Skin, Hair and Smell

[nick teifke]

If any spots are completely bald and scaly, take the dog to the vet and see if they would suggest a skin scrape. This could be caused be any number of things. Im not a vet so I'll try and keep my medical advice to a minimum. For dandruff it could just be weather changes, depending on where you live. Try an oatmeal shampoo and make sure to rinse the dog very well. Hope this help a bit!
be a hero, make a new friend - rescue a dog!

[bwithrow]

I would like to start by saying, Thank you to everyone on this website! You have answered my questions very well, and it is a nice resource for us dog owners that are new at this.

My question: My 2 and a half year old Rottweiler just came into our home 3 months ago. He was a farm dog and he stunk really bad when we first got him. We figured we could clean him up and sooner or later the stink would go away. On the contrary, the stink seems to be getting worse. When I pet him my hands stink and also his saliva is very bad. Also, he seems to shed more than he used to. Under his front legs (arm-pits) there is virtually no hair at all. He also has terrible dandruff. And white patches on his body (the white patches may just be scars, because they feel callus). Last but not least he seems to be loosing hair around his eyes. I know I listed alot of symptoms but I wanted to list them all in case they were all related. Please contact me if you can help in any way. THANK YOU!!!!!!1

[Dede]

Our male Naga too had a greasy feel to his skin and shed excessively. After noting he also drank lots of water and became very lethargic and after a stay at the vets it was determined that his thyroid had stopped working a problem that I have since found is not uncommon in Rotties.He also lost hair around his eyes but that was due to his eyes being irritated by the eyelashes turning in that we had operated on and it was fine. Hope this helps.

[bwithrow]

Dede, What was done about the dogs thyroid? What kind of tests should the vet do in order to catch this problem?

Thanks!

[nick teifke]

I believe what dede is talking about is called canine hypothyriodism. signs of hypothyrodism include: reduced activity, hair loss, recurrent infections, infertility, intolerance to cold, and weight gain. i believe it is caused by an antibiotic called trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (T/S) which consistently blocks production of thyroid hormones in dogs causing hypothyroidism.

a blood test can be taken to measure the concentration of thyroid hormones. dogs with low levels are treated with life long supplementation of thyroid hormones.

i hope this helps somewhat, if this is even the problem. good luck and keep us updated on your rotten one.

until there are none - rescue one!!!