Saturday, July 24, 2010

Shitzu dog, allergies....?

I have a shitzu dog who is going on five. She has had terrible problems with her skin her whole life. She itches untill she is raw sometimes. The vet said i could give her a small dose of benadryll and she gets steroid shots every 30 days. Despite the shot and benadryll, she is still itching and it is making her very grouchy. Does anyone have this problem with their shitzus? I think it is fairly common in them. Also, does anyone know of any reactions to the steroid shots? What can i do to help her further?? Thanks!!!

Shitzu dog, allergies....?
Hi, the dog food is a good probability. I switched my itchy female to Natural Balance duck %26amp; potato which is Hypoallergenic and very pricey but it really made a difference in her skin. I also starting giving her a multi-vitamin and began adding fish oil to her food as well. I COMPLETELY stopped giving her those garbage filled treats too !! I now give her a baby carrot, a cheese cube, and treats that I have made myself with only natural ingredients with NO-SUGAR. I use honey to lightly sweeten the treats. She also gets egg, plain yogurt, rice, no-sugar applesauce-[her fav], shredded carrots, no-sugar peanut butter on rotation in her kibble. She looks beautiful now and only itches like a normal dog, not constantly or until she bleeds and her fur falls out!! Good Luck!!


and p.s the venison Natural Balance was on the the re-call list NOT duck %26amp; potato, thank goodness.
Reply:I'm so sorry about your Shih Tzu's allergies...





I've found many times the cause of allergies is the dogs' food.


Take her off her current food and put her on a premium dog food that is made with Lamb and Rice. (You won't find that in a grocery store - go to PetsMart or another pet store).





If she is on Lamb and Rice now and itching, try Duck and Potato, or Turkey or Salmon.





Several of my dogs have had miraculous results - just by changing foods!





Good luck to you!!!
Reply:Don,t bathe her every day, just if she needs it.Make sure the shampoo you are using for her is gentle and watered down.Even baby shampoo if used should be watered down as it drys out the dogs skin.
Reply:The previous poster is correct, the problem is more likely food than anything. I would ask your vet to perform allergy testing to determine exactly what your dog is allergic to. Many times, the offending allergen is common in most dog foods (it could be chicken, wheat, corn...anything). After you determine what the allergen is, contact a holistic vet (if you don't have one nearby, ask your vet for a referral and use phone consultations) and talk to them about how to use a homemade diet tailored for your dog and her allergies, as well as supplements you might need for a homemade diet. Allergies are common in dogs, and many vets only prescribe things to treat the symptoms instead of the cause. Good Luck to you.
Reply:I have two dogs who both have skin allergies. One of them has the allergies so bad that he is on a pill called Hydroxizine every day. If I take him off of it he gets itchy just like your dog. He scratched so bad that he had hair falling out. The medication is wonderful and has no side effects for him. Occasionally I need to use Benedryl because he gets ear infections alot too and that helps with the itchiness in his ears too. Another thing that I swear by is oatmeal shampoo. I spent tons of money on special shampoo that is supposed to be good for allergies and none of them worked, they actually made him itchier, if that was possible (this was before I put him on the medicine). After using all the "fancy" brands, I found that the Walmart brand of oatmeal shampoo actually calmed down his skin. It is thick and soothes the skin. But be sure to not bathe her more than once a month, and only do it then if she absolutely needs it. Bathing can take away natural oils and contribute to the problem. But when you do bathe her, use oatmeal shampoo.





Anyway, ask your vet about Hydroxizene. I don't have the bottle in front of me, but he will know what you're talking about. I hope this helps. I know she must be miserable.


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