Skin problems...

[Newfie in Oz]

Hello, I was just wondering if any of you have ever had problems with skin conditions in regards to your Newf's and if this breed is known as being one that suffers from such?

My girl keeps getting skin rashes I guess you could call them. They begin as scabby little sores that she starts to lick until she pulls the hair out in that area, they then get sort of "weepy". I then take her to the vet, he gives her antibiotics, they clear up and then shortly after it begins again. Has anyone ever had this problem and if so, what did you do with it?

I don't think this is "hotspot" or "flea" related...

[ 04-07-2006, 04:32 AM: Message edited by: Newfie in Oz ]

 

[Sue M.]

There are others on this board who probably have more ideas but it could be a multitude of things.
It's possible her food could be causing the irritation. Or it could be the shampoo you use.
I know my dogs skin gets dryer in the winter. When our furnace is running, our air is dryer. We need to use a humidifier.
I also occasionally put some fish oil in with their food.
I'm sure others will chime in with suggestions about this.

 

[Ivoryudx]

Sounds almost like a repeating bacterial skin infection. A good Antibacterial Shampoo might be in order. It could be coming from her environment, or maybe something she's laying in. It could also come from not getting completely dry after a bath, swim, or playing in the rain. The antibiotics are working from the inside out, and clearing it up, but the re-occurance is either because she's continually being exposed to it, or the antibiotics are not completely getting rid of it on the skin.

Newfoundlands do have very sensitive skin, if you look closely at it, it is white, not pink like other breeds. Except the white area on Landseers tend to be pink. That is another reason why they have the double coat, where the thick undercoat is to protect their skin.

Malaseb Shampoo, (you can find it on the Net or from your Vet) is a good medicated shampoo, that you can use to spot wash, and now they make a Malaseb spray that works great. With the shampoo, you must be diligent and bath every couple of days to break the cycle. The spray is great, you just spray it on the irritated spot a few times a day and it dries it out killing the bacteria. Its the first stuff that I've found to work so well for bacterial skin irritations.

hth,

 

[Jeannie]

Susan's is right. It sounds like a bacterial infection. My Samantha has very bad skin problems due to a number of reasons. The worst for her was swimming in the pond. Even if I washed her right after swimming she still got bad infections. So she swims very little. Although she would like more, we don't allow it for her health. Along with what Susan said, food can be a big culpert too. Many times those bacterial infections can be the result of allergies or yeast on the skin. You may want to check this thread. I tried the product for yeast and it has made a very big difference in Samantha's skin and coat.

 

[tsunami]

Either bacterial or microbial. The shampoos are a good idea but is could also be an airborn allergen. There are vets that focus on canine dermatitis disorders. You might ask your vet for a referral.

 

[nowhavethreebears]

Do the "scabby" sores start out feeling like a cluster of little bumps? If so, this could be what is called millet seed dermatitis. It's a food allergy. It sounds like a pattern one of my persians experienced last year.
Seems that, at the age of 10, she had developed an allergy to fish. The a-biotics cleared it up, but it came right back. Apparently fish is a common allergen for cats! I eliminated the fish kibble and she has not had a recurrence since. Just a thought.

[ 04-07-2006, 12:23 PM: Message edited by: nowhavethreebears ]