Hi Audrey here again thanks for the advice can lel please tell me if the skin testing done and treatment given actually solved the problem.

Many thanks Audrey

Hi Audrey
the food trial is currently for 6 weeks to see if there is any change in the itchiness ( we are only 3 weeks into this at present) but have noticed no difference so far. He is on a hypoallergenic food and that is ALL he can eat at present with water.
Testing showed a reaction to house dust mites ( which seems to be quite popular) . No change as yet :rolleyes: but I have also been recommended to use Sudocrem by quite a few people too- which I am using . Although this may not prevent the itch it will prevent infection from the licking.
We have spent a fortune and are no closer really to finding the cause. But then again maybe in another 3 weeks when the food trial should have started to make a difference we will notice it has lessened .
Hope so anyway :)
Other points to mention for causes can be contact dermatitis - have you checked the distinfectants/cleaners etc you use ? Or washing powder/fabric softener etc. And then again it can also be due to stress or boredom ? Another worrying factor can be that it has turned into a habit and that is why the dog constantly licks etc
If you join we can discuss which issues you have looked at already .
Good luck :)

Forgot to add there is also a skin scrape for demodectic mites which can burrow deep into the skin and also blood test for fox mites .

HI lel audrey here again finally managed to join i made a booking last year to take him for the tests to halifx but when i rung for info on how to get there i wasn't impressed so canceled their attitude seemed to more in keeping with how much they could get out of us rather than helping dylan a freind had been  and was not impressed as she paid £500 and still no nearer to finding the cause, i read on the board that someone had said bathe in hibiscrub daily for the feet and you will notice a diffrence the only time i notice a diffrence with dylan is when he has been in the kennels whilst we are on holiday the first couple of days he does not scratch when he comes home but i have changed all my carpets and no longer spray air fresheners can't do much about dust mites i already hoover every day.

One thing to mention re: dustmites is also to lower humidity/temperature in the home :)

We tend to leave the central heating on all day and night when its chilly - even when we're not in :rolleyes:

HI LEL we tend to keep our heating on all day as well i am thinking about going down the homeopathic route with him i have emailed someone with knowledge of this see what they come up with, by the way what sort of dog do you have and what age is it when did you first notice the skin problems?

Audrey

Hi Audrey
Gus is an SBT aged nearly 18 months now and its only in the last 6 months or so hes been like this .
If you find any useful homeopathic information could you let me know ?
Many thanks
lesley :)

HI Lesley  i found a site last night that you may find useful i will go on later and get the address for, you it tells you a bit about atopic allergies and how to treat them with herbs and tinctures however i have noticed a diffrence in Dylan today seems to be a bit more settled not so much scratching speak to you later this evening.

Audrey.

Thanks Audrey
much appreciated :D

Hi Lesley Audrey here again the web pg that might interest you is www.4petshomeopathy.com i have just ordered some some tincture for skin irritations and some pet detox worth a try.

Audrey.

Hi Lel
Christine on here is really good with homeopathic treatments. Once these vaccines have kicked in we are taking Molly to a HP vet but I thought it best to try one thing at a time. I dont want her on them all her life so hope the HP vet will be able to help in the long term.
Gina

Hi just seen this post. I have a shih tzu who keeps licking her feet. And she used to get hotspots. We changed her shampoo to oatmeal and feed her naturediet and she hasnt had a hot spot for 7 months now - I am so pleased one or both things helped. The hot spots were awful and we bathed them in hibiscrub and I am so glad they have gone as they must have been really sore.

Also we had her allergy tested by a specialist skin vet. Cost £525 but got the money back from the insurers. I was very sceptical as she said Molly was allergic to house mites and leaf mould or something similar in the garden. I am not so sceptical now. She is to have her 4th desensitisation injection next week and although she is still licking she is not doing it so often, her fur is not so pink (thought I would end up with a black/white/pink ST!!) and I really hope it works for her. The test took less than an hour and she had no side effects. As I said I was VERY sceptical but am glad we had it done now as it looks like it might work. She was on Tavegil (which I still gave her up until last week as well as relying on the vaccine) but she doesnt need that now.

Gina

Hi Audrey,
Did you see my post on your original thread? I listed some remedies which worked for my shih-tzu.

christine

Hi Christine sorry i have not seen your original thread i am activley looking for something to help dylan my little shih tzu his scratching and licking is getting out of control he has hot spots or pimples appearing daily not sure which his feet are pink and they have started to bleed round the nails where he constantly bites them he is on a burns holistic diet chicken and rice i have been giving him garlic and mixed veg tablets i have rubbed him down with aloevera vet formula given him antihstamines but they either make him sleepy or sick and he's now starting to smell of yeast again all the help you can give would be very much appreciated we have also just bought another little shih tzu she is 9wks old and he is getting quite grummpy with her because she wants to play but he does'nt want her near him i think it's because his skin is so sore and he is very tired with all the scratching .

kind regards Audrey

She sounds as though she suffers from yeast overgrowth therefore grains might be a problem for her in her diet. 

HI audrey here you mentioned it could be a yeast problem can you advice how to treat and which diet is best.

kind regards AUDREY

HI GINA just seen your post with regards your itcthy shih tzu do you think the oatmeal and the diet did the trick and if you did can you give more details on this diet.

KIND REARDS AUDREY

Hi Audrey. First of all I would take him to the vet so he doesnt get an infection if he is bleeding and sore. Molly had to have something to help her with her hot spots from the vet before I started myself to help her.

When he has got over the bleeding I use NatureDiet and an oatmeal shampoo from the vet. Either one or a combination helped because she has never had a hot spot again. I am so pleased. She was getting them all the time until I changed her food/shampoo. And I dont use conditioner. I give her a good brush before her bath and the conditioner isnt necessary. I still wash her face daily with very diluted baby bath. Shih Tzu do seem to need a face wash every day - well Molly does :p

She is definitely not licking as much now she is on her desensitisation injections although she hasnt stopped completely but she doesnt scratch any more - only the odd times that I think are normal with dogs. Her fur is not so pink now either. I am feeling very hopeful now. Once the vaccine has kicked in and she stops licking I am taking her to a homeopathic vet for their advice for the future.
Gina

I also got some hibiscrub from the vet to dilute and put on her hot spots when she first got them and put sudacrem on them to help them heal.

Hi Gina thanks for the advice i will get more hibiscrub tomorrow and make an appiontment with the vet the trouble with my vet is you never see the same one twice and they all have different ideas. I will order some oatmeal shampoo and i found the web site for naturediet so will have a look i have been told by someone else that they think he also has a yeast over growth so should'nt feed any grain or starch i just really want to make him comfortable he is a lovely little thing so much so we have bought another one a little girl this time she is 9wks old  and i don't want to go down the same road with her so need to sort this out.

kind regards Audrey

Hi Audrey let me know what the vet says and if you make sure they read the computer screen first before they look at your boy they should see what you have been about before. Tell them you want things carried through and not another different opinion and see what they say. That is what I do if we do not see our usual vet - I am afraid I ask too many questions but then again we are paying and want the best dont we?

Molly's hotspots and licking were not "yeast related" as Naturediet has rice in it but as I say no hot spots since she was put on that and you can get the oatmeal shampoo from the vet too. It lasts ages on our little ones :p All I can really say is that Molly is so much better that I am really pleased.

Although shih tzu do seem to have skin probs from what I have read and heard about it doesnt happen to all of them so hopefully your little girl will be fine. What colour are your two? Molly is black and white and is 2 years old. We have a lhasa apso too called Barney who is just over 2 1/2 years.

Oh and the specialist told us that having her sleep on the bed doesnt help cos of the house dust etc so we bought allergenic covers for everything - bed linen duvet - as cant stop her sleeping on the bed can we :)

Gina