Thread: Staffordshire Bull Terrier

I'm going to echo Lucy a bit:

1. As diagnoses go - food allergy is way down the list compared to other causes of allergy skin disease (food maybe 10-20% only) - and it can be any of the common protein sources that Australian dogs are exposed to: beef, chicken, poultry etc..... only way to properly diagnose these is a properly set up and under veterinary supervision. You really need to work with a vet who knows what they are doing on this one and be prepared for rigorous diet monitoring (and also to dispel common myths).

2. Skin scrapings are needed for mite diagnosis - deep scrapes of feet - for demodex. Sarcoptes is diagnosed often on basis of distribution of lesions and other markers; eg history of being in contact with foxes or wombats infected with sarcoptic mange mite (not demodex!). Diagnostic-Treatment trials for sarcoptic mange may be part of initial work up. You need to see a vet for this.

3. Fleas - always on the radar - must have proper prevention strategies in place (depends on vet and district - Advantage/Revolution are very effective in my experience). Supermarket brands of flea control are worse than useless.

4. Allergies to anything and everything at this time of year - you need to work with your vet (or vet specialist). Don't just 'grab' a diagnosis off a forum such as this and run with that - work with a vet who knows how to diagnose and treat skin diseases...

5. Allergies to bacterial toxins or direct effective of bacteria... again - see a vet.

No 'one answer' fits all.

Again Lucy said "Bottom line with an itchy dog for any owner, you have a choice. You can proceed with treatment without out a diagnosis, just to make the dog more comfortable. Or you can try getting a diagnosis. But be warned, you won't always find out what is causing the itch, and sometimes, even when you do, you end up just using drugs to keep it comfortable anyway. When you DO find a cause, and CAN fix it, it is pretty rewarding - just doesn't happen often."

My only caveat - don't jump on the 'food allergy;' bandwagon without working with your vet. People make it out as simple (and common) - it's not!

I had 4 blue cattle dogs that had some sort of Mange, itchy, red bellies and scabby backs, I did a number of things to fix the problem, first I got rid of Wandering jew, second I stopped feeding the dogs "Coloured dry dog food" and fed them non-coloured, no presevative dry dog food mixed about 10:1 (1 part dry dog food) into a stew of Vegies, green and red, and rice, cooked up till vegies al dente. Suprisingly they loved it and thrived on it and most of the mange disappered. Fleas were the remaining culprit, so all the dogs were thoroghly washed and treated with that paste that goes on the back of their necks. Main thing though was spraying under the house and anywhere and everywhere the dogs could get with Coop-X (or Coop-ex), available from most hardware stores or Produce stores. Mix a little detergent to help wet the soil when spraying, not harmful to dogs or humans, they use it in wheat silos. This will kill all the fleas it comes into contact with and will kill any eggs that hatch in the next 3 months, spray every 3 months for a year and you will eradicate all the fleas and their eggs.
After the fleas and weeds were gone and diet change my dogs never had another itch/mange problem for the rest of their lives, Regards Frank.

Originally Posted by dullbird

i was under the impression demodex is carried by most dogs and can never cause a problem......it rears its head in dogs that tend to have other medical issues..

we have treated many dogs for demedex with dectomax......and it has proven suscessful in a lot of cases.....and if they were bad then once they get a clean scrap (and it takes weeks sometimes months!) the dog then gets advocate for the rest of its life....the only flea treatment licensed for demodex as well

1. demodex - maybe on a lot of dogs at very low levels.
2. there are two common forms of demodex - juvenile - usually low grade and localised. generalised demodex infections can be nasty and severe with secondary bacterial infections which require antibiotic treatment.
3. Dectomax is a cattle injectable drench that is used 'off label' in dogs and only under veterinary supervision. It can be effective is some cases - but not all. Yes it can take weeks to months.
4. I would not rely on Advocate to effectively treat demodex or even 'control' after treatment. Much more effective drugs are available.

Originally Posted by Tank

I had 4 blue cattle dogs that had some sort of Mange, itchy, red bellies and scabby backs, I did a number of things to fix the problem, first I got rid of Wandering jew, second I stopped feeding the dogs "Coloured dry dog food" and fed them non-coloured, no presevative dry dog food mixed about 10:1 (1 part dry dog food) into a stew of Vegies, green and red, and rice, cooked up till vegies al dente. Suprisingly they loved it and thrived on it and most of the mange disappered. Fleas were the remaining culprit, so all the dogs were thoroghly washed and treated with that paste that goes on the back of their necks. Main thing though was spraying under the house and anywhere and everywhere the dogs could get with Coop-X (or Coop-ex), available from most hardware stores or Produce stores. Mix a little detergent to help wet the soil when spraying, not harmful to dogs or humans, they use it in wheat silos. This will kill all the fleas it comes into contact with and will kill any eggs that hatch in the next 3 months, spray every 3 months for a year and you will eradicate all the fleas and their eggs.
After the fleas and weeds were gone and diet change my dogs never had another itch/mange problem for the rest of their lives, Regards Frank.

So what was the diagnosis and which treatment was it that cured the dogs?

From a distance - sounds like there was a flea problem - all dogs at once, belly/scabs on back. (Maybe wandering jew as well - more common feet and belly). One (or 2) treatment type was all that was needed. (There is no evidence that food colourings cause allergic dermatitis)


(Also be aware that the term 'mange' - or mangey - refers only to one cause of skin allergy - that caused by mange mites only.)

Originally Posted by 29dinosaur

So what was the diagnosis and which treatment was it that cured the dogs?

From a distance - sounds like there was a flea problem - all dogs at once, belly/scabs on back. (Maybe wandering jew as well - more common feet and belly). One (or 2) treatment type was all that was needed. (There is no evidence that food colourings cause allergic dermatitis)


(Also be aware that the term 'mange' - or mangey - refers only to one cause of skin allergy - that caused by mange mites only.)

The local vet took scrapings and other tests and treated with different creams and washes and cotisone injections without any improvements over a period of about 1 year. Was talking to a mate and he told me of the teatment above which was suggested by a Vet at Riverstone NSW, so I went and seen him and tried his method.
The new diet was immediately sucessful, the itching, scratching and rubbing stopped after a week or so of diet change. I had removed the wandering jew about a month or so earlier which stopped the red and itchy feet, but not the belly or back itch. The itching stopped after diet change and then the flea wash and spray eventually got rid of all the fleas and the rubbed bare areas on their backs healed up, they all lived to 15/16 years of age and never had the problem again. So it worked for me and my dogs and also for a few mate's dogs that had similar problems, Regards Frank.

Dont want to give dogy medical advice but a curious anecdote that cured a mange on my dogs. We had the springer and the staffy x pickup an undiagnosed mange from some 'local' dogs up in Mt Isa. Acting on 'off the record' advice from vet nurse tried some ivormectin paste on a bit of bread (thumb nail size) and it cleared them up in a couple of days. Apparently its horse medicine for similar problems.

Originally Posted by Mick-Kelly

Dont want to give dogy medical advice but a curious anecdote that cured a mange on my dogs. We had the springer and the staffy x pickup an undiagnosed mange from some 'local' dogs up in Mt Isa. Acting on 'off the record' advice from vet nurse tried some ivormectin paste on a bit of bread (thumb nail size) and it cleared them up in a couple of days. Apparently its horse medicine for similar problems.

Would have been sarcoptes mange mite (common amongst 'local dogs'). BUT guys - be aware that 'off the record advise by a vet nurse' is just that - off the record and the drugs you are talking about can also easily kill dogs. Don't believe me? I've seen it and more than once. If I give advise as a vet - I do so with having been trained and having nearly 30 years experience (AND with insurance backing - unlike the vet nurse).

Originally Posted by Tank

The itching stopped after diet change and then the flea wash and spray eventually got rid of all the fleas and the rubbed bare areas on their backs healed up, they all lived to 15/16 years of age and never had the problem again. So it worked for me and my dogs and also for a few mate's dogs that had similar problems, Regards Frank.

Glad to hear you got on top of the problem fleas. Getting rid of them from under the house would have solved much of the problem.