Basset Hounds Forum banner

11 Month Libby With PROBLEMS! (Long)

3558 Views 7 Replies 5 Participants Last post by  Rusty Stickers Mom
Hi All, I am an avid reader, and this is my first post. I adopted a beautiful basset named Libby when she was 12 weeks old from a local breeder. She is an amazing dog, with a very loving and go happy personality. She loves people and dogs, and will play at the dog park for hours on end. I've never seen a basset run this much! Anyways, a little history on the pup. When I first got her, we had to have here belly-button surgically removed because it was infected. Then, we discovered she had chronic urinary tract infections, and it took darn near 6 months of constant antibiotics to clear it up. Oh and in between this, we had to have her adult front K-9 tooth removed because it was hitting the roof of her mouth. :(

Ok so now for the current problems. Three weeks ago, I noticed her hair was becoming very thin and rough (it used to be thick and very soft). I thought at first it was just seasonal shedding, but it has come to the point that I can see her natural black skin spots through the fur on both her sides, belly, and rear. Her skin is pink on her chest. I took her to the vet, he said she has an allergy to something, probably airborne, which caused psoriasis. He gave her an allergy shot and said she will get better when the seasons change. Well that surely didn't happen. I've tried changing her diet from Flint River Fish and Potato, to California Natural Lamb and Rice, to Natures Balance Sweet Potato and Fish (Limited Ingredients Diet). I've also shampoo'ed the carpet, used hypoallergenic shampoo and washed her bedding in hypo laundry detergent. Now here's the kicker, she rarely itches. Most dogs with airborne allergies and food allergies will itch to death.

It also seems she doesn't even like food anymore. A few months ago, she wouldn't touch her food, and when she ate, she would throw it all up. This went on for a few days, until I mixed some wet food with the dry. That worked for a few months, now she only eats when she has starved herself for a half day. She doesn't even seem to care for dog biscuits/treats anymore. Bassets are supposed to LOVE food!

SOO does anybody have any suggestions on where to start? I was looking at Hypothyroidism, however this is rare in young dogs. How do I get her to eat regularly?

Sincerely,

Baffled and Confused.











See less See more
6
1 - 8 of 8 Posts
Most general practice vets are ill equipt to deal with doggie dermatology. Save your self a lot of aggravation and consult with a vet that specialized in dermatology

see. Find a Dermatologist by The American College of Veterinary Dermatology
Did your Vet do a full blood panel to check her thyroid?/ My Maggie Mae (ATB) was diagnosed at 1 year old. It was easily controlled by medication for the next 14 years.

I would look into have some specific tests done.
Thanks everybody, I am going to take her to a new vet hopefully today. Last night she had an accident (2nd time in 2 nights) and I noticed she had blood in her stool. Here we go again!
Libby has such beautiful eyes!

Mike- thanks for posting the Find A Dermatologist link- with Murray's escalating skin problems, I may be using it soon!
Glad to hear she's going back to the vet. More diagnostic work (labs, xrays, etc.) may be helpful. Best wishes and please let us know how she's coming along.
So I took her to the vet last week, and it turns out she has inflamed bowels. Due to the fact that she has both bowel distress and a skin irritation, the vet decided that she is allergic to something she is ingesting (food). She's on a hydrolyzed protein diet from Royal Canine. A week later, she is finally eating and drinking regularly, and I do notice a slight improvement in her shedding and skin. Hopefully this isn't a placebo effect and she is actually getting better! Only time will tell.
I am glad you seem to have found an answer. I will drool for your sweet girl and wish for a healthy future for her!
1 - 8 of 8 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top