German Wirehaired Pointer Club of America

[gundog]

Hello! I am brand new to this board. Ran across it by luck.

DH and I have an almost 3-year-old male. He, Griswold, is the itchiest dog I ever met. We can't even pet him without his leg wanting to help with an itch. He seems to be worse in the winter. His hair is so thin and his legs and the backs of his ears are about bare.

We are currently feeding him Canidae Chicken Meal and Rice kibble. I give him benadryl in peanut butter quite frequently ... but I don't really think it helps him. He is such a sweet boy! I hate seeing him so miserable! Other things I am currently doing: scent-free dryer sheets and laundry soaps, Skin-eze tablets, various itch sprays. I bath him with anti-itch dog shampoo ... but hate to do it too much because I know that bathing him causes dry skin as well. We have taken him to the vet ... but we really want to fix this without having to have him drugged up.

By reading up on some of your posts I have made a list of things to try next. PLEASE! Add to this list ... or tell me if I am wrong on something. This poor little guy needs help!

1. Switch dog food to: Canidae Grain Free Food
2. Then try the raw food feeding approach
3. Murpheys Oil Soap before bathing ???
4. wiping down 3 - 4 times daily with cold water.

Thank you in advance!

[Deb Finstad]

Hi Gundog,

Have you spoken with your vet or taken him to a dermatologist? We live in a metropolitan area so going to a specialist is fairly easy & our dermatologist costs the same as our regular vet...maybe even a bit less. Although I really like and respect my regular vets, in cases like this, our derm specialist solves the problem quickly vs. many attempts to find a solution at a regular clinic.

Good luck. We have an older dog that has a skin condition that causes her to be extremely itchy and I know how hard it is to watch them be so miserable.

Deb

BTW - a common health issue for GWP's is hypothyroidism. From your description of his coat & skin, it would be a good idea to speak to your vet about this. It's an easy & pretty inexpensive condition to control (a pill or two a day, a three month supply of pills costs about $40) so don't panic if he should test positive. Here's one web site with a bit of info, there are more & probably better ones out there.

http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/dog-hypo.htm

[dualgwp]

I agree with Deb.... have his thyroid checked. Simple blood test. I'm amazed your vet didn't suggest it already. Tell him you want it done.
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[ctperk]

My 10 month old has the same problem. We tried various things and what has seemed to work best is olive oil in his food every day. Has not stopped itching totally but he is less "itchier" Also swiched his food from the expensive alergen free food, vet thought he had a food allergy, to Country Vet. See web site

http://www.countryvetpetfood.com/premium-formulas.cfm

[gundog]

Thank you for your responses!

I am not sure about the hypothyroidism though, as he does not have any of the symptoms that are listed through the link you provided. Other than the dry skin ... he is a very active, playful dog. The hair loss is because he itches it off, the spots don't cause him to itch. But, I am not a vet, and will still ask my vet about it when we take him in. It may be some form of it???

~Julie

[ReeceGWP]

I would also suggest Omega 3 (not omega 6) you may want to try Dr. Foster and Smith Maximum Healthy Skin Kit. I had a dog that his skin would crawl when you rubbed down his back and his hair felt brittle and dry. After using this product, especially the Omega 3 he is fine. Omega 3 offers a lot of benefits to dogs.

Here is a link


http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3307+12558+15232&pcatid=15232
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Angie & Mike Johnson
www.ReeceKennels.com

[paddlingchick]

I'd look seriously at diet. A lot of dogs can have problems with grains, corn, wheat, etc. My Lab had a problem when he was a pup where his eyes would swell shut. The vet gave drops, and it would improve and then come back again. I did some research and changed to a corn free food and the problem solved itself. I now feed a raw diet most of the time, supplemented by a grain free holistic kibble when I am travelling or don't have meat defrosted.

[biggdadd58]

My girl get a little drier in the winter months due to the heat in the house. I use the fish oil and the olive oil and it seems to help.