Scratching a lot!

j_hattingh

Good Morning all, I am a new user and just wanted to say Hi before I start with all of my questions.

I am the proud owner of a beautiful black & white bull terrier boy, he is 29 weeks old and very much loved.
The thing is he is scratching a lot and has got "bold" spots on his belly from constantly scratching.
I took him to the vet, we took a skin sample to check for mites but nothing showed. I then gave him some meds that the
vet prescribed ( antibiotics, cortisone & antihistamine ) and the scratching stopped for as long as the meds lasted. 
About a week and then he stared scratching again. 

What can I do to stop this scratching? I was told that it might be his food, but I'm feeding Cyrus The Hills Science plan 
for medium breed and it is a good quality food.

Please help!

Thank you!

PS: Sorry I posted in the activity feed

BulliesofNC

@j_hattingh - Welcome to the Forum!

First off, I would recommend switching his food. Hills Science Plan does not make a high quality food in any of their brands. They are receiving a 3 out of 5 star in nutritional value. http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/hills-science-diet-dog-food-adult-dry/

My advice would be to switch him to a 5 star Grain free food. I use Victor but there are many other excellent choices. One thing you will realize soon is that this breed does not do good on foods containing grain.

I would also suggest providing him a supplement to boost his immune system and keep him healthy as can be. I use a product called NuVet and I absolutely love the difference it makes. http://bulliesofnc.com/online-store/supplements-vitamins/

Vets are very quick to prescribe costly medications when they have no idea what is causing skin problems and allergies. The skin scraping tests your vet performed is only good for testing for mange mites. However, a specialist can conduct a much better test that can pin point the problem in the event you are unable to get your Bullie's skin condition under control.

philsergeant

Welcome. I knew you were from South Africa the second I saw your surname, or should I say your "van". We have been getting quiet a few SA members, that's great! Steve is right on with the grain free... Besides his suggestions I'd also suggest you check him for high yeast levels (Red between his toes is a strong sign) and also wash him with a lightly medicated shampoo (I just buy regular large size budget human shampoo and put in a dozen drops of tea tree oil and a dozen drops of Penny Royal and shake it up well)... avoid the eyes and wash him at least twice a month, more if he gets in the wild like ours do. Please give us feedback and photos!

j_hattingh

@ BulliesofNC thank you for the advice!  I have been doing some searching on the web for a grain free dry food and haven't had much luck yet.  I did find a brand called Orijen but I must admit it is quite pricey. Then I found Montego but I am not so sure about the quality and it contains cereals and if I'm not mistaken that's the same thing as grains. I have been reading about the raw diet, would that be okay?  I only want my boy to be healthy and happy but he is still young and growing..

@philsergeant hey! I didn't think Id be finding our mother language here! "dis nou 'n lekker verrassing"

Cyrus does get very pink especially when its hot and summer has just come so I think his "allergy" might flare up.  Sometimes he gets a bit of dandruff (if I may put it that way).  Will coconut oil help?  He loves water and bath time is an absolute party (for him that is, I am soaking wet by the time we are done) and keeping him from water is a bit difficult.

Thanks for all the feedback! I really appreciate it and I'm sure with your help I'll get his skin situation sorted.

j_hattingh

j_hattingh

philsergeant

He's beautiful and Orijien is great (You'll just have to go without all that Biltong man!)... :-).... You can slowly add raw meat, or cooked chicken, (dark meat is best)... But I found you have to start walking the line between how much good food costs per pound (Or Rands per Kilo)... Typically meat costs more than good GF kibble

j_hattingh

Thank you! I am very proud of him! (I must say he loves biltong I have to sneak away from him if I don't want to share ) ) When I got him at 6 weeks of age the lady gave him cooked chicken and some livers mixed with Dr Hanz and he was fine.  The scratching started when he was about 21 weeks old.  I'll do some math and see how I am to go about the feeding and the brand of food. But for now i think I have do some some more searching for a good GF kibble