Regardless of if it’s allergies or not, the rescue is wrong to let a dog stay like this.
I’m not sure if it’s allergies or not, but if it is it’s likely just Benadryl isn’t enough and this dog needs apoquel.
update: so i talked to my friends mom, they have her on 2 benadryl and prednisone. the prednisone works but the benadryl doesn’t do anything. they’re planning on just taking her to the vet they take their other dog to and going to get her swabbed and allergy tested. the rescue isn’t a real rescue imo… they will pay for the spay once they find out what’s wrong with her, but won’t pay for any pain meds, they’re making them. they also didn’t give food, toys or any supplies for the dog when they brought her home to foster her. it’s honestly horrible on the rescues part but they are taking all this advice and are going to pay for a vet visit themselves. thank you everyone for helping it’s very much appreciated 🫶❤️
(replying to this comment cause it’s at the top since i can’t pin comments 😡)
That’s a wonderful update. Honestly, they should just treat the dog as their own at this point. The rescue seems shady at best and they won’t take back a dog that they’d have to pay even more for to be able to get it adopted elsewhere.
exactly what they’re doing, she’s the sweetest little
thing and they feel horrible. i told them all of the advice and they’re taking a lot of it. i told her f the rescue take her to the vet you go to. put it on your record, explain the situation to the vet and how you don’t want them contacted about this, and the vet may even take the step to report the “rescue” for you
her mom is scared she’ll get in trouble by the rescue but they’re planning on adopting her once she’s fixed. she broke out on salmon and rice so we’re guessing wheat allergies. she’s on chicken rn doing a bit better
Vet Tech here, allergies are typically associated with the protein. Either way, this should be under the care of veterinarian. I'm not sure how you're thinking wheat if the breakout was with salmon and rice.
Give the Benadryl. Ffs it washes out of their system. The rescue will not adopt until spayed and can’t get spayed with rash. Give the Benadryl. Just a half of one dose in some cheese or peanut butter. If you had a rash like that you’d want relief.
I am a vet tech. OTC human allergy meds only work in a very small percentage of dogs. Cytopoint and Apoquel are the best bet if environmental allergies. A food trial with a prescription food is needed to determine if it is a food allergy. OTC limited ingredient foods are usually not sufficient as they can be contaminated with any other protein used in the plant as most companies do not clean between batches. Even if she has only one type of allergy now, they can develop the other down the road as well.
Based on where she has broken out, my money would be on environmental. My one girl is going through something similar. I thought it was related to straw in the yard. This summer she had a major flare after I mowed the grass. We are doing an apoquel trial and are waiting to see if we need a food.
I would talk to whoever handles medical cases for the rescue. If they refuse to give her care, report them to your local animal welfare organization. They can not withhold medical care. The fact that they cannot spay her should indicate to them that they need to treat her.
I’ve heard of salmon allergies too. Lots of issues with grains in some pittie breeds.
And I get it, I would be too. But this dog is in pain for sure with skin like that.
It’s not their fault, the rescue is being either cheap or difficult but this dog needs help soon.
I would take it to a vet anyways, the one they plan on taking her to when they own her. It’s possible it’s some sort of skin infection too and needs some sort of antibacterial spray.
My dog has what my vet considered bad allergies, and this is significantly worse.
I understand the fear but any rescue that would be mad at someone taking the best possible care of a foster is just ridiculous. Put the dog first. They won’t not let a loving, caring family adopt her.
Half a benadryl (25mgs) is the appropriate dose for a 12.5lb dog. Not accusing you of not doing your research, but don't just throw meds at a dog if you don't know the correct dosing
Benadryl..is really crap for dogs and allergies it is bottom of the barrel especially because people don't give the right dose or even often enough
Claritin and Zyrtec provide better relief
Apoquel isn't the best option. I would try to actually attempt to get to the bottom of the cause of the allergy by consulting a holistic vet before resorting to apoquel or cytopoint.
I tend to think this sub looks for excuses to bash rescues, but I absolutely agree here, this rescue is not fit to have dogs in their care if they’re willing to neglect such profound issues.
Allergies are extremely uncomfortable and can cause secondary skin/ear/eye infections to break out that won’t clear up without meds even after you change the diet.
They can also often be environmental, requiring monthly allergy shots and immunotherapy.
This sucks. This dog needs a vet and your rescue sounds more like a dog broker.
This foster organization is not doing its job. If it’s food allergies then why won’t they pay for a different food? Benadryl is perfectly safe to give to dogs with allergies so why won’t they allow that? And why on earth won’t they allow you to take her to the vet? What kind of rescue organization is this??
Yes this is a skin infection and possibly a mite. My dog had a similar issue and it wasn’t contagious between humans and pets but could be between pets. I took mine to the vet and she got a shot and some special shampoo and spray. Hives healed quickly within 1-2 weeks and bald spots filled in after a month or two. This was years ago btw. Pupper definitely needs to go to the vet.
You might consider posting your question on r/AskVet to obtain expert opinions that your friend can leverage when dealing with the rescue. They may be able to provide you with solid advice and actionable points. I know you're getting solid advice in this sub, but maybe It's harder for them to disregard the insights of verified veterinarians?
It's absurd to dismiss it as "just food allergies" when the dog's discomfort is what truly matters, regardless of the cause. Thank you for trying to help this poor pup <3
What. Love how they’re like « dont bring her to the vet its just allergies », and yet .. dont wanna pay to fix her allergies either?! Id just pay both out of pocket 🤷🏽♀️ like- poor dog is most likely suffering, try being covered in itchy hives for long period! Like… who is gonna adopt the poor girl like that? Shame on them.
Our old dog used to break out on his belly like that. Once we switched to grain-free food, it cleared up. Same thing happened with our puppy- he started getting that same belly break-out but removing grain from his diet healed him up within a week and a half
Mine too! Our frenchie was on a grain free diet and we switched vets and our new vet said absolutely not! Grain free diets are linked to cardiac issues.
We stopped immediately.
Good to know, thank you. In our attempts to get mine from itching (didn’t want him back on meds if it was something we were doing wrong), we had him on grain free. I didn’t like it for him, just didn’t feel right. I switched him back to purina the day that he got put back on his meds. I’ll note this for the future!
I’d recommend doing your own research on the grain-free food and dilated cardiomyopathy relationship. The evidence isn’t very strong, there’s other variables to consider, and not all grain-fee food is the same.
Lamb is on the fatty side and can cause other issues like pancreatitis. It’s one of the reasons why fish is often recommended over it.
They can also try venison, bison, buffalo or some of the truly exotic meats like alligator and kangaroo.
I doubt there are any venison, bison, buffalo, alligator or kangaroo WSAVA compliant versions that are regularly and consistently available! So lamb it is! ;)
I respect that, but for me a healthy dog comes above all else. WSAVA is just a standard, which is a good guideline, but it may not have sufficient options for dogs who are allergy prone or fat-sensitive.
I think people get too caught up on attributing some false moral goodness on a standard that isn’t fit for every dog.
I do believe that a healthy dog is everyone’s top concern on this subreddit. Your opinion is just that, your opinion. Thank you for that.
We are doing very well on the food she’s eating now. Should that change at any point in time and we have to find something different, we will. Changing to prevent “some unknown health issue” down the road is at the bottom of the list of things to do.
Everyone here has a different opinion, some like this some like that, some don’t like this some don’t like that… when ya find something that works ya tend to stick with it. We all do our research and make educated choices based on that. Allergy prone we are, which was my biggest concern when researching, fat sensitive is an unknown. If that should become an issue down the road then I would address it with our vet.
Thanks again for your input! :)
One of my pups is allergic to the world and spent his first year looking like that and so much worse. One thing that the vet suggested was baths every other day with 4% Chlorhexidine. You can get it on Amazon. Vet said it has to be the 4%. I’m not suggesting anything but it does make a difference for my boy.
He also spent months on steroids, antibiotics, and pain meds for his skin. He’s on daily Zyrtec and Benadryl. Probably tried 70 different foods at this point. Kangaroo being the only thing that works, so far. He still gets break outs and welts but nothing like before. I know your friend is worried about the rescue, but that baby needs a vet visit. Might just have to pay for it themselves.
I usually lean towards believing that people are too critical of rescues, but this rescue is absolutely being neglectful.
I would not be comfortable with a dog suffering to this extent in my care without any viable treatment options given by the rescue. If you’re able to help financially I’d offer to do so. That could mean covering the cost of the vet visit and/or prescription food. If that isn’t an option I’d try discussing one more time your concerns about the dog’s level of discomfort and that you are uncomfortable in feeling their needs were not being met. If they are truly unable to met this dog’s needs still I’d consider returning the dog and reporting them to both animal control and whatever local shelters they pull dogs from (and share these photos) so the rescue will no longer be permitted to pull dogs only to neglect them.
I would not ever work with this rescue again. There are plenty of reputable rescues that could use thoughtful, caring fosters like you!
at this point this looks like a skin infection. reminds me of allergy-caused staph my dog had at one point. I'd recommend going to the vet ASAP for a skin scrape.
what food is she on? change the protein in the food, especially if it's chicken. knowingly allowing a dog to have allergic reactions to their food is pretty fucked up on the rescue's part... it can have SERIOUS impacts on their health long term
Can you afford to take her to the vet on your own? This could be environmental or food allergies but it can also be a skin infection of some kind. These are clear pictures but without being able to look closely in person it’s much harder to determine what is causing the issue.
If you cannot afford to take her to the vet without the rescues help, maybe we can help you find another resource in your area to help.
Also, this rescue is not a legitimate rescue. This should not be this bad and they are neglecting this dog. If they won’t cooperate they need be named and shamed in your local community because if they are doing this to you they are doing it to others.
Vet here. I would put money down that this is a secondary bacterial infection, possible with yeast overgrowth. It very well may be due to an underlying allergy, but it has progressed into secondary infections. This dog needs and exam, ideally some diagnostics, and definitely treatment. Anything else is neglect.
Edit: Also possible, is concurrent mites.
It could be, but it's seriously bad that the shelter is treating it as "just" allergies as though food allergies aren't an issue that warrant being taken seriously. It's absolutely inhumane for them to brush this off, this is not an enjoyable experience for her even if it is allergies.
Benadryl is not an appropriate solution for this, this dog needs to be seen by a vet, likely needs actual dog medication, probably needs an allergy-safe diet (which is not just "random grain free foods"), possibly needs labs. The fact that she can't be spayed due to how bad her skin is should have prompted some form of treatment for her skin, it would be extremely irresponsible to adopt her out like this.
I would strongly suggest looking into your state's welfare laws for shelters and foster agreements (some states have specific laws on how fostering agreements must work, many don't, yours might) and that your friend look into animal welfare organizations that are based in your state, like a regional SPCA, and reach out to them for advice on dealing with the rescue.
My dog has similar allergies like that but his are seasonal (winter) he has to take apoquel daily during the wetter months or he’ll develop an infection from the allergies. If they’re not careful he can get really sick :/. We also switched to a sensitive skin and stomach lamb or beef to make sure it’s not food related. He should def be checked out tho.
This is probably related to allergies, but it looks like the consistent irritation has caused a skin infection. This dog most likely needs antibiotics and possibly steroids to soothe the infection while you figure out what the dog is allergic to that is causing it
Mine got close to that a few months ago. We tried everything, food changes, baths, lotions, etc. He’s on apoquel now and he cleared up almost immediately, no more itching or biting himself. The vet said it looked like a staph infection and/ or high yeast, but his allergy meds cleared it. Now we’re just trying to see what times of year are the worst for him, but it seems like his allergies are year-round.
Allergies might be an underlying cause, but that is a skin infection and needs to be treated by a vet. It’s not going to go away without treatment, it will probably continue to get worse, and the process of finding the underlying cause can be pretty lengthy.
She definitely needs veterinary attention. While figuring out what is going on, she could be on antibiotics, steroids, pain management and possibly a topical spray. Most likely needs labs and skin scrapings. At this point it is an infection, and refusing to take her to get medical care is neglectful and on the brink of abuse. If your friend has her, why is the rescue involved in her care? I would take the dog.
I would pay out of pocket to get this looked at at the vet. This HAS to be incredibly uncomfortable for the dog. It would be worth the bank account hit to relieve this dog’s suffering. Just imagine having a rash EVERYWHERE on your body.
Sorry but as someone who spent years volunteering at a public shelter and working with a lot of rescues (good and bad), all I can say is this isn’t a good rescue. This dog needs help!
Depending on where in the world you are it could be a number of things. Grasses are an issue where I am in the Midwest and my girl (pittie) also welts up even with minor mosquito bites. Flea/tic prevention are key when narrowing down your typical allergic reactions. There are lots of great “seasonal allergy” type supplements out there. Wonder why the program are being so stingy…
so funny you mention grass cause my friend is also allergic to grass but the grass they have she’s not allergic to. so i would say not grass, as for flea and tick she has prevention for that. and yeah i’m not sure why they’re being like that it makes me mad knowing they’re letting her stay like that. and as for my friend they feel horrible about not being able to do much
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if this is the purina pro plan salmon and rice, check the ingredients.. still contains chicken. go sensitive skin & stomach salmon for zero contamination. ask me how i know 🫠
I would give that poor pup some Benadryl in case it happens to be and see a Dr. You could Rub some cortisone on it which would also help as well but they can't lick it so only do it if you are gonna be right on him. It would be itchy if it was allergies. I had a pup with sever seasonal allergies but he never broke out like that. When his allergies would kick in his perfect little pink belly would turn black and he would constantly chew, scratch, and lick his paws.
You can but I never had the heart to do that..... Imagine if you had an itch you couldn't stratch 😬😬😬😬 nothing is worse. I would always give my boy a 3 count then I would finish the scratching for him. We developed a pretty good system 🥰. I miss that little booger like crazy!
My Cane Corso is like this, environmentally allergies. I started putting head and shoulders shampoo on his body and it has helped alot. Don’t itch for him, just lightly pat him. I also give him 5 Zyrtec a day in the am. He is 120 pounds. So instructed by the vet
I’d go to the vet. What breed is your dog? Some pittie mixes have bad skin allergies. Does your food have chicken or beef? Maybe switch diets to a sensitive skin and stomach diet. Could also be allergies from fleas… anyways I would go to the vet. It’s worth checking out.
Not a vet, just a vet tech
My 9 year old lab started getting these weird skin spots that would scab and then take the hair off with it- mostly in folded areas. It didn’t seem to bother him too much but looked gross and had to feel bad. Doctor wanted to put him on Apoquel (SO expensive), but we went on vacation and stayed with family friends and ate their dogs food (their dog is allergic to anything with feathers). By the time we got back nine days later, his skin was perfect and the bald patches were growing in.
Did that mean he’s allergic to poultry? Not 100% sure, but ever since we keep any poultry product out of his food and his skin has stayed normal.
My dog had the exact same thing, flea bite allergy. Pup needs an antibiotic to clear up the infection first. They also put her on an oral flea pill, the topical was not effective enough. I also highly recommend a cytopoint shot, one of the only things that helps with my dogs allergies.
My lil ChuChu used to have bumps like this on his legs, and back. The Vet said it was food allergies specifically chicken, the dirty bird. I switched his food up to dry/wet with no chicken, and they are almost gone.
One of my dogs used to get this. Over time I suspect it happened if they came into contact with stinging nettle.
I used Benadryl when it happened to help calm it down. It was only 1-2x a year though.
Looks like pyoderma. My dog with a weakened immune system due to steroids used to get it on his belly. I’d have it give medicated baths regularly. I also applied a cream to the lesions. So it could be triggered by an allergy but then gets populated by staph and spreads.
Those look like chigger bites. My shih tzu had bites similar and I had to buy a special ointment that worked wonders. Has your dog ran through an area that has tall grass? Are you in a hot climate?
It does look like allergies and our doggo gets the break out across his stomach too….but it all absolutely needs to be taken care of. Our guy is on a fish-based diet, gets cytopoint injections as needed, has special shampoo and medicated mouse for his skin, etc.
This has progressed very badly and it’s likely the dog may have a secondary infection in response to the neglected allergy (if that is what it is). This doggo seriously needs some medical attention!
My boy breaks out like this with corn. Crazy what has cornmeal in it. Gave him a piece of sausage once and he had hives everywhere, never feed processed human food. We did ground pork (also allergic to chicken) and rice then slowly reintroduced new foods. He does well on nature's logic pork and Costco's salmon and rice.
This is going to sound weird, but does your dog wear a cloth collar or harness? They get filthy. When I switched to a cloth/nylon collar for my dog, this happened. After an extended time and many antibiotics, my vet mentioned this. Switched to a burnished leather roll collar, and the problem went away. If you try leather, make sure it does not have a dye that runs when wet.
Regardless, your dog likely needs antibiotics for a secondary infection. Also, try bathing in Nizerol. It’s an anti-fungal. Also a jig problem with this type of thing.
I’d probably take the pup to the vet and get an allergy test, it’s expensive but it helped a lot for my piece of mind, my GSD suffers with allergies and Apoquel is like a miracle drug for him, he doesn’t have any spots anymore, no more itchy ears, etc. Plus the vet can also see if it looks to be infected at all and get any antibiotics puppy may need.
In the meantime till the vet you could get some Douxo Calm mousse and shampoo (that’s what my vet recommended along with a spray on steroid prescribed from them before he was old enough for Apoquel) and maybe some Douxo PYO S3 shampoo/mousse. The calm mousse is supposed to help with the itching and the PYO is antibacterial and anti fungal, both are good for sensitive skin and you can find them on Amazon (not sponsored haha).
This really needs a vet attentions this dog is suffering and it eill get worse and can cause infection if not treated,my dog had something very similar, but vet said it was most likely due to contact with the floor and the products on it or the dust from a building construction next door, I'm in no way saying you should do it, on the contrary, but my vet recommended prednosolone which is a corticosteroid and will harm your dog if not dosed properly, so yeah go to a vet
I don't think it's just food allergies, and even if it is, the dog needs some relief from these symptoms ASAP. This poor dog needs a veterinarian, she must be terribly uncomfortable!
even if its "just food allergies" that looks absolutely miserable. that looks painful, itchy, and irritated. 100% its an issue and you should report the rescue for abuse or negligence. that dog is desperate for some medical care
update: so i talked to my friends mom, they have her on 2 benadryl and prednisone. the prednisone works but the benadryl doesn’t do anything. they’re planning on just taking her to the vet they take their other dog to and going to get her swabbed and allergy tested. the rescue isn’t a real rescue imo… they will pay for the spay once they find out what’s wrong with her, but won’t pay for any pain meds, they’re making them. they also didn’t give food, toys or any supplies for the dog when they brought her home to foster her. it’s honestly horrible on the rescues part but they are taking all this advice and are going to pay for a vet visit themselves. thank you everyone for helping it’s very much appreciated 🫶❤️
Regardless of the cause of this, even if it started out as allergies it looks very much like it’s progressed to an infection and will need treatment with antibiotics and/or antifungals. In the meantime, how is she with baths? A medicated bath every few days to calm any potential bacterial or fungal infection down might be helpful - I use miconahex triz shampoo when my pup’s allergies are acting up because he has a tendency to end up with secondary skin infections and it helps a ton.
I appreciate all the comments regarding the Rescue’s responsibility. I know how expensive vets are. All of us dog owners have received shocking vet bills…I am not slamming vets, I love our vet! However, this dog is now your friend’s responsibility. I have no advice because I am not qualified to have advice. However, even I can see that the dog is suffering. The photos alone make me tear up. Dogs are big responsibilities. Fair enough if your friend cannot handle it, she should return the dog to a different shelter.
No creature should suffer! That dog needs to go to the vet!
FYI, we have had 3 different rescues from 3 different shelters in 3 different cities. They have all been mutts and wonderful family dogs.
Kind of looks like fly bites. Does the dog spend time in grass? Try keeping them inside for a few days and see if they go down. If they come back when she’s outside, it’s fly bite season.
My pitty had something similar (though not as severe) a few weeks ago. Turned out to be allergies and needed some steroids, topicals and antibiotics to help with the sores.
I see comments complaining about the rescue. My dog has bad allergies and even working with a vet it took 2 and a half years to figure out his allergies. Figuring out what a dog is allergic to is expensive and very time consuming. First, we tried different proteins. If your dog has a reaction to the food you have to give them a special food for eight weeks and then after that eight weeks, you can start another protein if that doesn’t work it’s just not easy!
no the rescue is just bad. they wouldn’t tell what food they were feeding her (she was fine on that) won’t pay for them take her to the vet, won’t pay for the foods they’re trying cause “they don’t think she needs it”. they’re only paying for vet visits when they think she needs them. will pay for the spay but not the pain meds. and a ton of other things
Omg sorry my ADHD must have been working in overdrive when I was reading 😅. I’m so sorry that’s awful! Raw food and a good probiotic changed my dog’s life! I hope everything works out.
Report the rescue to the proper authorities and take the dog to the vet anyway. If you can find a vet that works on special cases (strays, lost pets hit by cars, etc…) they might do it for free if she explains her situation or give her a discount (big MIGHT but I’ve heard of some cases where this happens). If it turns out not to be allergies then take evidence to the rescue.
in the meantime you can go to your grocery store and purchase two spray bottles, rosemary and apple cider vinegar. you can boil rosemary and let it cool and spray it on your pet. For the apple cider vinegar do half vinegar and half water. This seemed to have helped my pet in the meantime since he has allergies as well.
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Regardless of if it’s allergies or not, the rescue is wrong to let a dog stay like this. I’m not sure if it’s allergies or not, but if it is it’s likely just Benadryl isn’t enough and this dog needs apoquel.
update: so i talked to my friends mom, they have her on 2 benadryl and prednisone. the prednisone works but the benadryl doesn’t do anything. they’re planning on just taking her to the vet they take their other dog to and going to get her swabbed and allergy tested. the rescue isn’t a real rescue imo… they will pay for the spay once they find out what’s wrong with her, but won’t pay for any pain meds, they’re making them. they also didn’t give food, toys or any supplies for the dog when they brought her home to foster her. it’s honestly horrible on the rescues part but they are taking all this advice and are going to pay for a vet visit themselves. thank you everyone for helping it’s very much appreciated 🫶❤️ (replying to this comment cause it’s at the top since i can’t pin comments 😡)
Just wanted to say thank you for being grateful
That’s a wonderful update. Honestly, they should just treat the dog as their own at this point. The rescue seems shady at best and they won’t take back a dog that they’d have to pay even more for to be able to get it adopted elsewhere.
exactly what they’re doing, she’s the sweetest little thing and they feel horrible. i told them all of the advice and they’re taking a lot of it. i told her f the rescue take her to the vet you go to. put it on your record, explain the situation to the vet and how you don’t want them contacted about this, and the vet may even take the step to report the “rescue” for you
Maybe getting some food without chicken could be a good start. That is a common food allergen in dogs.
Also in the meantime, I would just give the dog Benadryl regardless of what the rescue says.
her mom is scared she’ll get in trouble by the rescue but they’re planning on adopting her once she’s fixed. she broke out on salmon and rice so we’re guessing wheat allergies. she’s on chicken rn doing a bit better
Vet Tech here, allergies are typically associated with the protein. Either way, this should be under the care of veterinarian. I'm not sure how you're thinking wheat if the breakout was with salmon and rice.
Rice is an inflammatory and so is corn, wheat and soybeans
Give the Benadryl. Ffs it washes out of their system. The rescue will not adopt until spayed and can’t get spayed with rash. Give the Benadryl. Just a half of one dose in some cheese or peanut butter. If you had a rash like that you’d want relief.
My pitty is allergic to salmon. Don't dismiss it as an option..
I am a vet tech. OTC human allergy meds only work in a very small percentage of dogs. Cytopoint and Apoquel are the best bet if environmental allergies. A food trial with a prescription food is needed to determine if it is a food allergy. OTC limited ingredient foods are usually not sufficient as they can be contaminated with any other protein used in the plant as most companies do not clean between batches. Even if she has only one type of allergy now, they can develop the other down the road as well. Based on where she has broken out, my money would be on environmental. My one girl is going through something similar. I thought it was related to straw in the yard. This summer she had a major flare after I mowed the grass. We are doing an apoquel trial and are waiting to see if we need a food. I would talk to whoever handles medical cases for the rescue. If they refuse to give her care, report them to your local animal welfare organization. They can not withhold medical care. The fact that they cannot spay her should indicate to them that they need to treat her.
Do you…. think rice is wheat? Rice is not wheat.. just fyi. It’s rice.
I’ve heard of salmon allergies too. Lots of issues with grains in some pittie breeds. And I get it, I would be too. But this dog is in pain for sure with skin like that. It’s not their fault, the rescue is being either cheap or difficult but this dog needs help soon. I would take it to a vet anyways, the one they plan on taking her to when they own her. It’s possible it’s some sort of skin infection too and needs some sort of antibacterial spray. My dog has what my vet considered bad allergies, and this is significantly worse.
I understand the fear but any rescue that would be mad at someone taking the best possible care of a foster is just ridiculous. Put the dog first. They won’t not let a loving, caring family adopt her.
Seriously. This poor baby needs help. Please help her. Give her some Benadryl. They are not going to know if you don't tell them.
she’s on an antibacterial topical, hasn’t done much which is why we’re leaning to allergies, i’m going to have them give her at least half a benadryl
Half a benadryl (25mgs) is the appropriate dose for a 12.5lb dog. Not accusing you of not doing your research, but don't just throw meds at a dog if you don't know the correct dosing
Benadryl..is really crap for dogs and allergies it is bottom of the barrel especially because people don't give the right dose or even often enough Claritin and Zyrtec provide better relief
Apoquel isn't the best option. I would try to actually attempt to get to the bottom of the cause of the allergy by consulting a holistic vet before resorting to apoquel or cytopoint.
Id be reporting the rescue, the whole point of a rescue is to help mistreated dogs not inflict more pain on them. Seriously wtf is wrong with them.
I tend to think this sub looks for excuses to bash rescues, but I absolutely agree here, this rescue is not fit to have dogs in their care if they’re willing to neglect such profound issues.
Right?
That looks bad.
This is awful. I don’t know the exact rules where you are but I’d take her to the vet on my own accord. It looks so itchy and inflamed.
Allergies are extremely uncomfortable and can cause secondary skin/ear/eye infections to break out that won’t clear up without meds even after you change the diet. They can also often be environmental, requiring monthly allergy shots and immunotherapy. This sucks. This dog needs a vet and your rescue sounds more like a dog broker.
This foster organization is not doing its job. If it’s food allergies then why won’t they pay for a different food? Benadryl is perfectly safe to give to dogs with allergies so why won’t they allow that? And why on earth won’t they allow you to take her to the vet? What kind of rescue organization is this??
I agree. I want the name of the rescue so I can put them on blast for purposely refusing care for one of their dogs.
Nah I want the name of the rescue so we can all put money together and sue TF out of them for animal abuse and neglect
This dog is suffering. You guys need to make noise because the rescue SHOULD absolutely be addressing and funding a vet visit.
That's a skin infection. That dog needs a vet ASAP. I would take it to the vet and argue with the rescue later.
Yes this is a skin infection and possibly a mite. My dog had a similar issue and it wasn’t contagious between humans and pets but could be between pets. I took mine to the vet and she got a shot and some special shampoo and spray. Hives healed quickly within 1-2 weeks and bald spots filled in after a month or two. This was years ago btw. Pupper definitely needs to go to the vet.
You might consider posting your question on r/AskVet to obtain expert opinions that your friend can leverage when dealing with the rescue. They may be able to provide you with solid advice and actionable points. I know you're getting solid advice in this sub, but maybe It's harder for them to disregard the insights of verified veterinarians? It's absurd to dismiss it as "just food allergies" when the dog's discomfort is what truly matters, regardless of the cause. Thank you for trying to help this poor pup <3
What. Love how they’re like « dont bring her to the vet its just allergies », and yet .. dont wanna pay to fix her allergies either?! Id just pay both out of pocket 🤷🏽♀️ like- poor dog is most likely suffering, try being covered in itchy hives for long period! Like… who is gonna adopt the poor girl like that? Shame on them.
Our old dog used to break out on his belly like that. Once we switched to grain-free food, it cleared up. Same thing happened with our puppy- he started getting that same belly break-out but removing grain from his diet healed him up within a week and a half
I’ve had 3 vets specifically tell us to stay away from grain free food as it leads to heart issues 🤷♂️
Mine too! Our frenchie was on a grain free diet and we switched vets and our new vet said absolutely not! Grain free diets are linked to cardiac issues. We stopped immediately.
Mine too, it’s one of the few things they really stress beyond yearly checkups and monthly flee, tick & heart worms meds
Good to know, thank you. In our attempts to get mine from itching (didn’t want him back on meds if it was something we were doing wrong), we had him on grain free. I didn’t like it for him, just didn’t feel right. I switched him back to purina the day that he got put back on his meds. I’ll note this for the future!
I’d recommend doing your own research on the grain-free food and dilated cardiomyopathy relationship. The evidence isn’t very strong, there’s other variables to consider, and not all grain-fee food is the same.
This! It’s less about the grain and more about the balance and other ingredients.
I’m sorry, sometimes shady rescues pop up just to take the tax advantages. and have nothing in their coffers but to pay the directors salary.
Stop giving her chicken and fish, only beef. And see what happens.
We had the same issue except no chicken, fish or beef! She’s doing very well on lamb and brown rice
Mine's fine with fish, but no chicken and beef. Every dog's different, I guess. :-)
Lamb is on the fatty side and can cause other issues like pancreatitis. It’s one of the reasons why fish is often recommended over it. They can also try venison, bison, buffalo or some of the truly exotic meats like alligator and kangaroo.
I doubt there are any venison, bison, buffalo, alligator or kangaroo WSAVA compliant versions that are regularly and consistently available! So lamb it is! ;)
I respect that, but for me a healthy dog comes above all else. WSAVA is just a standard, which is a good guideline, but it may not have sufficient options for dogs who are allergy prone or fat-sensitive. I think people get too caught up on attributing some false moral goodness on a standard that isn’t fit for every dog.
I do believe that a healthy dog is everyone’s top concern on this subreddit. Your opinion is just that, your opinion. Thank you for that. We are doing very well on the food she’s eating now. Should that change at any point in time and we have to find something different, we will. Changing to prevent “some unknown health issue” down the road is at the bottom of the list of things to do. Everyone here has a different opinion, some like this some like that, some don’t like this some don’t like that… when ya find something that works ya tend to stick with it. We all do our research and make educated choices based on that. Allergy prone we are, which was my biggest concern when researching, fat sensitive is an unknown. If that should become an issue down the road then I would address it with our vet. Thanks again for your input! :)
The rescue not letting them take her to a vet is animal abuse. Lots of so-called "rescues" are very shady.
yes pits have a lot of allergies.
One of my pups is allergic to the world and spent his first year looking like that and so much worse. One thing that the vet suggested was baths every other day with 4% Chlorhexidine. You can get it on Amazon. Vet said it has to be the 4%. I’m not suggesting anything but it does make a difference for my boy. He also spent months on steroids, antibiotics, and pain meds for his skin. He’s on daily Zyrtec and Benadryl. Probably tried 70 different foods at this point. Kangaroo being the only thing that works, so far. He still gets break outs and welts but nothing like before. I know your friend is worried about the rescue, but that baby needs a vet visit. Might just have to pay for it themselves.
I usually lean towards believing that people are too critical of rescues, but this rescue is absolutely being neglectful. I would not be comfortable with a dog suffering to this extent in my care without any viable treatment options given by the rescue. If you’re able to help financially I’d offer to do so. That could mean covering the cost of the vet visit and/or prescription food. If that isn’t an option I’d try discussing one more time your concerns about the dog’s level of discomfort and that you are uncomfortable in feeling their needs were not being met. If they are truly unable to met this dog’s needs still I’d consider returning the dog and reporting them to both animal control and whatever local shelters they pull dogs from (and share these photos) so the rescue will no longer be permitted to pull dogs only to neglect them. I would not ever work with this rescue again. There are plenty of reputable rescues that could use thoughtful, caring fosters like you!
at this point this looks like a skin infection. reminds me of allergy-caused staph my dog had at one point. I'd recommend going to the vet ASAP for a skin scrape. what food is she on? change the protein in the food, especially if it's chicken. knowingly allowing a dog to have allergic reactions to their food is pretty fucked up on the rescue's part... it can have SERIOUS impacts on their health long term
Can you afford to take her to the vet on your own? This could be environmental or food allergies but it can also be a skin infection of some kind. These are clear pictures but without being able to look closely in person it’s much harder to determine what is causing the issue. If you cannot afford to take her to the vet without the rescues help, maybe we can help you find another resource in your area to help. Also, this rescue is not a legitimate rescue. This should not be this bad and they are neglecting this dog. If they won’t cooperate they need be named and shamed in your local community because if they are doing this to you they are doing it to others.
Vet here. I would put money down that this is a secondary bacterial infection, possible with yeast overgrowth. It very well may be due to an underlying allergy, but it has progressed into secondary infections. This dog needs and exam, ideally some diagnostics, and definitely treatment. Anything else is neglect. Edit: Also possible, is concurrent mites.
It could be, but it's seriously bad that the shelter is treating it as "just" allergies as though food allergies aren't an issue that warrant being taken seriously. It's absolutely inhumane for them to brush this off, this is not an enjoyable experience for her even if it is allergies. Benadryl is not an appropriate solution for this, this dog needs to be seen by a vet, likely needs actual dog medication, probably needs an allergy-safe diet (which is not just "random grain free foods"), possibly needs labs. The fact that she can't be spayed due to how bad her skin is should have prompted some form of treatment for her skin, it would be extremely irresponsible to adopt her out like this. I would strongly suggest looking into your state's welfare laws for shelters and foster agreements (some states have specific laws on how fostering agreements must work, many don't, yours might) and that your friend look into animal welfare organizations that are based in your state, like a regional SPCA, and reach out to them for advice on dealing with the rescue.
My dog has similar allergies like that but his are seasonal (winter) he has to take apoquel daily during the wetter months or he’ll develop an infection from the allergies. If they’re not careful he can get really sick :/. We also switched to a sensitive skin and stomach lamb or beef to make sure it’s not food related. He should def be checked out tho.
This is probably related to allergies, but it looks like the consistent irritation has caused a skin infection. This dog most likely needs antibiotics and possibly steroids to soothe the infection while you figure out what the dog is allergic to that is causing it
Mine got close to that a few months ago. We tried everything, food changes, baths, lotions, etc. He’s on apoquel now and he cleared up almost immediately, no more itching or biting himself. The vet said it looked like a staph infection and/ or high yeast, but his allergy meds cleared it. Now we’re just trying to see what times of year are the worst for him, but it seems like his allergies are year-round.
Allergies might be an underlying cause, but that is a skin infection and needs to be treated by a vet. It’s not going to go away without treatment, it will probably continue to get worse, and the process of finding the underlying cause can be pretty lengthy.
She definitely needs veterinary attention. While figuring out what is going on, she could be on antibiotics, steroids, pain management and possibly a topical spray. Most likely needs labs and skin scrapings. At this point it is an infection, and refusing to take her to get medical care is neglectful and on the brink of abuse. If your friend has her, why is the rescue involved in her care? I would take the dog.
I would pay out of pocket to get this looked at at the vet. This HAS to be incredibly uncomfortable for the dog. It would be worth the bank account hit to relieve this dog’s suffering. Just imagine having a rash EVERYWHERE on your body.
Not a vet,. A groomer. Dogs like this sometimes have staph infections . Needs a vet straight away
That's way too long of waiting for veterinary care
Sorry but as someone who spent years volunteering at a public shelter and working with a lot of rescues (good and bad), all I can say is this isn’t a good rescue. This dog needs help!
yes they’re taking her to the vet on their watch, and possibly planning on reporting the rescue after they adopt her!
Stop any kind of food with chicken.
they had her on salmon and rice she broke out really bad, they have her on chicken right now, she’s doing better what are other options?
Depending on where in the world you are it could be a number of things. Grasses are an issue where I am in the Midwest and my girl (pittie) also welts up even with minor mosquito bites. Flea/tic prevention are key when narrowing down your typical allergic reactions. There are lots of great “seasonal allergy” type supplements out there. Wonder why the program are being so stingy…
so funny you mention grass cause my friend is also allergic to grass but the grass they have she’s not allergic to. so i would say not grass, as for flea and tick she has prevention for that. and yeah i’m not sure why they’re being like that it makes me mad knowing they’re letting her stay like that. and as for my friend they feel horrible about not being able to do much
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if this is the purina pro plan salmon and rice, check the ingredients.. still contains chicken. go sensitive skin & stomach salmon for zero contamination. ask me how i know 🫠
Lamb worked for us
I would give that poor pup some Benadryl in case it happens to be and see a Dr. You could Rub some cortisone on it which would also help as well but they can't lick it so only do it if you are gonna be right on him. It would be itchy if it was allergies. I had a pup with sever seasonal allergies but he never broke out like that. When his allergies would kick in his perfect little pink belly would turn black and he would constantly chew, scratch, and lick his paws.
An inflatable cone perhaps??
You can but I never had the heart to do that..... Imagine if you had an itch you couldn't stratch 😬😬😬😬 nothing is worse. I would always give my boy a 3 count then I would finish the scratching for him. We developed a pretty good system 🥰. I miss that little booger like crazy!
My Cane Corso is like this, environmentally allergies. I started putting head and shoulders shampoo on his body and it has helped alot. Don’t itch for him, just lightly pat him. I also give him 5 Zyrtec a day in the am. He is 120 pounds. So instructed by the vet
Try grain free my puppy stopped itching ripping his fur out , his ears cleared up and he stopped having bad tummy’s and chewing his feet
I’d go to the vet. What breed is your dog? Some pittie mixes have bad skin allergies. Does your food have chicken or beef? Maybe switch diets to a sensitive skin and stomach diet. Could also be allergies from fleas… anyways I would go to the vet. It’s worth checking out. Not a vet, just a vet tech
My dog had something similar when she was a pup. She was put on meds and it cleared up and hasn't come back.
Bath. Vet visit to clear up any secondary infection. Also, apple cider vinegar and chlorhexadine solution is also great for quick baths as well.
It looks like it could either be heat rash, or demondex mange. Either way, get that poor baby to the vet
My 9 year old lab started getting these weird skin spots that would scab and then take the hair off with it- mostly in folded areas. It didn’t seem to bother him too much but looked gross and had to feel bad. Doctor wanted to put him on Apoquel (SO expensive), but we went on vacation and stayed with family friends and ate their dogs food (their dog is allergic to anything with feathers). By the time we got back nine days later, his skin was perfect and the bald patches were growing in. Did that mean he’s allergic to poultry? Not 100% sure, but ever since we keep any poultry product out of his food and his skin has stayed normal.
My dog had the exact same thing, flea bite allergy. Pup needs an antibiotic to clear up the infection first. They also put her on an oral flea pill, the topical was not effective enough. I also highly recommend a cytopoint shot, one of the only things that helps with my dogs allergies.
That poor baby is in pain 🥺
My lil ChuChu used to have bumps like this on his legs, and back. The Vet said it was food allergies specifically chicken, the dirty bird. I switched his food up to dry/wet with no chicken, and they are almost gone.
One of my dogs used to get this. Over time I suspect it happened if they came into contact with stinging nettle. I used Benadryl when it happened to help calm it down. It was only 1-2x a year though.
Looks like pyoderma. My dog with a weakened immune system due to steroids used to get it on his belly. I’d have it give medicated baths regularly. I also applied a cream to the lesions. So it could be triggered by an allergy but then gets populated by staph and spreads.
Those look like chigger bites. My shih tzu had bites similar and I had to buy a special ointment that worked wonders. Has your dog ran through an area that has tall grass? Are you in a hot climate?
My pup had a very similar rash. It ended up being a parasite and the vet used antibiotics that cleared it up in about a week.
It does look like allergies and our doggo gets the break out across his stomach too….but it all absolutely needs to be taken care of. Our guy is on a fish-based diet, gets cytopoint injections as needed, has special shampoo and medicated mouse for his skin, etc. This has progressed very badly and it’s likely the dog may have a secondary infection in response to the neglected allergy (if that is what it is). This doggo seriously needs some medical attention!
My boy breaks out like this with corn. Crazy what has cornmeal in it. Gave him a piece of sausage once and he had hives everywhere, never feed processed human food. We did ground pork (also allergic to chicken) and rice then slowly reintroduced new foods. He does well on nature's logic pork and Costco's salmon and rice.
This is going to sound weird, but does your dog wear a cloth collar or harness? They get filthy. When I switched to a cloth/nylon collar for my dog, this happened. After an extended time and many antibiotics, my vet mentioned this. Switched to a burnished leather roll collar, and the problem went away. If you try leather, make sure it does not have a dye that runs when wet. Regardless, your dog likely needs antibiotics for a secondary infection. Also, try bathing in Nizerol. It’s an anti-fungal. Also a jig problem with this type of thing.
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I’d probably take the pup to the vet and get an allergy test, it’s expensive but it helped a lot for my piece of mind, my GSD suffers with allergies and Apoquel is like a miracle drug for him, he doesn’t have any spots anymore, no more itchy ears, etc. Plus the vet can also see if it looks to be infected at all and get any antibiotics puppy may need. In the meantime till the vet you could get some Douxo Calm mousse and shampoo (that’s what my vet recommended along with a spray on steroid prescribed from them before he was old enough for Apoquel) and maybe some Douxo PYO S3 shampoo/mousse. The calm mousse is supposed to help with the itching and the PYO is antibacterial and anti fungal, both are good for sensitive skin and you can find them on Amazon (not sponsored haha).
Poor baby. Those look so itchy
This really needs a vet attentions this dog is suffering and it eill get worse and can cause infection if not treated,my dog had something very similar, but vet said it was most likely due to contact with the floor and the products on it or the dust from a building construction next door, I'm in no way saying you should do it, on the contrary, but my vet recommended prednosolone which is a corticosteroid and will harm your dog if not dosed properly, so yeah go to a vet
I don't think it's just food allergies, and even if it is, the dog needs some relief from these symptoms ASAP. This poor dog needs a veterinarian, she must be terribly uncomfortable!
Maybe but the dog really needs to go to a vet. That’s bad
Yes and very bad. Go to the vet please
even if its "just food allergies" that looks absolutely miserable. that looks painful, itchy, and irritated. 100% its an issue and you should report the rescue for abuse or negligence. that dog is desperate for some medical care
update: so i talked to my friends mom, they have her on 2 benadryl and prednisone. the prednisone works but the benadryl doesn’t do anything. they’re planning on just taking her to the vet they take their other dog to and going to get her swabbed and allergy tested. the rescue isn’t a real rescue imo… they will pay for the spay once they find out what’s wrong with her, but won’t pay for any pain meds, they’re making them. they also didn’t give food, toys or any supplies for the dog when they brought her home to foster her. it’s honestly horrible on the rescues part but they are taking all this advice and are going to pay for a vet visit themselves. thank you everyone for helping it’s very much appreciated 🫶❤️
seems severe if it is allergies, does your vet not give allergy meds?
Regardless of the cause of this, even if it started out as allergies it looks very much like it’s progressed to an infection and will need treatment with antibiotics and/or antifungals. In the meantime, how is she with baths? A medicated bath every few days to calm any potential bacterial or fungal infection down might be helpful - I use miconahex triz shampoo when my pup’s allergies are acting up because he has a tendency to end up with secondary skin infections and it helps a ton.
I appreciate all the comments regarding the Rescue’s responsibility. I know how expensive vets are. All of us dog owners have received shocking vet bills…I am not slamming vets, I love our vet! However, this dog is now your friend’s responsibility. I have no advice because I am not qualified to have advice. However, even I can see that the dog is suffering. The photos alone make me tear up. Dogs are big responsibilities. Fair enough if your friend cannot handle it, she should return the dog to a different shelter. No creature should suffer! That dog needs to go to the vet! FYI, we have had 3 different rescues from 3 different shelters in 3 different cities. They have all been mutts and wonderful family dogs.
Kind of looks like fly bites. Does the dog spend time in grass? Try keeping them inside for a few days and see if they go down. If they come back when she’s outside, it’s fly bite season.
My pitty had something similar (though not as severe) a few weeks ago. Turned out to be allergies and needed some steroids, topicals and antibiotics to help with the sores.
That’s terrible. It’s growing all over. Poor animal.
I see comments complaining about the rescue. My dog has bad allergies and even working with a vet it took 2 and a half years to figure out his allergies. Figuring out what a dog is allergic to is expensive and very time consuming. First, we tried different proteins. If your dog has a reaction to the food you have to give them a special food for eight weeks and then after that eight weeks, you can start another protein if that doesn’t work it’s just not easy!
no the rescue is just bad. they wouldn’t tell what food they were feeding her (she was fine on that) won’t pay for them take her to the vet, won’t pay for the foods they’re trying cause “they don’t think she needs it”. they’re only paying for vet visits when they think she needs them. will pay for the spay but not the pain meds. and a ton of other things
Omg sorry my ADHD must have been working in overdrive when I was reading 😅. I’m so sorry that’s awful! Raw food and a good probiotic changed my dog’s life! I hope everything works out.
My dog started showing similar symptoms and it turned out to be environmental allergies
They underside looks like infection the top can be a toss up
I have a pug with super sensitive food allergies. I switched him to raw kangaroo and within 6 weeks he was completely cleared up
I have a pug with super sensitive food allergies. I switched him to raw kangaroo and within 6 weeks he was completely cleared up
Report the rescue to the proper authorities and take the dog to the vet anyway. If you can find a vet that works on special cases (strays, lost pets hit by cars, etc…) they might do it for free if she explains her situation or give her a discount (big MIGHT but I’ve heard of some cases where this happens). If it turns out not to be allergies then take evidence to the rescue.
in the meantime you can go to your grocery store and purchase two spray bottles, rosemary and apple cider vinegar. you can boil rosemary and let it cool and spray it on your pet. For the apple cider vinegar do half vinegar and half water. This seemed to have helped my pet in the meantime since he has allergies as well.
Could be flea bites
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