Itchy Itchy Itchy

[MaddieMoo]

Maddie has 2 hot spots that have been put down to previous diet. I now have her on RC but i noticed she is always itchy, she scratches and licks all night. Its driving me mad not to mention her too. She licks her feet alot...what could it be? I have been using a natural based shampoo that is spose to help with itchy skin, could it actually be causing it?

[Crisovar]

She is obviously still in contact with or eating something she is allergic to. Just because you are feeding a premium brand of food does not mean that one of the ingredients cannot cause an allergic response. All dogs are different and their reactions to products and foods etc are all individual.

What was in the previous diet that you felt was causing the problem? What are the ingredients of the current food?

[MaddieMoo]

her previous ownder fed her tzus bonnie on an occasion and maddie and another got a hot spot. Now she is back on RC which she was bought up on (with no problems whatsoever) so I am assuming if it was RC she was allergic to, she would of had a reaction in the past (which she never has!) . Do you see why I am confused lol

[MaddieMoo]

Could she be allergic to my washing powder or anything, since she likes to sleep on our bed

[hopenfox]

Dog's can develop allergies to anything at any time, so don't rule out an ingredient in the RC!

Grains are a common food allergen in dogs...

And yes, it could be a contact allergy like grass, a garden plant, carpet, etc.

On an aside - I was allergic to the washing powder my mum used, and a change to a natural powder from a health food store solved the problem.

[Dogsfevr]

Hot spots can be due to diet,stress,fleas anything abnormal,coat staying to moist after a wash etc etc

Do you give her any treats.What about additional foods to her RC(ie beef,pasta etc etc)

Are her feet swollen & red in between the pads & underneath??

She may have a Tinea type allergy(wash her feet in white vinegar)

The reality is so many things could be an issue including the shampoo.

What does the natural basd shampoo contain,many have tea tree oil which does can react too.

[chuckie500]

I'd do something like this:

1. eliminate plants like wondering jew, paspalam, that are known to cause reactions in dogs.

2. try a shampoo like malaseb esp on the paws to eliminate fungal/bacterial infections. Then after that something like alloveen or episooth.

3. use spot-ons to control fleas. ( advantix or frontline every two weeks as for tick treatment just for a few applications then monthly if desired, i found advantix much better than frontline).

4. be really fussy about dust etc. (i had mine allergy tested & dust mites was an allergy and i think it is common. mine sleep on my bed too, so i even got dust mite covers for my pillows and the duvet as well).

5. Eliminate all foods that have wheat and corn for starters. I use eaglepack fish formula and a part barf diet. treats are liver treats only. many foods have wheat & corn esp treats.

6. Maybe try omega 3 & 6 fatty acids. Megaderm is one i use occasionally.

7. i'm probably nutty but i even changes washing powder too from radiant to surf. i changed my personal deoderant from a spray to a stick in case the aerosols was annoying him.

8. for their bedding i use only natural fibres (wool or cotton) against thier skin.

I found all these things helped. One of mine would wake me up every day scratching and licking his paws. He was even on cortisone for about two months, till i managed to get it undercontrol. He hasn't had cortisone for years now.

[chuckie500]

PS. mine are shih tzu crosses. one had the itching licking problem. the otherone has no problems except an overpowering "i want to lick your face" drive.

[Cuddles]

what about when you bathe her? Does she stand in the suds? You really need to make sure all the shampoo has been rinsed away. I use a vinegar rinse as a final rinse just to make sure all the shampoo has been rinsed out.