Chino - pit bull

Question
Chino was rescued and then found to have black worms - he has now had this taken care of last dose next week, he has been fixed.  He has hives constantly - taken benedryl - stopped today - he is losing hair, has been eating grass constantly - threw up today - his coat is not good.  Still eating well (Purina)dry and wet) drinks water a lot.  Any help would be appreciated.

Answer

Hi Janet,

The Benedryl can be helpful in suppressing the itch, but it isn't treating whatever is causing the itch. Pit bulls are prone to skin problems that are not common to other dogs. Pit bulls often suffer from recurring problems such as rashes, hives, and persistent itching and scratching. To find out what is causing Chino's hair loss and itch, you need to have him examined by a veterinarian. Blood work and a skin scrape test might be needed.

There are many conditions, ranging from a thyroid imbalance, Sarcoptic mange, inhalant allergy (also known as "atopy"), seborrhea, an auto-immune problem, ringworm, or a number of other things that can cause the kind of symptoms you're seeing. Treatments will vary depending on what the underlaying problem is. If Chino has sores from the itching, he may have secondary bacterial or yeast infections that would also require treatment.

A hypoallergenic diet might be helpful. These days it's not hard to find very high quality dog foods that have meat as the primary ingredient with a minimum of additives. Brands to consider are:

Avoderm Hypoallergenic dog food
Pinnacle Hypoallergenic dog food
Go! Natural
Wellness Simple Food Solutions
You can also get special diets from your vet, such as ROYAL CANIN IVD Veterinary Diet, or Purina Veterinary Diets HA HypoAllergenic. If you plan on changing your dog's diet, do so gradually, over a period of 5-7 days. Changing a dog's food too quickly can cause diarrhea.

Chewing on grass isn't something to be concerned over. Lots of dogs do it, sometimes it makes them vomit, sometimes it doesn't. It's not a symptom of anything in particular. If your lawn is treated with chemicals, you should prevent Chino from eating the grass.

If your regular vet can't get a handle on Chino's problem, it's then time to have a veterinary dermatologist examine Chino. If your vet can't give you a referral, you can locate a veterinary dermatologist here: http://www.acvd.org (click on "Find A Dermatologist")

Best of luck,
Patti