Hi my name is Audrey and seem to be having problems joining so i will ask as a visitor for the time
being, I have a 3yr old shih tzu dog who scratches all the time he also bites his paws till they bleed he is on the burns diet and i have been giving him garlic and nixed veg tablets i have also tried to give him anthistamines but they either make him sleepy or sick the vet said he thought was atopic allergy and he would need to see a specialist but i have heard that this is very expensive and not always effective in finding and treating the problem i think he could be allergic to grass as when he has been in the garden or out for a walk he seems to be worse does any one have any suggestions.

desperate Shih tzu owner

If your dog is insured this will cover allergy testing, the vet takes a blood sample and sends it away to test for diet or environmental problems.  Diet is easily dealt with environmental issues are more problematic; only with information can you make the right choices for your pet.

Yes it IS VERY expensive. :(
If you are insured then you will be ok though and really you do need to address the issue for your dog.
Cost us £389 for ONE day visit which included consultation fee/skin scrape/allergy test/treatment- tablets / food for food trial ! Gulp

Allergies tested for included house dust and storage mites- dust-insects-fleas-tree pollens-weed pollens-grass pollens-grains and moulds. 56 in total.

Hi,
I also have shih-tzu's one of whom has similar symptoms as yours,she itches her inner thighs and nibbles her paws but not to the point of bleeding :( A friend of mine had his dog tested for his allergies and it turned out to be the usual things such as grass and dust mites,which i suspect Emma is also allergic to as she itches more after a walk,these things  are impossible to avoid,so all it really gave him was peace of mind,but it didnt really help the dog.
I dont know how your insurance works in the U.K(i'm in Australia) but you may be able to insure your dog,get the tests done and then quit?Thats what i've been thinking of doing,to insure my dogs will cost between $40 and $60 per month,i cant afford to insure me and my kids,lettalone my dogs :p
You could go the natural route,which has helped my girl tremendously :D I supplement her homemade diet with these herbs:Echinacea,VitE,EstherC,Evening primrose+fish oil,yes i know it sounds like alot but eventually i should be able to reduce it greatly. The echinacea and the estherC,build up the immune systems,i beleive that dogs who have bad allergies have compromised immune systems,the vitE,EPO,fish oil helps keep her skin soft and supple and makes her coat shine :)
I also give her 1/2 tablet of a mild antihistamine daily,the only side effects she has is an increased appetite which is a bonus as she needs to put on weight,otherwise i would have stopped giving it long ago.
I also bathe her every 3 days in a shampoo based on evening primrose oil(brilliant stuff) and condition her with an aloe and oatmeal conditioner,frequent bathing also helps tremendously!
I really want to help you and your baby,these little dogs are the best,allbeit a lot of work as they are prone to allergies,but they are so worth it.

If there is anything else i can help you with,please let me know.I hope you have luck registering so you can post here again.

christine