Westie issue

[tiredmumsclub]

We have a 5 year old westie cross female.

She has recently started to have very itchy skin which is causing redness and for her to lose her fur on her chest, legs and around her neck.

We have been back and forth to the vet and they finally prescribed steroids which kept it fairly under control.

The issue is that I have been made redundant, I’m currently 35 weeks pregnant with no income and our insurance company refused to cover the condition. This means we are struggling to afford the vets bills and steroid prescriptions. I realise that this is not her fault but at the moment until we are back on our feet there isn’t much I can do and her skin is getting very red.

Is there anything I can do to help in the mean time? We had considered rehoming her but it’s not fair on her but then neither is not getting the steroids.

Any advice appreciated and I would appreciate as little criticism as possible. We had her fully insured and had they have covered it we wouldn’t be in this situation now.

I have a Westie too - so sorry to hear about yours. Skin issues are common. I found stopping beef, give chicken nad lots oily fish ( like cheap cans sardines) helped.
You can also buy polaramine which is a sedating anti histamine
from Pharmacy - 2mg twice daily. Doesn't make dogs sedated. Also pharmacy may sell weak steroid like hydrocortisone to you.
Avoid soaps when washing her.
Good luck!

Lunathecat thank you for your response.**

I feel guilty that she is like this and we can’t do much until the end of the month to help her and her itching is driving us nuts.**

We use a special wash from the vets and nothing else.**

She doesn’t have the best quality dog food but again that is down to financial issues at the moment.**

Will have a look at the pharmacy.* I’m not sure how I’d go about trying to get it without saying it was for a dog.*

Why are your insurers not paying out? I'd be arguing with them tbh.

And yes westie skin problems are usually food related, it's not cheap that's a problem, but certain ingredients.

I don't have a westie but when we switched our border terrier into a grain free food that had sweet potato in it he immediately started scratching. He also started smelling very strongly of urine which google suggested could be due to fish oils in the food. We switched again and the scratching and smell stopped almost instantly.

I feel for you as we had a Westie who was plagued with skin problems.

I would look at her diet. (Our dog was eating Baker's which I have subsequently discovered is terrible.)

Malaseb shampoo was a Godsend - but that's pretty expensive and prescription only, I think.

My friend swear by a teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar in her dog's water bowl - she thinks it has really helped her dog's itchy skin.

She’s had a precious bout of itching but the cause was fleas and nothing further was done about it other than additional flea treatment.

We have contested the insurance company but they refused. Animal friends have been completely useless and I wouldn’t use them again.

We have got to 5 and we’ve never had this issue. As soon as we can afford a better quality food we will change her diet but for not there isn’t a lot I can do.

That is the shampoo we have and the only thing we use on her. We could up her baths I suppose

Oh animal friends... yep, they're fairly notorious for not paying out.

Food... you could try yon tails one, they do an offer of a month's food for £1, fill in the form for a bigger dog, lol, that'll give you more of it and I know they do grain free and the meat just chicken, which would at least let you work out if that helps before having to look for new foods.

They're not cheap or amazingly good to switch to long term, but it's an option to see if it is food related.

With food it's not about how expensive they are, a lot of the premium brands have not so great ingredients and the ones that market themselves as cheap brands actually aren't that cheap.

Hi, we have a westie who has had a lot of skin problems that were treated with steroids. We spent loads on vets fees earlier his year and the steroids only worked for so long. While we were on holiday we found a holistic vet who recommended a fish and vegetable diet. Now he is fed Beco fish and veg dry food and lilys kitchen fish supper, both are grain free and natural. Since his diet has changed he has not needed any more steroids and his skin has cleared. No more itching and scratching, which is such a relief because it is horrible to see them being so uncomfortable all the time. Now he has no meat at all, even his treats and chews are made from fish and fish skin.

Good luck with your westie, give fish and veg a try you have nothing to lose.

Meant to say that Beco Cod and Haddock dry food is available from Amazon.

I regularly look after a westie who has many allergies that cause him to scratch and lose hair. He has had allergy testing by his vet. Food makes a huge difference and the only meat he can have is venison, pork and salmon.

The vet would like us to see a dermatologist but at £300 an appointment and it not being covered there is no way we can afford it.

We have been using aldi dog food tbh which is probably the worst out there so maybe that needs changing.

Aside from chicken and veg is there any other packaged foods that are easily purchased that we could try?

Until I lost my job I would buy the trays from
Pets at home that were more natural (can’t remember the name off the top of my head). I can’t afford at the moment to feed her chicken and veg all the time.

I’ve a Scottie and this food (the salmon NOT the beef has been amazing for her skin). The beef smells like you’ve killed your husband and chopped him up in the kitchen !

This raw food is just meat and bone. The pack is 2 days worth so works out at a £1 a day - £30 a month. Arrives frozen, just defrost overnight in the fridge when you need it.

My vet also recommended a salmon oil supplement, I’ve not bought it yet but you can get it off amazon for £12 - it’s an oil so just a tablespoon a day.

This food - duh !

Op you could use allaboutdogfood.co.uk and put in your details which will enable you to search for different foods based on quality, ingredients and importantly cost per day.

I don't have a westie but I do have a Patterdale with similar issues. Hers started with fleas as well but got worse after treatment.

We narrowed it down to allergy to fleas and then a reaction to the flea treatment.

To save yourself some cash can I suggest the following

Bath in the cheapest shampoo (Morrisons value works well)

Combine through with flea comb, use a jug of boiling water to dunk the comb in to kill the little bastards if dog has them

Dry off naturally

Give half an antihistamine every day (hide in cheese) for a few days which will help the itching and try and find a way to stop the nibbling, 2 kids t-shirts works well, one with back legs through arm holes and other with front ones through so the body bit overlaps

Once the skin heals use a mild flea treatment, b&m do one endorsed by rspca and so far my dog hasn't reacted to it.

The flea issue was a long time ago and other than her normal monthly worm and flea treatment she hasn’t had anything else.

I have popped a t shirt on her much to her disgust.

Will check out the pharmacy and go and get better food for her.

Sorry I meant you might find the dog is sensitive to the treatment you are using.

My dog lost all the hair on her back end with front line and bob Martin, vet said it was a reaction to them and to try a milder one.

The knawing at its ski. It down to the itching, antihistamines will help that. Usually for our Patterdale it takes about 3 days to start healing.

Also, just a thought but where does the dog sleep? Mine has a habit of sleeping over the hot water pipes and gets heat rags that she knaws at too!

Apologies, the app is removing paragraphs

This is so useful. Thanks. Have de flead, checked anal glands, he's just itching and itching and itching. We've switched to Lily's kitchen, but will get the Beco salmon and veg. We haven't found Oscars nor Nature's kitchen helpful.

Please please please may I recommend this, non-stinky stuff.
www.stinky-stuff.co.uk/products/dog-non-stinky-trial-pack/

I know it's more money but I have a westie cross that we spent thousands and thousands on steroids, allergy testing and antibiotics. This oil quite literally changed his life in less than a fortnight.
You can mix the oil with the shampoo base for a good wash to start, then apply the oil a couple of times a day and a spoonful in his food. One small pot can last for ages.
I know I sound evangelical but it truly saved my terrier and I know that it has hugely improved things for other dogs I've recommended it too.

Also re food - I highly recommend PURE if you can afford it (dehydrated grain free food you add water to) or nature diet which is also grain free and reasonably priced. I can send you links if you like?

You're on!!