My dog's skin is crusty and itchy. Why aren't vet treatments working?

Question

Hi, I have an 8 year old Male American akita. He started scratching in October and hasn’t stopped. His skin was clean and checked every day. 3 weeks ago dark crust and lumps appeard on his skin. We have gone to the vet 4 times and have gotten him cream, injections, steroids and antibiotics and have washed him several times. Please could you help me figure out what is wrong with him I am desperate. Ps the pictures are two weeks after treatment and the bald patch was shaved. Thank you, Chloe. Pet's info: Dog | Akita | Male | neutered | 8 years and 7 months old | 125 lbs

Megan, DVM, CVA · Accepted Answer

Poor Oscar. Allergies can be SO frustrating. If it improves at all on steroids then it sounds like he needs to be on long term allergy meds like apoquel or cytopoint. I would also put him on a prescription hypoallergic food trial for a minimum of 12 weeks. I like science diet z/d or Purina HA. This means ONLY this diet and the treats that go with the diet your chose for 12 weeks to see if it helps with the itching. If you give him heartworm prevention, you need to ensure the kind you give is hypoallergenic or you switch to the injectable heartworm prevention. I would also be sure he stays on a high quality flea preventative. Without seeing him, I cannot say for sure what other meds may help but I would talk to your vet if they feel like he has yeast on his skin. If so, a long term anti-fungal may be helpful like terbinafine. You can give it once a day for a month or two then give it every Monday and Tuesday long term to control the yeast for dogs with allergies. If all else fails, I would recommend to find a veterinary dermatologist in your area or seek out an alternative vet who specializes in acupuncture and herbs as they may be able to provide more specialized treatment that your regular vet. I hope this helps and he starts to feel better really soon! http://www.tcvm.com/Resources/FindaTCVMPractitioner.aspx

My dog's skin is crusty and itchy. Why aren't vet treatments working?

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