What could be causing this?

[bullygirl979]

I just got a new foster dog a few weeks ago. When I got her the rescue stated that she had bad allergies and was given a few doses of predisone to help. She had really bad scabbing on her face and neck which was healing over.

Her face is still healing but about a week ago I discovered that her belly was red and was covered in hives. She is also scratching her neck a lot. Her coat was REALLY oily when I got her so I immediately gave her a bath. 4 days later her coat was extremely oily again so I gave her another bath. Now, again 4 days later, it is starting to get overly oily again.

I called my vet and they suggested giving her benadryl. I have done that for almost 3 days but it is not taking care of the hives/redness at all. I am also using oatmeal shampoo when I bathe her.

Any thoughts which could be contributing to her oily coat/hives/redness?

FWIW...she was in a boarding facility prior to coming in. They also recently changed her food to Purina (because of the Diamond recall of her last food). When I got her I slowly switched her to what my dogs eat (Earthborn).

I emailed the rescue to say that I was going to take her to the vet if it doesn't clear up by the end of the week. Just wondering if anyone ever had an issue with this and could offer some knowledge.

[darkling_glory]

It seems like she is allergic to something(s).

Definitely take her to the vet to make sure its not a skin infection or mites or something.

What kind of shampoo are you using? The vet can give you a medicated shampoo that will help. Meanwhile some antihistamines are a good start.

If it food related it will take a few weeks to see if the new food is helping. Good luck with this. Allergies are a bitch.

[secondhandscottie]

Is the variety of Earthborn you started feeding her grain-free? Has that helped at all? If it is and has helped some, you might want to try switching shampoos to something without oatmeal in it. Oats are a grain and it could be aggravating the hives.

But I'd have a vet look her over too, because that sounds like a pretty intense allergic reaction.

[brittmk0922]

My dog has a similar problem, and if left to itself she'll start losing all her hair. She has Atopic Dermatitis which essentially just means she has really over sensitive skin. So if anything 'aggrivates it', which could be mosquito bites, flea bites, allergies, she reacts much worse than most. In my dog's case she was actually allergic to most protein bases (chicken, beef, lamb) and so has to be fed a fish based diet. To this day if she gets into something she shouldn't she'll start itching and getting red skin.
There was a drop and a shampoo the vet prescribed to her to get rid of the results of the Atopic Dermatitis and it has stayed gone just by watching to make sure that she isn't aggrivated. We are very diligent with watching what she's exposed to.

[Seesaw]

When I saw recurring oiliness, I thought basset hound! But the hives on the belly sounds like allergy. What kind of dog is it?

You should go to the vet to make sure of what it is. I'm it's just a food allergy and not something in the environment.

Are you seeing scaley skin flakes coming up in the inflamed area and maybe a funk smell? I think the oiliness makes this happen. Is it only on the soft belly area? What about armpits and throat? None on the back at all (especially by the tail)? My brother's dog got so itchy he munched all his fur off his butt. His itchy spot was on the back by the tail. They thought it was a flea allergy but getting rid of the fleas didn't work. They tried different foods with no effect. My poor sister-in-law was breaking her back washing him every day with oatmeal soap (he's a rottweiler/lab mix, a beast). After it disappeared magically when it got cold, we eventually found out that it was an allergy to grass. Of all things.... So he's basically an inside dog.

Good luck with him. Is he any better today?

[bullygirl979]

I am not feeding her grain free Earthborn, but the regular variety.

She is a pit mix (I think she has some bulldog but not sure). The hives are only on her belly but she scratches her neck so bad that she cuts herself. The oily coat is all over, not just on her belly area.

I ended up calling the vet and making an appointment. Thanks!

[brittmk0922]

Keep us updated on how the appointment goes!

[kellbell191]

I would definitely switch her food to grain free and a novel protein. We give our dog zyrtec for allergies and it works a lot better than Benadryl, we also bathe in a non oatmeal free and clear puppy shampoo and wipe him down with a damp washcloth when he comes in from outside. The old board on the Nest has allergy FAQs that are very helpful.