cauliflowers Posted November 8, 2014 Report Share Posted November 8, 2014 Hello everyone, first time poster here About a month ago my husky start having his lips turn from black pigments to pinkish tone. At first I thought it would be the changing weather like the snow nose he had a year back. However, recently the lips continue to be pink (maybe it's just the lighter colour but the lips may also be swollen) and on the edges between the gums and his fur is beginning to be crusty. I've also noticed some slip lip on certain areas. He still lets me touch them so I'm guessing it isn't painful. I went to the vet last week and she wasn't sure what it was so she suggested either ZRD or allergies. The problem is my dog eats a healthy amount of whole wheat bread and chicken as his regular diet so he should receive more than enough zinc. What I also found out is that it could be due to vegetables being part of the diet, which we also put into his meals but have recently stopped. Has anyone else experience something similar? Thanks in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase Posted November 8, 2014 Report Share Posted November 8, 2014 Hello Arnold, welcome to the forum. May I ask why you feed "a healthy amount of whole wheat bread"? That is the first thing I would remove immediately. Start adding some fish oil to the diet and you should see some improvement. What is the total diet you are feeding? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cauliflowers Posted November 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2014 He gets a slice of bread in the morning for snack, but I'll remove it immediately. His diet includes chicken/lamb bok choy yu choy spinach rice and a slice of fresh pet select chicken tender w/ veggies and brown rice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase Posted November 8, 2014 Report Share Posted November 8, 2014 Does he get any bones and organs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cauliflowers Posted November 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2014 He gets pig skin "bones" but rarely. Speaking of which, he was given one shortly before his lips started turning. As for organs, I keep that away from the diet. I've got some pictures but I can't post links at the moment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase Posted November 8, 2014 Report Share Posted November 8, 2014 My feelings are is that he is not getting a balanced diet. Have a look at the raw feeding thread on this forum or consider going to a good quality fish based kibble. I think until he has been on a good balanced diet for 6 weeks it is probably premature to diagnose ZRD. Of course I could be completely wrong Hopefully others will be able to contribute and help you with the issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOBELHOWLUC49 Posted November 8, 2014 Report Share Posted November 8, 2014 Am I correct in saying wheat etc can cause skin allergies? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase Posted November 8, 2014 Report Share Posted November 8, 2014 Am I correct in saying wheat etc can cause skin allergies? Yes, It is one of the more common allergens and adds very little nutrition to a dogs diet, it is common in dog foods along with corn as it is very cheap and used as a filler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikknoo Posted November 10, 2014 Report Share Posted November 10, 2014 Hi I was wondering how your getting on? My dog has zrd, we got rid of it for about 6 weeks but it's come back. I saw that Jase said that bread is bad- ghost likes to eat the crusts off my daughters toasts, I'm gonna stop that immediately!! I have ghost on salmon & potato kibble with fresh tuna or mackerel, she's only been on this the past week or so there's not been a chance for improvement yet. She's suffering most around her eyes and on her paws and girly areas (!) so the past 3 days she's worn a buster collar (cone) at night as she's licking them red raw, she very annoyed with me for this thou I really hope your pup gets better soon & you manage to find what's triggering it. Nik Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase Posted November 11, 2014 Report Share Posted November 11, 2014 Hi I was wondering how your getting on? My dog has zrd, we got rid of it for about 6 weeks but it's come back. I saw that Jase said that bread is bad- ghost likes to eat the crusts off my daughters toasts, I'm gonna stop that immediately!! I have ghost on salmon & potato kibble with fresh tuna or mackerel, she's only been on this the past week or so there's not been a chance for improvement yet. She's suffering most around her eyes and on her paws and girly areas (!) so the past 3 days she's worn a buster collar (cone) at night as she's licking them red raw, she very annoyed with me for this thou I really hope your pup gets better soon & you manage to find what's triggering it. Nik I don't think the odd bit of crust is very bad, it is just that it sounded like it was a reasonable sized part of Arnold's dogs diet initially, and my suggestion was to take wheat out of the equation to find out if it is really ZRD or a more simple diet or allergy issue. Ronin has had the odd bit of crust on occasions too, but he has no skin or diet issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cauliflowers Posted November 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2014 Other than his physical appearance, my dog Coffee is still the same silver bullet thrashing everywhere he goes. What I am noticing is other than his lips, the supposedly black chin is starting to flake and fall off like scabs, but nowhere else other than the mouth area is affected. One of my hypothesis was that maybe a month earlier he was chasing... bees... and tried to chomp on them, but it would have swelled and the allergic reaction would have been instant I will observe for another week and see if toning his diet may slow down the scabbing. He's about to be four years old on the 20th and his diet has never really changed since he was a pup 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.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.