I'm a flustered idiot! I went to the vets on Monday 'cos Ava had split her claw and also had developed "heat-bump" type spots on her body. Because I was a bit flustered about Ava having to stay at the vets to be sedated to have her claw cut right back, I didn't ask the questions that I wanted to ask the vet about her spots.
The vet prescribed "MALASEB" shampoo to be used twice a week to start with, and he said she has had an allergic reaction to something, but I'm wondering is there a common thing that dogs are most likely to be allergic to? Could it be down to food or would it be more likely to be something like the detergent I wash the dogs bedding in maybe? I don't use carpet freshners because I have all hard flooring in my house so it wouldn't be anything like shake and vac. Also does anyone know if the vet could do a test to discover the cause of the spots? Also (so many questions, sorry) Is it common for pups to have allergies - Ava is just 4 and a half months old, I know children can "grow out" of allergies, does the same go for puppies?

The short answer to both questions is yes! have you recently washed her bedding? and if so have you changed your washing powder since the last time? At 4 and a half months you won't have much to go on with that I'm afraid. Food allergies are some of the most common dog skin problems. A friend uses a chicken and rice diet for her Flatcoat, freshly cooked each day in order to avoid all the addertives and E numbers in commercial foods. As far as growing out of it's concerned, her bitch has been on the diet since she was a young puppy and is now 9 years old and still breaks out in spots if she finds anything to eat!

Regards, John

I wash the bedding quite frequently but I haven't changed my detergent lately. Thinking on the food thing though, I have Oscars super premium for them and when I phoned through my order last time they told me that they had slightly improved the recipe and would send me a sheet detailing the new ingredients, wonder if that could be it.... mind you Ava will eat practically anything she can get her little mitts on!

Just come off the phone to Oscars and the lady(very helpful) told me that they haven't actually added any new ingredients, just changed the proportions of chicken to rice, so it's probably not her main diet that's causing the spots...mind you Ava is always on the lookout for food from my kids maybe it's something she's had off them. Could the hot weather have bought Ava out in spots do you think?

Just being silly for a moment, years ago I had a Dalmation. There was a narrow footpath leading between two houses into the fields where I used to walk him. Time and again on returning home he was spotty! Took me a long time to realise he was blundering about in stinging nettles. If I took him for a walk around the roads there was no problem and again, when the nettles died down there was no trouble! Now, next to one of the places where I train "The Flower" is a tennis court. Any tennis balls which come over the fence are retrieved by the players except at one end where there is a very large patch of stinging nettles. I use this to train hunting up cover and in she goes with no hesitation and out she comes with tennis balls but without spots! Why? After all, there's no fur on the end of her nose and it's not that thick on her muzzle!

Could nettles be Ava's problem?

John

It could I believe also be the protein in her diet - some can develop a protein rash. Malaseb is prescribed for all sorts of skin conditions such as itchy, dry, flaky etc and I have to say there appears to be (whether it's just in our part of the country?) a lot of wet eczema about this year and pollen allergies. I have had loads of dogs in with this - most of them accompanied by a bottle of malaseb. A friends' dog also suffers from allergic reaction to flea bites! Sorry! But it's just a suggestion especially at this time of year! Has she been through crops that might have been sprayed or have you treated anything in your garden?

she does tend to pile through deep grassy areas and there is nettles in the woods, I like to let her have the feel of being off lead when we are out, but at the moment I'm still trying to limit the amount of exercise she's getting, but I'd say yes nettles could be a possiblity. She has program tabs for fleas so I hope it wont be a flea problem, if it's a pollen problem, is it just a matter of carrying on with the shampoo - I won't be able to keep her away from the grass, do you think she would suffer it every year or could it just be a one-off reaction? I haven't sprayed the garden with anything (terrible gardener, me). Thanks both for your help, very much appreciated! PS do you think Garlic tablets might be a good thing to give her, I know it's good the system and helps purify the blood (think it does anyway, but maybe i'm wrong?)

Hi mair, just a few points.....program tablets are the ones that stop fleas breeding aren't they? If so, then it doesn't actually stop them biting your dog, so don't rule that out. Also, I find that during certain weeks in the year there are obviously different plants that come up in the grass for short periods only, and every summer for about 1 month only, my old girl gets big red blotches on her tum. I gave up worrying about them years ago, its clearly something she lies on in the garden & its gone by Septermber every year. Hope it helps.

That helps a lot, thanks Sam. The spots tend to be more on her legs, although she has got others dotted about elsewhere - two on her face, couple under her chin, and one or two on her ears as well, didn't realise she could still get flea bites either. I didn't take her out with us yesterday when I took Scarlet for a walk in the woods and Ava hasn't had anymore spots pop up, I will have to watch to see if they crop up after a visit to the woods - then I could assume it's plants causing the problem. Thanks again
Mair

HI Mair

I don't know if you remember Shirley with Rhum, I could be dreaming but I am sure she had this or a similar problem. I don't know if she still posts but if she does she may be able to give you some pointers. (Don't worry, I know you'd rather have Vizslas !!!!! ))

LOL Lindsay!!! (wouldn't say no to a couple of Pointers) I'm in regular contact with Shirley (via e-mail), we actually "found" each other through the old champdogs site, I'll ask her about Rhums spots, but I think they were more like the puppy zits that Vizslas sometimes get on their chins, it's worth asking her about it anyway.
speak soon
Mair

PS things are looking better today - no new spots have appeared so far

Hi mair

Glad things are improving a bit, I think you may be right about the puppy "zits" now you mention it.

Do send Shirley my best if you speak to her.

Hi Mair- I was just thinking about Ava after our chat the other night and then lo and behold I come across this sting of messages ! Glad no more have come up. Were they maybe caused by stress of her typing lessons ? lol
Sara

I'll pass your message on Lindsay. Come to think of it Sara, it could have been the typing that done it LOL! Fortunately Ava doesn't seem too bothered by them, I suppose I wouldn't have even noticed them if she were a long-haired dog. Talking of Hair Sara, you're looking good (know what I mean 'arry?)