My dog's chronic smelly, oily skin returns. What are my options?

I would try a prescription hypoallergenic diet. Your vet will be able to recommend the one they think will work best for her like science diet Z/D or purina HA. This will be your best shot to rule out any food allergies. I recommend to do a minimum of a 12 week food trial with NOTHING else except for the Z/D. Even her heartworm prevention, if you give it, needs to be hypoallergenic. Unfortunately, most of the oral ones have chicken or beef flavoring in them. For treats, you can take the canned version of whatever food you choose and put a small amount into an ice cube tray and freeze them. Then popped them out and put them in a bag in the freezer for treats. I would also consider putting her on both apoquel and cytopoint at the same time to help control itching. I would also talk to your vet about whether or not they think there is any yeast on her. Yeast can be very itching. There is a anti-fungal that can be given long term and be safe. It is called terbinafine. I had a dermatologist to give it once a day for 4 weeks then every Monday and Tuesday long term to keep the yeast under control in my really allergic patients. Your vet will be able to determine the best dose and whether or not she even needs this. Finally, if this doesn't help, I would strongly recommend to find a veterinary dermatologist in your area to see if they can do different types of treatment. Most dermatologists can do skin allergy testing and get her started on allergy injections if needed. I hope this helps!

It sounds like she has a lot of seborrhea which is oil. This could be due to an infection like yeast or bacteria on her skin but it could also be due to allergies. I like dechra's dermabenss shampoo. It really cuts the oil and has a pleasant smell. Be sure to leave the shampoo on for 10 minutes before rinsing. I would bathe her at least twice a week. If there are any crusts, ulcerations, black "elephant" skin then she will likely need to see your vet in order to be completely resolved as there is likely an infection involved as well. I would also start her a Benadryl regimen twice a day. See link below. I hope this helps. https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/cat/benadryl/#!

Poor girl. It looks like Gowrl has either a fungal or bacterial infection on her skin that can be secondary to either a Demodexx mite problem or skin allergies. I would first have her skin tested for mites. If mites are the cause then her therapy will continue to fail until the mites are treated for first. You should also consider getting her skin cultured to see what antibiotic will completely rid the problem, especially if this is deemded to be a bacterial infection after she has a skin impression done. There is no easy fix for a skin condition this severe. You will have to go through the appropriate process of elimination with the help of your local vet to get her properly diagnosed with a specific skin condition and then treated appropriately. As a general rule of thumb, daily oral pet formulated fish oils are good for generalized skin conditions and can help when used in conjunction with other skin treatments. You can get her started on this right away by visiting your local pet store. No specific brand is needed, since they all are pretty equal in efficacy. I wish you all the best moving forward with Gowri's skin condition. And if she has already been diagnosed with a specific skin problem, then please feel free to repost your question with this information so that we can go over specific treatment recommendations for that skin condition. Best of luck and take care!

There are four main causes of persistent skin issues and you must figure out the underlying cause to address the problem. The causes are: flea allergy, food allergy (this needs to be ruled out with a hydrolyzed diet), environmental allergy or hypothyroidism. With out any further information, it’s hard to know how to advise next steps. If your veterinarian is not comfortable with treating chronic skin conditions, find one who is. I recommend to rule out fleas with a product like Simparica. I rule out food allergy with a diet called Ultamino. Hypothyroidism is a blood test. Environmental allergies are unfortunately very common and also more complicated but they can be determined with a blood test as well. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

In most cases these skin infections, called bacterial pyoderma, are allergy-related. The antibiotics will help, but as you've experienced the skin problems will come back if the primary allergic disease isn't controlled. The hydroxyzine Becher took was an antihistamine, and that may have helped control the itchiness, however it sounds to me that he needs something a bit stronger to control the allergies and thus the skin infections. Talk to your vet about using Apoquel or Atopica on him; these are great drugs with minimal side effects that really help allergic dogs.

Poor Aura! I'm sorry to hear that she's having skin issues. Allergies in dogs can often be frustrating to diagnose and treat effectively. For environmental allergies, treatment options include prescription medications like Apoquel, Cytopoint, and prednisone. Allergy testing and immunotherapy can also be considered as a treatment option. For food allergies, a 6-8 week diet trial with a prescription hypoallergenic food such as Purina HA or Royal Canin Ultamino is needed for diagnosis. If the dog responds positively, the prescription diet can be continued long-term as part of the treatment plan. I would recommend discussing these options with your veterinarian to see what he/she recommends as the next step for Aura.

It is possible that she has seasonal allergies or that the heat brings on the infections. It is also possible that she had a food allergy. I would discuss these concerns with your veterinarian. Two options could be trying daily allergy medication. Or trying a food trial, where she only Has food with hydrolyzed proteins for a 6 week period to see if her skin improves. https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-ways-to-improve-your-dog-s-skin-coat