I think the odor comes from his feet. I'll have to try and find out for sure though. Since bathing, and since the advantage have been applied, he has a weird smell. I don't know how to explain it. It's kind of bitter. Well today it has started to wear off, but I think it was the advantage. Although sometimes I thought it was coming from his breath so perhaps the vanectyl? I'm not sure but I noticed it a lot less today. Is an odd smell like that normal from the advantage or from the vanectyl? He also had some ear medication in his ears, but i smelled them and that's not where it was coming from. His ears are still looking good.

He also seems to have gotten his energy back, although the lack of energy could have been from the Benadryl, which he isn't getting anymore.

The itchiness is pretty much gone completely. He does the odd scratch here and there, but it seems like just normal dog scratching. He'll just scratch for a second and then he's done. It doesn't go on and on like it did a few days ago. His scabs on his head are starting to heal up too.

I'm finding out that I definitely didn't give a proper flea bath! I will next time though.

I still haven't seen a flea. But I'll keep on as if I have just in case. I've heard several people here say that we don't have fleas in Alberta. Upon googling I found that they do exist but they are very rare since we have such a harsh/cold climate (our winters - i.e. below freezing - last from about late October until early April, and we commonly get a snow fall in May!). Newman has been regularly attending a puppy class though so it's possible he could have got them from there. I already notified them of the situation so they can keep an eye out. And obviously Newman isn't going to be attending for a while. It's strange, I've never known a dog to get fleas here.

The vet only gave me one dose of Advantage Multi. Is that all he would need?

and btw THANK YOU GUYS SOOOO MUCH!!!! I'm so glad that I found this forum. You have given me more answers (Connie!!) than the vet and I've already paid her a couple hundred bucks. She was already starting to talk about switching him to a hypo-allergenic food. I made sure to re-book with our regular vet who is pro-raw.

Since you've seen such a strong reaction to what is suspected to be fleas, I would give a monthly dose of a topical flea preventive. Better yet, get him on a monthly oral pill (Program, Comfortis, there are several on the market these days). The best fix to a potential flea allergy is making sure that he NEVER has the chance to get fleas. Just one bite is enough to send some dogs into a downward spiral of scratching themselves bloody.

Flea's are pretty much everywhere these days. Even in climates where extreme cold is the norm, technically fleas could still survive in your home if you're not using preventative measures! Ewwwwwww, huh?!

As Connie mentioned, make sure ears are staying dry, especially if a yeast overload is suspected. A cotton ball placed into the top of the ear canal help a lot with this.



Isn't Connie AWESOME? We love her.

"The itchiness is pretty much gone completely. He does the odd scratch here and there, but it seems like just normal dog scratching. He'll just scratch for a second and then he's done. It doesn't go on and on like it did a few days ago. His scabs on his head are starting to heal up too. "

Even if you had accomplished nothing else (which isn't true), you have ruled out food allergy by about 99.99% (IMHO). Lack of benefit from steroids is actually occasionally used as a trial to help rule out or in food allergies in general.

It's true that atopy has not actually been ruled out, but finding solid evidence of fleas is huge in your detective work.

I too would keep this guy on monthly flea prevention for two reasons: you actually found flea dirt and he reacted so violently. Broken skin, broken sleep, and the often-accompanying bacterial and yeast infections are no picnic for you or the dog.

Yes, steroids can make the urine and the actual dog have a different odor. I have not experienced this, but I have read it.

You mentioned getting him to your regular vet. I'd make that appointment soon. You will want guidance in discontinuing any med with steroids.

Fleas are slowed down by cold, but not eliminated. Cold and snow will keep them from being picked up outdoors(mostly, though under shrubbery near the warmth of the house some may be viable) but dogs can still pick them up from other dogs.
I would treat your dog for 3 months total, I personally would use a topical like advantage. Basically, you are using your dog as "bait" for any fleas in the home, who after having a blood meal from your dog, will die/and any eggs laid will be sterile. Start again in May, or April if we get a nice spring.
If you have other pets in the home (a cat?) they should be treated as well.

The vet that gave me the vanectyl told me to give him 1/2 pill twice daily for 4 days, and then once daily for 6 days. And that's all the pills that I have. It's not enough to get me to the 31st, which is when I have my next appointment with our regular vet. Is this not an ok way to discontinue the medication?

I don't have any other pets in the home, but I know there was a cat living here before we moved here in January (and then got Newman in August)

Oh, you did get weaning instructions. Good.

So newman is now off of the vanectyl and back to itching. It's as bad as last time but he hasn't broken any skin yet (it's only been back for 2 days). I gave him a bath with an oatmeal aloe shampoo that's supposed to relieve itching, but it didn't seem to do anything. I followed the instructions in this thread for the bath this time, starting with the head, then the groin area, then the whole puppy. I left it on for about 8 minutes before I felt bad for him and rinsed him off. He looked so sad. haha.

I feel like I'm at a bit of a loss now. Do I just keep doing what I've been doing? Is it too soon to see any results? It's been almost 2 weeks since he got the advantage.

I spoke with his breeder and she had 3 puppies up until a couple weeks ago, all of whom got especially itchy right after their second round of shots. Newman was a little itchy before his shots but he didn't draw blood till after. But it has been 3 weeks since.
Anyways, Bev (the breeder) recommended using diatomaceous earth, and also "Melissa's Aloe Pet". Both fight against most types of bugs.

PS

I don't have time right now to re-read the thread and remind myself of what has and hasn't been done, but I can tomorrow (especially if you will bump this tomorrow). And of course someone else with a better memory might pop on before then.


Have you been able to get an appointment with your regular vet yet?

We're going to see the regular vet on Monday, hopefully she'll have some better advice. I feel so bad for him, already been on the vanectyl and had a dose of advantage, right after his vaccines. I would like to keep him off any more harsh medications for a while, but I would really like to get rid of his itching.

No hair loss at all, so I'm thinking it's probably not mangue. He hasn't sratched to the point of tearing his skin yet. He's scratching his snout, top of his head, behind his ears, armpits, elbows, and butt area - not so much the base of his tail, but more his hips. It seems like the rear area is where its bugging him the most, he kind of whines when he's scratching there (unless he's whining out of frustration because it's hard for him to reach).

If it was fleas, or any kind of bug for that matter, wouldn't it be mostly gone by now? He had the advantage multi exactly two weeks ago.

First, I will tell you what I would do at the Monday visit: I would get a derm vet referral. The derm vet will be methodical about testing for and eliminating each possibility, as well as experienced with presentation and knowledgeable about using very short-term Pred as a cycle-breaker if indicated (but diagnosis is the #1 priority).

I personally don't think that enough diagnostic attention has been paid to external parasite possibilities with a puppy who has itched since nine weeks of age.

(Isn't Advantage Multi limited to heartworm, intestinal worms, and fleas, BTW?)

That said:

Meanwhile, I would re-do the white sheet test. (Resistant fleas have been a huge problem in many areas of this country since about fall of 2009, and I imagine Canada must be seeing the same thing.) Second, I would start a daily log, NOW, about time of day and the weather on the days of his worst scratching. (I can explain to you when I have a little more time how this can help you to find clues to seasonal atopy. But the log is something you will probably need anyway, IMO, even if just for gauging benefits, if any, of different antihistamines.)

Where on the hips do you mean? (Again, this is such classic flea territory.)

Then, with your log in place, and depending on the white-sheet test, I would begin to trial chlorpheniramine and hydroxyzine, ten days each, recording any benefits seen. I would "up" the fish oil (or have you done that already? I'm sorry; I still haven't had a chance to review the thread).

Is his sleep interrupted with scratching?