Cat Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 Hello everyone. I've noticed on several forums recently than ZRD (Zinc Responsive Dermatitis) seems to becoming a more common problem and very often the owner is not even sure that what they are seeing is actually ZRD. Often even the vet doesn't recognise it as ZRD. I though it would be a good idea for people who have had dogs with ZRD to post pictures of symtoms so if anyone is unsure they can get an idea of what it looks like. I thought this would be particularly useful as some dogs present less common symptoms. For example my boy Nao only had problems on his feet. I've got photos from when we first noticed a problem and the point when his feet were at their worst... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 Good post Cat ,Kira suffers from ZRD she gets it on her muzzle red hairless patches that dont really seem to bother her she dosnt scratch them ,Kira s luckily is undercontrol but it took ages to get this far ,I treated her with Zinc gluconate it worked for a while then came back so I changed to zinc Chelated and added organic kelp to her diet and up till now she has been ok . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Posted April 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 Hi Anne, We tried lots of different types of zinc suppliments. The only thing that worked with Nao was a small piece of liver every day. It seems to have settled down now and he is no longer getting liver every day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackie62 Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 FOUND THIS ON INTERNET .....www.doggedhealth.com/taking-temperature/component/content/article/338.html - 43k - Cached - Similar pages Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siberian_wolf Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 Great thread cat - added to rep great find too jackie - added to rep I have heard of this before but not actually seen a dog with it (as far as I know) and not really been something Ive read much about either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 great posts guys added to rep! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Posted April 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 that thread is quite interesting although the bit about contracting ZRD is a bit misleading. It makes it sound like a dog can catch the illness. The leading school of thought about the reasons for Northern breeds suffering from ZRD is genetics. These breeds would have originally fed on food like salmon which is high in vitamin A and zinc. becuase their natural diet was high in these vits and minerals the body didn't need to be as efficient as other breeds to aborb what it needs. The complete dog food you get has enough zinc for most breeds but not for the genetically inefficent northern breeds. You will also find that dogs getting fed RAW of BARF will be less likely to suffer from ZRD as the zinc they are consuming is natural and therefore more readily absorbed in the gut compaired to the zinc suppliments added to dried dog food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rose Posted April 23, 2009 Report Share Posted April 23, 2009 I started to wean mishka off the zincaderm tabs a few weeks ago but noticing this morning she has a scaley, bare area on her foot , so had to atart her on the tabs again, gave her a sardine this morning also, seems she isn't going to cope without the zinc tabs as i hoped as she got older. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackie62 Posted April 23, 2009 Report Share Posted April 23, 2009 I have not come across this with mine yet but will def be on the look out now. This is what this site is all about , good information dont you agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beverly Posted May 20, 2011 Report Share Posted May 20, 2011 Hi there, we think your Shadow boy may have ZRD... Anyone who has seen this before, can you maybe acknowledge if my boy does have it or not? Our vet is very unfamiliar with the disorder and I have heard of many ppl getting unconclusive skin biopsies, so not very willing to go get one done if it may not even give us the answer we are looking for... We have him on Nutrazinc right now, 1/8 tsp per day... We are awaiting to see results "fingers crossed"!! I'm posting only a couple of the scabs and spots Shadow has on him... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val (Zebedee) Posted May 21, 2011 Report Share Posted May 21, 2011 Myshka has started again but under her jaw this time. Previously it has been on her eyelids, she had biopsies done, looked awful, poor girl, waiting for it to heal. We use Active tablets with Zinc & Ginseng and Zn7 gel (but she likes to rub this on her front leg & lick it off!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephona Posted May 21, 2011 Report Share Posted May 21, 2011 This is what happened to ours almost two years ago: It wasn't very bad and went away after treatment with Zinc tablets; we don't have anything for dogs here but we gave him human tablets and some skin supplements (one of the vets told us to do so, although she had no idea ZRD existed before we told her it happens in huskies). Thankfully it hasn't recurred. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beverly Posted May 21, 2011 Report Share Posted May 21, 2011 Those pics look exactly how Shadow's scabs/spots started... It was the same story here, I had brought Shadow in twice and neither time the vet knew what to tell us, we were prescribed cortisone cream the forst time and antibiotics the second time, neither really helped. I then decided to surf the net for days on end and finally found sites on ZRD, printed and brought the info to my vet and only then did she agree with me that it was probably ZRD. But she and her colleagues had never seen this deficiency before and don't know much about it. We could go get a biopsy but the closest vet that can do them is 3 hrs away and cost an arm and a leg... LOL We now have him on Nutrazinc and liver... will have to wait/hope and see what happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elmo Posted May 22, 2011 Report Share Posted May 22, 2011 Now you see looking at the first pics of the post, it looks just like what Vix's paw looks like atm and in the past. But I've been keeping an eye on it and fur does regrow onto these areas, albeit slowly. Ive noticed too that she gets little scab like patches (less than a few millimetres in size) on the back leg on the joint, this is also true with Tallica. Could this just be down to rough play and skidding around when they have a mad spell in the garden? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beverly Posted June 14, 2011 Report Share Posted June 14, 2011 I'm happy to say Shadow has gotten much better since we started him a month ago on the Nutrazinc and liver daily. Here are some pics of his ZRD for future reference if anyone else ever encounters the same problem... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val (Zebedee) Posted June 14, 2011 Report Share Posted June 14, 2011 Thanks, Beverly, these will help any concerned husky owners who may come across this problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malene S. Hansen Posted November 17, 2011 Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 Greetings from Denmark. We now finally have a diagnosis on our husky's problems: ZRD. Lúa has soars all over her face and on her genitals. Our ordinary veterinarian has treatet her with all kinds of antibiotics without succes. Luckily we tried a new vet before putting her to sleep. It was so bad. A biopsi confirmed his theory. Now we will begin the treatment with zinc - 250 mg's per day for 6 weeks. How much do you give? I will try to upload photos later. /Malene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val (Zebedee) Posted November 17, 2011 Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 good luck with this, Malene, I'm sure this will improve very quickly with the zinc supplement Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beverly Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 I am actually not too sure what the mg/day dose is, but we saw results almost instantly. Mind you he will be on the zinc for the rest of his life, and his muzzle is still a little pink, I swear by the zinc/liver treatment! Sadly not very many vets are knowledgeable with ZRD, I actually told our vet what Shadow's diagnosis was LOL. Malene, expect to see ur pup show positive results within the first month of treatment... it's amazing how quickly you start seeing results! Good Luck!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lee-anne hodgon (Nanook) Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 is ZRD serious and are there any other symptoms of this? i am pretty sure that Nanook has this and we have tried to change his food and give him some fish in his diet but I am unsure whether to just start giving him liver and human zinc supplements or take him to the vet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted November 22, 2011 Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 is ZRD serious and are there any other symptoms of this? i am pretty sure that Nanook has this and we have tried to change his food and give him some fish in his diet but I am unsure whether to just start giving him liver and human zinc supplements or take him to the vet? have you got any pics of the affected area?x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Melsom Posted November 22, 2011 Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 Good post since this is a big thing with northern dog breeds:clap: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patti Posted December 4, 2011 Report Share Posted December 4, 2011 Here is a few pictures of what my husky's long undiagnosed Zinc dificiency looked like. This was about a year in before i finally realized what it was and began to give her blue buffalo salmon dog food. Her chin was the most effected and around the eye, then causing secondary skin problems such as hot spots and yeast infections in her ear. The doctors never even diagnosed her, I came across a friend with a husky who had the same problem. After only one month of giving her the dog food it cleared up completely. We gave her no supplements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rose Posted December 4, 2011 Report Share Posted December 4, 2011 siskos been showing signs of zrd around her mouth/ nose area, i have changed her food to fish4dogs now hoping she will take to it with no trots,weaning her over to it over next 7 days. she had a swab taken from her left ear too friday as has a red,sore left ear ,scratches occasionally at her mouth & ear . will get her ear swab result next week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rose Posted December 4, 2011 Report Share Posted December 4, 2011 siskos been showing signs of zrd around her mouth/ nose area, i have changed her food to fish4dogs now hoping she will take to it with no trots,weaning her over to it over next 7 days. she had a swab taken from her left ear too friday as has a red,sore left ear ,scratches occasionally at her mouth & ear . will get her ear swab result next week. we bought some zinc chelate 15mg tabs but the f4d food has it in it too so will have to check with vet if she can have them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.