Re: skin disorder

In Reply to: skin disorder
Category:   Medical
Posted by:  Kim North
Posted on:  March 26, 2003 at 21:44:25

: My Jack Russel has had bad skin problems. She scratches herself very frequently and this makes her loose her hair, is there any suggestions you might have. I have tried benedryl capsules, hot spot (over the counter), cortizone cream, and frequent (twice a week) flea baths. she has very little fleas. Help on this one please, is this a common trait?

Response:

Hi Kim,

Stop giving her flea baths! Those shampoos are very harsh, full of chemicals and not doing your girl's skin any good.

I would consult with your vet to see what type of allergy she has. She could have a flea allergy and all it takes is one bite to set an allergic dog into non-stop scratching.

Better to use a flea product like Frontline than keep shampooing her. You are stripping the natural oils out of her coat and skin which causes dry, itchy skin.

You really need to talk with your vet about this problem and have him run some allergy tests on her. You'll never know how to treat her condition if you don't know what's causing it.