I have a golden retriever and he gets these awful "hot spots" in the summer. I have done EVERYTHING!! Spent about 1500 dollars at the vet after tons of medications.(which I don't believe in, but I was deperate) ..NOTHING!! I even had him shaved. That helped a little, but he still gets them I changed his food. I cook for him now, and THAT helped, but not completely. They say this is common in Goldens, but it is SO frustrating! Any advice?
Answers:
I'm surprised nobody has hit on the correct answer. As you state, this condition ONLY HAPPENS IN THE SUMMER.
That means its a SEASONAL ALLERGY - changing the dogs' diet won't help whatsoever.
Seasonal allergies can be treated with low-dose prednisone and sometimes Benadryl to reduce the itchiness.
Bathing is only a temporary fix as it doesn't get to the root of the problem.
Our Golden is 14 yrs old and every August, he reacts to ragweed. He breaks out in hotspots and scratches until he bleeds.
We decided with our vet, to low-dose him 1 week prior to the onset of symptoms. Every year since he was a youngster, this method has warded off most allergy symptoms.
FOOD ALLERGIES have an effect on the dog THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE YEAR.
Please speak with your vet and do some research on SEASONAL ALLERGIES in dogs.
http://www.petplace.com/dogs/seasonal-al...
Best wishes
It's the food you feed him. It's common in many breeds.
My dog had terrible issues till I started feeding her BARF, which has taken care of all problems.
Raw meat, veggies and fruit + supplements.
Works magic.
I'd say you'll have to try a few things:
1. Keep him clipped all summer until you can figure out how to get rid of the hot spots for good
2. Change his diet to a food that is good for allergies. The vet that I work for really likes Merrick, the wilderness flavor.
3. Keep him clean and dry all the time.
4. Keep him from licking at the hot spots--use a cone or pro-collar if necessary.
As SOON as you notice a hot spot, have the area clipped and cleaned and apply an appropriate medication. Sometimes oral antibiotics are necessary.
It's probably all allergy related, so make sure you always use a flea prevention to rule out flea allergy. You can also consider giving him benadryl once or twice per day. You'd have to call your vet for the appropriate dose.
If you get really desperate, there is a medication available for dogs with severe allergies called Atopica. It is very safe and works great, but it is very very expensive... up to a few hundred dollars per month depending on the size of dog. It is also usually used for dogs with year-round allergies, but again, it's something you can at least discuss with your vet and get a price to find out if it would be worth trying.
You may also consider going to a Veterinary Dermatologist. They have vast experience with allergic skin issues and have probably seen a case like yours before and will know what to do. It will be an expensive visit initially, but in the longrun will save you lots of money.
Change his food to a Lamb and Rice meal. Also, bathe him about once every two weeks with a Tar/Aloe. shampoo.
I have bred Golden's for over 20 years and in each case of this kind of problem is has always been allergies to the food the dog has been eating. Your golden is allergic to something your feeding him. I have changed my Goldens food over from on with Corn, wheat and soy to one with none of these 3 things in the food. I have had no skin issues since.
You need to get to a vet who will do allergy testing on your Godlen to determine what he's allergice too and then omit it from his diet.
Until then give him oatmeal baths and then rinse him off very, very well. Towel dry your boy and if necessary blow him dry with the dryer on a cool setting. Damp wet skin is not good for a dog with issues with hot spots.
Good luck with your Golden boy!
ADD: clipping him will not help with this problem at all. I think in many was it adds to the problem. It allows too much sun to get onto the skin and dry it out terribly.
In my opinion a Golden should never be clipped at all.
Kim, what are you cooking? Many people inadvertantly use the very things that their dog cannot tolerate. I would switch to a really natural dog diet of raw meaty bones. See the link for more information on how to feed your pets based on a prey model. No need for pre-bought patties, cooking, a bone grinder or supplements - just make friends with your local butcher.
Start with chicken (backs, frames, quarters etc) and only introduce a new food after a few weeks. This elimination diet may help you work out what is going on.
Sometimes hot spots have a behavioural factor - is the dog obsessively licking which may increase the irritation? See how the diet goes and then maybe look into getting help from a dog behaviour expert.
Good luck to you both
My dog has seasonal allergies (pollen and fresh cut grass seem to set him off the worst) and he used to get SOOOOO itchy. Our vet started him on an Omega 3 fatty acid supplement. This has boosted his allergy tolerance. We also bath him in a natural Oatmeal %26 Aloe Shampoo, then with an Oatmeal %26 Aloe condition. We do not rinse out the conditioner. If he gets a particularily bad spot, well spray a little bitter apple spray on the spot - this does the trick - he hates the taste way more than he is itchy.
Good Luck!!
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