Skin Issues?????


  • I don't know the reason or cause but I have smelt many a dogs ears that have a yeasty smell with a lot of build up that isn't only wax but more of a greasy goopy wax, in particular was a puggle who is sensative to environmental allergies. I do agree it's probably not so common in dogs with upright ears….it is a very distinct and pungent smell, ugh- makes me want to clean Oakleys ears out right now!!


  • Agreed that it is not uncommon for many breeds… just not found it in Basenjis...


  • Its quite possible that somewhere along the line your puppy came in contact with something that caused this reaction. So maybe it is just a contact allergy, You really are not going to know if its a life long allergy until it presents itself again. At least you are better prepared if there is a next time.

    The shampoo you were told to use, probably exacerbated the rash. Sometimes its not a great idea to bathe a dog who has a rash for fear of spreading it. There is also the possibility of stripping away the natural oils on the skin which will make the rash itch more. Maybe the rash that your dog experienced was something that was spread similar to how poison ivy is spread on human skin.

    We think its great that you actually found a competent vet. If you do not mind we would like to know the actual names of the antibiotics that were used. We would like store this information away just in case we have a similar experience.

    Sometimes, owners suffer as much as their dogs when they see them in discomfort. Have faith, maybe this will not re-occur.


  • Great article for allergies and pet food as well as another one on pet food. Love that they mention the importance of rotating your protein sources

    http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/05/07/protein-diets-for-pets-allergy.aspx

    http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/05/10/my-top-3-pet-food-picks-from-an-upscale-boutique-shop.aspx

    There are some different plants and herbs that can help with allergies - nettle for instance (I use it in capsul form but you can also do tea) is helpful wth allergies


  • After reading this post, and thinking about what you have experienced, we wonder if your dog possibly got into some poison Ivy or poison oak. While we have no experience ourselves, we have read that some dogs are susceptible to poison ivy. Maybe someone more experienced can add this post and tell us how susceptible Basenji's might be to this. It would also be good to know what symptoms show up and how to best treat them.


  • I don't know about all Basenjis, but mine have shown no sensitivity to poison ivy. Unfortunately, I do! Walking my guy down forest trails where there is a considerable amount of it, I ended up with rashes on a number of occasions…...and yes, I do know what it looks like and try to avoid it.......but my dog was unaffected. He does seem to have a seasonal problem with ragweed, however. (guessing a bit here, he hasn't been tested, but there appears to be a correlation that indicates a contact allergy, not airborne......he is affected when he runs through it in the fields, not if we stay away from it by walking on the road)


  • Just a quick update on Zola's skin condition. So she certainly has seasonal allergies. Poor girl. But….. after using her antibiotics, her skin looks BEAUTIFUL!!!!!! So the vet put her on Temaril-P which she has taken now for about 3 weeks. Temaril-P is known as "Benadryl on steroids" so now we are giving her the Temaril-P only 2 times a week, and we put the liquid from a benadryl gel cap in her food every night. She looks gorgeous!!!!! This combo should get her through allergy season. I am just so glad we figured this out.... and found a competent vet in the process!

  • First Basenji's

    Pertaining to your comment about a life long sufferer of allergies….may not be true. Canine pups go through a lot of hormonal changes before they are adults...(varies with breed, physically about 2 years +_) So, she may just outgrow them, hopefully!!!

  • First Basenji's

    @Mimi:

    Great article for allergies and pet food as well as another one on pet food. Love that they mention the importance of rotating your protein sources

    http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/05/07/protein-diets-for-pets-allergy.aspx

    http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/05/10/my-top-3-pet-food-picks-from-an-upscale-boutique-shop.aspx

    There are some different plants and herbs that can help with allergies - nettle for instance (I use it in capsul form but you can also do tea) is helpful wth allergies

    Thanks Mimi, good reading…I will pass it on to my clients for their information....


  • You might want to try a soap-free shampoo. Virbac makes Allergroom and Epi-Soothe which is an oatmeal shampoo. I am sure there are other brands that offer this.

    Jennifer


  • Shampoo and conditioners are great for aiding with symptoms, but they dont fix the problem and they only offer help for the short term, the number of times I've had clients come in with vet shampoos and have me do their dogs every week with the stupid things….. only help about half the time. You have to get the the cause or you wont get anywhere.
    12 years grooming and I still havent found a shampoo or conditioner that really makes that much of a difference unless you are dealing with a yeast problem where once the yeast is killed off things start to improve. Regular allergies, dry skin and itching cant be cleared up with a shampoo or conditioner.


  • I am going to get into this by only saying that if you give your baby benedryl then you can give as much as 1 mg per pound of body weight. It's a simple formula. 1 mg = 1 lb of body weight. I use it every day for my dogs due to allergies mine have to the bugs. My golden retriever takes 3 every day and can even be given twice a day if need be. This is the information I got from my vet whom I trust very much.
    Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2


  • I was only recommending a shampoo to use in the future, not one that would clear up any skin problems. If the dog has allergies, she needs to be careful about what kind of general shampoo to use.

    Jennifer

Suggested Topics

  • Age issues or behavioral issues

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    4
    0 Votes
    4 Posts
    2k Views
    agilebasenjiA
    @Patty: Personally I would take her to the vet to get her checked out for bowel or urinary infections. If she is losing sight and hearing she may be frightened. It sounds as though you need to step back a pace to calm your reactions. I can appreciate that you are getting fed up with all the work but she is an old dog. My present oldie (15) has taken to peeing (and pooing) indoors at times but I know I need to put her outside more often as she doesn't have the control she once had. She has also become blind and is certainly more aggressive with the others because of that. Any way first things first and do take her to the vet, please. Let us know how you get on. I have to agree with everything Patty wrote. Changing behavior ALWAYS needs a vet check. Increase aggresssion can be due to thyroid issues, pain, tick-born diseases, constant hunger (due to other things), etc. You didn't say in your post if you'd recently seen a vet and discussed her new issues. My oldest (16 in December) has failing kidneys (nonFanconi) and does need to pee more often. So, I put pee pads down in the house in his favorite pee spots. He's usually pretty good about that, but he does still pee in other spots if I'm not watching him carefully or if he gets a bit aggitated about the sitting arrangements. Would your pup stay in an exercise pen? That would give her a little more room than a crate.
  • Flaky skin???

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    12
    0 Votes
    12 Posts
    3k Views
    sabaS
    Mmmmm think I might have spoken too soon, Java was having cuddles with me yesterday evening, and the horrible dandruff is back, BUT, only on him ??? I had reduced all the dogs fish oil capsules, from daily, to 2-3/week, so Im wondering if thats why ??? Will start him up on daily and see if that makes a difference… I hate dandruff :(...
  • Issue?

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    3
    0 Votes
    3 Posts
    1k Views
    P
    This could possibly be a minor epileptic attack. I have seen a video of many forms of these attacks (no basenjis) many of them very different and this was an example. A canine neurologist could confirm.
  • Dry Skin?

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    33
    0 Votes
    33 Posts
    11k Views
    tanzaT
    @FortheLoveofStella: Stella has very short hair, and she is flaky a lot (in more ways than one!!) Do you need a prescription for the omega3 or fish oil? Or can you just the human equivalent at cvs? Human equivalent is fine to use
  • Eye issues

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    2
    0 Votes
    2 Posts
    2k Views
    wizardW
    If she's loosing hair then it sounds like it might be something more than just stress-of-an-intruder. The stray could have brought something nasty along. Maybe there's mites or something. I would take both to the vet.
  • Dry Skin!

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    3
    0 Votes
    3 Posts
    2k Views
    jessi76J
    you could use olive oil, also fish oil works very well, and flaxseed oil is yet another. there are other supplements you could add for a better coat too, minerals and vitamins. I'm fond of sea meal - contains minerals, vitamins, amino acids, and flaxseed meal. you should find out if it's truly just dry skin though. sometimes it can be cleared up w/ just a change in food.