Itchy Gitchy

I told you in the last blog about Delmer's itchy skin, so tonight I'm looking through articles on ezine.com for just nothing, and I came across an article about the itching skin problem. This is interesting. Read on...

Is it a Parasite?

If your dog can't stop licking, scratching, digging and biting, there are many things that could cause the problem. These could include environmental, bacterial, neurogenic, nutritional, and allergic causes. The symptoms for a parasitic dog skin problem ranges from biting, scratching, licking, bald patches, inflamed skin and small scabs. If your dog has all or some of these symptoms, the cause could be caused by various parasites including fleas, ticks, chiggers, deer flies, gnats and Cheyletiella mites. The symptoms and treatment of each of these is slightly different. Let's take a look.

1. Fleas
Constant scratching, hair loss, and sores on skin. Fleas are usually easy to spot. Let your dog lay on his back (rub his belly, he'll stay there forever). Check his belly and groin areas. You should be able to see the fleas running around since the hair is so thin on bellies. If you don't see the fleas, you may see the flea "dirt," or flea droppings of dried blood that they have sucked from your pet and expelled as waste. Repeated exposure to flea bites can cause a hypersensitivity in your dog and he will have an abnormal or excessive reaction. Even if no fleas are seen, the dog reacts to the saliva from the fleas.

Treatment - Bathing your dog with flea shampoo, treating the indoor and outdoor area where the dog has access.

2. Ticks
Symptoms are usually an ulcerative lesion. Be aware that dog skin problems aren't often caused by ticks but it is possible.
Treatment - Remove the tick and treat the bite with ointment.


















3. Chiggers, deer flies, gnats
Here you'll find small bites and minor irritations. These parasites don't usually cause significant problems.
Treatment - first aid ointment

4. Cheyletiella mites
Symptoms include hair loss, dry, flaky skin. Sheyletiella mites are often called "walking dandruff". They look like little spiders when looked at under a microscope but look like flaky dandruff with the naked eye.
Treatment - Flea shampoo will usually rid your pet of these mites. These can be transferred to humans and cause the same symptoms and problems as in your pet.

5. Sarcoptic mites
Symptoms include severe itching, hair loss, inflamed skin, multiple small scabs. Sarcoptic mites are also known as scabies.
Treatment - If you suspect that your dog has scabies, you must take him to the vet. Scabies can only be diagnosed by a vet. They are often misdiagnosed as an allergy because they burrow down into the skin. You vet can give you medication to treat the Sarcoptic mites.

6. Demodex mites - Symptoms of this type of mites, or mange, doesn't cause the dog to itch very much so you won't see a lot of scratching. The most obvious symptom of mange is the bald patches. Demodex mites live and reproduce under the skin in the hair follicles and oil glands.
Treatment - These mites can be seen on a skin scraping performed by your vet and proper medication will be given.

A parasitic dog skin problem can often be hard to diagnose because there are many different parasites in addition to fleas, ticks, chiggers, deer flies, gnats, Cheyletiella mites, Sarcoptic mites, and Demodex mites that can disturb your pet.

It's Just Me, Hubby and 3 Dogs.

The kids moved out. I have the house to myself. My husband and I can actually enjoy alone time without interruption. We can watch a whole movie without the phone ringing or someone coming home unexpectedly. The house stays clean, messes don't get made and it's quiet. So quiet. Some people wouldn't like that. I do. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids dearly, but I've spent 24 years doing laundry, running errands, running to practices and work, writing excuses for school, ironing, washing, drying, cooking, shopping, fighting, making school projects at the last minute, doing homework, sewing, decorating, defending, teaching, scolding, loving and wearing myself out for 5 kids and now it's my turn.

Well, almost. I have 3 dogs. Delmer, Bailey and Dweezil. Delmer is a 5 year old husky-shepherd mix with a skin problem, don't know what it is. A few months ago he ran off into the woods, came back dirty and out of breath but at least not smelling like a skunk and after a bath, all was well. A few days later, I noticed a few scabs above his eye, on his nose and under his chin. I think he got into a fight with a racoon or something and it was hanging on his face. I'm not kidding. That's what the marks looked like. Anyway, he started scratching several days later. All over. His belly, his ears, his chest, his legs. The scabs on his face were itchy first, then it advanced to everywhere. I took him to the vet, she put him on an antibiotic. That didn't work. Then she put him on 2 weeks of medicated shampoo. I had to bath a 75lb dog 2 times a week for 2 weeks. In the tub,not outside, because it was too cold. That didn't work. I bought medicated itch spray, he's scared to death of the spray bottle. (Might have something to do with this technique used when he was being bad as a puppy). He looks depressed. He doesn't go outside like he used to. He lays around and scratches. Anytime there's a scab forming, he ends up scratching it off and then he's bleeding again. What is it?



















Then there's Bailey. She's a 1 year old ?? lab, retriever, terrier? We haven't quite figured it out. My husband calls her Hog Dog because of her pink nose and because she eats ANYTHING, sometimes gross stuff. We shaved her because her hair was so long and it was everywhere. Now she looks quite spiffy, like a golden lab. Before we shaved her, she looked like Valcor on "Neverending Story'.




















She's not right. Anytime you scold her, she smiles at you. It's hilarious. So after she chews up the cough cushion for the 5th time in a week and you use another roll of black electrical tape (the couch is black leather, fake) you try to holler at her and she smiles at first, then she knows you aren't kidding and she lays down and looks sad and makes me feel like crap for yelling at her and then it's forgotten until the next time. She used to eat flip flops, now it's the couch. She also runs off with Delmer and has also needed a bath, and she weighs about 80 pounds. Fun.












Then there's Dweezil, my old Buddy, a 12 year old Jack Russell. He's a hoot. He doesn't think he's a dog, don't even imply it. He doesn't wear a collar or need a leash. He listens to me with just a point of the finger and stern look on my face. He nests in his old blanket and leaves everyone alone. He's actually gotten into fights with Delmer over Bailey (before we got her fixed) and also over food. Yeah, he lost, but he certainly put up a good fight. He's a tough old bird. He has gotten hit by a work truck and a 4 wheeler in the past. I nearly died myself when it happened, but he survived. He almost got buried under tons of earth when the neighbor was digging out to build a house. He hates to be picked up and stiffens up just like a corpse anytime someone holds him. It's like he has immediate rigor mortis when his feet leave the ground. He's a sweet little dog, though, but he has the most foul breath! My sister has Jack Russells, too, and her dogs are the same way. Must be the Terrier in them, don't know, but Scope would be a nice addition to their daily routine.

Bella Maizey

Australian Shepherd. A sweet Aussie. The next dog I'm getting. I already have her name picked out. Belly Maizey. She's lovely, I know it already, a blue merle with blue eyes. I've been looking, mostly on the adoption sites for one I can adopt, but I really want a puppy. I'll find one, I know it, she's waiting for me out there somewhere.

I'm going to post as much stuff on this blog as I currently know and everything that I learn in the future about Australian Shepherds.


A little about the Aussie's background:

The Australian Shepherd is a breed of working dog developed on ranches in the Western United States. The breed, commonly known as an Aussie, did not originate in Australia but acquired their name because of its association with sheepherders who came to the United States from Australia. They are versatile, highly trainable and aim to please. They have a lot of drive and energy, so they always need a job to do.

Color variants:

Aussie colors are black tricolor, red merle, blue merle, liver tricolor.
The ears should be covered by and completely surrounded by pigment other than white to decrease the risk for white related deafness. Eyes should also be surrounded by color, including the eye rim leather. Excessive white on the face and ears can place an individual dog at greater risk for sunburn and subsequent skin cancer. Many merles have two different colored eyes.
The merle, which is a mingled or patchwork combination of dark and light areas, is the most common coat pattern associated with the breed. Knowledge of the breeds and the proper way to breed them is crucial, because sometimes when two merles are bred, there is a risk that 25% of the offspring usually have a mostly white coat and blue irises, and can often be deaf and/or blind. In this case, the deafness and blindness are linked to having two copies of the merle gene, which disrupts pigmentation and produces these health defects.

















Size:

Height
Dogs 20-23 inches
Bitches 18-21 inches
Weight
Dogs 50-65 pounds
Bitches 40-55 pounds


Temperament:

They love to play dog sports such as frisbee and other sports. They are also very good at search and rescue, disaster dogs, detection dogs, guide, service and therapy dogs. Above all, they are beloved family companions because they are very protective and may not be kind to strangers, but do not have a tendency to be aggressive. Aussies will also try to herd anything that moves, including people and all other types of animals.