4 month old blue staffy allergies or something else?

I have a 4 month old blue staffy named Zion. He came from a very reputable breeder & is AKC registered. We flew to Dallas Texas on 11/15 when he was 8 weeks to pick him up and bring him back home to South eastern florida. Around 12/21 a little over a month after being home in Florida & just a little over 3 months old I saw some areas where his hair had completely fallen out and you could see little circles of his skin. (I have pictures but I’m on my phone & have to get on the computer tomorrow to try and see how to add them to this post) I thought it was strange but just kept an eye on them, around 12/26 there were more areas like this on the back of his head and on 12/28 the poor little guy had what seemed to be hives (raised bumps) on the left side of the back of his head/ear going down his neck. I contacted the vet the next day and they had an opening so in we went. They said it looked like an allergic reaction to something environmental. I asked about possible demodex mange and he said that what we have given Zion for flea/tick prevention (or maybe he said heart prevention) is what would be given for demodex mange so that wouldn’t be the case.  They gave him a shot of cytopoint (allergy shot), an immune boosting shot, said to give him Benadryl 3 x daily & gave us zymox shampoo to bathe him every 2 days. So we did that. Once the areas scabbed, dried and came off he was left with those little circular areas of missing hair. He had another hives attack on 1/3/23 but it was pretty much down his back/spine area. He went to the vet on 1/4/23 and they gave him another cytopoint shot, changed the shampoo to “calm” and still said it seems to be environmental allergies as he wasn’t itching his ears & butt and that’s typically what they see in cases when it’s a food allergy. They also said that it can take up to 3 cytopoint (allergy) injections for it to fully help. I inquired on allergy testing & the doctor said that he wouldn’t recommend it for a four-month-old puppy as they can have an allergy to some thing now and four months later, not be allergic to the same thing. Obviously I did my research and found information on CAD (color dilution alopecia) I contacted the breeder and she stated that she had not had any dogs with CAD up to this point, so if that were the case he would be the first but it would be highly unlikely. Also when we got him he was a blue/lavender color & now his hair has seemed to turn brown & in the areas where he’s been having the issues his hair looks almost black. His ears itch here & there so I use an ear cleaning solution from the vet for a few days after he’s been itching, tends to gnaw on his leg/hip and “fleas” his tail. It’s been getting weirdly cold in Florida so the vet also said it could be from that so suggested I used Zymox leave-in-conditioner. His skin/hair feels dry & course on his back & you can even see areas of dandruff come off. I’ve been bathing him every 2 days with the calm, putting on the leave-in-conditioner, Benadryl 3 x day and the hives still keep coming. Has ANYONE experienced anything of this sort with their staffy? Blue staffy? Puppy staffy? My heart breaks for him! I’ve contemplated putting turf grass down to see if it’s our grass doing it, possibly putting the turf grass inside to see if it’s airborne allergens. Feel like I should change the laundry detergent to an organic all free one & putting him on a hypoallergenic diet. I REFUSE to let this poor baby live his entire life dealing with this. So PLEASE if you have had any similar experiences, advice, suggestions, anything, please help us so I can figure out what’s going on with baby Zion the lion and he can enjoy his puppyhood without all of this unnecessary stuff!

And then this is what’s been going on down his back. You can see the coarse hair, hair loss & almost black stripe down his back. And the pictures of his head are from this morning, so that’s still healing. Still getting hive bumps each day down his back

Ouch, poor little pup …
Don’t have a blue so not had these direct problems but here are a few thoughts.

Does your pup have alot of “blue bred to blue” in his breeding ?
This can often increase the likelihood of CAD.
What are you feeding and is this the food the breeder was giving ?
My Nifty became intolerant to chicken and eggs (though older than 4 months) and her symptoms were repeated ear infections, anal gland issues with bottom itching and bad skin/coat.

Personally I am not a fan of washing dogs and it certainly seems to me that your little one is being washed much too often, he cannot establish the natural balance of oils for his skin and coat. I am not a veterinarian and I understand that this is a treatment that has been prescribed but dry itchy skin does not help to calm an itch, however how much conditioner you apply.

I see you are considering environmental allergens but it’s better to remove one at a time to identify those really participating, or not, to the issues you are facing. However that will take time to see effect on Zion thus potentially prolonging his uncomfort.

As you are washing him every 2 days, have you considered trying to avoid the grassy area for a few days and see if any change ? You can also rinse or wipe him down (without washing) after each grass contact to see if it helps.
What about weeds or other particular plants that might be in your garden ?

Do you have other pets at home and is Zion in contact with them at all ?
Have you noticed any pattern in routine vs hive outbreak ?
Aside skin issues and gnawing (which can also be behavioral related), has he shown any other changes in how he behaves ?

Sorry for so many questions

Just seen the photos, he’s gorgeous btw !

Where does he sleep ? What bedding does he have ?

I have noticed that all my pups went through a “bad hair” period when they were losing baby teeth/setting ears so hoping this might be part if what you are seeing with Zion.

Nifty staffy wrote:Ouch, poor little pup …
Don’t have a blue so not had these direct problems but here are a few thoughts.

Does your pup have alot of “blue bred to blue” in his breeding ?
This can often increase the likelihood of CAD.
What are you feeding and is this the food the breeder was giving ?
My Nifty became intolerant to chicken and eggs (though older then 4 months) and her symptoms were repeated ear infections, anal gland issues with bottom itching and bad skin/coat.

Personally I am not a fan of washing dogs and it certainly seems to me that your little one is being washed much too often, he cannot establish the natural balance of oils for his skin and coat. I am not a veterinarian and I understand that this is a treatment that has been prescribed but dry itchy skin does not help to calm an itch, however how much conditioner you apply.

I see you are considering environmental allergens but it’s better to remove one at a time to identify those really participating, or not, to the issues you are facing. However that will take time to see effect on Zion thus potentially prolonging his uncomfort.

As you are washing him every 2 days, have you considered trying to avoid the grassy area for a few days and see if any change ? You can also rinse or wipe him down (without washing) after each grass contact to see if it helps.
What about weeds or other particular plants that might be in your garden ?

Do you have other pets at home and is Zion in contact with them at all ?
Have you noticed any pattern in routine vs hive outbreak ?
Aside skin issues and gnawing (which can also be behavioral related), has he shown any other changes in how he behaves ?

Sorry for so many questions

Don’t be sorry!! I’m thankful for you even replying lol

I looked at his family tree as well as spoke to the breeder and her reply was “I don't have any history of cda in my lines. Hair loss can be from hundreds of different things and I'm not a vet, nor do I have eyes on your pup. So I can only give you my best guess from bad pictures. But if he has CDA, he'd be the first one I've ever produced that I know of. And I really doubt that is the case.” She’s very reputable so I believe her. I also asked the vet and he’s sure that it is an environmental allergy.

We fed him what she did for a little bit and then switched him to farmers dog food. I previously had a mixed bull terrier and she was allergic to anything red so that was one of my first questions. The vet said the things that are happening are not typical for food allergies. But I am still not going to completely rule it out. Should I just switch him back to the puppy food he originally was getting fed?

I agree about the washing so frequently especially for a puppy. It’s just hard to go against what a vet is suggesting. I have been looking at turf grass to put out on our patio and just have him use that for a week or so and see if that helps. I’m sure there are different types of weeds that have popped up in different places in our yard. The argument from my boyfriend is that a dog should be allowed to go outside. But at what cost? He still will be outside if using a turf area on the patio, it will just let us know if it’s him actually contacting with the grass and/or weeds that is causing this reaction. I’m actually going to order some turf grass after I’m done replying to you & try it out. I’ll give him 1 bath before I start him with the grass so any allergens from the grass will be completely gone & see if that makes a difference.

Zion is an only pet-child lol my parents dogs come over from time to time but that’s it. He’s getting his last vaccination shot on Thursday so I haven’t let him around other dogs.

I wrote a time-line of everything such as him coming home, changing his food, implementing treats, he also started training because she’s going to be a service dog & some of the training is outside, changes in laundry detergent, etc. The closest correlation I have found is 1. When the temperature drops and we have to turn the heat on and 2. The hive breakouts happening 2-4 days after training sessions. The farmers dog food has 3 different types of food that have different meat & veggies so I don’t remember exactly which ones were fed on which days.

Not much changes in behavior other than normal puppy behavior for his age.

I’m going to go back to all free & clear laundry detergent (accidentally ordered a scented one), go back to his puppy food & just use that for his treats. Get turf grass for the patio & have him use that for a week or so and see if the hive break outs stop. Since you’ve now heard everything lol any different suggestions?

Nifty staffy wrote:Ouch, poor little pup …
Don’t have a blue so not had these direct problems but here are a few thoughts.

Does your pup have alot of “blue bred to blue” in his breeding ?
This can often increase the likelihood of CAD.
What are you feeding and is this the food the breeder was giving ?
My Nifty became intolerant to chicken and eggs (though older then 4 months) and her symptoms were repeated ear infections, anal gland issues with bottom itching and bad skin/coat.

Personally I am not a fan of washing dogs and it certainly seems to me that your little one is being washed much too often, he cannot establish the natural balance of oils for his skin and coat. I am not a veterinarian and I understand that this is a treatment that has been prescribed but dry itchy skin does not help to calm an itch, however how much conditioner you apply.

I see you are considering environmental allergens but it’s better to remove one at a time to identify those really participating, or not, to the issues you are facing. However that will take time to see effect on Zion thus potentially prolonging his uncomfort.

As you are washing him every 2 days, have you considered trying to avoid the grassy area for a few days and see if any change ? You can also rinse or wipe him down (without washing) after each grass contact to see if it helps.
What about weeds or other particular plants that might be in your garden ?

Do you have other pets at home and is Zion in contact with them at all ?
Have you noticed any pattern in routine vs hive outbreak ?
Aside skin issues and gnawing (which can also be behavioral related), has he shown any other changes in how he behaves ?

Sorry for so many questions

Don’t be sorry!! I’m thankful for you even replying lol

I looked at his family tree as well as spoke to the breeder and her reply was “I don't have any history of cda in my lines. Hair loss can be from hundreds of different things and I'm not a vet, nor do I have eyes on your pup. So I can only give you my best guess from bad pictures. But if he has CDA, he'd be the first one I've ever produced that I know of. And I really doubt that is the case.” She’s very reputable so I believe her. I also asked the vet and he’s sure that it is an environmental allergy.

We fed him what she did for a little bit and then switched him to farmers dog food. I previously had a mixed bull terrier and she was allergic to anything red so that was one of my first questions. The vet said the things that are happening are not typical for food allergies. But I am still not going to completely rule it out. Should I just switch him back to the puppy food he originally was getting fed?

I agree about the washing so frequently especially for a puppy. It’s just hard to go against what a vet is suggesting. I have been looking at turf grass to put out on our patio and just have him use that for a week or so and see if that helps. I’m sure there are different types of weeds that have popped up in different places in our yard. The argument from my boyfriend is that a dog should be allowed to go outside. But at what cost? He still will be outside if using a turf area on the patio, it will just let us know if it’s him actually contacting with the grass and/or weeds that is causing this reaction. I’m actually going to order some turf grass after I’m done replying to you & try it out. I’ll give him 1 bath before I start him with the grass so any allergens from the grass will be completely gone & see if that makes a difference.

Zion is an only pet-child lol my parents dogs come over from time to time but that’s it. He’s getting his last vaccination shot on Thursday so I haven’t let him around other dogs.

I wrote a time-line of everything such as him coming home, changing his food, implementing treats, he also started training because she’s going to be a service dog & some of the training is outside, changes in laundry detergent, etc. The closest correlation I have found is 1. When the temperature drops and we have to turn the heat on and 2. The hive breakouts happening 2-4 days after training sessions. The farmers dog food has 3 different types of food that have different meat & veggies so I don’t remember exactly which ones were fed on which days.

Not much changes in behavior other than normal puppy behavior for his age.

I’m going to go back to all free & clear laundry detergent (accidentally ordered a scented one), go back to his puppy food & just use that for his treats. Get turf grass for the patio & have him use that for a week or so and see if the hive break outs stop. Since you’ve now heard everything lol any different suggestions?

Nifty staffy wrote:Just seen the photos, he’s gorgeous btw !

Where does he sleep ? What bedding does he have ?

I have noticed that all my pups went through a “bad hair” period when they were losing baby teeth/setting ears so hoping this might be part if what you are seeing with Zion.

He is freaking adorable!! He sleeps in the bed with us, hence why I mentioned changing the detergent and he has a bed in the living room for if he wants to nap/hang out on it.

When your puppies went through that bad hair. Did they itch and break out in hives? And what are setting ears? Lol.

What a handsome boy!

I'm going to sound argumentative now (apologies), but I don't care how 'reputable' the breeder is, if she's constantly breeding blue to blue then 1) She's not all that reputable and 2) She must, at some time,have seen CDA in pups she's bred - unless, of course, she's a fairly new breeder.

CDA is a fact & is more prevalent in dogs whose parents were both blue.

I'm not, however, saying that's what your pup has! Normally (and we all know that nature doesn't always follow the rules), a dog with CDA will develope toughened skin in the hair loss areas. Unfortunately this can take weeks to become apparent.

Hopefully this is environmental or food related & it will sort itself out over time.

Can you think of anything in your house that may trigger an allergic response? Cleaning items/perfumes/air fresheners?

Farmers dog food is that fresh food, a mix of human grade meat and veg ?
If so, I had also looked at a similar system for my girls but was wondering about the additives/supplements to add to each meal.
What was your breeder feeding ?
What treats are you using ?

I agree that dogs should have access to the big outdoors but it’s not supposed to be uncomfortable for them.
Maybe a selective weed killer or fencing off access to certain plants could be options. My Tigress’s breeder had also bought artificial turf but I think (hope?) that it was because of heatwave and no grass growing.

Temperature drop + heating will reduce ambiant humidity which will irritate dry skin even more (you should see my hands in winter !)
Where do your training sessions take place ?
I remember my Opium breaking out in hives a couple of times, just need to remember reason and cure - I’ll get back to you on that one !

Just thinking about dry skin - have you considered adding oil (salmon, coconut, sardine, etc) to the feed to help his skin ?
My girls get premium kibble (different for each) and I always add a little something to keep it varied and fun (Nifty is very fussy).
It can be grated cheese, dried fish, tinned sardines in virgin olive oil, blueberries, mixed with premium tinned food, chopped ham, spoon of yoghurt, …

Detergent could be a strong contender so hope you see a difference when you switch. You might not need to go to neutral/bio/sensitive but just switching brands can make the difference.

Setting ears is going from floppy labrador ears to the rose ears  
My girls didn’t get hives but had rough dull coats.

Just had a thought. What if the allergy is something in the feed ? One of the ingredients or in the vitamin supplement you have to add ?
My Nifty is also intolerant to raspberries (strawberries ok) so I have to watch out.

Let us know how you get on and I’ll keep thinking on my side.

Caryll2 wrote:What a handsome boy!

I'm going to sound argumentative now (apologies), but I don't care how 'reputable' the breeder is, if she's constantly breeding blue to blue then 1) She's not all that reputable and 2) She must, at some time,have seen CDA in pups she's bred - unless, of course, she's a fairly new breeder.

CDA is a fact & is more prevalent in dogs whose parents were both blue.

I'm not, however, saying that's what your pup has! Normally (and we all know that nature doesn't always follow the rules), a dog with CDA will develope toughened skin in the hair loss areas. Unfortunately this can take weeks to become apparent.

Hopefully this is environmental or food related & it will sort itself out over time.

Can you think of anything in your house that may trigger an allergic response? Cleaning items/perfumes/air fresheners?

You don’t sound argumentative!!l if I showed you his family trees would you be able to tell if cda could be a possibility? His hair color is changing too. He’s not blue anymore, he’s turning Brendel for sure. Brown, some little areas that look blonde & then the black areas where the hair loss is. I love Zion regardless of the color he is but since his color is changing can it still be related to cda? Not sure if you have Facebook but the page name is Wild Blue Staffords. If you wouldn’t mind taking a look and giving me your opinion on possible CDA I would appreciate that a lot.

Honestly, I am very sensitive to a lot of scented things so there hasn’t been any candles or air fresheners or anything like that. As for cleaning products, not all have completely changed, some of them, I changed to an organic hypo allergenic brand for myself and it’s safe for pets as well.

Nifty staffy wrote:Farmers dog food is that fresh food, a mix of human grade meat and veg ?
If so, I had also looked at a similar system for my girls but was wondering about the additives/supplements to add to each meal.
What was your breeder feeding ?
What treats are you using ?

I agree that dogs should have access to the big outdoors but it’s not supposed to be uncomfortable for them.
Maybe a selective weed killer or fencing off access to certain plants could be options. My Tigress’s breeder had also bought artificial turf but I think (hope?) that it was because of heatwave and no grass growing.

Temperature drop + heating will reduce ambiant humidity which will irritate dry skin even more (you should see my hands in winter !)
Where do your training sessions take place ?
I remember my Opium breaking out in hives a couple of times, just need to remember reason and cure - I’ll get back to you on that one !

Just thinking about dry skin - have you considered adding oil (salmon, coconut, sardine, etc) to the feed to help his skin ?
My girls get premium kibble (different for each) and I always add a little something to keep it varied and fun (Nifty is very fussy).
It can be grated cheese, dried fish, tinned sardines in virgin olive oil, blueberries, mixed with premium tinned food, chopped ham, spoon of yoghurt, …

Detergent could be a strong contender so hope you see a difference when you switch. You might not need to go to neutral/bio/sensitive but just switching brands can make the difference.

Setting ears is going from floppy labrador ears to the rose ears  
My girls didn’t get hives but had rough dull coats.

Just had a thought. What if the allergy is something in the feed ? One of the ingredients or in the vitamin supplement you have to add ?
My Nifty is also intolerant to raspberries (strawberries ok) so I have to watch out.

Let us know how you get on and I’ll keep thinking on my side.

Yes, it is made with human grade food. I don’t think many preservatives are put in it at all as it is shipped and a dry ice container and Has to be kept frozen until the day before getting fed to the dog and has a maximum shelflife, even in the freezer.

I am going to order the turf grass to use on the patio and if that is the answer to all of this, then I will get an entire area of my yard just turf grass so he can go outside. My patio is outside so he can still see the sun and sniff the air Just isn’t physically outside on the grass.

He came from Dallas, Texas and it gets pretty cold there but I am pretty sure they have a “breeding facility” which sounds so impersonal, but I would assume to regulate the temperature in there. They would also have to use some type of heat. Just not 100% sure. The humidity in Florida is usually high but we have definitely had points where it is super cold and noticeably less humid, and I also know turning on the heat can cause dry skin. I assumed part of the issue was because of that but I don’t think that it would cause actual hives, right?

He does get organic coconut oil in his food. I was using salmon oil too, but didn’t know if it was the cause of this, so stopped it for now.

I honestly need to go back to that laundry detergent anyways because the scent of the new one gives me migraines and any fabrics I wear that it’s been washed and makes me itchy.

It could 100% be something that is in the food, even though the vet 100% thinks that it’s an environmental allergy, so we’re going to pause that food and have him eat what he was eating as a puppy, which is Iams puppy food (not a huge fan, but he seemed fine when he was eating that). really just trying to get him back to the basics before any of this came about. If you figure out what was the cause and how you corrected it with your dog that would be awesome. He had hives so bad this afternoon that you could visibly see the bumps and after a bath, more hair fell out. I’m also going to reach back out to the breeder because I think that it is really weird that she’s never heard of anything like this with any of her own dogs or puppies that she has sold

I've had a quick look at Wild Blue Staffords. A couple of alarm bells.

Again, I'm not saying she breeds unhealthy dogs - she does the necessary minimum health tests, which is good.

But. She breeds purely blues. Blues are VERY popular & so easy to sell at quite high prices. So she's a money breeder.

Also I notice that as soon as her bitches are past breeding age they are spayed (good) and rehomed. So they're not pets or loved family members, they're her money making business schemes.

Neither of the above make her a 'bad' breeder, but certainly not one I would look twice at! To be honest, I wouldn't bother going back to her about it, as you'll make her defensive & that won't help anyone.

However, that doesn't help you. Your pup is, by the sound of it, already a family member & whatever went before won't change anything from now on.

As he sounds like a blue brindle, I'm less inclined to think along the lines of CDA & more along the lines of allergies - the way, for example, a lot of white dogs are prone to allergies etc.

I know your vet isn't convinced by food allergy, but you can't rule it out. One of the biggest food intolerances is poultry, chicken mainly but can be all poultry. Another is wheat. Both these are widely used in most of the top brand commercial foods.

Either way, I think you're going to have to try an elimination routine. So, no perfumed or harsh cleaners/air fresheners etc. Bedding cleaned in a baby washing solution (Fairy or similar) weekly. Every time he comes in from outside wipe him down with a warm, damp paper towel, especially feet, back & tummy.

If he tolerates the Iams, keep him on it for a short while (never thought I'd hear myself say that!), but look at the full list of ingredients. Once his stomach is settled you can look to gradually swapping to a better food. Try to go for one that's poultry & wheat free. Maybe a lamb or rabbit based one? Make sure it's suitable for your pup's age.

I don't like going against vets' advice, but that amount of washing seems excessive & could be adding to the problem. Maybe skip a couple of baths & see what happens?

N.B.

I don't know if you can get either of the following in the USA , but they might be worth trying if you can...

Stinky Stuff
NUTRIPAW

Both do things for skin ailments/allergies. Even if you can't get them in the US, you could try contacting them for advice.

Caryll2 wrote:I've had a quick look at Wild Blue Staffords. A couple of alarm bells.

Again, I'm not saying she breeds unhealthy dogs - she does the necessary minimum health tests, which is good.

But. She breeds purely blues. Blues are VERY popular & so easy to sell at quite high prices. So she's a money breeder.

Also I notice that as soon as her bitches are past breeding age they are spayed (good) and rehomed. So they're not pets or loved family members, they're her money making business schemes.

Neither of the above make her a 'bad' breeder, but certainly not one I would look twice at! To be honest, I wouldn't bother going back to her about it, as you'll make her defensive & that won't help anyone.

However, that doesn't help you. Your pup is, by the sound of it, already a family member & whatever went before won't change anything from now on.

As he sounds like a blue brindle, I'm less inclined to think along the lines of CDA & more along the lines of allergies - the way, for example, a lot of white dogs are prone to allergies etc.

I know your vet isn't convinced by food allergy, but you can't rule it out. One of the biggest food intolerances is poultry, chicken mainly but can be all poultry. Another is wheat. Both these are widely used in most of the top brand commercial foods.

Either way, I think you're going to have to try an elimination routine. So, no perfumed or harsh cleaners/air fresheners etc. Bedding cleaned in a baby washing solution (Fairy or similar) weekly. Every time he comes in from outside wipe him down with a warm, damp paper towel, especially feet, back & tummy.

If he tolerates the Iams, keep him on it for a short while (never thought I'd hear myself say that!), but look at the full list of ingredients. Once his stomach is settled you can look to gradually swapping to a better food. Try to go for one that's poultry & wheat free. Maybe a lamb or rabbit based one? Make sure it's suitable for your pup's age.

I don't like going against vets' advice, but that amount of washing seems excessive & could be adding to the problem. Maybe skip a couple of baths & see what happens?

N.B.

I don't know if you can get either of the following in the USA , but they might be worth trying if you can...

Stinky Stuff
NUTRIPAW

Both do things for skin ailments/allergies. Even if you can't get them in the US, you could try contacting them for advice.

Warning: this is a long post BUT it gets super interesting at the end so please read the entire thing!!

I cannot thank you enough for your help and advice. I made the mistake of going to her for advice, and she was extremely defensive and rude. I did always see on her page about rehoming dogs, but I didn’t realize it was dogs that were being used for breeding purposes. When I conversed with her last night through text messages, she said that all of her dogs are pets and they’re sitting right next to her as she was texting me and the pups are kept in a room in her house. But  honestly who even knows the truth.

Yes, he definitely seems to be turning Brendel but last night she sent me a picture of some of his siblings and they’re actually still all blue. I don’t care if my dog turns the color purple. He’s still my baby. Definitely a member of the family.

I agree with you on it possibly being a food allergy. Previously I had a mixed bull terrier and we found out she was allergic to anything red. Red food dye, catch-up, tomatoes, etc. and she would break out in hives. She didn’t lose the hair the same way Zion is but showed a lot of the same symptoms. The breeder recommended Purina pro plan, sensitive stomach and skin. I haven’t had a chance to look at all of the ingredients yet, but it is salmon and rice. I just get weary of big companies like that because they’re out to make money, and they put a lot of garbage in their food. I am assuming that you don’t live in the United States, which is probably great for you. Our country doesn’t care what these companies put in dog food or human food. They’re just paid off by the companies so there’s garbage in the majority of stuff you buy. At least other countries care about their citizens and don’t allow all of these toxic things to be put into dog food and human food. Saying that I know dog food sold in other countries and dog food sold in the United States are produced by completely different companies. Do you happen to know of any dog food that is sold in the states that you would recommend? Or even one that is sold where you live and I can try to find a dog food with similar ingredients.

Every time he comes inside from being outside, I use baby wipes to wipe his paws his face his PP and his booty lol I just don’t think that is effective enough. I am buying turf grass today and going to have him use it on the patio as his party area for a while to see if all of this calms down. That would at least tell me if it’s the grass or anything on the grass or any weeds, etc. As for the bathing I think it’s excessive as well because his skin isn’t producing the oils it needs. I will stop the baths so frequently. Do you recommend once a week? And also what type of shampoo would you suggest for his situation? I will discontinue the use of any scented products used in the house completely. Also in the states I have never heard of that baby laundry detergent. Do you know of any other ones I could possibly be in the states? I am very sensitive to fragrances and any detergent that isn’t die free, scent free, etc. So I would gladly use that baby detergent on everything I washed lol.

I haven’t heard of stinky stuff or Nutripaw but there’s so many things out there that I’ve never heard of so I will definitely look these up. I sent  the breede the pictures and she said she didn’t even see an issue, which looks are deceiving in pictures, but if you saw it in the sunlight, you would 100% see exactly what I’m explaining. She said “ If this were MY dog and there was clearly a skin/coat issue (I really can't tell from pics) these are the changes I would make:
-Switch the dog to Purina Pro Plan sensitive skin and stomach SALMON
-Add a supplement called K9 Power Show Stopper
-Fish oil
-Vitamin E
-bathe in Fresh N clean original shampoo (orange color) once per week-NO MORE!! Too much bathing can cause dry skin.

And I would give this enough TIME to help or see change. Months, no days or weeks. You've changed so many things and given so many things to him medically I find it hard to believe that his young baby system isn't just completely overwhelmed.” How do you feel about those recommended products? As you can see at the end of what she said, I find it hard to believe that his young baby system isn’t completely overwhelmed, I have only been doing with the Vet had suggested. The vet I take him to also does Chinese medicine for dogs, so I typically do what he suggest because he prefers holistic approaches, but maybe what he is doing is too much. I am not a vet, so this is all new to me. she also said that she would gladly take him back and would refund the full fee, even though in her contract, it says that there will be no refunds whatsoever, and to let her know when we will be flying up there so she can meet us at the airport and get the dog. Clearly wasn’t reaching out to return the puppy whatsoever. I would die of heartbreak if this dog wasn’t around. Then she proceeded to tell me, “ You literally said in your post that refuse to let him live like this and what if you can't fix it? What if he is allergic to your environment? How is it fair to keep him there? None of the other puppies are having issues from that litter at all.”  Yes, I refuse to let him live like this. If it’s the grass, I’ll rip up the grass in the backyard and get turf grass, if it’s some thing in the house or around the house that I cannot change then we will be moving, whatever it takes to ensure that he will live his best life possible. She made me feel absolutely horrible and made me feel selfish if I kept Zion. Sorry for venting. I was just in shock of how rude she was and the things she was saying to me.

To be completely raw and open, in February 2020, my boyfriend at the time was trying to commit suicide with a 45 caliber gun. I was trying to stop him, and in all of the chaos, he accidentally shot me in the face and committed suicide. My dog Nala was still alive and witnessed the entire event. Her and I were extremely close because my best friend that I lived with, her dogs had puppies, and Nala was one of them, so I literally watched her be born and we lived together for her entire life. When she was eight, they found a cancerous tumor in her intestines, so she had to have surgery and chemotherapy. The chemo therapy gave her heart issues so she was on a bunch of medication daily. She had been with me every step of the way through every trouble time in my life since I was 18. To say the least I was extremely devastated after she passed. Her passing was peaceful, and it was her time to go, but I didn’t even know who I was without her and I was clearly still going through a lot of surgeries, health issues, emotions, depression, anxiety, PTSD, etc. I didn’t realize how much of a support system she was until she passed away. I gave myself time to grieve, and then decided to get a puppy. I fell in love with English Stafford’s because their eyes just look so kind and loving. And I knew this breed would be the one that I needed to help me and become not only my best friend but also my service dog. This breeder was aware of the entire situation and why I was getting the puppy so for her to be this rude is just evil. Absolutely no compassion, empathy, or even help throughout Zion going through this.

Sorry for the novel, I just wanted to give the entire picture of what has happened in my life and how much Zion means to me. I am determined to do anything I can for him to stop going through this and I really really appreciate your help, suggestions, thoughts and ideas. I feel heard, supported and not alone. So from the bottom of my heart thank you guys so much for everything this far.

What a rotten time you've had!

Don't despair - I'm sure with a bit of time & perseverance you'll sort Zion's problems.

Re: the washing powder - any non perfumed baby powder/liquid will do fine. Try not to use baby wipes as they may contain chemicals (even if they're mild) that could irritate. Just use paper towels dampened with warm water, or even slightly salted water - salt can be very soothing. You could try massaging a tiny amount of coconut oil into the affected areas of his skin to replace his skin's natural oils.

Food wise, I'm not very 'up' on what's available in the US, and although I'm not keen on Purina, if he does well on it then use it, at least until you've got his skin back to normal.

I haven't heard of the supplement she suggested, but I'll have a quick look...

Okay, it looks good, but is only suitable from 6 months, so not much use to you yet. It's also quite high in chicken, so IF there's a poultry intolerance it won't help.

Shampoo-wise, I would stick with the vet-prescribed one for now, but no more than once a week.

I don't know if I already asked, but does he scratch a lot? Do the lumps/bumps irritate him?

Nifty staffy wrote:

I have noticed that all my pups went through a “bad hair” period when they were losing baby teeth/setting ears so hoping this might be part if what you are seeing with Zion.

You know, I was just thinking about 'puppy acne'. It's certainly possible - weird things happen during teething!

Caryll2 wrote:What a rotten time you've had!

Don't despair - I'm sure with a bit of time & perseverance you'll sort Zion's problems.

Re: the washing powder - any non perfumed baby powder/liquid will do fine. Try not to use baby wipes as they may contain chemicals (even if they're mild) that could irritate. Just use paper towels dampened with warm water, or even slightly salted water - salt can be very soothing. You could try massaging a tiny amount of coconut oil into the affected areas of his skin to replace his skin's natural oils.

Food wise, I'm not very 'up' on what's available in the US, and although I'm not keen on Purina, if he does well on it then use it, at least until you've got his skin back to normal.

I haven't heard of the supplement she suggested, but I'll have a quick look...

Okay, it looks good, but is only suitable from 6 months, so not much use to you yet. It's also quite high in chicken, so IF there's a poultry intolerance it won't help.

Shampoo-wise, I would stick with the vet-prescribed one for now, but no more than once a week.

I don't know if I already asked, but does he scratch a lot? Do the lumps/bumps irritate him?

I actually spoke with his vet yesterday. We’re going to put him on a hypoallergenic diet. IT’s prescription dog food that breaks everything down so it is way easier for them to digest. The vet also did say that chicken is one of the major causes of food allergies so yeah I’m going to stay away from that.

I looked up hypoallergenic dye free non scented sensitive skin laundry detergent and found some approve by the American Association for eczema. And read an article talking about what you need to look for such as certifications on the laundry detergent. Because even tide free and clear, and all of the other main brand laundry, detergents that say, they’re for sensitive skin hypoallergenic have irritant in their ingredients. And the comment about the baby wipes 100% makes sense! Last night I wiped him down with a warm wash cloth and he seemed to like it. But we took him on the boat last weekend and the salt water 100% helped so that’s a good idea to wipe him with that.

The vet agreed with what we were saying, have him use turf grass in the patio to rule out grass, do the hypoallergenic food diet to rule out food allergy, use hypoallergenic laundry detergent with everything (which I need to use for myself anyway) and keep track of how his skin is from that time. I’m getting the house deep cleaned next week with non scented hypoallergenic cleaning products too so that will rule out and little dust mites or anything causing it.

As far as the coconut oil I used to put it on his skin, I have an organic oil form, and I also give him a teaspoon in his food but what if he’s allergic to that?!

And yes he’s an itchy boy. He puts his hip/leg like in his mouth and bites a little, does the same thing with his foot/leg, itches at his ears and even rubs his back against the couch to itch it. Poor little baby.

Caryll2 wrote:

Nifty staffy wrote:

I have noticed that all my pups went through a “bad hair” period when they were losing baby teeth/setting ears so hoping this might be part if what you are seeing with Zion.

You know, I was just thinking about 'puppy acne'. It's certainly possible - weird things happen during teething!

What the heck is puppy acne?!

Nikki_m0 wrote:

Caryll2 wrote:

Nifty staffy wrote:

I have noticed that all my pups went through a “bad hair” period when they were losing baby teeth/setting ears so hoping this might be part if what you are seeing with Zion.

You know, I was just thinking about 'puppy acne'. It's certainly possible - weird things happen during teething!

What the heck is puppy acne?!

It's a bit like with kids - the skin, as it grows & matures, can't always cope with life & so you get acne! With kids it tends to be horrid red spots, but with pups it usually shows as bumps & a small amount of hair loss.

The worse time for any pup is teething - everything seems to go wrong. The ears go up & down, they can get irritable, bitey, even snappy!

People on Facebook said that they think it is Puppy Pyoderma. One of them being a vet. Has anyone else heard of this?

It's certainly possible, although those I've seen in the past (and that's not many) have been more severe.

If it is, you should work with your vet - I think antibiotics are often prescribed?

I hope he has and is living his best life in Florida! I wanted to reach out because I know this breeder.

Hello Nikki_m0 ! My dog has similar problems and I think Zion is my dog's grandfather. I wonder how I can reach you and ask you a few questions.