Kelso's Gr8 Danes

Sounds like an allergy to me! Here's what I would do...first thing's first treat her for fleas, give her a monthly doesage of "Advantage" (or whatever you use) wait the three days, bath her every other day with "Selsum Blue" for 2 weeks, and immediately start her on a course of Antihistamine" Over the counter, drug store brand, tablets are good to use. Give her two 25 mg tabs twice a day. If she gets to grooggy just give her one tab twice a day.  The only way to find out if it's a food allergy is to try her on something that she has not eaten before (Like a duck and potato food. Make sure it contains no chicken, beef, or fish!).  It may not be a food allergy as much as it might be an enviromental allergy. I would try everything else before changing foods.

Zach is fostering a dane for the North Texas Great Dane Rescue group. Her name is Lyra. She came to the foster from a shelter where she had been placed after being found roaming the streets. Well, in addition to being very underweight, she also had demodectic mange.  However, after several visits to the vet, all with a negative skin scraping, she is starting to "relapse" as her skin is getting really a lot worse.  The poor girl is so itchy, she is losing her hair and it all bumpy. They are now thinking it is possibly a food allergy? My question is does anyone know of some sort of soothing remedy that Zach could try and use to help Lyra's itchy skin, until they can figure out the underlying cause? We are open to any suggestions to help soothe her itches! Thanks

Thanks for the replies. 

I took her to the vet today and they are still stumped as to what is wrong.  We are treating her with antibiotics, steroids, anti-fungal/bacterial shampoo and special food (lamb/potato).  Keep your fingers crossed for her, this is a GREAT dog that deserves to be able to have a GREAT forever home.

I post updates on my foster dogs here if you want to see how they are doing

http://danerescue-zach.blogspot.com/

How long has your vet been treating Danes? Any vet knows steroids should be a LAST resort! Do you know the problems they can cause? And can I (or do I not want to know) what antibiotics she's on? If it's an immune issue the steroid will "mask it and the antibiotics are going to cause more problems! I wish you would of called me... I would of walked you through step by step to get her over her "problem"!

Irena at 05:23PM on Dec 03, 2008

How long has your vet been treating Danes? Any vet knows steroids should be a LAST resort! Do you know the problems they can cause? And can I (or do I not want to know) what antibiotics she's on? If it's an immune issue the steroid will "mask it and the antibiotics are going to cause more problems! I wish you would of called me... I would of walked you through step by step to get her over her "problem"!

I'm not sure, it's the vet the rescue uses.  They can't afford to go to any vet, only ones that can work with them (discount prices/free visits/etc.).  I can't imagine what it costs to treat 50+ healthy great danes let alone 50+ unhealthy great danes.  If it's experience vs. death at a kill shelter...I know what one I'd pick.

Unfortunately she was in terrible pain and discomfort so the #1 priority was to give her some sort of relief, even if that wasn't the best option for the long term it seems to be helping in the short term.  The goal is to determine what is the root cause of the problem but this was an absolute emergency situation.

Despite being on her death bed several times this dog is just SOOOOOOOOOOO happy all of the time, her tail never stops wagging (despite having it broken several times)!  She behaves better than 95% of the dogs I've seen and is the text book definition of the great dane temperment.

If you have any more suggestions please let me know, we will try anything once.  I'll keep you updated!