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Beagles/My Beagles constant licking/itching

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Expert: - 3/8/2010


Question

Rude-Girl "Rudee"
Hi There! I have a 2 yr old beagle named Rudee and she is the APPLE OF MY EYE!!! We have had her since she was only 4 wks old and really have had NO PROBLEMS until after we got her spayed. It seems like twice a year she goes CRAZY on her "hot spot" which is on the rear area at the start of her tail... and on her left side of her behind... it seems to get worse each time it happens... Please help me find a way to make Rudee Happy!!! In the morning before I get ready for work she will literally lay across my lap and I rub/scratch the area for a couple minutes but I know she would love for me to go longer!! Any suggestions??

Answer
What a cutie she is! Great pose and she is looking right at you like huh, who me?  :)

Ok so here's the scoop,this happens tp be one of my specialties so you lucked out.... first off beagles are very allergy prone. This is unfortunately one of the reasons why companies like Proctor and Gamble use them for their animal testing, because they are allergy prone and because they are pretty docile. But that is a story for another time, I refuse to buy any of their products though by the way....

There are several things you can do for Rudee.

 Please go to Omahavaccine.com (which is the best price I have ever found) and purchase DermCaps, appropriate to her size etc. This is an omega3/fish oil combo and is the best on the market. It will help keep her skin and coat healthy and she should be on it for life. It takes about 3-4 months to really see a major difference but you will! It will help systemically and for the long run.
 The other thing is go buy some over the counter benadryl. She can have one 25 mg pill twice a day if needed to help with the itching and once it is better cut to once a day and just keep her on that too.  Interestingly from her picture i can a bit of her belly which looks like the classic allergic belly ....> pink. Are her ears pink inside as well? These are classic allergy signs, not to mention the hot spot. The concern with the hot spot is if it has lost hair and/or there are any sores or blisters. If so this means a secondary infection has set in and it will not heal without antibiotics so she needs a trip to the vet.

 Next thing is to look at her food, if she si an allergy pup then she needs to be on a grain free and novel protein food. She should be given NO human food (shouldnt anyway but esepcially in an allergic dog) I recommend the Dick Van Patten Limited Ingredient Diets, they have absolutely no grains and use either salmon or venison,you could also get Hills prescription diet from thevet but it is like $90 a bag! :0  Always remember when you are switching foods to do so gradually to avoid stomach upset, never all at once. You start with replacing 10% of her normal food with the new and every day increase the amounts.... in a week or so you would be at 100% on the new food. You will see a difference in her itching and sores in about a month I bet along with the other things above. Also, only use the treats that go along with the food so you arent still giving her allergy prone items.

If all else fails the vet can give her cortisone shots a couple times a year, I have one who needs it two times a year without fail. With the hot spot it may need to happen anyway along with the antibiotics. Try not to let scratch it and don't do it for her. It just calls her attention to it.

If you do all the above she should be ship shape soon and feeling much better!

Good luck and feel free to check back anytime
    Questioner's Rating
    Rating(1-10)Knowledgeability = 10Clarity of Response = 10Politeness = 10
    CommentThanks so much for your help! I actually make her own food.. Turkey meat whole grain brown rice and peas and carrots. She is a very spoiled puppy!!!


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Have4Paws

Expertise

I am happy to answer BEAGLE BREED SPECIFIC behavioral questions. Please DO NOT ask CRATE TRAINING OR MEDICAL questions! I am not a vet nor an expert in the use of crates.

Experience

I currently have one beagle, a male age 5, an 12 month old Pit Bull, and a 8 year old min. poodle. I have had to let go of three of my dogs, 2 beagles and 1 whippet/rat terrier mix in the past 5 years, most recently my whippet mix. The two beagles lived to 15 and the whippet mix to 13.5, it has been hard to say goodbye to them. I have done rescue work on and off for years as well as fund-raising for the local animal shelter. I worked for a dog magazine in the past (Southern California Dog Magazine). Being a psychotherapist has encouraged me to do in depth studying of animal behavior as well. I have worked with many people to help curb undesirable behaviors in their dogs (or them!) or to form good behaviors. My life is devoted to and surrounded by my dogs........The picture you see here is Zeppelin but we also call him the "miracle dog". He was hit by a car April 2010 while out with the dog walker and had very serious injuries... 4 surgeries and $17,000 later my boy is whole again and back to loving life. He is so special to me and he weathered a lot of pain and trauma yet is still the sweet boy he always was! I also work to stop Breed Specific Legislation and help to get pit bulls adopted.

Organizations
HSUS, PETA, SPCA DONT SHOP...ADOPT!!

Publications
Dog Fancy

Education/Credentials
I am a Marriage and Family Therapist licensed in the state of CA and am also credentialed as a Certified Addiction Treatment Specialist

Awards and Honors
Honored by the Agoura Animal Shelter for my volunteer work.

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