[Bobby dog]

Hello Patterson C:
Asking questions on a forum intended for just that purpose? No apologies necessary IMO, ask away! 😉

Nice to read he is more comfortable now since he had a bath and a dose of Benadryl.

You sound like a caring dog owner that is reaching out to others for information. That’s how most of us found DFA. The next step is to sort through it all as you wrote above, “It helps so that I can mention some ideas to my vet.”

I bathe my dog with Malaseb shampoo, along with other brands with key ingredients, for his skin issues. Most times it is not used in conjunction with anything else, but it is a very important part of maintenance for him. If I fall behind I am reminded by him…he begins his frequent scratching and licking. During the winter/spring I bathe him about two times a month. During the summer/fall I bathe once sometimes twice a week; rinsing him off daily goes a long way most times.

I also give him Benadryl during his allergy season.

One thought, in your original post you wrote your dog “thrived” on Purina. I would switch back to what he did well eating as a starting point.

Here’s a site run by two boarded Vet Dermatogists. I like their library (under resources tab) and blog. They will also answer questions on their FB page:
http://www.healthyskin4dogs.com/

Here’s the U.S. directory for ACVD Diplomats:
https://www.acvd.org/tools/locator/locator.asp?ids=16_Find_Dermatologist

Good luck, maybe it is as simple as switching back to the food he thrived on!

Hello Randy D,
I agree it’s a good place to start. Although, I would feed the food that he did best on Purina.