# Another itchy Westie



## Madame Bluebell (Oct 14, 2013)

Hi, I am new to this site but have for a while been reading a lot of the threads with interest.
I have a six month old Westie bitch who has had problems itching since a week or so after us having her. We took her to our vets for her second shot and told the vet that she was scratching more than was normal. He checked her but couldn't find anything so gave us the free Spot on as a precaution. I bought a good flea spray to spray the house and dogs beds etc to make sure if it was fleas we got rid. 
All that was in vain and made no difference but we did notice a few orange spots on her forehead which I wiped off but they returned so off to a different vets again where she was given an antibacterial wipe to get rid of what we know was harvest mites. Vet checked her over couldn't find them anywhere else where they would normally be so we were told to keep an eye on here wash her paws after walks etc. 
Bluebell is brushed every single day at least twice and searched many times when's she is sat by us or sleeping on my lap etc. we can't see anything but the scratching was getting worse so off to the vets again where once again nothing was found and harvest mites ruled out. When was given an injection and a course of antihistamines along with some Verbex Microbex to bath her in once a week. Although they releaved her a bit, towards the end of the course she was back to her usual scratching.
We decided to also change her diet from Royal canin and butchers choice trays to collards hypoallergenic dry food and the Nature diet trays. This was only two weeks ago but I don't think she likes the collards bis cuties so we are in the process of changing them after reading the dry food list on here, to Taste of the wild biscuits which she is eating eagerly. 
We had an appointment Monday with the vet and told her all that we have been doing including using the Tea Tree calming spray changing her diet but as of yet not a lot has changed. She was given another injection which I presume was a steroid injection and this time some anti inflammatory tablets to be taken for a month. 
The tablets are certainly working as she is scratching noticeably less in fact hardly at all but we will see how she is after a few weeks.

I was fully aware that westies are prone to skin disorders but didn't expect to be back and forth the vets so much so soon. 
I hope that her diet change will also help and we can enjoy our poor little bluebell scratch free ish.
If anyone has any advise I am very grateful or tell me of their experiences. 

Just want to add that she has frontline and Drontal as a regular thing.


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## BabyBlu (Nov 8, 2012)

Oh that is a shame.
We had a Westie as a family dog when I was a child. He had terrible skin problems. In the end he was on so many steroids that he had to be put down as they just couldnt give him any more and they had stopped working (he was 12 so had a fair innings)

I do hope that the diet changes work for you as my Westie was around in the late 70's,80's mainly and food was not really discussed.

xx


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

Hi,
So sorry to hear about your little Westie.

I have a Westie x JR and her skin isnt great. She gets a seasonal allergy every spring thro to autumn. Whilst I would never see her suffer, I try and avoid too many drugs and treat naturally if I can.

Sounds like you've already got the food aspect covered

Cold pressed organic coconut oil has been great for Heidi's skin I get the Groovy Foods one recommended here. (Waitrose and Sainsburys sell it). Lots of other things nearly stopped her itch but this worked 100%. I've stopped it for Winter and put her on Evening Primrose Oil (so far so good) 

Another suggestion is Pooch and Mutts Bionic Biotics. It's a tummy supplement but helps skin as well. I believe good health radiates from their tum so a pouch to boost her digestion may help.

It's v much trial and error. What works for one dog may not for another. I hope you find something that does the trick for your little one

I also avoid spot on's as much as possible. Spraying the house with RIP Fleas annually has been sufficient and I use Diatomaceous Earth for worming.


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## Madame Bluebell (Oct 14, 2013)

Thank you for your replies some great things to look at. 
We used to have chickens and I have a very large tub if the Diatom and have been giving her half a teaspoon mixed in with her morning feed but not every day. She has had 2 doses of spot on so far and the worming tablet from the vet when we first had her and one lot of Drontal since. 
I want to give her as natural a remedy as possible so will stick to the Diatom and ditch the Drontal. Should I give this every day? 
I will also ditch the spot on too as I know it's not fleas that are the problem and I have the spray for the household items.

What do you do with the coconut oil? I like the sound of that. 
I was looking at the evening primrose at our local Kennel gate I wonder if I should try that.
Certainly lots to think about ... Thank you.


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

Heidi has DE about twice a week. I worm conventionally occasionally.

Did you use one of the supermarket household sprays or something from your vet. I ask because I dont think anything other than RIP Fleas, Acclaim and Indorex is reliable.

Coconut oil can be used topically or internally. Heidi has level teasp twice daily but you have to start v gradually as it has a detox effect and can make them loose. Have a "search" for coconut oil here - lots will come up. I'd be inclined to give her coconut oil and keep the EPO on the back burner for now


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## Madame Bluebell (Oct 14, 2013)

Hi mum2Heidi

I bought the Indorex online.

I will definitely look at giving the coconut oil and will give the diatom twice weekly too and have the Drontal on standby should we need it. 

Off to search the coconut oil now. Thank you again x


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

This is the one I use http://groovyfood.co.uk/:D

Bit of info http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/the-health-benefits-of-coconut-oil/


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## MRogers (Oct 15, 2013)

Hi - My 18 month old Westie is in an awful state and I'm almost at my wits end. He's had allergy testing and we found out she's allergic to some trees and also most mites - dust, grass - you name it, she's allergic to it.

I've tried different foods - currently trying Natures Diet but not long enough to see.

He's on de-sensitising injections once a month now to try to stop her being allergic to these things but just seems to be getting worse.

Went back to the vets yesterday as he's just chewing and biting his skin to bits and he's almost bald on all legs now.

The vet has put him on a course of tablets which we're going to trial (but said they might make him vomit) - if these don't work then steroids are the next and only option :-(

I just despair for the poor thing. I really hope some of the options work for your Westie as it really is such a worry xx


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## MRogers (Oct 15, 2013)

Oh also, I've just decided to stop using Advocate as I'm sure that irritates him too and have bought a herbal flea repellent called 'Billy No Mates' which I put in his food which is herbal. Not sure if it's any good yet as I've only just started. The vet said I'd have to give him a wormer called Milbemax or something which contains a wormer and also deals with lungworm. I'm assuming that natural tablet doesn't kill lungworm that someone mentioned??? I'm also doing what you're doing and trying to be as 'natural' as possible for him but it's finding the right things. xx


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## westieowner (Jul 6, 2013)

My previous westie suffered from very itchy skin after visiting a professional groomer! We ended up washing her in Malaseb shampoo ( from the vets). It took a few weeks for it all to finally clear up but it didn't return. she also was bothered a lot with harvest mites which burrowed into her paws. I found that bathing her paws with a watered down solution of tea tree oil was very effective in clearing up the problem! My present westie hasn't had these problems... just suffers from the odd acidic stomach!!! ( but that's another story!) Good luck Hope your westie is better soon!


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## Madame Bluebell (Oct 14, 2013)

Mum2Heidi said:


> This is the one I use http://groovyfood.co.uk/:D
> 
> Bit of info The Health Benefits Of Coconut Oil | Dogs Naturally Magazine
> 
> Dr. Jean Dodds' Pet Health Resource Blog | Coconut Oil: The


Just read the info and I will be using this myself too. It sounds amazing. Definitely giving this a try. Thank you so much for the info Mum2Heidi x


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## Madame Bluebell (Oct 14, 2013)

MRogers said:


> Hi - My 18 month old Westie is in an awful state and I'm almost at my wits end. He's had allergy testing and we found out she's allergic to some trees and also most mites - dust, grass - you name it, she's allergic to it.
> 
> I've tried different foods - currently trying Natures Diet but not long enough to see.
> 
> ...


Hi MRogers, I am so sorry to hear about your poor Westie. I hope you find something that can sooth him soon. It's very frustrating trying to find something that will work for them.

Hi Westieowner, we have used the tea tree calming spray which helps a little and have bought a tea tree shampoo for her too. 
At the end of the day all we can do is try :biggrin:


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

Madame Bluebell said:


> Hi, I am new to this site but have for a while been reading a lot of the threads with interest.
> I have a six month old Westie bitch who has had problems itching since a week or so after us having her. We took her to our vets for her second shot and told the vet that she was scratching more than was normal. He checked her but couldn't find anything so gave us the free Spot on as a precaution. I bought a good flea spray to spray the house and dogs beds etc to make sure if it was fleas we got rid.
> All that was in vain and made no difference but we did notice a few orange spots on her forehead which I wiped off but they returned so off to a different vets again where she was given an antibacterial wipe to get rid of what we know was harvest mites. Vet checked her over couldn't find them anywhere else where they would normally be so we were told to keep an eye on here wash her paws after walks etc.
> Bluebell is brushed every single day at least twice and searched many times when's she is sat by us or sleeping on my lap etc. we can't see anything but the scratching was getting worse so off to the vets again where once again nothing was found and harvest mites ruled out. When was given an injection and a course of antihistamines along with some Verbex Microbex to bath her in once a week. Although they releaved her a bit, towards the end of the course she was back to her usual scratching.
> ...


Its only the larvae stage of the harvest mites that get on the dog and cause itching, after around 3 days or so they drop off anyway once they have had a good feed, but when they feed they inject something into the skin as well, and even after they have gone it can cause itching still for quite a few weeks as they can get an allergy to the saliva and other things they inject when they feed. So it may be possible that the harvest mites have gone but the itching and reaction to them remains or contributing to her problems.

If it was a steroid injection he gave her and the tablets are steroid as well or something called atopica and its stopped it at the moment then it does sound like it could be allergies. Steroids are anti inflammatory and as an allergy is an over reaction by the immune system which causes it then, steroids suppress the immune system and with it the reaction. The problem is that if the steroids or atopica if that's what shes on are stopped it and when she comes off them the allergen is still present then it can start up again.

What you have to watch out for too, is that scratching can traumatise the skin and introduce bacteria so often with itchy skin conditions you end up with secondary bacterial infection too.

Westies are one of the breeds known to get something called Atopic dermatitis, sometimes it can be food, but often its and/or environmental things common ones are things like dust mite, pollens, mould spores and fleas.

Usually when dogs start to constantly itch a process of elimination is used firstly to rule out other mites like sarcoptic mites, although some forms of mite like demodex are found on skin scrapes, sarcoptics missed more then its found this way, and if itching has persisted for around 8 weeks then a blood test which is accurate can be done to look for sarcoptic antibodies in the blood. Things like bacterial infections and yeasts are then ruled out also. If these are all ruled out and there is still persistent itching then Atopic dermatitis caused by allergies is usually suspected. Obviously if something is found then treatment for that can be given.

If its Atopic dermatitis that's caused by allergies are deffinately suspected then allergy testing can be done to try to identify the allergens.
There are two forms of allergy testing either skin testing or by blood tests.

Once the allergies are found, then there are things you can do to try to avoid the allergen or neutralise it or where possible.

In the meantime things that may help or may be worth looking into are below.

Dermacton - Skin Relief for Dogs with Itchy Skin

Skincare for Dogs - Bio-Life International Ltd

Information on atopic dermatitis and things that can help.
http://biolife-international.co.uk/...ang/resources/Atopic-Dermatitis-or-Eczema.pdf

More information on skin conditions in dogs
http://biolife-international.co.uk/...sources/Nature-of-Skin-Conditions-in-Dogs.pdf

http://biolife-international.co.uk/online/templatemedia/all_lang/resources/Allergic-to-Dustmites.pdf

http://biolife-international.co.uk/online/templatemedia/all_lang/resources/Allergic-to-Moulds.pdf

There are also a couple of veterinary strength skin supplements that are often helpful with allergic and itchy skin conditions as well as improving overall skin and coat condition.

Efavet 330 Efavet 660 EFA Capsules - From £24.36

Viacutan Plus Capsules 550mg EFA - From £10.18

Hopefully it may help and there may be something that may be worth looking into a trying, all of which are a more natural approach.


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## Madame Bluebell (Oct 14, 2013)

Sled dog hotel said:


> Its only the larvae stage of the harvest mites that get on the dog and cause itching, after around 3 days or so they drop off anyway once they have had a good feed, but when they feed they inject something into the skin as well, and even after they have gone it can cause itching still for quite a few weeks as they can get an allergy to the saliva and other things they inject when they feed. So it may be possible that the harvest mites have gone but the itching and reaction to them remains or contributing to her problems.
> 
> If it was a steroid injection he gave her and the tablets are steroid as well or something called atopica and its stopped it at the moment then it does sound like it could be allergies. Steroids are anti inflammatory and as an allergy is an over reaction by the immune system which causes it then, steroids suppress the immune system and with it the reaction. The problem is that if the steroids or atopica if that's what shes on are stopped it and when she comes off them the allergen is still present then it can start up again.
> 
> ...


Hi Sled dog Hotel, thank you very much for this I will read all the info.

The anti inflammitories she is on is Medrone V 2mg.


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## MRogers (Oct 15, 2013)

Madame Bluebell said:


> Hi MRogers, I am so sorry to hear about your poor Westie. I hope you find something that can sooth him soon. It's very frustrating trying to find something that will work for them.
> 
> Hi Westieowner, we have used the tea tree calming spray which helps a little and have bought a tea tree shampoo for her too.
> At the end of the day all we can do is try :biggrin:


Thanks - he's now on Atopica tablets from the vets :-( We'll see how that goes. Would be nice to see my Westie with a full body of hair for once.... x


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

Madame Bluebell said:


> Hi Sled dog Hotel, thank you very much for this I will read all the info.
> 
> The anti inflammitories she is on is Medrone V 2mg.


Medrone v are steroids.


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## Madame Bluebell (Oct 14, 2013)

Sled dog hotel said:


> Medrone v are steroids.


Oh I didn't know that. I have stopped them as I didn't want to go down that path and she is not as bad as some I have read on here. She didn't have her tablet yesterday and again today. I know it will take a few days for them to clear from her system

I have got the coconut oil and will start her on that in a day or two.
I would like to have her system clear first then I can see how she is on the new food which she is loving, then I will introduce the coconut oil and see what happens.
We are looking at maybe giving her the Natures Menue food but I need to read a bit more before changing to that at the moment she is loving the natures diet trays and Taste of the wild biscuits.


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## BabyBlu (Nov 8, 2012)

Sled dog hotel said:


> Its only the larvae stage of the harvest mites that get on the dog and cause itching, after around 3 days or so they drop off anyway once they have had a good feed, but when they feed they inject something into the skin as well, and even after they have gone it can cause itching still for quite a few weeks as they can get an allergy to the saliva and other things they inject when they feed. So it may be possible that the harvest mites have gone but the itching and reaction to them remains or contributing to her problems.
> 
> If it was a steroid injection he gave her and the tablets are steroid as well or something called atopica and its stopped it at the moment then it does sound like it could be allergies. Steroids are anti inflammatory and as an allergy is an over reaction by the immune system which causes it then, steroids suppress the immune system and with it the reaction. The problem is that if the steroids or atopica if that's what shes on are stopped it and when she comes off them the allergen is still present then it can start up again.
> 
> ...


I'm so glad you came along with that. I bought all the stuff you recommended for Edie and her rash cleared up very quickly.:biggrin:


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## Madame Bluebell (Oct 14, 2013)

BabyBlu said:


> I'm so glad you came along with that. I bought all the stuff you recommended for Edie and her rash cleared up very quickly.:biggrin:


So glad the info provided has helped.

Thank you to everyone who has offered advise on my post it's a great help any being a new dog owner lots of it I didn't know about.

I am now taking Bluebell off her medication of Medrone V she is on her second day free of any tablets. I want her to be just on the new food we have started her on so I can see what her itching is like with just that then I can go from there as to what I will use. I have the coconut oil which I will giver her anyway as the benefits are so good but let's see her free of anything for a little time first. 
How long do you think it would take for her body to be drug free after taking the Medrone V for 3 days and the injection at the vets on Monday?


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

BabyBlu said:


> I'm so glad you came along with that. I bought all the stuff you recommended for Edie and her rash cleared up very quickly.:biggrin:


Brilliant news glad it was helpful and solved her problems.


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

Not sure how long it will take for her body to be cleared of meds I'm afraid.

The coconut oil has a detox effect so may help with that anyway. Dont forget to start v slowly with it and build up gradually. I was a little too eager and Heidi's output became a little soft. I went back to the dose when it was ok and sorted it. At a later date, I found I could increase it again without probs. Like I said, a bit too keen 

Re the food. If she's happy and doing ok on the ND TOTW combination, I would be inclined to stick with it. Give her tum chance to adjust and strengthen. Changes can weaken the tum and aren't always worth while.


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## Madame Bluebell (Oct 14, 2013)

Thank you Mum2Heidi I will leave her food alone. 
Is a 1/4 teaspoon too much to start her on?


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

Madame Bluebell said:


> Oh I didn't know that. I have stopped them as I didn't want to go down that path and she is not as bad as some I have read on here. She didn't have her tablet yesterday and again today. I know it will take a few days for them to clear from her system
> 
> I have got the coconut oil and will start her on that in a day or two.
> I would like to have her system clear first then I can see how she is on the new food which she is loving, then I will introduce the coconut oil and see what happens.
> We are looking at maybe giving her the Natures Menue food but I need to read a bit more before changing to that at the moment she is loving the natures diet trays and Taste of the wild biscuits.


How long has she been on the Medrone V. Really steroids shouldn't be stopped abruptly but tapered off.

The initial daily dose should be given in two equally divided doses.

In order to control clinical signs of certain autoimmune disorders e.g. Pemphigus vulgaris, the initial dosage may have to be higher than that suggested above. *As soon as a satisfactory clinical response is achieved, the daily dose should be reduced gradually, either to termination of treatment in the case of acute conditions or to the minimal effective maintenance dose level in the case of chronic conditions *

If she has only had literally a few days on them then you may be OK, but just double check with the vet first, to see if you should taper them off to nothing, for example every other day and then 3 days and so on, or just reduce the dose down to nothing.

NOAH Compendium of Animal Medicines: Medrone V Tablets 2 mg and 4 mg - Dosage and administration

NOAH Compendium of Animal Medicines: Medrone V Tablets 2 mg and 4 mg - Contra-indications, warnings, etc


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## Madame Bluebell (Oct 14, 2013)

Sled dog hotel said:


> How long has she been on the Medrone V. Really steroids shouldn't be stopped abruptly but tapered off.
> 
> The initial daily dose should be given in two equally divided doses.
> 
> ...


Hi Sled, she had only 3 days worth of the tablets and I didn't give her any at all yesterday and so far none today. Should I give her half a tablet today ? They are just the 2mg strength


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

Madame Bluebell said:


> Thank you Mum2Heidi I will leave her food alone.
> Is a 1/4 teaspoon too much to start her on?


According to the following article using coconut oil for the treatment of yeast overgrowth, that can cause health problems including itchy and problem skin.
They recommend 1 teaspoon to 10lbs body weight. There is 2.2lbs to a Kg so that would be one teaspoon of coconut oil to each 4.5Kg body weight.

It says feed in divided doses provide extra fluids and water to help flush toxins from the body. Start with small amounts and build up gradually so that the body has time to adjust, the side effects of too much coconut oil too soon can be seen as greasy stools or diarrhoea, physical fatigue, mental exhaustion and body aches.

The 1 teaspoon to 4.5Kgs body weight would be your final dose weight or as I understand it, so you would need to start on a lower dose and work your way up.

The whole article may be of interest as it suggests other things too, and explains how overgrowth of candida which is classed as both a yeast and fungus can effect health.

http://www.tristateweimrescue.org/storage/Coconut Oil.pdf


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## Madame Bluebell (Oct 14, 2013)

You're on a roll today Sled thank you :thumbup1:

She weighs just short of 6kg so I presume the end dosage would be about 1 tsp


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

Madame Bluebell said:


> Hi Sled, she had only 3 days worth of the tablets and I didn't give her any at all yesterday and so far none today. Should I give her half a tablet today ? They are just the 2mg strength


I have only ever had one off steroid injections with mine never a course of tablets as well so no personal experience with a course of tablets. I only knew about the tapering off a course, because friends dogs have been on them and that's what they have had to do but admittedly they have been on them for more then 3 days.Then I just double checked to make sure the info about tapering off was correct before posting. In all honesty I would rather you check in with your vet, rather then give you the wrong advice or advice Im not 100% on. Likely she would be OK, but better safe and make sure.


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

I would probably give her 1/4 teasp for a week, then 1/4 twice daily for another week and build up that way. I was up to full dose within the week .

Heidi didnt show any signs of lethargy etc and her itching stopped pretty much right away so you must do as you feel right. You know her best.

Heidi and my cats love it. (Parrot as well )
Sixstar started me having it on toast

She used to have hers as desert smeared into one of her treat toys . Little monkey would leave half her meal to have it. She could hear the lid coming off the jar no matter how quiet I thought I was:biggrin: Coconut oil took priority - finishing her meal came second:thumbup1:


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## Madame Bluebell (Oct 14, 2013)

Sled dog hotel said:


> According to the following article using coconut oil for the treatment of yeast overgrowth, that can cause health problems including itchy and problem skin.
> They recommend 1 teaspoon to 10lbs body weight. There is 2.2lbs to a Kg so that would be one teaspoon of coconut oil to each 4.5Kg body weight.
> 
> It says feed in divided doses provide extra fluids and water to help flush toxins from the body. Start with small amounts and build up gradually so that the body has time to adjust, the side effects of too much coconut oil too soon can be seen as greasy stools or diarrhoea, physical fatigue, mental exhaustion and body aches.
> ...


Great article can see a rise in coconut oil sales coming :biggrin:


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## Madame Bluebell (Oct 14, 2013)

Mum2Heidi said:


> I would probably give her 1/4 teasp for a week, then 1/4 twice daily for another week and build up that way. I was up to full dose within the week .
> 
> Heidi didnt show any signs of lethargy etc and her itching stopped pretty much right away so you must do as you feel right. You know her best.
> 
> ...


Can't wait to start her on it and hope it helps her. 
I was wondering how I would use it for myself having it on toast sounds a good way :biggrin:

Thank you all for your help it's been a big learning curve for me and hopefully we will soon have a fit healthy and happy Westie.:biggrin:


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

Madame Bluebell said:


> You're on a roll today Sled thank you :thumbup1:
> 
> She weighs just short of 6kg so I presume the end dosage would be about 1 tsp


Well 6 Kgs is just over 13lb so you could actually give her a tiny bit more then a teaspoon or a very generous one.

If you really want to be spot on a teaspoon is 5ml approx. so 10lbs to 1 teaspoon would be 0.5 ml per lb body weight shes 6kg 13lb in imperial so 13lb x 0.5ml is 6.5ml in total.
Obviously you need to start lower then that and build up as it says.


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

Madame Bluebell said:


> Can't wait to start her on it and hope it helps her.
> I was wondering how I would use it for myself having it on toast sounds a good way :biggrin:
> 
> Thank you all for your help it's been a big learning curve for me and hopefully we will soon have a fit healthy and happy Westie.:biggrin:


Coconut oil is finger licking good. You dont really need toast as an excuse

As for the learning curve, I'd be the first to admit, I'm still on it and I doubt you ever get off!! The great thing here is learning by other peoples experiences. It cuts out a lot of the trial and error and you usually find something amongst the posts that feels right for you

Thanks for the calculation SDH - I've ear marked that one for future reference. 
Funnily enough, I increased Heidi's dose to 2 level teasp per day - she's just over 9K so it's spot on!!


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## Sara1991 (Jul 20, 2013)

I went through a similar thing with my miniature schnauzer and changing her food made a huge difference, she hasn't been back to a vet about her skin since  made sure you check ingredients on treats too, I made that mistake a couple of times before I realised. I tend to stick with the dried chicken breast type treats  I hope it works as well for your doggy as it did for mine.


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## Madame Bluebell (Oct 14, 2013)

Thought I would give an update on Bluebell's itching.
It has been over a month since we changed her food from butchers trays and royal canin to the naturesdiet trays and taste of the wild biscuits. Almost 4 weeks ago we started adding some of the virgin coconut oil starting with 1/4 tsp working to a good teaspoon every morning which she loves. We also bought the episoothe and have bathed her twice a week in that for the past 3 weeks.

Unfortunately none of these changes seemed to have worked.
I am not sure what I should try next now but don't particularly want to go to the vets yet as they will just put her on steroids. Have I given things enough time do you think?

Shy is such a lovely dog with a beautiful temperament it is such a shame to see her scratching a lot although not as much as she could.

Forgot to add that where she scratches has turned from the dark blackish colour to pink. Is this significant to anything in particular?


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## victoria171168 (Apr 8, 2013)

have you had Bluebell allergy tested for both food and enviromental as that may help.

another thing perhaps to try is local (must be local) honey as if enviromental allergies it can help desensitise them.

also do you have any of the puff type sprays or smellies in your house as dogs can be extremely sensitive to them and some of the sprays we use regularly.

keep a diary to see if she itchs more after going out or if you spray something near her, etc.

there are so many things that can cause skin issues so allergy testing is a first step for me


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