Saturday, April 24, 2010

My Chihuahua has very itchy skin!?

I have two 4 year old chihuahuas and lately they have been getting really bad itchy skin... it gets to the point where one of thems scratches so hard and she bleeds.. Ive been reading alot of different things that may cause it, so im gonna point out with somethings they just recently started doing different 1. They eat cat food (alot) 2. They wear little clothes 3. I sometimes use human conditioner on them 4. they eat pedegree (which i heard was really bad) 5. I have a cat that recently had babies and sheds alot of hair. 6. Im ashamed of this but they havent gotten their shots in about 2 years.


If anyone can tell me what im doing wrong and what i should be doing please, please let me know! I love these things to death and i hate to see them suffer like they do!!


I know i should be taking them to the vet but i am very low on money and it kills me : (

My Chihuahua has very itchy skin!?
#1) Cut off their access to cat food and get them on QUALITY dog food, like Canidae or Wellness.


#2) Definitely could be aggravated by either sizing in the clothing or the detergent / fabric softener you use. Stop dressing them. They do come with coats of their own.


#3) Human shampoos and conditioners are not good for dogs as they are too harsh - even baby shampoo is too harsh - wrong pH. Get an oatmeal or TeaTree Oil shampoo designed for dogs. Don't bathe too frequently as it strips the skin and coat.


#4) Pedigree - First let me say that wheat and corn are empty fillers in dog food and often cause food allergies. Second - here are the top few ingredients from Pedigree Dry Small Breed Adult Dog Food (first thing listed being what it has most of):


"Ground Whole Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Animal Fat (preserved with BHA/BHT), Meat and Bone Meal, Natural Poultry Flavor, Wheat Mill Run, Potassium Chloride, Wheat Flour, Salt, Carmel Color..."


Two out of the first 4 ingredients are corn, then there are a couple types of wheat also... chicken by-product meal means anything not fit for human consumption - beaks, feathers, feet. Animal fat and BHA/BHT are not what I would want in my dogs' food.


#4) Call your local PetSmart or animal shelter and see about low cost vaccine clinics; some vets also offer payment plans. Spend your $$ on good food and vaccines instead of clothes; otherwise you're killing THEM. :(
Reply:Stop making them wear the clothing for a couple of weeks. Then, go buy some Head and Shoulders INTENSIVE CARE (dark blue bottle) and use that a couple of times a week. Rinse well after bathing. You should see a difference if it is just a skin issue. Otherwise, yes, it could be an allergy. That would require input from a good Vet.
Reply:Of course the obvious answer is a vet. Try putting a teaspoon of vegetable oil in their food every other day for a week and see if that puts more moisture in their skin. Use baby shampoo and do not use conditioner. Give them a bite of tuna every day or so (on the days you don't give them the oil). That adds oil too. Good luck
Reply:One by one, I would imminently either alter or withdraw all together the daily routines or conditions that has settled in your home. At first, I would expose their fur by having them stop wearing clothes. Next, I would stop serving them cat food and serve them homemade foods that are safe for them to each, such as scrambled eggs, cooked meat lacking gravy, spice and bones, on an daily basis while monitoring the condition on their skin. If it worsens, I would stop bathing them in human conditioner while continuing to monitor the ailment. If there is no revolutionary progress, I would ask further advice from animal rescue, a local dog shelter, the dog owner community (like Yahoo! Answers: Pets) and last but yet importantly, a veterinarian. These dogs may be hiding the severe internal pain as their scratch their skin or God forbid, they may be dying. Don't wait a month to see if each of the steps are working. Take about two weeks for each step.
Reply:I have a friend that had a dog allergic to chicken and was itching like crazy. She quit buying food or treats with that and it cleared up. Little dogs tend to be nervous and it could be stress. Feed the cat on a high place the dogs can't reach. It isn't good for dogs at all. A couple other common allergens in food is corn and soy. Read your label and switch if you need too. Also pick up a medicated dog shampoo. Ask in a pet store and the clerk can help you decide what to get for dry itchy skin.
Reply:okay the first thing you need to do is STOP washing their coat with human shampoo. Go to wal-mart, buy a 4.00 bottle of dog shampoo with oatmeal (in my store it is near the leashes). It works just as good as the more expensive brands. (trust me i have tried them.) Then go buy them DOG food. cat food is formulated for CATS, not dogs! Ol' Roy is fairly reasonably priced and is good for them. YOU can find it at wal-mart. Then get some olive oil and lightly drizzle their new DOG food with it. Not too much but enough to wet it. Since you're low on money don't drizzle too much until you know they will eat it. When we got my Chihuahua his skin was flaking and dull. After using the wal-mart shampoo and adding olive oil to his food he has stopped flaking and has a shiny coat. Good luck! Feel free to email me if you would like more advice!
Reply:Hi. i know exactly how u feel. have two dogs myself, and verry little money. But when one of my little babyes are hurting i take them straight to the vet. they are like my little children and money is no object.


If u are absolutle flat broke, why dont you phone your vet and tell them about your situation and mabye make a downpayment plan? and if it makes u feel better, my little dog, a mix of west highland terrier an dwarf pudle had the same problem, and the vet gave me a cream that made the scratching go away in hours. trust me, they know what they are dooing. and about the cat food, my dogs eat it also, not because they like it, but becase it is not in their bowl, remember that when u are dealing whith dogs u have to concider their personality also, especiay whit chihuahuas, the smaller they are, the more personality. My friend has one and she is marking her territory like a male dog.And please dont use human products on your dogs. if the vet wont let you give downpayments, get some pure aloe vera gel and rub on your dogs skin. that is going to help the scraching and get rid of infections in then skin x
Reply:ok


cat food is very bad for dogs. ( not saying thats causing the itch.. but could be)


Pedigree... is also a bad food..


you want to check the ingredients on the bag... you want beef, chicken, lamb.. no by products... or corn meal...





I use purina "one".. maroon bag... just purina dog chow.. is not good...another good one is Maximum Nutrition.





I do not recommend human conditioner.. how often do you bathe them? too much bathing can definately cause dry skin. causing them to itch.


just use dawn dishwashing soap. ( dilute it alot though)


if they have fleas.. this will kill the fleas also.


you can give them 1/2 cc or benedryl. It is safe for animals.


I dont think them not having vaccinations has anything to do with it.. but if your low on money.. u can order vaccinations online.. but if they mainly inside dogs... and not alot of strays around.. I personally would not be worried..





p.s. please read the label on your (everyones) dog food.. if you really love your pet.. you wont feed them corn.


Ol roy.. is corn. all corn.
Reply:first of all get them there shots!


and im 100% sure that it is the pedigree or fleas! I used to feed my dog pedigree and his skin was dry flaky and itchy1 aas soon as i started to feed him all natural foods like innova evo, innova california natural his coat was shiny and so soft i was stunned! Pedigree contains Corn and ALMOST every dog is allergic to it and it causes the itchy and flaky skin. Another thing bad about theses commercial dog foods like purina, pedigree, iams eukanuba etc. (please dont feed your dog any of these.) contain perservativesd like BHT which cause kidney failure! You should also check if they have fleas or ticks look carefully through their haur and see if you see little black dots which are flea eggs annd see if you actually see the fleas! if there are fleas just get Advantage its a tube that you out on every month and it really works it keeps fleas away it only cost $10-12. it will keep them away not scratching all the time. Hope i helped!





good luck =}


1 comment:

  1. Our local Petco has a "wellness" clinic almost every Sunday for a couple of hours.They give shots for almost half the price my local vet does. It was $49 for all the "essential" shots, rabies, parvo, distemper and a couple of others.

    My Missy, also is itching. I treated her for fleas but I'm thinking she may have allergies also. I know I gave my cairen terrier benadryl but he was much bigger than she is. I wonder if children's benadryl would work ?

    ReplyDelete