JoanBelleIsle

Anyone feeding Kirkland... have you noticed any difference in your dog's coat recently? Joan

I remember reading something about a nutrition issue that shows up as a greasy coat and flakey skin. Does anyone know what the problem is? One of my dogs who is otherwise healthy has a greasy patch on his back and I can't figure out what's going on. Thanks

Please talk to your vet or to a veterinary dermatologist. Your boy may need a skin scraping. Hair loss around the eyes is a frequent symptom of Demodex. His problem might not be that--it might be straightforward allergies--but I think you need a skin scraping to be sure. Isn't Demodex contagious? My other two dogs aren't sharing any of the symptoms.

My four year old beautiful, shiney black boy is allergic to something. He rubs his eyes and has rubbed off most of the fine fur surrounding them. And he scratches his neck and chin until he opens the skin. In all other respects he is a healthy, happy dog. No dry skin; no fleas; no food or digestive issues. Has anyone else had to cope with this kind of problem? And what works?

HELP!! I've adopted a dozen Greyhounds over 20+ years. I thought I had dealt with most common behavior issues. But the new boy arrived complete with a whole set of behaviors that I have never had to handle. First he clearly thinks the whole house is his oyster and everything in it is a toy for him to play with whenever the mood strikes. I know that he was a favorite in the kennel and that he frequently had run of the place when there were people around. He is a counter surfer with a big enough reach that he can get to anything anywhere on the counters. He amuses himself with anything that he can get to when I'm out, and he can open baby gates with ease. He's one smart dude. So far he has not figured out how to open the frig, take off the screw on cover to the dog food, or open the cabinets but I won't be surprised when he does. The good news is that he gets along famously with both of my other dogs. He cuddles and gives kisses, and is in all other respects a great dog. I have not needed to crate any of the dogs that I've adopted over the years, although I do own one that is currently on loan to a friend. My space is relatively small. Big enough for me and three dogs, but I can't figure out where I would put a crate assuming that he would tolerate being crated. When I fostered broken legged dogs, I used an x-pen to confine the new comer. Given how easily the new boy figured out how to open the baby gate, I have a feeling that x-pens wouldn't even be a challenge. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to teach this boy the house rules? Thanks, Joan

For what it's worth, Comfortis is the only product that has consistently succeeded in getting rid of the fleas on my guys. Doesn't handle other creepy crawlies, but does the job on fleas.

Has anyone used raw local honey to treat allergies? It has been recommended to me. It sounds harmless enough even if it doesn't work

I can't figure out what's going on with Spud. He doesn't have fleas. It's summer, so it's not dry heat/dry skin. But there are three spots that he seems to need to scratch often enough that he has broken the skin. And the more he scratches, the more aggraveted the sores get. He scratches under his chin on the right side -- not the left, on a patch on his right shoulder where he has an old scar from last year, and on the top of his head where he got scratched sticking his head in the barberry bush looking for deathwish bunny. We had a similar problem last summer with a scratch under his chin that he kept opening up. The vet gave him a cortesone (sp?) shot at the site and gave me some ointment to apply. After the visit to the vet, he stopped scratching and the spot healed. Before I take him to see the vet again I thought someone else might have had the same problem and has found a solution that works. Either the over the counter cortesone stuff doesn't work or I'm not using it correctly. Spud and I could use some suggestions.

I use Comfortis for fleas (when they show up). I thought that it was only effective for fleas -- not the other creapy crawlies.

If the past few days are any indication, we are going to have a really bad year for ticks. What is the best strategy for controlling the pests? I don't look forward to picking them off of the dogs every day. Thanks, Joan

For what its worth... I found that atropine was the only thing that worked for getting my old boy to stop licking the granulomas he had created on his legs. Tried all the other suggestions. None of them worked. I would not be too concerned about the dog getting sick from ingesting the stuff. You need only a couple of drops every two to three days until the behavior changes. Good luck.

Pat, I'm so sorry to hear that Tally is gone. Somehow it's the one that make us work hardest that claim the biggest space in our hearts. The last, best, most precious gift that we give the dogs we all love so much is letting them go when the time comes. Knowing does not make it any easier.

The best supplement that I've ever used for arthritis (sp) is Actiflex 5000. It was originally formulated for horses, but a very good dogman recommended it to me a few years ago. If you decide to try it, use the liquid formulation rather than the powder. For some reason the liquid seems to work better. They are now making a version for dogs, but I have not tried it. I still use the original horse formula.

After just about everything else failed, it looks like atropine works... It may be too early to tell for sure, but so far, so good. Thanks, Joan

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm off to Petco to see if they have Bitter Yuck and will probably stop at CVS for Bactine and BenGay If all else fails, we have to see our favorite vet after the New Year and we will upgrade to the other stuff. Thanks again. Cheers and Happy Holidays to everyone. Joan