Cane Corso - skin problems

[Briardan]

Hi everyone! I am new to the forum, joining up today after reading a thread from someone else about skin problems with their mastiff that sound very similar to what I am trying to figure out. I have a 2 year old blue Cane Corso, and live in Mexico. For the last 1.5 years I have been trying to do something about the skin problem, that comes and goes throughout the year.
I have been to three different vets, none of whom have been able to provide a solution. Their first response is to medicate, which has cleared up the problem in the past but it comes right back a few weeks later. One said it is due to the hotter weather, and he will just have to live with it. We have changed his diet numerous times, and for the last 6 months he has been eating Royal Canine Anallergenic. With this food he hasn't had any serious breakouts, but the skin has not healed either, and continues to be flaky.
The most affected area is his back, where his skin is pimply, dry and scabby. In the sunlight it looks like he is balding - he has very little hair along his back.
I have spent two months online investigating a raw diet, because I feel that this is the best option to prevent and solve this problem rather than continuing to put a bandage on it.
I would really appreciate someone's comments who feeds their Cane Corso (or mastiff) a raw diet. I have read so many conflicting opinions online, and can't seem to get enough information to know where to start.
Also, if anybody has any other ideas as to how to deal with the skin issue, we would be forever grateful!!!

 

[DennasMom]

Welcome to the forum!!

It does sound like an allergy issue... and I know the RC Anallergenic is supposed to help that... but... the first ingredient is a corn product, which is not something I like to feed... the second is a poultry product, which is often one of the allergy triggers for mastiffs... They also tend to process out anything recognizable to the digestive tract for some of these foods, which just makes me cringe... sorry.

So... A raw diet? Yes!! Highly recommended!!

I switched Denna (EM) to raw when she was 6 months old. Not really to fix any issues, but more because the more I read about it, the more it made sense to be the best for long-term support of a healthy dog.

I'd recommend you do some research on the "Whole Prey Model Raw Diet" (that's the model we follow) and do some planning before you jump in.
Here are two good links to get you started:
Raw Fed Dogs - Natural Prey Model Rawfeeding Diet
How to get started feeding a Prey Model Raw Diet - Raw Chat - PMR Articles - articles - Prey Model Raw

And come back here to the forum with any questions - we actually have a sub-forum under "health & nutrition" just for raw diet topics.
Mastiff Raw Food Diets

Once you get started on the raw diet, it really does become easy... it took me a few months to get my 'system' down, but I love it now and don't think I could go back to feeding kibble.

While you're doing that - I'd add some fish oil to your pup's diet, asap. A good cold water fish oil with high Omega-3's is really good for skin issues. You can't overdose on it either. You can use human capsules, and start with a 4-6x human dose for a few weeks, to see if there's any improvement. As things get better, you can reduce the dose to a 2-3x human dose (daily).

 

[DennasMom]

...oh... and... don't suppose you have any pictures of your pup you could share??

 

[Briardan]

This is my baby on the beach with the boxer that we got from the kill shelter and are fostering for the next two weeks!

 

[Briardan]

And this is a picture of him smelling the basil! Here you can see the skin problems on his back.

DennasMom, thank you so much for your quick reply and encouraging words. I have been at a loss and not knowing where to look for help and advice. I have not found a single vet where I live who is interested in helping me with a raw diet, and the education here for dog owners is lacking, to put it nicely. I will be checking out the links that you sent and also the other forum about the raw diet. THANKS AGAIN!

 

[WyomingWild]

While my dogs haven't had skin problems we do feed 1/2 Raw 1/2 Kibble. We have them on Orijen (Summer Months) and Acana (Winter Months). But we also add to their morning meals, 1 Fish Oil Supplement and drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Our dogs seem to have really healthy coats, even in our dry winter months and elevation. 6500ft elevation. Our one pup Dana (Boerboel) < always spell it wrong hahah, had dry skin for a period of time when we lived in Colorado (Had moved from Southern California)and we put a humidifier in the house and that seemed to help. I wonder too if there is a oil that helps with dry skin. I wasn't a believer of Oils (like Doterra) But I broke out with ring worm and instead of using the medicated lotion I used Oregano Oil (supposed to heal fungal infections) and my ring worm went away so fast and hasn't come back. So, maybe there is something for that? Maybe it's a type of fungal deal or allergy but there might be an oil for it too.

 

[danielleconn]

Well my information isn't helpful but I am in the same boat as you. My blue CC has the same thinning hair and bald patches. It started out as bumpy pimples, they healed then left with the bald patches. So Zoe tested negative for demodex, vet said it likely isn't allergies as rashes usually appear on the belly & groin and said it was likely a bacterial infection. She was giving 17 days of antibiotics & her shedding has minimized but she still has her bald patches. I definitely won't say it's because it is hot, in North Carolina the past 3 months have been in the 30's and 40's so that's not the cause. I mentioned to my vet, was it a possibility that since she is considered a dilute color, could that be the case? And he said maybe. She has been taking fish oil, coconut oil, B vitamins & bone broth for a long time & her condition hasn't improved. She has also been on the same food since she was 6 months old & it just seems to have flared up and not gotten any better. I hope you & I both find some answers. I guess my biggest concern with going raw is when I have to kennel her. Most kennels I would imagine wouldn't feed the raw diet, but I don't know for certain.

 

[Briardan]

Danielleconn, I have also heard that the blue colour is more susceptible to skin problems, even in other breeds. I am in Mexico, and the issue is that there are not very open to (or educated in) alternative methods. Every time it's antibiotics or they recommend a different type of kibble, and it's not a long-term solution.
I will continue investigating the raw diet (there are no suppliers here for raw food to purchase at any animal stores, so it will have to be straight from the grocery store), and hopefully that will provide some solutions.

 

[Max's mom]

Nustock seems to fix everything else...

 

[musicdeb]

Welcome aboard to you and your boy~

This is my experience with the raw diet with my boy, Titan. You can start your pup on the raw diet at any age.

Ok, first of all, the basics. Raw diet is 80% meat, 10% raw meaty bone and 10% organ meat. The pup is fed 2-3% of their expected adult weight. Expected weight is based on parent*s weight, usually take the average of the parents. For example, the pup is expected to weigh 100 lbs., you would feed the pup 2-3 lbs of meat per day. For simplicity, you feed the pup 2 lbs of meat per day. You then would feed him approximately 1.5 lbs of meat + 2 ozs of raw meaty bone and 2 ozs of organ meat.

Organ meat is not started until at least 2-3 weeks on raw diet. Organ meat is liver, kidney, spleen, etc. Hearts and gizzards are meat because they are muscle.

The best meat to start raw diet is chicken legs, leg quarters, chicken breasts, and/or chicken necks (use these sparingly due to the high bone content). The chicken legs and leg quarters are pretty close to the 80% meat and 10% raw meaty bones.

Raw chicken feet are a great source of glucosamine. Titan eats his raw chicken feet frozen.

The pup will chew the bones once or twice and swallow, do not be alarmed that is normal. Pups will regurgitate, that is normal.

You will notice the pup will drink less water and the poop will dramatically reduce in size and occurrence. Titan*s poop is about the size of a cat*s poop and he usually poops every other day.

Do the chicken for about 2-3 weeks and then you can slowly introduce other meat and organ meats. Other meats are any meat you can buy at a grocery store or coop.

If the pup starts to have diarrhea after starting new meat or organ meat, reduce the amount of meat you are giving them until the diarrhea subsides.

I have fed Titan raw diet since 2012 because he had severe skin allergies and chronic yeasty ear infections due to the chicken and grains in dog food. It took 8-12 months to notice a difference but he no longer has skin allergies or chronic yeasty ear infection. I went the route of the vet prescribing antibiotics, steroids and special shampoos. It would clear up for a couple of weeks and start again.

FYI: Although pups are allergic to chicken in dog food, they seem to be ok with fresh chicken. However, be aware that some pups are allergic to chicken and/or all poultry.

Hope this helps.

Check out the Raw Diet sub forum in Health & Nutrition with a wealth of information re: raw diet.

“Do your research, form your own opinion and go with gut. Do what is best for your pup and your budget.”

 

[BlackShadowCaneCorso]

If you haven't had him tested for demodex then I would test for that. If he is on a food that has corn/grains and chicken I would use and alternative. Raw would be an excellent idea if you choose to try that method.

As far as blue/grey dogs, they can be more prone to skin issues but stems from more than just them being blue. As it is a dilute colour, the issues tend to only present when there are a lot of dilutes in a pedigree and there is a fad in our breed for the blue/blue brindle colouring so it is being bred for strictly and the fastest and easiest way to guarantee you get this colour is to only breed these colours together. What those hoping to cash in fail to realize is the issues the owners can potentially face having too much dilute/recessive genes like this in the pedigree.

 

[Briardan]

I didn't choose the colour, and he was one in a litter of different coloured pups (mama was black as night). Obviously, this hasn't prevented the skin issues from presenting themselves
I am currently fostering a boxer from the pound that will be going to her permanent home within the next two weeks, so my intention is to start with raw at that time, since currently feeding them both is an activity in and of itself!!!

I have been reading extensively on the raw diet, and understand the ratios of 80:10:10, as well as introducing different proteins slowly, one at a time. A couple of questions I have that I haven't seen the answers to are:

- can you feed the meat to the dog frozen?
- will it be ok to feed 3-4 types of protein after slowly introducing them? Is this enough variety? (I live in a town where finding a butcher that is sanitary and trustworthy is a challenge)

Once again...thank you for all of your help and advice. I want to make sure that I can become as well educated as possible to do the best for my boy!

 

[BlackShadowCaneCorso]

Sorry I didn't assume you choose by colour, just explaining why we are seeing a larger number of grey/grey brindles with issues.

I think starting with Chicken as the first protein source is the easiest and then when sure that there are no reactions to that try another source. I didn't feed frozen but in the summer I did feed it when it was colder to them to help them cool off a bit more. We used to feed chicken, lamb, beef, pork and fish.

 

[Briardan]

Blackshadow...no need to apologize! I appreciate your input, as I didn't know before that the weaknesses could come from continuously breeding the same colour. I'm on a big learning curve!

My other concern is feeding raw when I have to have my guy stay in the kennel. I travel a few times a year for work, and I will have to contact the family that he usually stays with to make sure that they would accommodate this, or else find someone who will.

I'm sure I will have more questions as I go, and I really appreciate having a place to ask people who have been through this before.