Please Help Me..

Question
Hello, My name is Tiffany, I own an 8-Month old Shi Tzu and his name is Harley.. He is my pride and joy and I hate seeing him in bad conditions. I have indeed taken him to the vet but the vet only gave him a cortizone shot and pills for his skin infection.. Well neither of those things worked. They also cost a lot of money and I cant afford to take him to the vet and have them charge me again when I don't have the money. The point and question is.. My Dog is having a really bad problem with eating his skin.. its so bad that he has huge bloody scabs on his back, and theres a spot near the beginning of his back that he wont even let me look at.. I tried to brush over it.. but felt something very hard.. it cant be a scab.. and im wondering if its his bone? Im so very worried.. i've tried everything.. i've even given him baths in mediated shampoo to only have him turn around and continue his bad habit.. Maybe you can help? I would greatly appreciate it.
Sincerely,
Tiffany

Answer
Hi Tiffany,

I'm afraid this sounds like much more than a bad habit. There is an underlying cause to your dog's skin problem that needs to be addressed. Hypothyroidism, Atopic Dermatitis, Mange, Seborrhea, bacterial or yeast infections of the skin, and food/environmental allergies all can have the itchy symptoms your dog is displaying.

Hot spots or "acute moist dermatitis" are another problem that may cause intense itching. These red, inflamed areas are caused by a bacterial infection and can turn into a big problem as the dog causes further damage as he bites and scratches himself.

Treating a dog with a skin condition can be one of the hardest, and most frustrations conditions. Because the dog can't talk, vets start with the simplest treatments, and continue with addition treatments or diagnostic testing until progress is made.
If your vet hasn't done a skin scraping test, that would be a reasonable next step.

Many times, when the dog chews his skin as much as your dog has, there is a secondary skin infection- on top of the primary skin condition, which needs to be treated. If you don't treat the under lying cause of the problem, you'd just be treating the symptoms, and the main problem will persist.

Keep your dog's "hot spots" clean. Gently clean the effected areas at least once a day with a mild antiseptic cleaner, such as Phisoderm or Betadine, or clean with baby wipes that contain lanolin and aloe.
Shaving the areas around the hotspots to get air to it and help it dry, can help too.

Other popular home treatments that can help a dog's itchy inflamed skin (you don't need to do all of these)

This recipe can be made, and stored in the fridge for a week:  1/2 cup very strong brewed tea, 1 cup rubbing alcohol, and 2 crushed aspirin.  Stir  this up and soak the hotspot with it several times a day until gone. Careful it may sting raw areas.

100% Aloe Vera Gel (not a blend) can be used to soothe all kinds of skin irritations. It is a thick gel with anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties, that helps stop itching and also heal wounds. It's safe if your dog happens to lick it off too, though it's best to apply any remedy just before taking the dog out for a walk, so that it has a chance to work for at least 15-20 minutes. (if possible) Apply at least 2 times a day. It won't sting raw skin.

Brew a regular Lipton tea bag (or any brand of regular black tea) in about half a cup of water in the Microwave for about 10 minutes. Take the tea bag and when it is still very warm but not hot enough to burn, apply it to the hot spot. Keep applying the tea bag for about 15 minutes, Repeat application about 2 or 3 times a day. The warmth of the tea bag soothes the pain. By the second application, there should be an indication of the drying effect of the tannic acid in the tea. The principle behind this is the combined warmth and the drying agent of the tannic acid in the tea leaves.

Saturate a cotton ball with Witch Hazel and apply on the irritated areas for several days.

Apply Sulfodene HCB Anti-Itch Lotion. To prevent infection to wounds and help relieve pain, use Sulfodene 3-Way Ointment, which also provides a germ barrier.

Dab itchy spots with Milk of Magnesia to calm irritated skin.

Mix a package of Aveeno oatmeal bath powder with 2 cups of water, wet the dog down with cool water, then apply the Aveeno mix. Leave on for 10 to 15 minutes. Then rinse off with cool water and towel dry.

Over the counter Benedryl (Antihistamine) can be given to dogs safely to stop itching. Ask your vet for an appropriate dose for your dog.

These suggested remedies are not cures, and should not be used as a substitute for medical care. Providing veterinary care when your pet is ill is part of the responsibility of pet ownership.

You can talk to your vet, and see if he or she would agree to letting you pay the bill off over time. You can contact your the regional offices of the Humane Association to see if they know of a reduced cost veterinary clinic in your area. You could apply for a special credit card that can be used to pay off your vet bills. Go to Care Credit at: http://www.carecredit.com  to read about it.

Best of luck,
Patti