Help New Basset Owner Please!

Murrays skin problems are in the same places.He's five. With him, it's just a chronic condition that I monitor and treat daily.

He was at the vet last week to have his anal glands expressed, and I mentioned that the skin problems seemed a little worse over the past month. He said it's probably seasonal allergies due to mold and dust, and to just continue what I've always done.

This is what works for us:

I look at his skin every morning:

If the skin is raw, I use Genticin spray (cortisone and antibiotic) twice daily- that normally heals the sore within a day or two.

If I am just seeing dark yeast spots,and nothing is raw, I wipe the area with Malaseb Flush, which I also get from the vet.

If nothing is going on, I dust lightly with Gold Bond medicated baby powder, which seems to dry the area, or I leave it alone.

I don't give him any antihistimines- I gave him Benydryl on the vets instructions 3 years ago and he had a horrible reaction- super hyper, panting, running around, so no more Benydryl for Murray.

Anyway, that's what we do. Hope something I said helps.

Has it been established that the underlying problem is allergies, and not some other disorder that may present with skin problems, like hypothyroidism?

If allergies are the problem, remember that a minority of allergies are actually food-related; most are environmental (grasses, pollens, dust, etc.). If one is going to spend an arm and a leg on dog food, first establishing that allergies are food-related would make sense.

From Canine Allergies and Symptoms,

How is food allergy diagnosed?

The only effective way for your veterinarian to diagnose a food allergy is to put your pet on a "hypoallergenic"� or "exclusion"� diet for a minimum of 8-12 weeks. Such a diet contains ingredients to which the animal has not been exposed in the past. Because the source of protein causes most allergic reactions, exclusion diets use proteins (often venison, fish or duck) that are normally not found in regular pet food. An exclusion diet may comprise home-prepared food or prescription commercial hypoallergenic products.

If your pet has a food allergy, there should be a significant reduction in the symptoms after the recommended period on the exclusion diet. To identify all the food allergens, your veterinarian will recommend adding a single protein back into the diet every 1-2 weeks, while watching for a recurrence, or worsening, of symptoms. If this happens, the veterinarian will recommend removing the offending ingredient from the diet.[/b]

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For additional information on food allergies, see also:
Allergic and Non-allergic Food Reactions
Food Allergies

If his allergies are not food-related, it's not necessary to spend and arm and a leg; decent, healthy food is available at moderate cost, and limited funds might actually be better spent on other modalities that would keep him more comfortable, like the great suggestions in murraysmom's post ...

Additional information on atopy (environmental allergies):
Atopy (Environmental Allergies Affecting the Skin)
Atopy: Inhalant Allergies--discusses various treatments, including desensitization ("allergy shots") and various topical treatments.

Finally, discussion of hot spots:
Secondary Skin Conditions Resulting from Allergies: Pyotraumatic Dermatitis (aka "Hot Spots")

I know how hard it is to watch a dog suffer with allergies. One of my bassets had horrible allergies her whole life. We tried everything and then finally put her on year-round steroids which made a huge improvement in her quality of life. She stopped the around the clock scratching, no more hot spots or ear infections, and she lived to an advanced age.

Good luck; hoping you and Lemmie find relief.