please tell me what's wrong with my dog!!

I got a 5 1/2 month old blue tick female hound she has her shots and she has this skin condition that makes her itch like crazy, her under belly is reddish pink and hair is starting to fall out on her shoulders and there is a light amount of puss on the infected areas.

The vet keeps saying they don't know what is going on. please help her it's so sad



Hi
I'm so sorry to hear how uncomfortable your pup is, it must be very difficult for you both.

I'm not a veterinarian so I'm afraid I can't make a diagnosis online, or otherwise, and my first suggestion is that if your vet can't get to the bottom of this then go to another vet for a second opinion. Even ask to be referred to a vet that specializes in canine skin problems.

I say this because there are many possible causes for the symptoms you're describing, and only some investigation and testing by your vet can figure out which one is the culprit. Sometimes it's even a combination of more than one problem.

It could be due to allergies, yeast infections, bacterial infections, or parasitic conditions such as mange. A thorough veterinary exam, complete with skin scrapings and other tests should result in a diagnosis, and once you have that you can get your poor, itchy pup the right treatment. Please don't accept 'we don't know what is going on here' as an answer. It's simply not good enough.

Meantime, there are a couple of things that you can do that usually help relieve at least some of the discomfort relating to many skin conditions.

One is to bathe your dog with an antiseptic, anti-fungal and anti-microbial shampoo. You just don't want to do this too often as too many baths upset the skin too. I'd recommend trying a product such as Vet Solutions Universal Medicated Shampoo as it fights bacteria and fungus, and helps remove crusting/scaling etc. It's pretty gentle though and shouldn't cause any reactions or side effects.

For the very itchy areas, a hydro cortisone spray can help as it reduces the inflammation. Corti-Care Hydrocortisone With Aloe Vera is a good one, and is soothing.

These things should help your pup feel more comfortable, but they won't eliminate the problem. For that you need to have your vet, or another vet or specialist reach a diagnosis.

I wish you the best of luck and really hope that you can get the answers you need soon.