My 1 year old male Westie was groomed by Petsmart about a month ago. They groomed him so badly that he has major razor burn, still. I was bathing him today and saw many fleas on him and when I was rinsing and drying him off his skin turned beet red and began bleeding a bit in some places. His fur is in a bad condition and his hair is very thin (and rust colored around his behind). I feed him the best premium food on the market, so it has absolutely nothing to do with that. I used Lipiderm liquid Omega 3,6, and 9 in my previous dog's food who had skin problems. Is there anything I can do and what could this be? Vet visits are expensive and my vet really doesn't like to deal with skin issues, as they are a wellness clinic. What can I do at home?
Westies are very, very prone to allergies. Even good dog food can cause allergies in any dog- some dogs are simply allergic to things like chicken or beef!
I would start by trying a different food, particularly a low-allergy food. Something grain-free is ideal, something with only fish protein is a good idea (fish proteins have a lower instance of allergies than chicken or beef), and a raw formula would be the absolute best idea. A lot of people think there is a "best" type of food and that if they feed that food, there are no more risk of food related health problems. Unfortunately that's not the case. Just like humans, any dog can be allergic to ANY ingredient in a food, no matter how good.
Next issue, fleas can do 2 things to dogs. First, they can cause allergic reactions in some dogs. Second, they cause red, irritated skin which can lead to cracking, bleeding, and loss of hair. You need to get your dog on a flea preventative and make sure he doesn't get any more fleas.
For the time being, get a soothing oatmeal or tea tree oil shampoo, bathe the dog in lukewarm almost cool water, and let the shampoo soak for a good 10 minutes. Repeat several times a week until you see improvement. Try not to blow-dry him, just pat him dry and let him air dry.
I don't think your vet could offer much advice anyway. But please consider trying a new food. Something like California Natural Herring & Sweet Potato is a great low-allergy food to start with. It can take a couple months for a new food to start showing improvement in the skin and coat, so don't switch foods around quickly if you don't see results in a few days. Give it some time. If a few months go by with zero improvement, try something else.
You can also give him low doses of liquid Benedryl to curb the allergic reactions. It's a 2.5ml dose for my 9lb Papillon. Depending on how big your Westie is, it'd probably be 4-5mls per day for him.
Severe untreated skin allergy in a Westie:
http://www.langfordvets.co.uk/images/westie_allergy.jpg
Tags: WestieTags: Westie
It really depends on a number of things. If you notice this a month after the grooming appointment chances are your dog has a skin infecton from something. It could just be its iching more from fleas and fleas will need to be treated. it could be dry skin from over bathing. Even though you say you feed him the top of the line food it can still have a skin infection due to an allergy to something in the food. You really need to see another vet if it doesn't clear up to really determine what is causing this.
References :
Westies are very, very prone to allergies. Even good dog food can cause allergies in any dog- some dogs are simply allergic to things like chicken or beef!
I would start by trying a different food, particularly a low-allergy food. Something grain-free is ideal, something with only fish protein is a good idea (fish proteins have a lower instance of allergies than chicken or beef), and a raw formula would be the absolute best idea. A lot of people think there is a "best" type of food and that if they feed that food, there are no more risk of food related health problems. Unfortunately that's not the case. Just like humans, any dog can be allergic to ANY ingredient in a food, no matter how good.
Next issue, fleas can do 2 things to dogs. First, they can cause allergic reactions in some dogs. Second, they cause red, irritated skin which can lead to cracking, bleeding, and loss of hair. You need to get your dog on a flea preventative and make sure he doesn't get any more fleas.
For the time being, get a soothing oatmeal or tea tree oil shampoo, bathe the dog in lukewarm almost cool water, and let the shampoo soak for a good 10 minutes. Repeat several times a week until you see improvement. Try not to blow-dry him, just pat him dry and let him air dry.
I don't think your vet could offer much advice anyway. But please consider trying a new food. Something like California Natural Herring & Sweet Potato is a great low-allergy food to start with. It can take a couple months for a new food to start showing improvement in the skin and coat, so don't switch foods around quickly if you don't see results in a few days. Give it some time. If a few months go by with zero improvement, try something else.
You can also give him low doses of liquid Benedryl to curb the allergic reactions. It's a 2.5ml dose for my 9lb Papillon. Depending on how big your Westie is, it'd probably be 4-5mls per day for him.
Severe untreated skin allergy in a Westie:
http://www.langfordvets.co.uk/images/westie_allergy.jpg
References :
Westies are the number 1 breed for skin allergies & having fleas in addition, it is no wonder your dog has raw bleeding skin. Your best option on helping your dog is get rid of the fleas & take dog to dermatologist vet instead of average vet. It is more expensive but you will save time & money & pain for your dog by getting the proper treatment by an expert in dealing with skin issues.
References :
westie owner & 30yr grooming