I Need HELP

[Diane563]

My Basenji has in the last year developed an allergy to something??? He gets these hive like welts and they make him nuts. I took him to the vet and he gave him a steriod shot and a Benadryl this cleared things up but every now and then it happens again?? Right now he has developed the welts on his belly and thighs and some on his face (around the eyes and top of the head). I have been giving him an antihistamine when it gets bad and he seems to be itchy, but it's not getting better. I've heard reference to hot spots? I don't know what those are, is that when they loose their hair, this is not the case with my Basenji. He is only bumpy and itchy with welts. Can anyone offer HELPFUL suggestions?

[barkless513]

Could it be that something is biting the dog? Our basenji would whelp up if he was bitten by a mosquito or flea, they are very sensitive to bites of any kind. If you have changed his food in the past year, you may want to check for wheat in the ingredients, some basenjis are allergic to wheat products. Best of luck! It could also be that he/she is allergic to the cold, I have heard of this, but it is rare. Try a coat and keeping him warm to see if that helps.

[Diane563]

Thank you for responding, at first we thought it was a bite in the summer I thought it was a Bee sting but now here in Colorado we have about 7 inches of snow outside so there are no mosquitos or bees? The food he is on is the Canadea (spell?) which is supposed to be the best for allergie prone dogs.

[Diane563]

Can the cold give him bumps and welts? It is very wet oustide and the ground is covered with snow but this happened in the summer too?

[barkless513]

Well, Im out of ideas, but I hope you find out soon, this can't be comfortable. I was once told to have a thyroid panel done as itching can be a symptom of hyperthroidism.

[Diane563]

Thanks for trying to help, I'll keep the site posted as to what I find out.

[red and white furever]

Hi Diane! Sorry your b. is feeling all itchy and bumpy! Stormie got hives once from a flea treatment (Advantix) and he was miserable. I bathed him in Aveeno oatmeal bath (the people variety), and that helped relieve the itchies at least temporarily.

Canidae is a great food, but the all life stages has multiple protien sources in it, so it can be be hard to pin point the cause of an allergy - could be chicken, lamb, fish or turkey. Also Canidae has sunflower oil in it, and I've heard of some dogs getting itchy from that. Have you thought about trying a single protien source food - try to find a "unique" protien - like venison for example - most dogs tolerate that very well. A good place to start looking as far as food goes may be Natural Balance (they have a duck and potatoe formula, a sweet potatoe and fish formula, and a venison and brown rice formula). There's no sunflower oil in it, so it may be worth a shot! Good luck!

[yonae12]

I'm no expert but here is a link to a site that may help you identify what is wrong with him:
http://www.nzymes.com/Articles/dog_skin_hair_problems.htm#OTHERDISEASESWITHHAIRLOSS

Quesitons you can ask yourself:
Is it only in one particular season in which this is happening?
How old is your dog? Is he fixed? - could be hormonal?
Changes in the dogs food?
Changes in what kind of material he sleeps on / does he wear anything like a doggie blanket now that he didn't before?
Is he itchy mostly a few hours after his bath?

If you think its allergy, try eliminating possible things from his environment one at a time to work out what might be contributing to it.

When my basenji was two I recall she had a few bumps, chewed the top part of her tail bare and had dandruff. We cured most of it with finding the right shampoo for her skin type to use. I think part of it may have been hormonal.

[BDawg]

My B too had issues with Advantix. She got really itchy (didn't swell though) and neurotic. And her back legs would kick out like a donkey. It only happened once for us to change her off that– what other symptoms is your B having?? I hope he gets better!!

[yonae12]

@BDawg1005:

…And her back legs would kick out like a donkey.

Yeah! I can remember my girl doing that too, kicked me right in the shin one time and it HURT!

[Mantis]

Caesar has had hives that look like peas under the skin all over his back…it was either the food or the soap I had been using....

try bathing him with a non soap soap or hypo soap.

I find Caesar does really well with Natural Balance Duck and Potatoe. The vets say that the fillers in dog food can cause allergies in basenjis because they wouldnt eat it in the wild. The duck and potatoe is no soy, no rice, no wheat and no corn. It is a sensitive type food and doesnt have preservatives either. Check for them online...or at a feed store....

You can try different things like listed above and rule things out instead of paying $$ for an allergy panel screening.

I have also found that a lot of dog treats make Caesar sick and I personally stick with Greenies, Nylabones and the Natural Balance treats....

Benedryl is a great way to calm them down when they go through the hives or throwing up. I buy the childrens chewable and it is dosed out by weight.

[Mantis]

If you dont want to spend the money on other food yet, boil some chicken and boiled eggs for food and see if they still hive….

one of my basenjis couldnt eat Eukanuba lamb and rice because of the rice....

[Diane563]

Thank you to everyone! Your ideas are great and I'm going to try switching his food to Natural Balance, hopefully that will help! I have washed all of his bedding in non allergenic soap and he is clearing up finally, I also removed all snacks with wheat in them. I think the wheat was a problem. Funny how he will get this then clear up only to get it again in maybe 2 or 3 months, but this is the worst he has been bumpy for over 4 days and he wants to be cuddled and cries out every now and then and kicks his rear legs out like a mule. Or he will jump up and and scream and try to bite at this back thighs where the lumps are, so I know he is miserable and his misery has kept me awake worrying for over 3 nights! Well we will keep trying until he clears up! Thanks again to everyone for the help!

[Mantis]

there are natural balance duck and potatoe treats as well…..

http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/

[BDawg]

Gosh, the part about kicking out like a mule reminds me frighteningly of Lexi when she reacted to the Advantix. Have you been using that??

[bellabasenji]

Awww… poor baby. My Bella used to get hives alot when she was a puppy. We now avoid fabric softeners on her blankets and mine, and avoid using Lysol because we started to notice a connection with when I cleaned the house and her episodes. We haven't had a problem since. Of course, it could be one or two of many things for your baby... I just thought I might throw a few suggestions at you.

[Mantis]

seeing your basenji in pain can be pretty tough…when Caesar had hives he was just a pup. All you can do it treat them like a child. Caesar was throwing up with his hives...I gave him a warm bath (which he hated) and Benedryl and he was okay in the morning....

They can be so sensitive!

[Quercus]

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Have you thought about fleas? You don't always see them on the dog..and usually they aren't a problem in the northern winters...but if you have some living in your house, and your dog has a sensitivity to them, it could result in what you are seeing.
Occasionally one of our dogs will get hivey. We never know the cause for sure, but often it seems related to bug bites, grass allergies or vaccines. I usually give a dose of benadryl, if that doesn't clear it up, or the hives are bad on their face/head, I take them in to the vet for something more effective.
Good luck!

[jys1011]

When my basenji was two I recall she had a few bumps, chewed the top part of her tail bare and had dandruff. We cured most of it with finding the right shampoo for her skin type to use. I think part of it may have been hormonal.

One of my dogs has recently developed dandruff…what shampoo did you switch to??

Diane-sounds like the Advantix or whatever you're using for flea control may be the problem. Have you checked this out??? Good luck to you.

[Mantis]

how is your basenji now? do you see any improvement?