Cristina Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 Hi again, I would like to ask you a question about ZRD. We've decreased the dosage of zinc gradually after 3 weeks of treatment as the skin started to look healed almost completely and in two days dermatosis reappeared violently and extended rapidly. Does this mean that this will be a permanent issue if we stop giving COSMO zinc supplements ?? Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val (Zebedee) Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 it is different in each dog, so I can't answer that - what I will say is from experience, Myshka's comes & goes at will. I see it start, I give her zinc supplements, I do this for a few weeks, wean her off them then she could be OK for a month or 12 months ... I just keep a daily check on her now & do it 1 day at a time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 Hi as Val says each dog is different ,the treatment of ZRD is a long process some dog may never get rid of it totaly, some dogs flare up now and then ,in Kira s case she got it when she was about 2 years old after quite a few months of treatment I stopped giving her zinc suppliments and it came back worse than ever so I put her back on them for another year then tried again and she has been (up to now )free from ZRD .I added kelp to her diet as it is rich in nutrients including calcium and zinc ,I think this has helped her a lot with the ZRD,Anne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirbysowner Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 if you stop drinking water you will get dehydrated, and if you stop giving your dog zinc he/she will have a zinc deficiency, so yes it is permanent. However, the effect of ZDR and how much zinc your dog needs depends on the dog itself. Some dogs are fine with getting zinc from foods such as liver, others might need supplements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miracle Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 There is a generous amount of zinc in the dog food I feed Nanook. Maybe look into some brands that are supplemented with zinc? Think of it as the same thing as a person with anemia, or iron deficiency. Unless they increase their iron intake/take supplements, the amount of iron present in their body will be deficient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cristina Posted July 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 Good points, thank you all. We'll go on zinc for the time being, still we're going to make some further investigations next week, the biopsy came negative but we haven't yet done a test for mange, one of the vets we've consulted said that there is a kind of mange that is genetical and maybe our Cosmo is suffering from it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val (Zebedee) Posted July 23, 2011 Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 I hope you get the results quickly and Cosmo can start feeling better soon, just a thought - Myshka had a biopsy on the eyelid that flared up at one time, that came back negative yet responded to zinc supplements as the vet was adamant it was ZRD, so I would, for now, continue with adding zinc to the diet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cristina Posted July 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 Unfortunately here in Romania, the vets don't give us a clear diagnosis, we have to do researches on our own, anyway, so far zinc supplements help a lot with this dermatosis whatever its nature is, we only fear not to intoxicate the poor Cosmo with too much zinc, this is a possibility as well, even if we give him only the recommended amount in ZRD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miracle Posted July 24, 2011 Report Share Posted July 24, 2011 Good points, thank you all. We'll go on zinc for the time being, still we're going to make some further investigations next week, the biopsy came negative but we haven't yet done a test for mange, one of the vets we've consulted said that there is a kind of mange that is genetical and maybe our Cosmo is suffering from it. My mothers dachshund has/had this. It's called demodex. It's not contagious because it's caused by a mite that all dogs have. What happens is in times of stress, the dog's immune system lowers or displays irregularities and creates an ideal environment for these mites to overpopulate. This generally results in hair loss, and in severe cases, infections etc. My mom's dog got a few random bald patches, though they weren't very big. In the scheme of things, this isn't a very severe diagnosis except in the most extreme of circumstances. What we had to do for our dog was buy some expensive shampoo and give her a series of "dips" (baths) until it eventually cleared up. The test for demodex is very simple: just a skin scraping on the affected areas. I'm surprised they haven't done this already. However, I doubt this is what your pup has. From the images I've seen in another thread, it looks a lot like other photos I've seen of zinc deficiencies. Plus he is a husky! Demodex is most common in puppies under 2 years old, and you would generally notice signs of it (such as small bald patches) when the puppy is very little. If your dog is over 2 years and has it, this may be a sign of a genetic immune deficiency. My bet is on ZRD, though. Seems a bit like your vet may be trying to milk you of whatever they can get by making him take more tests. Then again, I'm biased from working in a veterinarian's office. I'm not particularly trusting of them because I know the techniques mine uses. In any case, best of luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cristina Posted July 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2011 Thanks Caiti, I think you are right about the methods some vets use with their clients, which is very sad. The first thing I would have done, would have been a skin test of the affected area under microscope to make at list an idea about what is actually there. Anyhow, we'll do this eventually. Me, as well I believe it is zinc deficiency even if vets don't confirm. I've posted some photos with Cosmo having his second eruption much worse than his first one, which was one month ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cristina Posted July 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cristina Posted July 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2011 I've read about this Demodectic mange that is caused by a tiny mite all dogs have but which become dangerous when they overpopulate, especially when the dog's immune system is unable to keep them under control. It's not contagious to other dogs or humans. After the test I'll let you know if it is about it or not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elenamarie Posted July 25, 2011 Report Share Posted July 25, 2011 Demodetic mange can be treated using Ivermectin (I think that's the drug) for long term control, but some dogs are sensitive to it so the protocol should be developed by a vet. @Arooroomom has had it with one of her sibes, I think, and she would be far more knowledgable than I on that subject. If the condition resolved with zinc, I seriously doubt it's demodetic mange. The mites wouldn't respond at all to zinc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cristina Posted July 29, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2011 Yes, this is ZRD what our Cosmo is suffering from. The vet confirmed. We are now under treatment with zinc, the skin starts to look better, but it will take some time until it will look normal again . We've already made some changes about his diet, taking into account info found on this useful site; we'll be much more cautious about the zinc aspect in the future as indeed it seems that zinc deficiency becomes more and more frequent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cristina Posted August 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2011 Here is a link about Zinc requirements in a dog, which I find useful http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1659+1662&aid=718 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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