A few weeks back we ended up at our vet clinic....as Liesel had, what I can only describe as dark brown sores/scabs on her "elbows". I noticed she was licking (she is not a licker per se)....and upon inspection we discovered the "scabs". Obviously they were itchy..and the licking was making things worse.
We were off to the vet who prescribed anti itch meds (which worked like a charm) and a cream to apply to the areas (followed by quickly putting on a t-shirt before she was able to lick the cream off). Everything cleared up...and we thought everything was back to normal....
Not so. Yesterday, while she was snuggled up beside me...I happened to check and sure enough...the scabs are back...on both elbows!! A quick call to our vet...and we picked up another bottle of anti-itch medication and the cream....I have about 1/4 tube on hand....since only a thin layer needs to be applied.
Our vet says we will give the medication a month to clear up the issue & if it returns....further investigation will be required.
Now...Liesel is not our first dachshund. Nor is she the first one to have a skin issue....I just found it puzzling it came out of nowhere. She's never had a history of allergies or skin problems. But our previous pie bald dachshund, Oskar...suffered skin issues....until we discovered he had food allergies. I remember eggs, white potato, tomato paste, dairy being on the list....the first three items....in his kibble! Once switched to a limited ingredient diet....allergies disappeared.
A couple of months ago....Liesel's standard kibble...which was a limited ingredient was discontinued. We learned many years ago....she requires a fish based diet...no turkey, beef, pork, etc. - it makes her vomit. So...I read the ingredients on her current bag of kibble (Pacifica by Acana) and while grain free it does contain fruits and vegetables. Not sure if her food is the issue....but after being on the same food for all these years...it isn't going to hurt to switch things up a bit.
I picked up a bag of Go! Solutions Sensitivities - Limited Ingredient Grain Free Salmon food.
The kibble itself is about 1/4 of the size of the Acana...which she will like as she leaves bits & bites of it everywhere! And she seems to like the Go! Portion size will be larger...since the kibble pieces are much smaller...but if she will eat it....and it solves any skin issues...I'll do a happy dance!
So here's hoping! We barely got a dusting of snow from the latest "storm"...only a couple of inches if that. I'm okay with that!
Have a great weekend!!
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