I have a 6 month old Shih Tzu. He is very itchy. I have tried giving him 1/2 a benadryl 2 times a day, but it doesn't work. My vet said it could be a possible food allergy. I just switched him to Nature's Recipe Lamb and Rice puppy. Is this a good food or should I feed him something else?
TIA
Dee from KY
Maybe try California Naturals dry "little bites" Lamb and Rice dog food and a few (2-3) drops of wild Alaskan Salmon oil caps a day. I poke the capsule with the tip of a sharp knife, drop a couple drops into their food and save the rest, hole end up for the next day(s) till that's gone, then start another. That is what my vet told me to do for my Lhasa Apsos. Seems to help some. I also give them a dining spoonful of organic pumpkin with their food.
Good luck. (07/14/2008)
By Sue
This link tells you to try different dog foods out and see what works best. I also read that oatmeal poured straight from the box into bath water relieves the itch better than oatmeal shampoo. Just soak the dog awhile in it or dip the soupy oatmeal over your dog several times. The article did not state how much oatmeal to pour into the water.
Also, I read elsewhere that dog food treats and some toys can also produce allergy symptoms the same as dog food.
healthy-holistic-living.com (07/14/2008)
By Myrna
If the dog is laying on your sheets, he might be allergic to the detergent.
Also, my vet heartily recommends Hill's Science Diet. (07/14/2008)
By Holly
PS. Or allergic to the softener in the laundry. (07/14/2008)
By Holly
Try raw feeding him. Google BARF and get ideas. (This is a diet.) It really works. They can even eat bones, if they are raw. You can start him on cottage cheese and eggs. People food. (07/14/2008)
By mS mIN
This is a very good food, but you have to make sure nobody gives him treats made from anything else and absolutely no human food. At our office we recommended Science Diet, but Nature's Recipe is good, too. Just make sure to control all food going into this dog's mouth or you'll never know if this works. (07/14/2008)
By Judi
Solid Gold dog food works great! (07/14/2008)
By Stacy
That's incorrect that you shouldn't give them people food. If your dog was on a people food/homemade diet he probably wouldn't have problems with allergies. Vets in general don't know that much about nutrition/food unless they're a holistic vet. Healthy lean people food, except for the ones that are bad for them, are excellent. You can look on-line for the foods dogs shouldn't have. And you can search here because several people, including me, have listed them. You can get him tested and find out exactly what he's allergic to, also. It may be a little expensive, but trying several foods, etc. will end up being just as expensive. You can go to the Animal Protection Institute and order it free. Read their excellent brochure on "What's In Pet Food" or something like that title. (07/14/2008)
By Me
Put oat meal in a large tube sock and tie a knot, then use that for the doggie. It helps people with skin problems. My vet asked me what I fed my Shih-poo as he has great skin and healthy. I give him some Pedigree canned food, he likes puppy flavors best. Then I add some sliced baby carrots and peas mixed
into it. He gets one scrambled egg on Sundays, scrambled plain. And for treats he loves frozen watermelon or fresh bananas slices and the vet said this was great. I do not buy treats as they do not look healthy. He prefers sliced baby carrots or steamed veggies, watermelon, and apple slices. I hope you find out what is causing the problem. Good luck. Oh yeah, green beans from the can. Cold is something dogs love. (07/14/2008)
My Shih-tzu, Lily, had a flaky skin problem for a while with a lot of itching, licking, and scratching. We never had her tested for allergies, although that's usually the first thing everyone recommends. I figured we'd try to start with the easiest solution before I test her for allergies. So we ended up getting a shampoo (Malaseb) from the vet and it seems to really work for her. We have to bath her often (1x week) with that shampoo. I actually thought bathing too often would cause problems, but with the right shampoo it helped significantly. Good luck. (07/15/2008)
By khilde
My little male Shih-tzu itched and itched so badly it use to completely tire him out. I started with bathing him, which did help, but never solved the problem as it kept coming back. Then I thought fleas, but you could never find any on them. However all it takes is 1 little bite to drive him crazy, I solved that with vinegar in their food and water. Yet he still scratched, was driving me crazy watching him, wondering why.
Slowly but surely a long list started growing. He can't eat wheat, soy, brewers yeast, corn, cinnamon, chicken or any chicken product, livers of any kind, and that's just for starters. Just this past week, he got so sick I was terrified I was going to lose him. Everyone in my household is aware and always on alert. Company that brings snacks must be monitored closely while visiting. Accidental ingestion can happen too easily.
There is no such thing as buying any store food for him, not even for backup purposes. Every dog food out there so far has something in it he can't eat and I've been in touch with many holistic food companies. None can help me! So its strictly home made food for him.
He does his best when he's strictly limited to raw or slightly seared, organic beef, lamb, or rabbit meat. Nothing else, he quickly becomes a little bomb around here with a buzzing tail, in every body's way, and he feels so good. For his treats I prepare special to fit him and he loves them!
More and more dogs everyday are growing intolerant of many foods, it's more wide spread than one realizes. Some signs I have found related to food intolerance are, vigorously running along and rubbing the floor with the side of their face, mild to severe drooling, difficulty swallowing, general restlessness, and morning tummy grumbles, exceptionally loose dark and very stinky stool. These are just a few of the more serious signs I have noted to food intolerance/allergy. If the offending food is not removed or too much was ingested, the dog will have one or many early signs followed by becoming almost listless and won't be stirred unless something drastic is done. Then I panic. (This has been my experience.) (07/17/2008)
By Martha
Another thing you may want to consider, Shih-tzu's along with many other breeds have rather long hair, and get hot easily. Could you imagine wearing a heavy coat in July and August? It would be horrid! Yet we expect our pets to be OK with it. Well truth is, they're not, and if they could speak I'm sure they would tell us so. My little Shih-tzus will get in scratching frenzies during these months if I allow their hair to grow over 1/2 inch. The scratching stops once the hair is shaved off.
Sweat makes most people itch if left. So I always follow up with a good bath after removing the hair. Is very refreshing and make for a much healthier and happier pooch, just something to consider and perhaps solve the itch. (07/23/2008)
By Martha
Most dogs can handle oatmeal and brown rice. I cook kidney or chicken, throw in some veggies, and black beans, too. A little walnut oil and fish oil and they love it, the oil really helps itchy skin. (07/23/2008)
By Mattie
I found a wonderful cookbook for dogs with food allergies. It contains dozens of recipes for cookies, dinners, and other treats that are wheat free or corn free or dairy and egg free. It's also has a lot of information about how to reduce allergic reactions and how to strengthen your dog's immune system with vitamins and common herbs. Check it out at http://www.geocities.com/sanchez_ks/ (07/27/2008)
By ChamysMom
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