Secondary dermatitus advice

[katej215]

Hey guys

Keeping my fingers crossed Nettle reads this..but if anyone has any thoughts that'd be great

So Hattie was at the vets yesterday with a sore looking bottom. She does suffer with allergy based dermatitus which is largely kept at bay thru diet but this normally just results in a little discolouration of her tummy hair and an itchy nose when it flairs up.Anyway the vet diagnosed secondary dermatitus and gave me antibiotics and some isoderm gel. Honestly after putting the gel on last girl my poor little girl was demented. I thought maybe it was just an initial sting of the gel but as she sleeps on our bed I know she was constantly itching at her bottom all night ..tho she has settled now though her bottom looks very pronounced but not angry red. It seems like the gel has increased her symptoms tenfold...I decided not to use it this morning and have a call booked with the vet but would love to balance their advice with any from here.

She is getting extra cooked Apple in her food...and was wondering whether to abandon the gel and perhaps apply some coconut oil ( it work wonders on my sore tooth that I can't afford to get crowned at the mo )
To add to the stress we are away this weekend...and the dogs will be going to a strange house with a dog they've never met...but can't change plans now

[Nettle]

I am not a vet, as you know, and therefore cannot give veterinary advice - but I can tell you what I would do for my dogs.

I would float some lavender oil (a few drops - five would be enough) onto some lukewarm water, touch a cloth to it so that it is wet but not soaking, and hold it against the sore parts. Lavender is antibacterial, antiviral, cooling and soothing.

Then after half an hour or so, I would do the coconut oil treatment you described.


Aloe vera gel is also good but COLD when applied so if you do use this, warm it in your hands first. I would alternate AV with lavender.

Did your vet check her anal glands?


Isaderm is a corticosteroid.

[katej215]

Thank you so much Nettle! What would we do without you

I have lavender and AV ...so will try some lavender now as you suggested.

No, she didn't check her glands...but to be honest Hattie was very uncomfortable being checked out yesterday...so perhaps when we go back I will suggest this.

[katej215]

Bless Hattie, she just lay quietly whilst I did the lavender treatment...normally she runs off if she suspects anything suspicious! It must have felt soothing for her...

Just googled corticosteroids ....apparently they can suppress your immune system? If you're having an allergy flare up isn't your immune system struggling anyway? Doesn't make sense....

[Fundog]

Allergic reactions are caused by an over-reactive immune system: "oh, this perfectly harmless foreign substance is in my body-- I must attack it before it kills me!" Corticosteroids suppress that kind of over-reaction, thereby soothing the symptoms by relieving inflammation. (This is coming from an allergic human who uses corticosteroids (both cream and inhaled) on a regular basis.)

Did you know the body makes its own steroid? Cortisol is produced by the adrenal glands. It is usually demonized as the "stress hormone" and blamed for all kinds of bad things that happen in our bodies (like weight gain), but for people and animals who suffer from inflammatory problems, most commonly the joint inflammation in arthritis, certain herbs such as yucca, turmeric, and cayenne are beneficial because they stimulate the body to produce more cortisol-- the body's own anti-inflammatory steroid.

By the way, yarrow root is purported to be excellent for relieving dental pain, applied directly to the offending tooth.

[katej215]

Interesting stuff..thanks Fundog

Just to update I have spoken to the vet who has suggested we go back in..and although acknowledges the gel might be the problem ..reading between the lines I think she thinks excessive licking is more likely the problem. (Although that wasn't a problem until I used the gel ) My worst nightmare would be poor Hattie in an Elizabethan collar, in a strange house, with a strange dog and a sore and itchy bottom she can't get to....sounds like a recipe for mega stresss. I'm going to stick to the lavender and aV option and see how we get on...I can go back to the vets plan if this doesn't work....

Sigh....now we've got a long drive to the other side of the country.....the things we put our poor dogs thru

[Fundog]

Kate, I just remembered an easier way to get the lavender and aloe onto your girl's bottom: put the water and drops of lavender into a spritzer bottle, and just spritz it on every couple of hours-- or everytime you see her feeling bothered by it. If it doesn't itch she won't be likely to lick or rub on the rugs, and leaving it alone of course will speed healing. I've got some dermatitis of my own going on. It's the scratching that keeps it from getting better. If I keep it from itching, I don't scratch, and my skin starts to clear up. Calendula is another excellent flower for aggravated skin, if you can get some. It's probably no longer growing anywhere this time of year, but you could probably find some dried blossoms in an herb shop. Just make a tea out of it and put it in a spritzer bottle. Spritz it on the aggravated areas every couple of hours, or as often as needed. Good luck with your trip!