Help!

Hi im new here :-) I rescued a staffy x, he was loosing all hair, skinny as, and also been beaten, he is now in a loving home with me and my kids. And doing a lot better.

I am only on centre link and needing to get his needles and desexed and his scratching under control. But I don't have $500.

I have rang all vets asking if I can do a payment plan, they say no. I have done a vetpay I got rejected (bad credit from when I was younger).

What do I do now?

I don't want to give him up. I love him to bits and so do kids. Any suggestions?.

Thanks in advance :-)

Hi & welcome to the forum  

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Hello and welcome

Good on you for rescuing your canine friend, even though he’s costing more than maintenance on your budget.

How did you acquire him, privately or by a shelter ?
Maybe you could contact local animal shelters, rescue centers and animal charities. If you explain your situation, they might be able to help you knowing that it’s better to help you to keep the dog than risk inheriting your boy as an extra in their kennels to look after and to rehome.

Please do bear in mind that if the scratching is not parasites or some kind of ailment, it can also often be food related so maybe something else to consider.

Good luck and do let us know how you get on

Hi & welcome.

I think you'll have to put neutering on the back shelf for now as that's the most expensive problem and the one that's easiest to deal with.

Regarding the scratching/fur loss, I'd like to ask you a few questions if that's okay?

1. What colour is your dog? Might sound a silly question, but may be relevant.
2. What food does he have?
3. Does he have fleas/ticks?
4. What does the skin look like in the fur loss areas?

Hi and welcome from me and mine

Well done on your rescue, it sounds like he was badly in need.

If you can't find help, then I would say to separate out what you need to do (address the itching) from what you probably should do at some time (vaccinating and neutering). They can wait if you can't afford it.

Itching can be caused by various things - allergies are high on the list but stress and a generally low system can also be factors. I would start by putting him on hypoallergenic diet and just giving him time (how long have you had him now?). If you haven't, I'd also make sure he's had a parasite treatment.

Keep a diary of how he responds to different things. Does he itch more or less if you change his food (don't do that more than once every couple of weeks)? Do any plants trigger a reaction? Pay attention to small details and look for patterns.

I'd see how that goes for a good 2-3 months, maybe more, as itching can take time to subside and dogs can sometimes itch simply through habit.

In the meantime, start putting aside whatever you can towards the other things and just be careful of any in season bitches!

(cross posted with Gilly, but in agreement!)

I think the advice above is spot on.

Hi & Welcome to the Forum from Flo and me

Please talk to us - we really want to help you.

The first thing to do is get the skin issue under control, dont worry about the needles and balls til then.