# OT - Maltese chewed a bald spot last night



## Me&2Girls (May 11, 2007)

I woke up this morning and Buddy, my Maltese, had chewed off all the hair on his hip. It's the size of a half-dollar. Luckily it's hidden by his tail. :redface: He'd been acting like it itched for the last few days, but really wasn't bothering it. The skin is pink but not irritated except where he chewed a bit too vigorously. He's been on a Salmon based kibble and I ran out of his normal duck and sweet potato canned food the other day so added some Salmon canned food (dog food kind). Could this have caused his reaction? 

I put a bit of Cortisone cream on it and he's not bothering it right now. He does seem to have allergies to chicken so I know he's sensitive.


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

Oh gezz- really quickly. I have often heard "white dogs" are more prone to allergies but I have lucked out. My mother had a cocker spaniel that had the worst allergies, she coudln't use flea medication on the dog. Could you give him some benadryl until it calms down?

Amanda


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## Doggie Nut (Oct 20, 2006)

Take it from me, get it under control now....it sounds like an allergy. My bichon has done some despicable things to herself chewing on hot spots. Several times they have gotten infected...not a pretty sight.


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## Judy A (Jan 13, 2007)

could be food related allergies....could have been bitten by something....it's hard to say. I hope it turns out to be an isolated case!


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## mintchip (Apr 19, 2007)

Doggie Nut said:


> Take it from me, get it under control now....it sounds like an allergy. My bichon has done some despicable things to herself chewing on hot spots. Several times they have gotten infected...not a pretty sight.


I had the same thing happen with our samoyed (sp) when I was a kid


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## Me&2Girls (May 11, 2007)

The Benedryl is a great idea - just gave him a dose and found my hot spot spray. After he calms down I'll give him a bath in that area and spray again. Poor guy I just feel so sorry for him.


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## Jill in Mich (Feb 24, 2008)

Definitely sounds like allergies....besides food, does he sit outside much? The ground is covered in tree buds right now and Tess is constantly chewing on her feet if I don't wash them off each time she's out. Since she's forever scratching, she frequently sits in the buds outside.... 

Re: Benadryl....my vet said to give Tess 1/2 a pill. A full pill won't hurt them, but Tess doesn't get nearly as sleepy on 1/2 a pill.


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## imamurph (Apr 15, 2008)

Could be an allergy, flea or spider bite. Hopefully you don't have any nasty spiders in your area.

Sophie one time was bit on the stomach by a spider and the area turned bright red (she was biting at it when I discovered it.

You should keep a close watch on his skin.


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## EstrellaVila (Nov 30, 2007)

Poor thing! I think benedryl is the way to go, it helps Carmen a lot with her allergies. She seems to have outside allergies as they flare up around this time of year along with mine.


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## havaluv (Oct 15, 2007)

Awww, poor Buddy. I don't have any other advice, but wanted to send a :hug:


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## kgiese (Apr 18, 2007)

Watch that spot closely. It could very well be he has a spider bite. Hank was bitten by a spider (vet seems to think that's what happened) last November. He chewed his leg up in 1 day while we were at work. We took him to the emergency room and they shaved his leg, gave him shots, ointment and a collar to keep him away from his leg. Turned out to be a $300+ vet bill to boot. Anyway, it cleared up and the hair is coming in nicely, but is still shorter than the rest of his leg. Funny thing is that the hair on his leg is coming in cole black (he's black, but not solid - has a lot of blue/grey underneath hair) and not as kinky as the rest of his body. I wish his whole body looked like this new hair as it would be much easier to handle.

Karen


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## Poornima (Jun 29, 2007)

Lisa, I hope that he does well and recovers soon.


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## Me&2Girls (May 11, 2007)

Update: He did great on the Benedryl today until about 6 when he started to itch again, so I gave him another dose and it seems to be doing the trick. Luckily the skin isn't broken, but is still red. I gave Buddy a medicated bath and kept the hot spot spray on him. Hopefully by tomorrow it will be much less irritated. It's a pretty big patch - 3" x 4" but the hair on top seems to cover most of it. Amazing how fast he got it chewed off.

Thanks again everyone for the Benedryl suggestions - and I'll keep an eye on it for a possible bite.


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## imamurph (Apr 15, 2008)

Lisa..that big of a spot sounds a bit alarming..maybe you should have a Vet look at him.

Some dogs are allergic to fleas..


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## Me&2Girls (May 11, 2007)

I just looked and his skin is back to it's normal color and he's not bothering it at all. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we've gotten over the bad part and now just have to wait for the hair to grow back. I don't see a bite mark anywhere but will watch it closely.

Thanks everyone!


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## imamurph (Apr 15, 2008)

:whoo::biggrin1::clap2:

Maybe it was just a flea bite..


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## JanB (Oct 26, 2007)

Lisa, oh ouch, poor baby must have been miserable.

It certainly sound suspicious with the change in diet, esp with his history of allergies.

I Hope he's feeling better soon.


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## mintchip (Apr 19, 2007)

how is she doing today?


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## Me&2Girls (May 11, 2007)

Buddy's doing pretty well - the spot doesn't seem to be bothering him too much but I know he's not feeling great - he didn't eat this morning and he never turns down food!


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## EstrellaVila (Nov 30, 2007)

Poor guy! I hope he feels better. Not eating sounds like he is not happy for sure. I hope it clears up and isnt anything serious.


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

Ah good news then if it's looking normal. I'll cross my fingers for ya too! I hope it's over and done with now.


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## WhatsinAname (Mar 29, 2008)

Oh no.... I got home from work and noticed that Cody has a bald spot on his upper rear leg but his skin isn't red. I noticed the other day that his hair looked uneven but didn't notice the bald spot until today. I didn't see him biting and I haven't changed his food. I started using Coat Handler Shampoo and Conditioner (which works great) but I doubt it's caused from that . I can't figure out what it could be. 



Me&2Girls said:


> I woke up this morning and Buddy, my Maltese, had chewed off all the hair on his hip. It's the size of a half-dollar. Luckily it's hidden by his tail. :redface: He'd been acting like it itched for the last few days, but really wasn't bothering it. The skin is pink but not irritated except where he chewed a bit too vigorously. He's been on a Salmon based kibble and I ran out of his normal duck and sweet potato canned food the other day so added some Salmon canned food (dog food kind). Could this have caused his reaction?
> 
> I put a bit of Cortisone cream on it and he's not bothering it right now. He does seem to have allergies to chicken so I know he's sensitive.


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## Me&2Girls (May 11, 2007)

Glenda - I discovered it was Taste of Wild food - both the wetlands and Pacific Stream kibbles have something allergenic to him in it. The vet from Taste of the Wild was very responsive and helpful. More than likely it's an allergic reaction to something, give some Benedryl (I like 1/2 chewable strip children's doses - but ask your vet). Use a hot spot spray and give him a rinse in distilled water and perhaps add a bit of vinegar. You want to remove any product that might have caused the hot spots. Even a clarifying shampoo might be a good idea. Just condition well with a product you've used before and doesn't irritate. I had also shampooed Buddy's hot spot with a medicated dandruff forumla to give his skin some relief. And since he'd left a small spot raw, I put a triple antibiotic ointment on it. The vet said that hot spots can develop in just a few hours after exposure to an allergen.


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## WhatsinAname (Mar 29, 2008)

Hi Lisa and thanks for responding. I took Cody to the vet today and as you said, it's allergies but I'm not sure what he's allergic to. The vet gave me an antihistamine to give hime 3x a day. See, I didn't have to go to the vet all I needed was to ask you Thanks again for your advice


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## Jane (Jun 2, 2007)

Hi Glenda,

If Cody doesn't respond to the antihistimine, ask your vet for a different one. There are several, and they are all different. Your dog might respond to one and not another. Some dogs don't respond that well to any of them, so if that happens too, don't get discouraged, but go back to your vet. There are other ways to treat allergies (creams, Prednisone, allergy shots, food trials/changing foods, etc.). Of course, it is best if you can figure out what is causing the allergy. It can be frustrating trying to get to the bottom of it all. Good luck!


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## Me&2Girls (May 11, 2007)

Glenda, Jane is our resident allergy expert - she did some major detective work on her Hav plus has experience in the elimination diet, so if you have more question, she's your gal.


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## Jane (Jun 2, 2007)

Me&2Girls said:


> Glenda, Jane is our resident allergy expert - she did some major detective work on her Hav plus has experience in the elimination diet, so if you have more question, she's your gal.


That's kind of you, Lisa. But there is so much I don't know - very frustrating! Thankfully there are others on the forum who have battled allergies too - maybe together we can form an "expert"!


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## WhatsinAname (Mar 29, 2008)

Thanks Jane and Lisa for responding. The vet prescribed hydroxyzine. Not sure why he decided that over Benadryl.
I was wondering how does the vet even know it's allergies just by looking at Cody? I started wondering if his skin is dry and maybe I'm shampooing him too often . I shampoo every week.


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## Me&2Girls (May 11, 2007)

Glenda, I think the hydroxyzine is for the itching and it's a topical medication - I didn't google to double check, but my guess would be he wanted to get right at the source of the irritation and give poor Cody some immediate relief. The benedryl works by reducing sensitivity to histamines (at least in humans). When something allergenic hits the body, we produce histamines and the benedryl helps to block them making you feel better. Less watering eyes, runny nose and itching. I'm guessing the principle is the same in dogs.


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## WhatsinAname (Mar 29, 2008)

Oh.... Thanks for the Info Lisa. He seems better. Still scratches some but at least not the same spot.


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## RikiDaisyDixie (Apr 15, 2008)

*shampoos with sulphur help*

There is a wonderful shampoo that helps a lot. It is called sulfoxydex. Daisy itches terribly this season...July-October. We have a lot of allergens in Southern California and many breeds are itching. Daisy does better if I bathe her every week. She also takes temaril P.

She does very well on a freeze dried food from Australia. We have no chicken or grains in her diet. Many of this breed are very sensitive...as I take allergy medication for our lousy air. I know when the air quality is bad, both of us suffer...her with itching and me with runny eyes.

These are two types of food which have alleviated her itching:

Orijen 70-30-0 Premium Pet Food

70% MEAT - (hormone and antibiotic-free).
Dogs & cats are carnivores.
30% FRUITS, VEGETABLES & BOTANICALS -
Rich in vitamins, minerals & phytonutrients.
0% GRAINS - Cats and dogs are simply not
evolved to eat processed cereal grins.

ORIJEN contains only premium ingredients including grain-fed chicken and turkey, wild-caught fish, and fresh whole eggs. Orijen is high protein, low carb and grain-free. Excessive carbs contribute to obesity and feed certain cancers. Orijen is made with fresh never-frozen meats and fish, marine-source Omega 3 fatty acids rich in DHA and EPA, Orchard fruits, regional vegetables, and prairie grown botanicals providing antioxidants, vitamins, and chelated minerals.

ORIJEN CONTAINS NO ANIMAL BY-PRODUCTS, GLUTENS, SOY, CHEMICAL PRESERVATIVES, OXIDES, SULFATES OR GENETICALLY MODIFIED INGREDIENTS

ADDICTION - Raw & Dehydrated
Addiction's Raw Dehydrated Food is unlike traditional dog foods that are processed at high temperatures with artificial preservatives. Addiction gently air-dries raw meat, fruits and vegetables to naturally keep ingredients fresh, and retain vitamins and enzymes. The Result--a great tasting food, packed with maximum nutrition not found in other commercial diets. Just add warm water to enjoy the benefits of raw food with the convenience of dry food.


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