Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi Everyone:

It's been a while since I've been on this board to post about Kazuki (3.5 yr old male) so just wanted to provide an update and get some advice.

Update: Kazuki got a human little brother 21 months ago who he tolerates most of the time and loves some of the time. Kazuki has been great to Ian, is super gentle around him and will just run away when the toddler gets too much for him (e.g., Ian's favorite game now is horsey with the doggie). The two are really great together and I'm so proud that my two little boys are growing closer everyday.

Health advice: It all started when Kazuki got injured at the doggie park. He was running around with his friends at top speed and slammed into a post. He was stunned and a little bruised but seemed otherwise fine. The vet also didn't find anything amiss. Then a couple of days later Kazuki started to get bald spots all over. He would itch and scratch until certain spots were completely bald. We thought maybe it was mange or mites but all the tests turned up negative. Fur has started to grow back in some of the areas but we've noticed that the skin where the bald spots are has been turning black. Kazuki is otherwise fine (lots of energy, playful, eats well, etc.) but still scratches himself a lot. Has this happen to anyone? We think the bald spots might be stress-induced nervousness. It's good that the fur is growing back but we're kind of concerned about his skin turning black. The vet doesn't know what is wrong and suggested a biopsy. From the vet's description, the biopsy seems kind of traumatic so I'm hoping to avoid that. Has anyone encountered this?

Thanks,
Danielle

Hi Danielle and welcome back to you and Kazuki! Congrats on the new addition. Sounds good that Kazuki has tolerated his little brother.

As for the itching and bald spots... could they be allergy related? You never know what be lurking around the dog park or the environment in general. If the condition persists you might want to have your vet recommend a canine dermotologist. Keep us posted on what you find out.
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If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.

I'll second the allergy guess. It's typically a food allergy, but can be enviornmental. It can also be a thyroid issue that causes the black skin.

What can happen with stress is it can lower the body's resistance to fight against the allergens and then the allergy flairs up. Same is true if a dog is boarderline on a thyroid issue. So, although the stress may have triggered th problem, it's not the actual reason there is a problem.

What are you feeding your pup? If it's not a high quality reduced grain or grain free food, I'd recommend a switch. I'd also give him a decent bath with a gentle shampoo and have some blooddrawn and sent to Cornell for throid function. There's only one lab I know of that can do the test correctly. Also, if the dog is low/normal then for a shiba it's low and needs meds. If in the middle of the range, all is fine. I've never encountered a high/normal, but if you see it, also be wary.

I hope that helps and you can get your dog more comfortable soon. It's tough when they aren't 100%.
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Chelle and the rest of the crew including, but not limited to Kita and Taiko (the shiba inu wrestle maniacs), Adi (reserved and dignified tabby cat), and all 28 reptiles www.freewebs.com/performanceshibas

My guess would be allergies, too. Let us know what you find out. . . . And we'd love to see pictures of your pup and little one.

Thanks for everyone's advice. I'm thinking maybe it's stress induced allergies. Kazuki has never had allergies before so this is a new development. We feed him Wellness (chicken & lamb) and he's never had a bad reaction to it. We give him dried chicken for snacks and the occasional raw fish (he is Japanese after all!). He's really a healthy dog and still very playful with lots of energy. He's blowing coat right now so it's kind of hard to tell if his fur is growing back in the bald spot areas. But hopefully it'll get better.

Here are some pictures of the dog and the kid. The dog and the kid refuses to pose with each other, well... more like the dog refuses to pose with the kid... so I have to take pictures of them separately.

Those are two very cute kids! Thanks for the pictures!
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Anne, Bill, and Murphy

Danielle... terrific picts of both kids!!

Regarding the allergies... they could be stress related but I would be more leaning toward food or environment. Since Kazuki is 3½ years old he could be desensitized to something now that he wasn't when he was younger. Allergies work in the same way for us as we age. What I would try doing is checking out the food and anything different that might have entered his living space that could have triggered an allergic reaction. It could be something that might be easily overlooked as a non-factor.
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If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.

Adorable pictures! Thanks for sharing.