Sudden thirst increase, urine scald, high calcium, diet

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sun Jan 26, 2020 8:41 am


Ditto Sef. The Duoxo shampoo really sounds like it would be worthwhile to try.

As for a bacterial skin infection, topical triple antibiotic ointments applied very thinly might be more effective than an oral antibiotic. With the triple antibiotic ointments, it is very important to apply very thinly because of the three antibiotics typically in them, none are recommended for oral use (you don't want a guinea pig to lick it off).

Have you tried an antihistamine for itching? ItsaZoo, were there any concurrent medications given to control itching?

I notice a lot of info on itchy dogs if you search on "how to control itching veterinary".

This link goes into several reasons in detail (fleas, food allergy, dry skin, environment, and stress). It is worth reading them over to see if anything rings a bell or would be worth looking into:
https://www.adoptapet.com/blog/top-5-wa ... t-itching/

The Merck manual discusses medications for itching and unfortunately doesn't find antihistamines very helpful in dogs:
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/dog-owne ... us-in-dogs
"Commonly prescribed anti-itching medications include glucocorticoids, and essential fatty acids, cyclosporine, and oclacitinib."
They mention allergies as a cause. If it were dietary, I would do some experimenting.

This VIN article goes into detail about allergies in dogs. It is worth reading also.
Itching and Allergy in Dogs
https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/defau ... id=4952662

Do you have any other pets? Allergies to fleas recurs in several articles. Check their environment by using a "flea catcher". Here is my home made one, a light over a shallow bowl filled with water, into which a drop of detergent has been put to remove the surface film that would allow them to land on the water instead of fall into it.

Image

User avatar
Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Sun Jan 26, 2020 8:50 am


I have used that method for gnats, Lynx! Works pretty well.

I think I also posted a link awhile back to a hairless dog site that talked about various skin issues that might be worth looking into, also.

daj

Post   » Sun Jan 26, 2020 9:17 am


Thanks all. I will look over all the information and products posted. I've been exasperated after all the shampoos and treatments I've tried, but I will give the Duoxo a try. I had wondered about a triple antibiotic ointment. I think I will try that too. Will report back after I have so time to digest all the above. Thanks again!

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ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Mon Jan 27, 2020 12:15 am


Our dog did have seasonal allergies that flared up in the spring for a few weeks and again in the fall, about the same time that my husband’s hay fever kicked in. I gave her generic Benadryl as needed and that helped.

daj

Post   » Mon Jan 27, 2020 9:10 pm


I've read the linked articles, and I ordered the Duoxo mousse. I really don't like shampooing them, especially in the winter, and I figure delivering the active ingredients is the main thing. Until that gets here I picked up a triple antibiotic ointment. I applied just a bit last night and only to their backs where the flaky patch develops, and only down the center, along the spine, hoping to keep it from where their mouths can reach. One pig is at a stage where a patch has just broken up and flaked off, and two are at the stage of a new flaky patch developing.

Tonight it seems to me the antibiotic is dispersing or breaking up and halting the development of the flaky patch. This seems encouraging, so I will see how it goes the next few days. If the antibiotic does what it appears it may be doing, that would seem, I suppose, that we are dealing with a bacterial skin infection, one that has been present for a long time.

On my last vet visit where we decided on Revolution, the vet also identified bacteria on the scraping, and he prescribed 7-10 days on Baytril for Henry, the most impacted, or so I thought. I did nine days, and then I stopped it, mostly out of my own worries for his bowel function. I am fearful for my pigs when it comes to meds, and perhaps this is sometimes not in their best interest. I also assumed, perhaps erroneously, that if the antibiotic was the correct call, if should have taken care of a bacterial skin infection in nine days. At any rate, if all this itching and long term skin issues are due to a bacterial infection, I wonder then what? Do we put all three on an antibiotic again and for maybe an even longer course? I will schedule a vet apt as soon as possible. Perhaps this explains why the anti parasitics don't stop the itching, even though they make the flaky patch go away. Hopefully we are finally getting somewhere.

User avatar
Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Mon Jan 27, 2020 9:19 pm


I hope so, but it could also be a case of the petrolatum contained in the ointment helping soften the skin. Either way, if it brings about some improvement, that is a good thing. I wonder if just plain Vaseline would have the same effect.

Personally, I would not use oral antibiotics to treat a skin condition like this. Maybe others can weigh-in on that.

daj

Post   » Mon Jan 27, 2020 10:12 pm


But what about topicals and the concern with them licking it off? Maybe I should look into a dermatologist. I wonder what the best treatment would be?

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Jan 27, 2020 10:48 pm


Apply thinly and you should be okay.

It has to be licked off in quantity to cause a problem.

daj

Post   » Tue Jan 28, 2020 9:00 am


I mixed some of the ointment into coconut oil to thin it out and this time applied it all over, except for their heads. Will see how this goes.

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Tue Jan 28, 2020 9:22 am


It is my opinion you would be better off not thinning it and applying it only in the problem areas, sparingly. But do let us know if you see any improvement with your method.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Tue Jan 28, 2020 10:39 am


Ditto Lynx. Diluting it just means that there will be less medication on the areas that really need it. But there's certainly no problem with medication the lesions and rubbing coconut oil everywhere else.

daj

Post   » Wed Jan 29, 2020 9:03 pm


This isn't a situation where spot treatment would do the job though. It's an all over itch. Last night the Duoxo mousse arrive, so I tried it. Like other things I've tried, it seemed to increase the itching. In the morning Jack's skin did not look good, and he seemed to have suffered. Melvin looked OK, and Henry's skin looked a little irritated. They're all still scratching a lot. Henry looks better now, but Jack's skin looks concerning to me, so I scheduled an apt. with the vet. I found an animal dermatologist who says they are open to working with my vet, so I will run this by him tomorrow. I also bought a little jar of Vaseline. I'll take the Duoxo with me to the vet. It's supposed to be used every 3 days, so I will see what's next.

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