Shih Tzu allergies

[pegwallace]

My dog has a severe excema allergy. We've had her on prescription Royal Canin for about six weeks and have seen a marked change in her scratching. She has no hot spots now, and isn't chewing herself raw. Has anyone else seem whit with Shih Tzu's?

Also, she is easy to train when she is in the mood. Otherwise, forget it. It's almost as if she decides what she wants to do. We have had her in obedience training and puppy training. She is pure bred black and white and has a very even temperment. She really prefers to be in the house with my husband and I, and follows us from room to room, laying down where we are.

She is three years old and her name is Sweet Pea.

Peg

[jamiedolan]

Hi Peg!

A warm welcome to you, Sweet Pea and the rest of your family.

My dog has a severe excema allergy. We've had her on prescription Royal Canin for about six weeks and have seen a marked change in her scratching. She has no hot spots now, and isn't chewing herself raw. Has anyone else seem whit with Shih Tzu's?

Yes, allergies are extremely common in Shih tzu. We see some signs of allergies in all of our Shih Tzu. It sounds like you have found that a food is the cause of Sweet Pea's problems. If you want to use something other than the Royal canin, You can want to try other high end brands of food that have limited added ingredients and more unique sources of protein. Many Shih Tzu also do well on a raw diet, either with pre-made or home made raw foods. Some people will leave their dog on the prescription food long term, I prefer to rotate food around and give my dogs some additional variety.

Also, she is easy to train when she is in the mood. Otherwise, forget it. It's almost as if she decides what she wants to do. We have had her in obedience training and puppy training. She is pure bred black and white and has a very even temperment.

I've noticed this as well with Shih tzu, they defiantly tend to get tired of an activity and are just like forget it. I've found you have to work pretty hard to over come this and there usually isn't a reason to work the dog that hard.

She really prefers to be in the house with my husband and I, and follows us from room to room, laying down where we are.
She is three years old and her name is Sweet Pea.
Peg

That's the way it is here also; though some of the Shih tzu are a bit slower in following you, some of them are right there at your feet.

Thanks for joining us, we are glad to have you here Peg & Sweet Pea.

Feel free to write with any further diet questions or if you want me to suggest more specific brands of food you may want to look at.

[Bissynut]

Peg-
I have two Shih Tzu's and they have crazy allergies. No grain, no chicken, no beef.. so I use Taste Of the Wild dog food (rotating between the three flavors they can have) and add extras like Lamb, Bison, Tuna or Salmon, Potato bits, carrots, yams, my home made yogurt, berries, bananas, apples and peaches. I make the boys frozen treats once in a while as well because searching for treats they can have is a nightmare. I do give my guys raw carrots to chew on (they love them), now want a dehydrator so I can dehydrate my own yams for them... SIGH.. those dogs are spoiled rotten.

I swear I must have tried 10 brands of dog food before I finally found one that worked without someone being itchy. We tried Royal Canin and it did not work for Snickers. Although I can't recall why now.

Natural Balance also has a few limited ingredient options that the boys like too (I keep a can or 2 in the "Doggie Bag" in the car). So if you are ever in a pinch they have something you might be able to use.

By the way.. Love the name Sweet Pea!

Elizabeth

[sophiebailei]

Sophie is 5 and has had allergies most of her life. She ate Hill's z/d until her gallbladder had to be removed...not because of stones, it just looked suspicious and the surgeon thought it may be cancer, but it wasn't...thank God! Personally, I blame the diet...the ingredients are horrible. I will admit the Hill's did seem to help with her allergies. Since her surgery and after many different diets, she now eats Birkdale PetMix (grain and pototo free)...we cook organic chicken and mix it with the PetMix and broth. I also give her Nordic Naturals Cod Liver Oil for Pets and NaturVet Digestive Enzymes with Prebiotics & Probiotics. This combination has worked wonders for her. After reading the reviews on 1-800-PETMEDS about the cod liver oil and enzymes I was convinced this would probably work.

[pegwallace]

Thanks so much for all your answers! So helpful. The Royal Canin I have her on is a prescription made with rabbits and potatoes. She is still scratching quite a bit, but not chewing herself raw. Grateful for all your suggestions. The Dr. wants us to start challenging her with other foods, but I am pretty chicken to do that. (no pun) I do think that grains are a problem, and I try to limit their number. The nice thing about Royal Canin prescription strength is that they also have kibble. That is what Sweet Pea eats for treats. It's very helpful. She likes them. They are just the right size for training (had ha). Thanks again.

[sophiebailei]

You are so welcome. I had tried Venison and Sweet Potato by Natural Balance and it worked for a while, the she started have skin issues again. I think yeast is Sophie's problem and the potatoes being a starch were aggravating her. If you start feeding her something else, be sure to go with a low glycemic diet with no honey, potatoes or grains. =)