his last vet visit which I feel very good about. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Answer
Sounds like you are on the right track there Rachel. It very well could be that he has a skin infection period and thats why the antibiotic is working so well. I don't think the Zyrtec is doing it, but the Simplicef.
That's what it is for, canine skin infections.

It is possible that the Goodwinol could have killed the mites. You didn't mention that before, so I wasn't aware he had been on it. It is pretty unlikely that she would miss the mites with 6 different scrapings. They are not hard to find at all.

What I think is that he could have had mites but developed a skin infection after that. Just stay on course and he will get better.