# PLEASE HELP - Maltese skin pink & itchy



## Ashleygrace (Apr 1, 2021)

Hi all!
My Maltese has been having VERY itchy skin recently and has very pink skin with small patchy spots all over her, even has a couple of open sores from itching so bad. I’m devastated and don’t know what to do. I thought it might be flea infestation. Does anyone have any idea?? And how to help?

Thank you.


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## Coster (Oct 26, 2015)

Oh my, poor baby, must be feel so uncomfortable, have you brought him to the vet yet? I know chlorpheniramine is used for allergies but it’s kinda a large Area. Maybe food allergy? I really have not seen this before but I would suggest to bring your baby to the vet and they can give him a shot to calm down the itching. I hope this heals fast .


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## Ashleygrace (Apr 1, 2021)

Coster said:


> Oh my, poor baby, must be feel so uncomfortable, have you brought him to the vet yet? I know chlorpheniramine is used for allergies but it’s kinda a large Area. Maybe food allergy? I really have not seen this before but I would suggest to bring your baby to the vet and they can give him a shot to calm down the itching. I hope this heals fast .


Thank you for the response! I haven’t brought her to the vet yet but I will do that. Do you have any recommendations on wet food? I feed her Caesars but want to change it in case it is a food allergy.


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## wkomorow (Aug 26, 2011)

It is really tough to determine allergies. Avoid chicken and beef. There are several foods that are limited ingredients. You want to reduce the variety of food (particularly proteins) until you find one that works for you. However, it may be a contact allergy, such as detergent used on blankets. Good luck


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

Please have your baby seen by a vet as soon as possible. This could be nothing or it could be symptoms of something more serious. Keep us posted.


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## maddysmom (Mar 8, 2012)

If you been feeding the same food and haven’t seen a reaction within 24 hours like this, I highly doubt it’s the food.
That said, Ceasers is not a quality food, so I would suggest something else. 
It could be environmental allergies, idk 🤷🏻‍♀️
Here is an article for you I found real quick for ya.








Why Is My Dog's Body Covered in Bumps or Welts?


Welts may appear on a dog's face, back, belly, or all over its body. As with humans, welts require immediate veterinary care to address the underlying cause.




pethelpful.com


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## Snuggle's Mom (Jan 3, 2008)

I was so sorry to see that your little one is having issues with his/her skin. I am sure that your Vet will be able to try to help you out. However, our Chrissy had also been having issues with her skin and I began using Tropiclean Medicated Shampoo and also Conditioner. Well, it has worked so well and she no longer has any issues since I began using it for her Baths. Please keep us posted as I am sure it is very uncomfortable.


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## Ashleygrace (Apr 1, 2021)

wkomorow said:


> It is really tough to determine allergies. Avoid chicken and beef. There are several foods that are limited ingredients. You want to reduce the variety of food (particularly proteins) until you find one that works for you. However, it may be a contact allergy, such as detergent used on blankets. Good luck


Thank you!! That makes so much sense because for awhile I was cutting up chicken to give to her in her food - that might be the problem. Thanks again.


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## Kathleen (Aug 4, 2011)

I am so sorry - she must be very uncomfortable. Does it look like she may have some hair loss too?
I would definitely get her to the vet right away. I hate to worry you, but there can be more serious systemic issues that can cause hair loss and skin inflammation, like thyroid issues or Cushing's Disease. Best to catch it early, so that she can be treated if necessary. I am sure that the vet will be able to figure it out and make her much more comfortable. Please let us know how she does. 



Ashleygrace said:


> Hi all!
> My Maltese has been having VERY itchy skin recently and has very pink skin with small patchy spots all over her, even has a couple of open sores from itching so bad. I’m devastated and don’t know what to do. I thought it might be flea infestation. Does anyone have any idea?? And how to help?
> 
> Thank you.
> View attachment 275470


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## Ashleygrace (Apr 1, 2021)

maggieh said:


> Please have your baby seen by a vet as soon as possible. This could be nothing or it could be symptoms of something more serious. Keep us posted.


Thank you, I’ll keep you posted.


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## Ashleygrace (Apr 1, 2021)

maddysmom said:


> If you been feeding the same food and haven’t seen a reaction within 24 hours like this, I highly doubt it’s the food.
> That said, Ceasers is not a quality food, so I would suggest something else.
> It could be environmental allergies, idk 🤷🏻‍♀️
> Here is an article for you I found real quick for ya.
> ...


Thank you!! Can I ask what food you give to your Maltese? Sometimes they eat Rachel Ray hard food as well just when I have it down on a plate while I’m at work.


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## maddysmom (Mar 8, 2012)

Ashleygrace said:


> Thank you!! Can I ask what food you give to your Maltese? Sometimes they eat Rachel Ray hard food as well just when I have it down on a plate while I’m at work.


My girls have food allergies so I’m limited on what I can feed them. They eat honest kitchen zeal. There are many brands that are high quality. Here is another link for food Best Dog Foods 2021 | The Dog Food Advisor

Are you sure those are not flea bites?


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## Ashleygrace (Apr 1, 2021)

maddysmom said:


> My girls have food allergies so I’m limited on what I can feed them. They eat honest kitchen zeal. There are many brands that are high quality. Here is another link for food Best Dog Foods 2021 | The Dog Food Advisor
> 
> Are you sure those are not flea bites?


Thank you for that! I’m going to look into it. And yes - I’m most certain they are flea bites. I’ve done everything from dawn soap to flea shampoo. She wears a shirt to try to stop the itching but idk what else I can do to help her.


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## mss (Mar 1, 2006)

Ashleygrace said:


> Thank you for that! I’m going to look into it. And yes - I’m most certain they are flea bites. I’ve done everything from dawn soap to flea shampoo. She wears a shirt to try to stop the itching but idk what else I can do to help her.


She may need a shampoo with antibacterial ingredients, and that would be something a vet can prescribe. The things that you mention may just be irritating at this point.


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## Ashleygrace (Apr 1, 2021)

mss said:


> She may need a shampoo with antibacterial ingredients, and that would be something a vet can prescribe. The things that you mention may just be irritating at this point.


If she has an open sore from itching, will the antibacterial shampoo hurt?


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## Abella's Mommy (Mar 31, 2019)

I feel so bad for your little fluff. She must be miserable. I'm hoping you will get her checked out at the vet as soon as possible. They will be able to give her a hands on exam and answer all your questions and give you an accurate plan of action to proceed with. PLEASE make that appointment. She needs you to do this. Hoping you will post an update as to the diagnosis.
🐶 🐾🌷


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## maddysmom (Mar 8, 2012)

Ashleygrace said:


> Thank you for that! I’m going to look into it. And yes - I’m most certain they are flea bites. I’ve done everything from dawn soap to flea shampoo. She wears a shirt to try to stop the itching but idk what else I can do to help her.


You do know 99% fleas live in the home and not on the dog. Did you do a deep cleaning of your house after the flea bath?
So, any of the allergy meds can help. zyrtec, claritin, benadryl, but that being said, she really needs to see an allergist. I wouldn’t waste any time at your regular vet. Her skin is so inflamed and I am sure she is very uncomfortable. This needs to be addressed asap, imho. Those areas with scabs could have turned into a bacterial infection, so no allergy medicine or shampoo will help until treated with antibiotic, if that’s was the case.
This is the shampoo my dogs allergists had us use for my dogs mange. It shld help with the skin sores etc.








Vetoquinol BPO 3 Shampoo 3% Benzoyl Peroxide (16 oz)


Vet Solutions BPO 3 Shampoo 3% Benzoyl Peroxide is an antimicrobial, keratolytic, follicular flushing medicated shampoo for dogs and cats. Shop now at EntirelyPets.




www.entirelypets.com


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## Ashleygrace (Apr 1, 2021)

maddysmom said:


> You do know 99% fleas live in the home and not on the dog. Did you do a deep cleaning of your house after the flea bath?
> So, any of the allergy meds can help. zyrtec, claritin, benadryl, but that being said, she really needs to see an allergist. I wouldn’t waste any time at your regular vet. Her skin is so inflamed and I am sure she is very uncomfortable. This needs to be addressed asap, imho. Those areas with scabs could have turned into a bacterial infection, so no allergy medicine or shampoo will help until treated with antibiotic, if that’s was the case.
> This is the shampoo my dogs allergists had us use for my dogs mange. It shld help with the skin sores etc.
> 
> ...


Thank you for your response. That’s extremely helpful. Due to covid the vet in my town isn’t taking new appointments for awhile  I feel so bad for her.


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## Snuggle's Mom (Jan 3, 2008)

Is there a possibility that you might be able to find another Vet that would be able to see your little Malt?


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## mss (Mar 1, 2006)

Maybe even an emergency vet. 
See if you can send your picture of your dog to the regular vet or an emergency vet or another vet in the area so they can see this is not a trivial problem.


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## maddysmom (Mar 8, 2012)

Ashleygrace said:


> Thank you for your response. That’s extremely helpful. Due to covid the vet in my town isn’t taking new appointments for awhile  I feel so bad for her.


Even the ER can help your girl. Really though, this is not something I would want to self treat. She’s obviously getting worse and the longer you wait, the more she will suffer and the price to treat her could get so much more expensive.


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## mss (Mar 1, 2006)

echoing the advice that you do everything you can to have a veterinarian see her!

Something else I thought of overnight is that in the meantime, do not, not, not use an over the counter flea shampoo. One such product has been found to have some bad, toxic effects sometimes. I can not remember which one, so I would advise not using any of them.


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## Snuggle's Mom (Jan 3, 2008)

I hope that you were able to schedule an appointment with a Vet and hope that your little one is doing better.


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## samsam (Jul 25, 2021)

Ashley Can you please share how is your Maltese doing and what helped. We are going through the same thing. We took to a vet and they said allergies but it is a recurring problem for us.
Thanks in advance.


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## Tanner's Mom (May 27, 2005)

samsam said:


> Ashley Can you please share how is your Maltese doing and what helped. We are going through the same thing. We took to a vet and they said allergies but it is a recurring problem for us.
> Thanks in advance.


My Frankie had similar issues so I took him to a veterinary dermatologist. She dx'd him with bacterial folliculitis and gave him a shot of covenia. She also prescribed TrizChlor shampoo, bathe 2-3 times a week & TrizChlor spray to spray daily. TrizChlor is available thru Amazon. He's fine now, but I still use the TrizChlor shampoo monthly. I highly recommend taking our little Malts to specialists when issues occur. They have the expertise and the equipment to diagnose problems. And yes, they're more expensive than a regular vet in the short run, in the long run, they're not. You'll get answers from a specialist as opposed to going back & forth with a regular vet.


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## samsam (Jul 25, 2021)

Tanner's Mom said:


> My Frankie had similar issues so I took him to a veterinary dermatologist. She dx'd him with bacterial folliculitis and gave him a shot of covenia. She also prescribed TrizChlor shampoo, bathe 2-3 times a week & TrizChlor spray to spray daily. TrizChlor is available thru Amazon. He's fine now, but I still use the TrizChlor shampoo monthly. I highly recommend taking our little Malts to specialists when issues occur. They have the expertise and the equipment to diagnose problems. And yes, they're more expensive than a regular vet in the short run, in the long run, they're not. You'll get answers from a specialist as opposed to going back & forth with a regular vet.


Thank you for the update. My veterinary Dr gave antibiotics and cytopoint this time. I will try trizchlor. When I try to search Amazon I found Dechra Trizchlor 4 is it the same?


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