itching & sardines

Question
QUESTION: We have an approximately two year old poodle, 9 lbs but 1/2" too tall to be a toy or so I am told.  We found her abandoned six months ago and have fallen for her in spite of her "issues".  She was originally outside most of the time and now she is inside more.  Her skin problems, which improved when we first switched to Innova brand dog food, have resurfaced.  The vet saw her in Oct and suggested seasonal allergies & prescribed Benedryl which helps somewhat.  She was neutered in June. She has small bumps and flaky patches and has begun scooting & biting at her tail & licking her anus.  Occasionally she emits a strong odor & discharge.  The groomer, who uses sensitive skin shampoo on her, cleaned the anal gland three weeks ago.  We have an upcoming vet appointment with another  pet & will check for medical issues.  Meanwhile a friend suggested we try adding sardines to her diet & another suggested witch hazel rubs.  Any thoughts on these ideas?

The other "issue" is that she has begun barking loudly & persistently when my husband comes into the house.  Her tail is wagging enthusiastically but the barking is more than a little annoying.  I suggested he give her a treat to keep her mouth busy but that is not always practical.  Any suggestions?  PS I found your leash suggestions on the house training page VERY helpful.  Thank you.



ANSWER: Nancy, I'm glad my suggestions re: using a leash during house training were helpful to you! That's always good to hear! :^)

I do have a few questions for you, based on what you've told me about your dog's skin issues. First, where are the bumps and flaky patches located on her body? Does she scratch and/or lick at those areas? Are they red/inflamed/irritated? Do they smell? Do the bumps appear to be pus-filled? How long has her skin been like this, and how long ago did you switch her onto Innova? Which 'flavor' did you put her on, and what was she on before? Do you think it might be because of the dry air in your home, now that it's gotten cold outside? I know all my dogs start to get itchy during the winter months due to the dry warm air.

Before suggesting what you should do to >>treat<< the problem, I think it would be best to figure out the cause. Fish oil and vitamin E are great for the skin and coat, as well as having many other beneficial properties, and witch hazel is good for many skin ailments, but if her problem is viral, for example, she may need medications other than Benadryl to decrease the itchiness. The bumps sound like she may have a staph infection, but without seeing them, it's difficult to say for sure. It could be that she has a food allergy as well, in which case, you might have to begin an elimination diet with her to figure out exactly what it is that's causing the problem. WhatEVER you do, don't let your vet convince you that putting her on a 'prescription diet' is the best course of action. They are often worse than grocery store brands, as far as ingredients are concerned!

Regarding her issues with her rear end, it sounds like she may be one of those dogs that may need her anal glands expressed on a regular basis. How are her stools? Are they soft or formed? If the problem persists, she >>may<< need to have the anal glands removed, though this is not an easy surgery. Has she had a fecal done to rule out parasites, or been dewormed since you have had her?


Lastly, in regards to her excited barking when your husband comes home, I would strongly advise AGAINST his giving her treats when he comes in and she's barking. Why? Because that would be rewarding the barking! ;^) Have you tried completely ignoring her until she settles down and shuts up? Try that first. It's going to be hard to start with, because until now, barking has gotten her attention, and now it's not going to work, so she's going to try that much harder, until she figures out that as soon as she is quiet, >>that's<< when the attention comes! It may take her several days to 'get it,' so just be forewarned!

If ignoring her doesn't work (and you must try it for at LEAST a week before you give up), then you should use the leash to correct the barking. When she starts it up, tell her to hush, and give a quick jerk on the leash. If she stops barking, tell her what a good girl she is and pet her and give her a treat if you like. If she continues barking, repeat the HUSH command and jerk a little harder on the leash. Repeat until she stops barking, and remember how hard of a jerk you had to use, because that's how hard you will have to start with next time. Again, don't forget to praise her and give her affection when she stops barking.

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

QUESTION: She has small red, rash-like bumps on her belly, like an ordinary irritation, no odor.  They vary in severity, sometime days more numerous than others. I really assumed they were "razor burn" but perhaps they were just more noticeable after she gets groomed.  She used to use  a quick lift of her rear leg to scratch those although now drags herself across the carpet on her belly.  They do not appear to cause the most distress. She scratches those then shakes and moves on or just settles down.  

The ones she chews at and licks are a few small lump type bumps on her back, especially toward her tail and hip area and the thigh part of her back legs.  Those are the ones that seem to have gotten more bothersome.  But I see no evidence of fleas or ticks & she is on Advantage) We live in Fla so we don't have much DRY air although her scratching & chewing was MUCH worse when we visited Kansas in early Dec. That was when I again used the Benadryl. The weather was very dry and very cold.  She has decided to stay home next time :-)

She had a lot of trouble like this when we first found her.  She ate cat food for about 4 or 5 days as that was what we had on hand and she didn't seem to like the big chunks of dog food. Also we didn't plan on keeping her.  She broke out with scale-like patches on her face almost immediately.  They cleared up quickly when we switched her to Neutro Small bites.  We thought much of her other scratching was due to the condition of her coat which had obviously not been groomed in months.  Once we had her clipped & cleaned I just gave her chew toys when she started chewing on herself or her feet and it seemed to improve in a matter of a month or so.  About five months ago we switched to Innova the small bites.  It is high protein I believe but I am not sure which "flavor" as I put it into another container & toss the bag :-(  She also gets salmon & venison jerky treats but those have not changed in months either.

Her stools are firm, easy to pick up & not "messy".  They are consistently sized- one long and one or two shorter.  Lately they have sometimes had a "crusty" end on the first one out.  Her anus, which she licks, has been red & crusty as well.  This is the source of her odor & discharge which is sort of "fishy" smelling.  How often is "regular basis" for expressing her anal glands?  Is this something I can learn to do without also conditioning her to never come near me again? :-)  I will have the vet do a fecal test when we take the big dog to the vet next week.

The only other thing that has changed recently is her level of activity.  The usual routine was a morning walk & five minutes of "play" and play again in the evenings for 10 to 20 minutes or a trip to the small dog park area for some time running in circles.  These were eliminated in favor of spending lots of time in my visiting mother's lap during the day instead of outside with the other dog and few if any evening "play" times.  Maybe the lower activity level and the high protein food are a problem?

We will try ignoring the barking for AT LEAST a week and then move on to the hush & jerk if necessary.  My husband has found that approaching more slowly & quietly helps somewhat.  He wants to be angry with her but she is so darn cute!  Ignoring her is always difficult but we will try :-)

Thank you so much for all the input.  It has been wonderful to have access to all this knowledge and helpful suggestions!  

Answer
Your mention that you were feeding her cat food when you first got her, and then saying that the Innova you are now feeding is high protein gave me an idea. Are you feeding the Innova EVO, or the regular Innova? If you're using EVO, that might be part of the problem. It might be too high in protein for her. Cat food is also very high in protein. It's good that you store her food in a container. Perhaps you should consider switching to a food that is lower in protein, such as the regular Innova formula, vs the EVO.

I don't think her decrease in activity should be causing the problems she is having. I wonder, though, if she might be sensitive to the detergent/fabric softener/etc. that your mother uses on her clothes, and that is what is causing the breakouts on her belly?


If you decide to use the 'hush and jerk' method, as you called it, ;^)  I just want to make sure that you understand that when you 'jerk' the leash, you should not be physically jerking >>her<< across the floor or anything. The jerk should be just enough to get her attention and make her stop the barking. There's no need to yank her around, as some people assume when I tell them to jerk the leash. Just wanted to make that clear.

Good luck with her and please keep me updated!