Expert: Delores Beck - 8/25/2008

Question
Delores,
I have a 4 year old cocker spaniel that has been really itchy the last 6-8 months> I took her to an animal dermatologist and he put her Sebolux shampoo. She also licked her feet constantly so he told me to have her groomed with "poodle feet" which has really helped the licking problem. I washed her Friday evening and by Saturday morning she was scratching every 5-10 minutes mostly its right in front of her hind legs. I've been brushing her and giving her benadryl to try and ease her constant scratching. I changed her food to Organix both kibble and wet....no change....she had been on Nutro Max. After reading the previous questions I'm wondering if she might have a thyroid problem. I don't have a clue what to do but I do know oatmeal shampoo does nothing for her. Any advice you can give will be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Mark Lucas

Answer
Sebolux is an excellent choice IF her skin is dry/flaky.  The poodle feet is also good but I'd advise giving her a paw dip in plain old 1/2 water - 1/2 white vinegar. Fill a small container, have someone hold her with paws "dangling" and dip each paw.

I'd most definitely get her thyroid checked and I'm kind of amazed that a Dermatologist didn't do that first thing.  At her age this should have definitely been done first.

As for the antihistimines...if one doesn't work, you proceed to the next one.

I'm also more than surprised the Derm. didn't do a Vitamin A trial since cocker skin issues often respond to that and, in fact, it's called "Vitamin A Responsive Dermatosis in the Cocker Spaniel".
Yes, we have a breed with it's own peculiar syndrome :)

As to food..Organix is good but extremely low in calories and I'd suggest trying to eliminate kibble.  The reason is all kibble (even the good stuff) is extremely high in carbs compared to canned food - more processed too and the heavy carb load is not good for cockers.

I'd like to know more about her skin.  General itchiness?  Redness?
Any crusty spots?  Dry & flaky or oily with an odor?

What you can try instantly is an oatmeal soak.  Aveeno makes one..comes in a box with packets.  Generic is fine (Target has one) but read the label "100% colloidal oatmeal".  Fill the tub, mix in one packet - soak her for 10 minutes (feels like an hour..take a timer) - do not rinse off.  This often gives enormous relief.

Now here's what you need to know about thyroid testing.  It's nothing for your pup - simple blood draw.  BUT it must be sent to the proper lab and Michigan State or Antech are the gold standards.  The corner lab doesn't have the equipment to do this by "equilibrium dialyses" and that's the only way to get an accurate test.  Some vets think if test results are "within range" all is well.  Not true.  Your dog's range should be in the upper 50%.

so if you can describe her skin in general I think maybe we can try a few different topical approaches to comfort her.  Be as detailed as you can.
Delores