Would you return puppy to breeder?

[NorthernAnnie]

We bought a cross breed puppy. He is now 10 months old and has numerous allergies including grass and certain foods. He is now on an expensive diet, can't walk on grass, our vet's bills are huge and not likely to get any less and he sheds heavily which aggravates DS's asthma. We love him but in hindsight we should have been more careful about where we bought him from. I have realised the breeder was a BYB, she hadn't had her dog (or the stud) health tested although she was a much loved family pet. Would it be awful to return him to her?

[needastrongone]

What brand Annie?

[daisydotandgertie]

Who makes the hypoallergenic food?

It sounds as though there is a lot you don't know about the dog and his condition. The vet doesn't seem to be actually getting to the root of the problem, rather treating symptoms as they present.

Has she taken skin scrape?

Where is the skin bad? How did it start? Are there any other signs of illness?

Get him insured for heavens sake, just in case his hips are a problem. At least that will be insurable.

[daisydotandgertie]

And what else has he been fed on since you got him?

[NorthernAnnie]

Yes she did a skin scrape and it was some kind of staph infection on the skin. It's black on his groin and bum, and where it's black his coat is very sparse. It started off as red sores but they have now gone. His whole coat is wiry & dry and short as it just sheds so much although he has never been itchy... He's on skinners food now, I read through some threads on this site and it seemed to be a good one. He was on beta when we got him so we kept him on that.

[NorthernAnnie]

He has had different brands of dog treats though and often eats bits of food that our DC drop on the floor... not chocolate though, we are careful to never give him that.

[NorthernAnnie]

Thinking about it since he started cocking his leg he has got the black patches on his groin/inner thighs whereas they used to be on his stomach... he's also got them on his bum which could be from squatting on the grass? He used to lie down on the grass every time he saw another dog which may be why he used to have it on his stomach but doesn't anymore. Would this just be treated with daily piriton?

[happygardening]

I know I'm going to make myself unpopular but IMO firstly before you do anything more you need to address your DS's eczema/asthma. He can have a skin test to establish if he is allergic to dogs (although not 100% reliable) or a blood test if he is proven to be allergic to dogs then you need to think long and hard about whether or not it is viable to have an animal in your house that is having a detrimental effect on your DS's health. It is possible to even be allergic to non shedding dogs like poodles (although less likely) because I think it's not all about the hairs.

[D0oinMeCleanin]

I'm sure re: the piriton, my dog bites himself bloody and/or stands under the dining table rubbing his back on the side of the table when he's having an episode, he's never had black patches. Bald and bloody patches if it's not caught and treat in time, but not black.

That doesn't sound right to me. Allergies normally itch. I know, I have them

[miggy]

Conta.t allergies in dogs extremely rare

[NorthernAnnie]

He doesn't itch at all, never has ..... I have been googling and found that he may have atopic dermatitis, the picture of it look just like his skin. Unfortunately it gets worse and worse but apparently the further north you go the less the dog is affected so a lot of dogs with it are rehomed in Scotland or their owners move there I guess?

[NorthernAnnie]

• Gets worse and worse with age

[daisydotandgertie]

Can you upload a pic of some of his rash? It really doesn't sound allergy driven.

The skin problem could well be causing excessive hair loss.

[NorthernAnnie]

It looks like the second picture down this but not red anymore due to the antibiotics

[miggy]

That second picture is a yeast infection, that's what makes the skin go black.
The number one feature of atopy is itching, if your dog does not itch ( and this includes rubbing back or stomach under chairs,along floor etc, licking and chewing at skin) then he has not got atopy.
That kind of yeast infection requires special shampoo, something like malaseb, and oral medication, and a diagnosis of the underlying problem

[miggy]

Like this
www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/skin/c_dg_malassezia_dermatitis#.UTkQKmtYCK0

[KateDWales]

Firstly, it seems like you obviously care about this dog or you wouldn't have bothered getting the tests etc done for him. Secondly, do not feed your dog chicken wings! Covered in fat and not to mention the bones that will very easily cause an obstruction in the gut and a very big vets bill!

You can get blood tests to identify allergies but they are expensive, however in the long run would this be cheaper than trying lots of different treatments?

Atopic dermatitis can be treated with a medication called atopica, and can be diagnosed. Or, have you considered a flea allergy? Thus can also be treated easily.

Hope this helps, but no I don't think that returning the dog to breeder will help as it will probably just end up abandoned.

Also, golden retrievers genetically have hip issues and poodles skin issues, unfortunately insurance companies will not cover any condition they consider genetic and the animal to be born with.

[AwsomeMrsFox]

I really feel for you - sometimes dog ownership can be very challenging! Our old lab had that black stuff too (and suffered allergies) - I can't remember what the vet said it was, some sort of fungus I think. We routinely used a anti-fungal shampoo I wish I could remember the name. We did the whole allergy testing thing and actually the main cause we sussed ourselves and was never picked up by the tests, so I think your judgement would be better.

Is there a bigger issue that because of the problems with this dog you are not really bonding? I think if this is the case (we all have our views on re-homing), but I think if you have the opportunity to find him a home where he really will be loved you should take it.

If you are able to work through it I expect you will eventually build a very strong bond, but that may take months or even years. It is not an easy situation for you.

[needastrongone]

Just to clarify that I meant SMALL RAW chicken wings, I understand raw bones are fine for dogs. Appreciate I know very little in this area though so was just a suggestion

Hope it works out for you guys.

[D0oinMeCleanin]

Raw chicken wings are fine, as are raw drumsticks. I feed chicken wings to mine to keep their teeth clean. Cooked bones cause the problems.

[ChickensHaveNoEyebrows]

My dog loves raw chicken portions. He eats wings, thighs, drumsticks...Like DOoin says, they're great for cleaning the dogs teeth, firming up poo and of course they just bloody love them

[needastrongone]

Oh thank goodness for that! I have some drumsticks in the freezer that I bought cheaply too. He seems to get so much pleasure them, it amuses me to watch him eat them tbh, they seem so satisfying for him and such a good jaw workout! Since we have been giving them, he's poo is just lovely . Really interested in raw feeding but going off topic and need to research/stock up/etc.

Just glad I 'aint going to kill him anyway

[D0oinMeCleanin]

I buy packs of chicken wings for mine plus pull of the wings of the chicken on a Sunday before I roast it. They both know when there's chicken on the go, which has caused some confusion since I've broken my arm and have had others shopping/cooking for me

DH: The dogs are doing tricks in the kitchen
Me: Have you took the chicken out to prepare?

My mum: Um, that 'orrible thing is dancing for me. He won't leave me alone.
Me: You have Iceland bags that means you have chicken wings so he's showing you his new trick.

[NorthernAnnie]

I went back to the vets today, she is still flumoxed but said that it is going to cost us around £60 a month in medication if it is atopic dermatitis, plus the medication may shorten his life... I then phoned the labradoodle trust and they said it may be sebaceous adenitis which is common in poodles so I have asked the vet to test for this ..

The trust also said they would be able to rehome him in Scotland as they have done with a few dogs recently, the air up there means they can come off their medication but we would not be allowed to know who he had been rehomed to and would never see him again...

[FireOverBabylon]

Do you have any other vets locally, to see what a competitor would charge for treatment for atopic dermatitis?

[ruledbyheart]

If it's atopic dermatitis the medication will not cost £60 a month forever it is about £30 for 15 capsules however once under control the medication can be reduced to every other day and in some instances every 3-4 days.

You should have researched the breed before getting it and then finding out that they can be high shedders but thats too late now but you took on the dog and you should accept your responsibility towards it, if your child needed medication that you had to pay for would you rehome him too?
Not trying to be harsh but the dog is your responsibility and to palm him off because he needs medical care is atrocious.