Skin show
So Jenny is in the middle of another skin flare up. I swear there have been more flare ups than normal in the past few months. Maybe it just feels like that though. I hate seeing her miserable. 
To keep her mind off the itching I've been doing a lot of training sessions with her. We've worked on article indications for tracking and we are getting in LOTS of Rally practice. I've taken her to the prison twice to be the demo dog for signs. The good thing is that she will work for anyone so my handlers have gotten to practice with her too. Since their dogs are still learning it is good for them to get the feel of a course with a trained dog. Jenny doesn't mind. She always loves the opportunity to earn more rewards. Plus it helps wear her out while keeping her mind off the itching. Here are a few photos from her vet visit yesterday. They are a bit washed out color wise from the real thing but you can get the idea. (photos are from my phone camera)
Armpit area.
Belly and inner thighs.
And to top it off here is how her tail has healed so far from her previous incident. Hopefully the hair grows back eventually. We took some blood to send out for thyroid testing and started her on a different antibiotic (ciprofloxacin) for the skin infection. Multiple skin scrapings showed no results. (both from yesterday and past visits) She is also still on the pentoxifylline as well as benadryl when needed which is frequently at the moment. I am also bathing her in a medicated shampoo.
To keep her mind off the itching I've been doing a lot of training sessions with her. We've worked on article indications for tracking and we are getting in LOTS of Rally practice. I've taken her to the prison twice to be the demo dog for signs. The good thing is that she will work for anyone so my handlers have gotten to practice with her too. Since their dogs are still learning it is good for them to get the feel of a course with a trained dog. Jenny doesn't mind. She always loves the opportunity to earn more rewards. Plus it helps wear her out while keeping her mind off the itching. Here are a few photos from her vet visit yesterday. They are a bit washed out color wise from the real thing but you can get the idea. (photos are from my phone camera) 
Armpit area. 
Belly and inner thighs.
And to top it off here is how her tail has healed so far from her previous incident. Hopefully the hair grows back eventually. We took some blood to send out for thyroid testing and started her on a different antibiotic (ciprofloxacin) for the skin infection. Multiple skin scrapings showed no results. (both from yesterday and past visits) She is also still on the pentoxifylline as well as benadryl when needed which is frequently at the moment. I am also bathing her in a medicated shampoo. *
The other thing I have found that seems to be helping in keeping her from itching has been chewing on stuff. I bought a new knuckle bone today and a bully stick. I don't usually do the bully sticks because of the smell but thought I'd give it a try. She loved it of course but I was worried she would eat the whole thing so after awhile I took it and traded for the knuckle bone. So far it's working. She's happily chewing away on that instead of scratching herself raw.
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A friend mentioned some homeopathic supplements for us to also try. (which will be my next internet shopping stop this evening) I'll keep you posted on our progress. If I find something that works I'll be sure to share it.
Category Article Jenny skin photos
