Help! My poor Belle...

[epm525]

This is my Belle. Over the weekend she has scratched a big chunk of her hair off. It's really bothering her. :( We're taking her to the vet tomorrow, but have any of you experienced this before?

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n67/epm525/IMG_0873.jpg

[J3NNI]

my sisters dog got mites that naturally live in their hair folicles, some dogs seem to get bothered by them and will lose hair. it might be this and it is not contagious

[JustMe]

How old is she? It looks like she has an allergy. The older the dogs are, the worse there skin gets. They get very itchy because they don't move and shake them self that much anymore. How often do you give her a bath? I noticed with my dog she is 13 now, the more I give her a bath the less she itches her self. Especially in the summer. Is she on any kind of medication? My other dog, was on liver medication and he got an allergic reaction from the medication. I hope it is only a allergic reaction but it also could be skin cancer. I don't want to scare you. I hope that's not the case.

[Dorothea]

She's so pretty!
I was thinking allergies too... I hope the vet has an answer!

[lexidoodle]

Probably a "hot spot". My dogs sometimes get them in the summer. They get an itch then they start scratching, licking til you can see skin. A little antibacterial lotion should do the trick, if it is that.

[madrika]

My dog we had when I was a child had a similar problem. He would scratch raw spots in his skin. It was allergies...and actually...I don't know if you keep her inside...but the vet finally told us to try leaving him either outside or in our garage, cuz he was not meant to be an "inside" dog. We made him a spot in the garage and believe it or not he cleared up very well being out there. Especially in the COLD! He loved the snow and would just be in it for HOURS! It helped his skin a lot. It, of course, broke my heart for him to not be in the house with me :( He was half german sheppard, half huskie! Oh he was beautiful. Anywho...good luck at the vet!

[simply-heartfelt]

We are going through problems with our dogs right now with allergies also....

We bathe them 2 times a week with medicated shampoo we got from our vet that has Benzoyl Peroxide @ 3% in it.

That helps some, and we are also currently changing their diet to see if it is food allergies.

The vet dermatologist said that labs and golden retrevers have the highest tendency to have allergies.

[mouse7r]

Shes beautiful! I would think allergies or mites.. in my experience hot spots are usually very small... but you never know :) Let us know what happens!

[YRuth]

Your dog is sooo gorgeous! I'm thinking that it's allergies or mites.

[Marie]

poor baby! Let us know what it is.

I know ringworms can make dogs really itchy but hopefully it's not that

[epm525]

Well, the vet isn't sure why she scratched her hair off, but we are starting with some antibiotics and putting peroxide on the sore. I can tell that she's in pain, but she does seem to be feeling a bit better since she started the meds. We were giving her Benedryl over the weekend and the vet said that was a good call! I'll give you guys status updates on our little lady!
PS - she'll be six in May

[JustMe]

Thank God it isn't something bad. She isn't that old. Did you change her food lately? Or did you give her a different flea medication?

[Marie]

i hope this will do it for her!

[epm525]

Thank God it isn't something bad. She isn't that old. Did you change her food lately? Or did you give her a different flea medication?

No, nothing new. She got a Frontline about a month ago, but she gets that on a regular basis. At first, I was afraid that she was picking up on our stress. But since the medicine is working so well, it's probably not stress. She's doing better every day, but still needs the benedryl to keep from scratching.

I'm wondering if she got stung there...

[JustMe]

Are you giving her the regular benedryl or the one for baby's? Maybe I should give it to my old lady.

[epm525]

She's doing a lot better with the meds. The area she scratched off still looks gnarly, but at least it's dried gnarl and not oozy anymore. Sorry for the oversharing.

Funny Belle picture from Christmas 06. She just stuck her head in right as I was taking the picture.

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n67/epm525/IMG_1077.jpg

[epm525]

Are you giving her the regular benedryl or the one for baby's? Maybe I should give it to my old lady.

Oops...I didn't see this one! Regular Benedryl - but she's 70 pounds.

[JustMe]

Hmm my dog is about 22 pounds what do you think how much I should give her.

[epm525]

I would definitely check with a vet. We should have, too. A quick Google found this info:

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Dogs-701/dogs-benadryl.htm

You are here: Experts > Animals/Pets > Veterinary Medicine > Dogs > dogs and benadryl


Topic: Dogs

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Expert: Becky
Date: 10/26/2006
Subject: dogs and benadryl

Question
How much Benadryl can you give a 4 pound Chihuahua?

Answer
Hi Angela!
Here is a fact sheet regarding the use of Benadryl in dogs.
There is a dosage chart at the end of the instructions.
God Bless!
Becky

Benadryl for Dogs or Cats

Benadryl is a brand name for an anti-histamine (diphenhydramine). Although it is considered fairly safe for use in dogs and cats, please be aware that it does have potential adverse side effects. It may interact with other meds that your pet is taking, so do not use it without first consulting your veterinarian. You should also use extreme caution using Benadryl in dogs that have glaucoma, prostatic disease, cardiovascular disease or hyperthyroidism.

Benadryl is quite effective when used in proper dosages.
Stops itching
Controls vomiting
Good for motion sickness
Can be used as a mild tranquilizer
Good for snake bites
Useful for vaccination reactions
Good for bee stings and insect bites

Be sure to use only the plain Benadryl formula. Giving benadryl with other combination of meds could be fatal, so be sure to read the box.

Liquid Benadryl is too high in alcohol content to be safely used for animals. Please use capsule or pill form.

Dosage every 8 hours
Dogs under 30 lbs and Cats : 10 mg
Dogs 30-50 lbs: 25 mg
Dogs over 50 lbs: 50 mg

[JustMe]

Thanks for sharing :)

[Marie]

how is she feeling now?

[epm525]

She's doing pretty good, Marie - thanks for asking! There is still a bald spot, but she's not scratching at it anymore and she completely back to her fun loving, playful self. No hair growing back yet - we're going to keep an eye on that.

[JustMe]

That's great. I hope her hair is growing back soon.

Marie why are you in a sad mood?

[Marie]

when my cat had an area shaved for her heart echo, it took a long time to grow back, i'm talking months and months.

[joy&pain]

Your dog is beautiful, and the Xmas picture is cracking me up... It was almost like she knew she was sneaking in the shot. I'm glad she is feeling better now.