Dog with Red Skin Eruption and Stomach Problems

Hi Gina,

For your 7 year old female Miniature Schnauzer with stomach and skin problems, the pictures you sent only show her hindquarters. Her skin is red with hairloss over her flanks and sides. You mentioned that she also has eruptions on her head and that her eyes get real red.

Is she itching or scratching? (this is important, because certain homeopathic remedies are indicated if there is itching/scratching but NO eruptions. And other remedies are indicated for eruptions that start first and cause the itching.)

What kind of stomach problems, vomiting, nausea, decreased appetite, and/or diarrhea?

Did these problems start after a vaccination?

Since she has been on antibiotics, I advise that you add acidophilus to her diet, 1/3-1/2 the human dose.

Her bloodwork was normal, but there was “something about her white blood cells but not to worry about it”.

A LOW white blood cell count indicates a decreased immune system.

Too HIGH a white blood cell count will indicate many things, depending on WHICH white blood cell is increased:

(there are 5 different kinds of white blood cells)

1. Neutrophils=inflammation, stress, or bacterial infection.
2. Lymphocytes=immune system involvement with lymph nodes producing too many lymphocytes, or viral infection.
3. Eosinophil= parasite/heartworm or intestinal or allergic problems
4. Monocytes= Chronic illness
5. Basophil= also chronic illness and immune system disease.

Since she has been on cortisone, she should have some type of immune system support:

Missing Link Canine Formula

OrthoMolecular Specialties, Mega C Powder

The homecooked meals sounds good. You should continue to feed that for at least 3-6 weeks. It would be fine during this time to substitute some raw beef or veal, or raw chicken or turkey or lamb, and to decrease the cooked salmon. NEVER FEED HER RAW FISH OR RAW PORK

For variety, she could have in place of the canned pumpkin, some cooked yam, or potato. And you could also add in some cooked green beans and carrots.

If she weighs about 15-18 lbs she should be fed at least 300-350 calories per day. Or 150-175 cal TWO times daily.

The Missing Link supplement and Mega C are balanced vitamin/mineral supplements to make sure she is getting a balanced diet. Adding in additional Omega 3 fish oils is excellent for inflamed skin.

I am not able to advise on a homeopathic remedy as I do not have enough information.

Another resource for vets knowledgeable in homeopathy is AVH.org.

Please keep us posted by coming back to this page and clicking the ‘click here to add your own comments’ link below.

Take care,
Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

DISCLAIMER: The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

Hello Dr. Carol Jean Tillman!

Yes she itches but not all day, I tell her to stop and she does, I try to keep her busy so she forgets, when she is in the car she doesn’t itch and goes most of the night without itching but in the early morning she does itch.

Well in the beginning when she was 3 months old she suffered from constant vomiting vet controlled it but thought she might have swallowed something. She was eating Pro plan back then.

After that I took her to get her booster shots and thats when the skin problems started and she used to lick her paws a lot, the vet suggested cortisone injections twice in 3 week span and a pill similar to Ritalin which I only gave her half, also Benadryl 25 mg 1-2 weeks, eliminated heart guard and substituted for Interceptor, changed food to Sensitive Stomach for a while and then to sensitive skin. After that she got a little better. But since she never recovered completely I continue to seek help. Another vet changed her shampoo to Ketochlor and Resihist and the skin started to get under control. At this point she was on z/d. She had a diarrhea with blood episode and they changed her diet to I/d for 2 years.

She would no longer eat it so I start to give her Infinia Turkey and Sweet Potatoes and Salmon & Sweet Potatoes, she started to swell up on the turkey, her eye and head got red with pumps and the back which shows on the picture super red and she started to itch real bad I gave her Benadryl and I/d for 2 days and the vet injected her with Cortisone and told me to bathe her with Ketochlor and Resicort and to keep her on Benadryl when she started to itch.

That was for Easter. I haven’t used Resicort yet.
She went to the bathroom fine except that on the dry food she would defecate at all hours and I only gave her 8oz. Now with the cooked homemade diet she goes less and firm. Drink less water.

I bathed her with ketochlor last week and yesterday with Azmira organic shampoo. The store owner who sold me the Azmira organic shampoo sold me Acidophilus and flax seed oil which I am not sure if I should give her cause it says that it could cause diarrhea.

The vet sold me something called Alerg C that I’m suppose to add to the food supposedly it has omega 3 but since she is eating salmon I was told that it wasn’t necessary.

The blood work results were normal except for WBC were low 5.26K/uL Range 5.50-16.90 and PLT was high 501K/uL Range 1750-500. These were done March 30.

I hope it’s not demodex. I haven’t vaccinated her in the last 3 years.

Thanks so much, Gina

April 22, 2013

Hi Gina,

It is difficult to prescribe a homeopathic remedy without actually seeing her. From the information you have provided, I am suspicious she has mostly inhaled allergies, and some food allergy, with food allergy affecting both her skin and her GI tract. Demodectic mange is not itchy.

Vaccinations have exacerbated her condition, and the cortisone, antihistamines and other drugs are suppressing her symptoms, and her immune system even more. You mentioned that her blood count 3/30/13 was normal except for slightly decreased White Blood cells, and increased platelets. Hopefully her liver and pancreas were ok.

At this time, I suggest you concentrate on adding the acidophilus to her diet. This will restore the normal flora to her gut to help digestion. Continue the homecooked diet, and see if she can tolerate a small amount of raw chicken or raw turkey added to her cooked food. I would be VERY cautious with fats and oils. Flaxseed oil is not well utilized by carnivores, since it is from a plant, therefore it is best to obtain Omega 3 fatty acids from fish. But if she is prone to diarrhea I would be VERY careful adding any oil to her diet.

Standard Process ‘Canine Whole Body Support’ would be a good supplement for her. Plus one of the following for her immune system:

1. Missing Link Canine Formula
2. Immuplex from Standard Process
3. OrthoMolecular Specialties, Mega C Powder

Continue the Azmira shampoo one to two times per week. And consider making her wear a white cotton T-shirt to prevent self trauma from itching. And NO Vaccinations!

She should be treated with homeopathy, perhaps a remedy to address the vaccinosis issue?

Another resource for vets knowledgeable in homeopathy is AVH.org.

Please keep us posted by coming back to this page and clicking the ‘click here to add your own comments’ link below.

Take care,
Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

DISCLAIMER: The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.