Help,

I was posting a few years ago about my GSD that was very itchy. We took him to a Derm Vet and then to a Holistic Vet and we were able to get his allergies under control. But we have been left with a guy that still wants to constantly rub his nose on something especially the one side of the nose. We have tried all kinds of lotions and potions thinking that it was still his allergies. But now I don't think so as he is not itchy anywhere else and his skin and hair/fur are beautiful. He is so healthy otherwise. The first time we treated him for this the holistic vet was able to get it under control. After about a year the problem came back. My regular vet did a Biopsy just to see if something else was going on. Nothing showed up. But now that has actually made the situation worst as we have a small hole that needs to be healed and its really driving him crazy. It seems we almost get it healed and he will rub against something rough and break it open. He's wearing a hood a lot but it drives him crazy. So now I'm wondering how do we get this open sore healed and then could all this rubbing be OCD behavior that he picked up when he first had the allergy problem. I always try to divert his attention when he start the rubbing but I"m not always around. Is it possible to break this behavior and or could it be possibly some other problem that no one has thought of?

What treatment(s) are you using to keep the allergy under control? Do you have a sense of what the dog is allergic to?

Is the face-rubbing seasonal? (Does he only do it part of the year, and other times he's okay?)

What did the vet tell you they were doing a biopsy to determine?

I've got an allergy dog too, and can sympathize. Living with a dog that's constantly miserable is stressful. Others here do too. Hopefully we can offer some ideas.

Edit: I don't think this is a behavioral problem (OCD). I think the dog itches, likely from an inhaled allergen. Allergies aren't something that can be "fixed." It requires life-long management of symptoms, and minimizing exposure to the known allergen.

How about his bowl?

Sometimes a plastic bowl, or a ceramic bowl from Mexico or China, or a grungy steel bowl can contribute to itchy muzzle.

Every once in a while, after a good meal, one of ours will decide to rub a snout on the couch or the floor or my jeans. They just seem to be cleaning up though.

If one was rubbing his muzzle on the floor, outside of meal time, I'd probably think there was some kind of tooth issue.

 Quote: Tracy Collins

What treatment(s) are you using to keep the allergy under control? Do you have a sense of what the dog is allergic to?

Is the face-rubbing seasonal? (Does he only do it part of the year, and other times he's okay?)

What did the vet tell you they were doing a biopsy to determine?

I've got an allergy dog too, and can sympathize. Living with a dog that's constantly miserable is stressful. Others here do too. Hopefully we can offer some ideas.

Edit: I don't think this is a behavioral problem (OCD). I think the dog itches, likely from an inhaled allergen. Allergies aren't something that can be "fixed." It requires life-long management of symptoms, and minimizing exposure to the known allergen.

and Betty's question:

"How about his bowl? ... Sometimes a plastic bowl, or a ceramic bowl from Mexico or China, or a grungy steel bowl can contribute to itchy muzzle."

I fully agree that this is classic allergy-or-parasite response and not behavioral.

I'd like to know what Tracy asked:

"What treatment(s) are you using to keep the allergy under control? Do you have a sense of what the dog is allergic to?

Is the face-rubbing seasonal? (Does he only do it part of the year, and other times he's okay?)

What did the vet tell you they were doing a biopsy to determine? "

and also about the dog's bowl.


How long has it been since the dog saw the derm vet, and what was that diagnosis?




PS

"We have tried all kinds of lotions and potions thinking that it was still his allergies. .... But now I don't think so as he is not itchy anywhere else"

No no .... it is absolutely believable that the face/muzzle is the primary itch site.

Bump!

Connie,

What is a Bump. Sorry I just do not know.

"Bump" is simply a quick reply (without any additional content) to "bump" a thread back up to the top of the list. It's so a conversation doesn't get forgotten about--even if nobody has commented in the last 24 hours.

Like this!

I got it. Thought I was getting bumped off the site. That would be depressing. Thanks






Mod note:
See http://leerburg.com/webboard/newpost.php?topic_id=34256&post_id=392132 for another response (that I labeled "bump")