my rough collie is going bald

[lilacben]

My 8 year old rough collie is in a very sad state at the moment. In november the vet found out she had Hepititis and put her on tablets. She then had trouble with an infection which gave her a discharge so the vet did a scan f and found a small amount of fluid in her womb, she was given antibiotics and now the discharged has stopped. But she is scratching herself and all her under coat has come out . The vet then gave her some shampoo for me to bath her in to soothe her body and stop scratching. this I did yesterday but she is still scratching her coat out today. She has one bad ear that I am putting drops into also. Instead of a lovley thick coat she now has only fur on her back ,legs and head. all tummy fur has gone as well as her fur under her neck. She looks so sorry for herself. Has anyone else had this problem and will the fur grow back.?

[pmjblue]

yes, rough collies known for this - sometimes they call it hotspots. have a look around www.collienet.com, and if you have a question you would like answered email Margaret at collienet2000. But I would suggest some quistel shampoo and/or lotion spray, or some camrosa ointment.
http://www.collienet.com/
http://www.hydrobaths.co.uk/index.php?f=data_f ido_shampoo&a=0
http://www.camrosa.co.uk/dogs.htm

[pmjblue]

forgot to say that the coat loss could also be due to her health problems, but you may find the quistel or camrosa cream helps her. The coat should grow back fine as soon as she stops scratching.

[lilacben]

Many thanks for your reply. I am looking into it. Brenda

[foxyflugel]

Good advice pmjblue!! - I can definitely recommend the Camrosa ointment. I used it on my horse who had a very very bad scar on his rear leg. It went really dry and scaly and was protruding off his leg. I heard of Camrosa by chance and would recommend it to anyone as it soothes the skin and promotes hair growth at the same time - it does not look like the same leg ; 0 )

[pmjblue]

yes I used the horse version of camrosa ointment, and another similar product which I cant for the life of me remember the name of! absolutely amazed with the results, would not hesitate to recommend it. Also told my friend to use it on her collie with a similar problem. Quistel is also a great shampoo and the lotion is really handy. A friend of mine used it on her yorkie and minutes later he stopped scratching, and had the most restful sleep he had had in ages. Well worth a try. There is also ekoneem soap. http://www.ekoneem.com/

[pmjblue]

found it, the other cream was from aromesse http://www.aromesse.com/indexcan.htm

[lilacben]

I will get onto the internet and order some but which one should I choose.? as not sure. many thanks again. Brenda

[pmjblue]

I think the creams are both the same, and wouldnt be surprised if they werent manufactured by the same company, so perhaps see which is the cheapest!

[kaylamay]

all the above advice sound great. You might want to also watch what is in her food. Our vet recommended we stop giving anything with corn in it and go with lamb or rice as main ingredients on dried food. We have a little pure bred dog with "hot spots" and dry itch skin. I will also get some of the cream mentioned here.
Mikala

[lilacben]

Many thanks for all your replies. The vet told me not to put cream on her for a while as he has put her on steriods again. she is on one tablet a day of Medrone. But because she has had liver problems he is worried about the steriods making her ill. We are also still bathing her once a week in the shampoo from vets. Poor Amber her coat is coming out still without her scratching. Although she is a little bit. What I am wondering is if her coat will come back again.?Someone thought she was a puppy last week because of lack of fur. It hasnt come out evenly and has clumps here and there.

[pmjblue]

As long as her health and problems resolve, the fur will grow back. I can understand the vet saying not to put cream on while she is on steroids, but why is she on steroids again? I would get some of the cream and start using it as soon as the vet says it is OK - I am positive it will work for her. Poor little soul bless her. Rough's moult once, sometimes twice a year, with bitches, dependant on their seasons, and they look like a smooth by the time they have finished, but it all grows back just fine.

[pmjblue]

i have just read your original question again - the fluid in her womb, was it after a season? - as I am wondering if she had a pyometra, which the vet treated with antibiotics? I am assuming here, but if she has recently had a season, her coat will fall out anyway, so if she is scratching and has a skin infection, it would make the moult worse. Another thought, do you use shake'n'vac, as this can have an effect on dogs and their skin - and as you say the fur has gone on her tummy, and under her neck it could well be an allergy? - have you changed your washing powder, what do you wash her bedding in?

[lilacben]

Hi pmjblue you have been very kind with your replies. She has been on steriods for years now off and on becuase she has alwas had red feet. She licks and licks until they are raw and the fur turns from white to brown.They did all sorts of blood allergy tests but it wasnt food of any kind so after that we couldnt pin point what it was. it is like it all through the year. But when she had Hepitiis I stopped them, as I knew not to give them while she was ill. Have not changed washing powder and never use shake and vac.I do not know if she had a season as it is alwas hard to tell with her but the vet did wonder. He did a scan of her womb and you could see the fluid. The antibiotics cleared it up this time but as soon as she is well enough she is going to be spayed.Could be all these things have just upset her hormones. The itching now seems to be caused by a skin rash as she looks all spotty where she has scratched. But they are drying up now and no new ones that I can see.Shampooing once a week to help with Sebocalm. So most of the fur lose was scratching so badly and pulling it out in chunks. But it is also moulting out as well, when you rub a hand down her it justs fulls out.My granddaughter has told my husband not to takeher out because she looks like she is being ill treated. Up against Ben,who is 36k and very furry she looks terrible. poor little girl. Many thanks again. Brenda

[pmjblue]

Yes I have one that you cant tell if she is in season or not, only time I knew was when I had a dog around, but I lost my last boy dog last year, so it is difficult now - men do come in useful sometimes!
Sounds to me like she has been in season, and is now just having her normal moult, plus the skin problem which is making things worse.
It may make you feel better to know that when roughs moult, they can look absolutely awful - one of mine has just started, all her undercoat is coming away from her skin and if you touch it, it comes out in your hand - and to make matters worse, she is due to be shown at Crufts in March, so I am not impressed! With regard to the discharge and the scan, it sounds to me like she may have had a rumbling pyometra, I wonder why the vet didnt mention that and spay her there and then, especially if it could have been a closed pyo, which is quite dangerous. Hope she is better soon. By the way, when you do have her speyed, she will drop her coat again!

[lilacben]

Your replies pmjblue have kept me going , many thanks.So you have rough collies as well then?, you sound like you have great knowledge of them. And I am sure if you take yours to Crufts they must be beautiful. Yes all of Amber's undercoat is long gone now and just a few strands or clumps of top coat are left from halfway down her side,under tummy. Her collar has gone at the front with a gapping hole down her chest.Poor little love she looks like one of those breeds that just have fur on there heads and tail and not much else in between. The vet said he would spay her when she is well and was thinking of January but has put it off for a while for her to get over this. Brenda

[pmjblue]

Hi Brenda, i wouldnt class myself as knowledgable, I just do a lot of research, and listen to other peoples problems - and have had roughs for 17 years. If you want any help, you can go through my friends web site www.collienet.com - Margaret - she will help you, and put you in touch with me should you want to discuss anything, but Margaret knows more than me anyway!! I 'did' have a beautiful dog for Crufts, but she too is blowing her coat, so may be bald in three weeks!

[lilacben]

pmjblue I do hope your collie keeps her coat or at least regrows it in time for Crufts.Pleased to say Amber seems to be growing little fluffy bits of fur down her front again. fingers crossed. Brenda

[pmjblue]

thanks brenda - just refraining from brushing her for now, fingers crossed.

[lilacben]

pmjblue, thought you may be interested to hear how Amber is doing. Well have just had a good look at her tummy and under neck and you can see white fur returning, yes I am so pleased. I have been giving her cod liver oil every morning with her feed not sure if that has anything to do with it. her itching seems to have come to a stop now, fingers crossed. My friends saw her for the first time since this all started and said if she had been human they would have thought she was dying that is how bad is is looking.Goodness knows what they would have thought a few weeks ago. Just wondering how long they take to get a full coat back.? how is your little girl doing? no more fur out I hope. Brenda

[pmjblue]

glad it is starting to come back Brenda - unfortunately undercoat is coming out on my little girls hind legs, so the rest will soon follow. After a good brush and bath before Crufts, she could be bald - never mind. On the subject of scratching and itching - a neighbour of mine asked for advice on the same subject some 12 months ago, and I recommended quistel shampoo and spray - she told me the other day her dog hasnt scratched or itched since - she baths him every 6 months with the quistel shampoo and sprays him with the lotion every week when brushing him. She also recommended it to a relative, who had a dog with a similar condition - and it has worked miracles. So I think it would be worth a shot. It could take her up to 6 months to get a full coat back.....try the quistel, I am sure it will help. I have got to get a few bottles for various people from Crufts.