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Joined Too Learn About Skin Issues

988 views 8 replies 7 participants last post by  HighlandGlenn 
#1 · (Edited)
My boy is 3. I noticed that his eyes started tearing and staining the hair down his nose bridge more so than normal as the summer changed to fall. He recently began scratching and biting himself. I read that the breed is prone to Sebaceous Adenitis, but he doesn't have the scaling or matting.

Anyone on this Forum experienced this, I'd appreciate hearing from you. Thank you,
 
#2 ·
I know there are many causes of skin issues but I can only speak to my own experience. Mia is 11 and has only had itchy skin twice in her life. Once was because she had a few fleas on her and the other was because she is allergic to Frontline. In late summer, fleas tend to be more of a problem depending on your climate. Even if a dog is on preventatives the fleas have to bite them first to die. Some dogs are very allergic to flea bites. This may not be your problem but is a possibility. Even one bite drives some dog crazy while others do not scratch at all.
 
#3 ·
Sometimes if the eye drainage is not cleaned often enough, the moist skin near the eyes can get infected and then it gets itchy for them. I have found the best way to stay ahead of this is to use Bausch and Lomb Eye Wash twice a day to clean the area (not to put in the eye but only in the area of the drainage/discolored fur), let it sit a few seconds, then dry well with a towel. I had a difficult time with eye drainage with my last Hav. I learned about this "eye wash" on this forum when a member was given this tip by a vet opthalmologist.

I am not sure about sebaceous adenitis at all. I would clean the area carefully with a mild shampoo, rinse, and dry it well twice a day for a couple of days and see if it helps. If the skin looks inflamed, take the pup to the vet in case they need antibiotics. Once it calms down, I think it is helpful to do the Bausch and lomb cleaning ( with use of a flea comb for dry debris) twice a day to avoid infections.
 
#4 ·
I was wondering if you tried cleaning the eye area with plain filtered water? This works for my Mia. Note that this eyewash contains a preservative that is supposedly toxic, however I assume it is not in small amounts. Regardless, I have had many issues in the past myself with preservatives in eye washes and contact lens solutions so try to avoid them.

https://naturalpedia.com/benzalkoni...fects-diseases-and-environmental-impacts.html
 
#6 ·
Are you having to rinse a lot of goop directly from his eyes? If so I would check in with the vet. Maybe the vet can suggest what might be safest to rinse your dog’s eyes, especially if you suspect some kind of environmental or seasonal allergy might be a factor. It sounds like you suspect something is going on, beyond typical tear staining. I think whatever risks involved in a rinse the vet suggest probably outweighs the discomfort of the dog, but that’s just me. I do remember reading an article a while back that talked about how antibiotics were over prescribed for a while to treat tear stains cosmetically, and sometimes it can be yeast. I think they can even swab and test.

The trouble with tear stains is they can be caused by a couple of different things, and they’re all treated differently, and it takes time to see results. If you can rule out or treat allergies, a drainage problem, etc. with the vet, you might eliminate months of trial and error.
 
#8 ·
I selected a dog who has black hair around the eyes, because I was concerned about eye staining and therefore have no experience with stains around the eyes. However, her mustache is white and her food tends to stain parts of the her mustache. I wipe her mouth after eating which helps somewhat.

ITCHY DOG: After going to the groomer I noticed Patti would vigorously scratch for a couple of days. One of the shampoos my groomer used had a cologne ingredient. Switching to a hypoallergenic type of shampoo solved that problem.

Patti is sensitive to flea and tick bites and will scratch her neck raw. Even though we give her flea and tick medication, they first have to bite the dog before dying. Therefore, we chemically treat our yard for fleas and ticks. That solved that problem.

When Patti gets a flea bite I apply a steroid cream to the area to treat the bite which calms down the itching.
 
#9 ·
I will address the itching part. The short answer is yes, there are many factors! Flea allergy dermatitis, when one flea bite will cause a dog to scratch and bite themselves raw, is actually the immune system overreacting. This is generally caused by vaccinosis which is a dysregulated immune system. It is important to look at the whole dog and get its system back into balance (called homeostasis). However, the dog may always have this flea allergy issue. In that case, there are natural means to support the body, increase comfort, and aid in healing sores.
 
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