smatulewicz
Michigan
MH
Posts:1188
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| 07/30/2012 10:59 AM |
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Hi guys,
I've been reading around on the internet, but thought I'd check with you guys to see if anyone ever experienced it.
Bella gets tiny lumps on the top of her head. They do not bother her, are not red or inflamed, do not itch...etc. At first, I thought maybe they were little moles she was developing, but quickly realized that they change (in the sense some go away and a new spot will emerge). Then I considered "no see'um" bites...but if it happened once that would be logical, but not now. Considered doggy acne, but they do not seem to have a "head" or be full of puss or anything. Just hard tiny bumps, that come and go, different places each time.
What I am mostly coming across suggest allergies, which I have always wondered about with her due to the amount of reverse sneezing episodes she gets after swimming or a long weekend in the woods. Basically the hair follicules are irritated, or the equalivalent to hives. (I would just think they'd be itchy to her if it were similar to human hives).
Anyway, has anyone ever experienced it with their pups? Anything you found to help? |
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weerubbertummy
Ayrshire, Scotland
MH
Posts:726
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| 07/30/2012 11:15 AM |
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I do remember Kintra getting little hard bumps on her head and muzzle for a while when she was younger but they just went away of their own accord. I just assumed at the time that it was maybe an allergy - either seasonal or something she'd eaten. She was neither up nor down with them - no itching or anything. I'm afraid i never took her to the vet about them as they just seemed so innocuous. |
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Miss you forever Kintra baby xxx |
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mckee.lucie
Seattle, WA
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Posts:202
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| 07/30/2012 11:22 AM |
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We actually had something that sounds very similar with our Luna last year. We first noticed it at around 4 months of age (February) and lasted thru about September (around 11 months of age). The bumps were mostly noticeable because the fur in those spots would stand up a little bit from the bumps, and eventually as the bumps persisted the fur thinned in that spot and at a certain angle I could see it even more.. The bumps were about the size in diameter of the eraser on the end of a pencil. She seemed to scratch them occasionally, but they never were pimple like, red, or anything, and weren't suspicious of staph. We had the vet check her for demodex which was negative, and really couldn't pinpoint it down. In the end, it came down to allergy testing which we weren't quite ready to do, because at that point our vet suggested if it's not bothersome to her it may be a younger dog thing that she just needs to outgrow and boost her immune system or could be seasonal allergens.
We paid of a lot of attention trying to find what made it worse, and we seemed to notice a slight correlation whenever we took her to a specific dog park in our area that has huge open grass fields and after we'd spend an hour or so there she be covered in more bumps on her head and back between her shoulder blades. The bumps would seem to always be present and would come and go slightly.
After doing a ton of research and trying to decide what to do, we stopped taking Luna to that park, and started bathing her with ketochlor shampoo (prescription needed) that our vet recommended we try. It's an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal shampoo. Don't know if that made a difference or not, but we used it regularly for at least 2x/monthly baths, eventually tapering down and adding fish oil on her food and the bumps have been gone since September. We haven't had to use the shampoo since, but still give her fish oil on her food, and bumps haven't reappeared since. Coincidence? stronger immune system with age? different allergens this year? Don't know...but crossing our fingers it doesn't come back. Good luck! |
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Smylinacha
Connecticut
MH
Posts:1208
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| 07/30/2012 12:20 PM |
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Hi,
My son has a dog - not a gsp but a mixed mutt over at his father's house. Older dog - going on 10 yrs old. He also has the bumps on the head and muzzle, along with fur falling out. The vet told him that the fur falling out is thyroid which he's on meds for now and that the bumps are either an allergy or fungus. Been very hot outside. He also got some prescription shampoo and they have to keep the dog indoors now. He can still go out for walks and potty time but he doesn't get to hang out in the yard like he used to. |
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kpwlee
Raleigh, NC
MH
Posts:992
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| 07/30/2012 3:17 PM |
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Bugsy got hives several times (how we learned he was allergic to chicken, turkey and egg) and they come fast and furious and often come with significant respiratory distress. When he got them they were good sized lumps on his head and all the way down his spine. He was wheezing
Hives are not irritated hair follicules, it is a histamine response in the skin (that is my understanding) that causes blood plasma to be released and either itch or burn. They would bother her
Hives would also likely return to the same place (I get them on my forearms from certain things but no where else), they hang around for a while then go all at once.
He also once got an area of small bumps on his shoulder that turned out to be an infection that cleared with anti-biotics BUT that hung around and had no changes.
The fact she is unbothered by them, they change places and come and go might suggest a skin irritant. Or may be ant bites?
FWIW Bugsy had a mini-lump behind an ear all weekend and its gone now. I do think bug bites can be the culprit |
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It's Bugsy's world...
http://dailyzoomie.blogspot.com/ |
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smatulewicz
Michigan
MH
Posts:1188
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| 07/30/2012 4:49 PM |
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That's what I was thinking about hives...that they would bother her. If it is just irritated follicles, from allergies...it would make more sense. I'm leaning toward allergies, just because I don't see how bugs would be going just after her head. She gets pretty read from bug bites too (again, what leads me to think of allergies). Black fly bites welt up pretty bad on her.
Mckee, I was too thinking maybe it would be something she grew out of with age. You're right about being able to tell they are there because it tufts the hair a little. I'm just being vain for her, but it makes her pretty little head less pretty 
I think since they don't seem to bother her I will watch them until it comes due for another vet visit, and see if I can find a correlation. We did just switch her to the higher protein version of the food we feed, but I can't for the life of me remember if I noticed these before or after.
No hair loss or itchiness makes me less apt to think it is anything that needs immediate attention. They are just starting to make me very curious with their persisting. |
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Texas Belle
Austin, TX
MH
Posts:7835
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| 07/30/2012 4:53 PM |
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| Belle used to get little bumps on her head and face. Turned out to be a food allergy to beef. Eventually the bumps would get infected and she ended up with a skin infection. This was a problem until we figured out what the problem was. BTW I figured it out by keeping a diary and the trying elimination of different things. |
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Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo), the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) and the little Princess (Fauna)
Yellow Rose GSPs
   
"A dog has the soul of a philosopher." - Plato |
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smatulewicz
Michigan
MH
Posts:1188
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| 08/01/2012 11:52 AM |
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Her head is looking better, but one did pop up on her nose. I threw out our last bag, but I am going to go to the feed store and look at the ingredients.
Could be from treats, we made her some venison treats, but...she doesn't get those often or everyday. She never had issues as a wee puppy, so it would seem it is something as of recently.
She has been stung twice by hornets (we have a HUGE hornet problem and she hasn't learned yet that they aren't fun to chase like flies)...so it could be a lingering reaction to that I suppose. Hard to say. |
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kpwlee
Raleigh, NC
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Posts:992
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| 08/01/2012 2:33 PM |
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when I said it could be a contact allergy it could literally be something she is touching - a plant, something you've used a cleaner on, etc.
The fact that it is always her head, now her nose does keep that as a possibility
Was she recently outside?
eta: give her benadryl and see if it goes away that would determine if it is a histamine reaction or not (1mg/lb, Bugsy is 105lbs and gets (4) 25mg tablets at a time)
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It's Bugsy's world...
http://dailyzoomie.blogspot.com/ |
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smatulewicz
Michigan
MH
Posts:1188
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| 08/01/2012 3:10 PM |
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She is outside everyday at minimum in just our yard. She eats grass...sticks her heads in all sorts of greeneries looking for chippies. She has very sensitive skin, and swells easily to bug bites. So I'm sure there's an allergy of some sort...it's going to take some serious monitoring to find out exactly what. Especially if it is plant or grass or some sort.
Her head has cleared up a bit, but I noticed one on the tip of her nose last night. Black flies are dwindling.
Will try benodryl and see if that clears them up, and then I'll know for sure it's an allergy to something and I can start toting around a handy dandy notebook and jotting down potential culprits |
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Smylinacha
Connecticut
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Posts:1208
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| 08/01/2012 7:13 PM |
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what about the deer flies? I see them buzzin' around Windsor and Velvet lately.
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