surchinmy
Ultra ALPHA
Dec 4, 2004, 11:25 PM
Views: 3626
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Re: [mikoyuki] Help!!! My Basset Hound dianosed wt fungus infection
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Hi ...
Ah ... ok, understand your difficulty ...
Motor Oil
Yes, in the old days (and some people still use it now) ... diesel was often used as a general remedy for parasitic infections of the skin/coat ... basically the heavy diesel oil suffocates the parasites ... But this method is no longer recommended ... for the following reasons:
(a) For best effect, you have to shave the dog ... (b) It is really really messy ... (c) Diesel is a poison  ...
And there are better and more effective methods today ... Use the Search Function and search the word "diesel" ... It is not a method I would use.
Steroids
If the vet is ONLY giving "steroid" injections (without other supporting treatment) - then I would tend to agree with your pharmacist - in that steroid jabs are often only temporary remedies ... and when the steroids wear off - the problem often returns.
Basically what a "steroid" injection does is reduce inflammation & itchiness ... Sometimes - by reducing the symptoms, it allows the area to heal (because the dog stops chewing/scratching the area) and hopefully gives time for the dog's OWN immunity system to tackle the cause of the coat/skin problem ... BUT, the "steroid" injection does not by itself address the causes of the coat/skin condition ...
To be effective, steroid treatment ought also to be accompanied with treatment of the "primary" causes of the coat/skin condition ... Used alone, the steroid treatment often only provides superficial & temporary relief ...
Your dog's coat/skin condition
You started this thread by saying that your dog has a fungal infection ... and now, you think your dog may have some form of mange infection ... (there are several types of mange infection - and treatment is different for each).
In order to effectively & successfully treat coat/skin condition - it is necessary to identify the cause of the coat/skin condition ... because the treatment for fungal infection is quite different from the treatment for mange infection ... And sometimes the fungal infection is only secondary, in that the fungal infection is brought because of some other coat/skin condition/infection ...
Without seeing your dog - it is very very hard to know what is the correct remedy or treatment. And making guesses is hardly the best way of trying to reduce or rid skin/coat problems.
Which is why I suggested that you get a good vet to properly examine your dog ...
Even when using homeopathic or natural remedies - it is still necessary to find out what is affecting your dog before the proper remedy can be applied ...
For example: While Tea Tree oil is a very good natural & mild form of antiseptic, and will help reduce superficial skin infection ... TTree oil may not be so effective against fungus or mange ... Neem Oil would probably be better for fungal infection ... While a Lemon Oil infusion may be better for mild mange infections ... And if such oils are used in too strong a concentration or too intensively, it can burn and/or dry the dog's skin ...
I will still suggest the following:
(a) Get a skin-scraping done by the most reliable vet you can find ... if necessary, get the vet to do a culture, to try and identify what is the CAUSE or CAUSES of your dog's coat/skin condition - or at least confirm it that is a fungal or mange infection or both. If mange infection - confirm the type of mange infection.
(b) BUT before your vet prescribes any treatment ... ASK your vet to FULLY EXPLAIN your dog's condition & the treatment he intends to prescribe ... A good vet WILL NOT MIND and will be happy to answer your questions ...
For example:
If the vet wants to give an injection ... find out EXACTLY what the injection is (it may not be a steroid injection but an ivermectin injection) ... Ask the vet to explain the purpose of the injection
If your vet prescribes tablets - also find out what those tablets are ... ask for names & particulars ... Ask the vet to explain the purpose of the tablets.
If you are still not sure, then don't do the treatment until after you have done some research on your own ... or post here.
If you can identify the possible causes of your dog's coat/skin condition - then it will be easier to recommend some possible homeopathic or natural remedies to support the vet's medication ...
Without identifying the primary cause - all we can do is guess ... and that may not be so good or effective ...
Cheers
P.S. - With coat/skin conditions - a good balanced diet of freshly prepared foods often helps ... good, properly balanced nutrition is directly related to better coat & skin condition.
(This post was edited by surchinmy on Dec 4, 2004, 11:36 PM)
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