Questions about your Shih Tzus

[Teresa]

My Squiggles is a one year old Shih Tzu. Squiggles seems to be constantly scratching. He gets regular baths. I have had him to the vet...first he was allergic to fleas...so I had to start using the flea medicine more often. The vet gave me a special shampoo which I use. The next time I took him they gave me a spray conditioner which I use....but poor baby keeps scratching.

I brush him more than I brush my own hair...so it's not that he is matting up. The vet has given him meds twice and then suggested benedryl....but I don't want to keep him "sleepy" all the time.

Any suggestions?

Here he is with my neighbor

 

[anoki]

I'd look at his diet....

what are you feeding him?

There could be something in his feed that he is reacting to

Check out this website for information on different dog foods

Dog Food Reviews

~kathryn

 

[Reble]

Anoki is correct it might be her diet.

you want to feed food with lamb and rice and NO wheat...

(Nutra) Natural Choice has feed with No Wheat.. Here is a number to call to see who carries it in your area? 1800-833-5330

I believe Tractor Supply stores are now carry some of their feed.

 

[mininik]

"you want to feed food with lamb and rice and NO wheat..."

That's definitely not a cure all. Dogs can also be allergic to lamb, rice, wheat as well as the numerous other ingredients found in dog food. That said, I would change his diet to a high quality food with an uncommon protein and carb source, such as venison or fish and sweet potatoe. It may take a few months to see results and it may take some switching around before you find the right one for your dog and when you do, he may eventually develop problems on it, as well. Raw diets are generally great for dogs with health problems of all kinds. If you have the funds, I would also get him tested to find out what he may be allergic to as it could be something he comes into contact with, such as a nylon collar, grass, etc. And be sure he does NOT have fleas. The product you are using may not be as effective against them anymore and there are many natural alternatives.

 

[Teresa]

I feed him Nutro and I have changed from K-9 to Frontline for fleas. I can't see anything on his skin at all....and I do search.

Thanks for all of your comments..I may just have him tested.

 

[SHANA]

Shih Tzu's can be allergic to red dye number 40 which is found in many types of dog food and it causes itching.

This was taken off the internet, read the last line:

"Care: Shih Tzu with a long show coat require a lot of grooming; to prevent tangles, the coat must be combed every day and professionally groomed every few months. A hair bow or clip is required to keep the hair out of the Shih Tzu’s eyes. Shih Tzu with a shorter ‘puppy coat’ can be trimmed much less frequently. Special eye drops should be applied to keep the eyes clean, ear passages should be cleaned regularly, nails should be clipped monthly, and the face should be wiped after eating. Water can enter the Shih Tzu’s snout easily, for which reason some Shih Tzu are taught to drink from a ‘licker’ like a hamster. The Shih Tzu has a lifespan of 11-14 years. Common health problems are liver shunt (a congenital circulatory disease), renal dysplasia (symptoms include bone fractures and ‘rubber jaw’), eye problems, and in larger dogs, hip dysplasia (malformed hip joint which can cause lameness or arthritis). Scratching in the absence of fleas may indicate an allergy to red dye number 40, a common food additive."

 

[Teresa]

Thank you so very much.

Squiggles is sooooo important to me........ Suffering from empty nest syndrome. The minis are great...but they can't climb in my lap...or sleep with me. lol.

He sees the vet regularly...I am on a health plan with Pet Smart's Banfield. It has been a great thing for puppies....love the reminders about what he needs then....plus his neutering cost was very little. My feeling is that I paid for it on time.

Is that the same red dye that can cause hyperactivity (in humans?).

 

[Jill]

Teresa --

Our shih-tzu's haven't had skin / itching issues and we feed them Nutro like you do. I hear commercials for that "Dinovite" supplement to give dogs that helps with skin issues. The commercial makes it sound like great stuff, but we haven't tried it ourselves. It might be worth trying, though.

http://www.dinovite.com/dinovitecanine.html

I know how attached you are to him. They are like people in fur suits!!!

Good luck,

Jill

 

[River Wood]

Our Shih Tzu had BAD skin problems.. ended up that most of his hair fell out. I could go on and on with his problem. We tried everything humanly possible.

The medications that he was eventually put on helped him live a more comfortable life but it did shorten it unfortunately.

 

[anoki]

I had some spare time, so I looked up the Nutro Adult and also the Nutro Natural Choice Lamb & Rice on the dog food reviews list.

They are both listed as 2 star foods (out of 6)

The Natural Choice kind has beet pulp in it, which has been known to cause allergies in dogs, especially smaller dogs.

The Nutro Adult (I wasn't sure what type of Nutro you were feeding), has TONS of wheat in it, which is believed to be the number one allergy with dogs.

I'm not saying it is definitely the food, I'm just saying that is one thing to check out since you have already gone the flea/vet route.

I would get him checked out for allergies too....but in the mean time, I'd be trying to alter his diet to see if it helped at all.

I'm all for the raw food diet too...if I only had a couple of dogs I'd be feeding it

~kathryn

 

[Jill]

Reading this, now I know why they make sweet potato and fish canned Nutro! My parents got some for their dogs accidently (apparently the can is similar colored to what their dogs like). Their dogs wouldn't touch is so they gave it to me. My dogs ate it but EWWW!!! It stunk up the house. I'm not going to give it to them again until it's nice enough of a day for them to have a picnic in the yard with it...

 

[Kim~Crayonboxminiatures]

I've been feeding Innova's EVO small bites chicken to my small dogs (first my Tucker and now my new puppy) for several years now, it's very close to a raw food diet, but in a kibble and it has no grain in it. It is more pricey, but with a small dog you only feed 1/8-1/2 cups a day, so it lasts longer. I tried it originally because my TFT Tucker kept getting impacted and infected anal glands, every 3-6 months he would have to go on a round of antibiotics, it was no fun. After switching to EVO he never had the problem again!

http://www.evopet.com/products/default.asp?id=1488

 

[bfogg]

I had a rescued Maltese (he had been in 5 homes in 5 years) no one knew he was deaf, poor thing. Anyway he had terrible skin problems I got him tested and the results were almost 2 computer printouts of allergies....from wheat, grass, pine, chicken, fish, beef, lamb, duck, and so many numbers of stuff i had no idea what they were, well you get the picture.

We had to put him on steroids and all kinds of meds.

The vet told me there was a company that would make food specifically for him and we were in the process of doing that but his little body couldn't take the toll anymore and we had to let him go.

I miss him so much. I miss having a little dog but feel guilty about leaving them alone while i work. The last 2 i had were adults who were used to being left alone.

There is nothing better than a little doggie bouncing at the door when you come home or in your bed at night.

I would get the allergy testing done if you can manage it it would be really worth it then you would know specifically.

Hugs

Bonnie

 

[mininik]

Reading this, now I know why they make sweet potato and fish canned Nutro! My parents got some for their dogs accidently (apparently the can is similar colored to what their dogs like). Their dogs wouldn't touch is so they gave it to me. My dogs ate it but EWWW!!! It stunk up the house. I'm not going to give it to them again until it's nice enough of a day for them to have a picnic in the yard with it...

If you want stinky, feed tripe or tilapia! My dogs also love fresh slices of sweet potato. I feed my dogs a variety of high quality brands in all sorts of flavors, kibble and canned, as well as raw because I don't believe in one nutritionally complete diet for any animal, think it's unnatural to feed that way and I can't imagine how boring it must be to eat the same stuff every day for your entire life. I've taken in strays with skin and other problems and they cleared up within a few months on my rotation. It definitely takes some getting used to for dogs who aren't used to eating new stuff every meal, and I don't know how it would work for dogs who are extremely allergic to certain ingredients, but it has worked great for us.