Skip to content

Scratching and Bare Skin

Basenji Health Issues & Questions
  • Medjai always scratches all the time. I don't give him any treatments for fleas or ticks, but I don't think he has any parasites, he just scratches a lot. My question regarding this is How would I know if he had a parasite causeing him to scratch?

    I have also realized that all four of his knees/elbows have lost of layers of dead skin and when I help with the flaking skin, he ends up having small bald patches and I wasn't sure if it's just part of him becoming an adult or if there is some other reason.

    Any Ideas?

  • Itchy, flaky skin is not normal. What are you feeding Medjai?

  • Right now, I just ran out of Royal Canin, so he's on Iams.

  • @etzbseder:

    Medjai always scratches all the time. I don't give him any treatments for fleas or ticks, but I don't think he has any parasites, he just scratches a lot. My question regarding this is How would I know if he had a parasite causeing him to scratch?

    I have also realized that all four of his knees/elbows have lost of layers of dead skin and when I help with the flaking skin, he ends up having small bald patches and I wasn't sure if it's just part of him becoming an adult or if there is some other reason.

    Any Ideas?

    You should take Medjai to the vet. They can take a do a scraping to determine if he has mites. Your description sounds exactly what Duke had last year - on his elbow, knees and ears and he scratched alot. It was a mange mite. If not treated, dogs can lose all their fur. They gave him a shot, Ivermectin. Is Medjai on heart worm prevention?

  • Yes I agree that you should take your B to the vet. It can also be severe allergies which my B had.

  • if you see baldness on pressure points on the legs and arms it is probably from sitting on a floor vs. a padded bed. When we adopted our rescue, she had lots of bald spots from her cage.

    You may also want to switch to a non soap dog shampoo to help with the skin.

    I have also found that fish oil on the food can help with flakey skin as well.

    A vet can steer you in the right direction.

  • A visit to the vet will be worthwhile. Skin problems can be difficult to resolve. My two actually have a dermatologist now that my vet referred me to to try to figure out why their skin isn't clearing up after two months of treatment. My regular vet did skin scrapings to check for things like mites (which they don't have). Mine are getting more skin scrapings next week to be cultured to see what exact bacteria is there and check for something like ringworm.

Suggested Topics

  • Dry skin and fur

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    13
    0 Votes
    13 Posts
    3k Views
    ZandeZ
    @prasadvaze The body odour would suggest to me there is something being ingested that his body doesn't approve of. I would change his diet to something grain free to start with and I would also talk to a vet who is experienced with Basenjis. Not just any vet. Find one who knows our breed and is prepared to research your problem relative to Basenjis
  • Dry, flaky skin

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    17
    0 Votes
    17 Posts
    5k Views
    D
    @prasadvaze There are wipes which you can use instead of baths, I imagine most of them neutralize odors and have a fresh scent. Perhaps try those? Mine have always had no detectable smell except after I bath them, then they smell “doggy” for a day or so. Here are a couple of ones I looked up but I have never tried any. https://www.chewy.com/natures-miracle-spring-waters/dp/108468 https://www.chewy.com/tropiclean-deep-cleaning-deodorizing/dp/128836 What kind of smell / odor?
  • Skin Issues?????

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    36
    0 Votes
    36 Posts
    21k Views
    D
    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
  • Skin/Coat Issues

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    3
    0 Votes
    3 Posts
    2k Views
    N
    At the beginning there were a couple of little spots, this was about three weeks ago, I thought that they could have been the result of playing at the dog park so I just put a little bit of aloe vera on them, but then they started to show on different spots and not only on the black but on the white coat as well. I do not see him scratching himself on those spots but what I notice is that is getting dandruff, it is like his coat is going through something and all that comes to my mind is the food, I do not know.
  • Dry flaky Skin

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    6
    0 Votes
    6 Posts
    3k Views
    W
    One thing that came to my mind: At our vet clinic we sell Science Diet. They have a sensitive skin formula. I find all of their foods to be made in mind of the animals needs and it is highly recommended by our veterinarians. Although it might be more costly.. More info on the food http://www.hillspet.com/hillspet/products/productDetails.hjsp?HillsProductCode=SD_K9_D_adt_NA_o_O_SKIN_orig_USARG
  • Pink skin

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    11
    0 Votes
    11 Posts
    5k Views
    MantisM
    watch your basenji at the vet. Caesar gets nervous and blushes. Belly, ears, nose turns pink.