giraffez

If he is itchy I would say omega 3 wouldn't stop the itching if it's a seasonal thing.

Why do you say that? They market the product to relieve dry/ itchy skin don't they?

Do you have to reduce their food intake because of the fat? How long before you saw results?

Thanks all

Natural animal solutions have an omega oil supplement that has omega 3,6,9 in it. I've been giving it to my itchy mini since winter and he's definitely been better this spring.

It stinks of fishy goodness though - also it needs to be kept in the fridge. But one squirt in his dinner is all he gets so no fussing around...

Mackiemad, is this what you are referring to? http://www.naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/omega-oils.html Where do you get yours?

I also read that when giving omega, you should also balance it with vitamin e? Is this correct? If so, where do I get vitamin E?

My dog is currently on the fish protein kibbles. If i add these, will it be over the top?

Are the human fish oil and flax seed suitable for dogs?

I've been giving my guys flaxseed oil. Results have been great! They get 1ml per every 2kg

My link

Looks like a lot of benefits with this one. but there is a note that dogs with Pancreatitis should not be given this. My dogs have never had Pancreatitis however, the breed is prone to this. Should this be avoided?

Is there a good omega 3 supplement or product that is recommendable for my dog. Every summer he starts to get itchy skin, winter is fine. His kibbles is already fish based and he gets sardines from the can a couple of times a week.

Genkitravels, sorry to hear your frenchie's condition. It must be a hard time you are going through with all the trial and error. Best of luck

I have a frenchie who is 20 months old who has recently developed allergies. I think (and hoping) hers are seasonal, but being so young its hard to tell.

I had her on Zyrtec for a few weeks and that didnt really make a difference. Then Claryntine for another few weeks, that didnt do anything at all. I now have her on Telfast which is make having some difference but still not 100%.

Sares, aren't this human meds? Are they safe for canine consumption? I was told not to use human meds on dogs so I'm curious now with the anti hestimine

Proponents of Prey model Raw feeding are quite adamant that such a diet greatly decreases doggy odours. Having said that it is quite a job keeping a dog like a mini schnauzer's beard clean after each meal. If I had my recently deceased Mini Schnauzer over again I would opt for a food like Ziwipeak - but I guess that with two dogs it would get quite expensive.

I use ziwipeak as treats. Even with one dog, these are expensive!! But ziwipeak smells really nice and doesnt go bad quickly so the occasional treat is still good.

I've put them on various premium kibbles like artemis, california natural, taste of the wild, black hawk and odour hasn't changed so me thinks its their natural scent.

Its not bothering me because its not a yucky smell and I don't smell it unless I'm literally sniffing the body or when I'm wrestling them during play - I was curious more than anything when raising this post. My previous dogs have their unique smell as well.

All Plush Puppy products.

I currently use aloveen because i read rave reviews about it. Its good and smells nice but my dog scratches even when there are no fleas.

Alot of people here recommend Fidos or Plush Puppy. Has anyone had any success with less scratching when they switch over to these? I went to the plush puppy site and there is a "Sensitive Skin Shampoo". Wonder whether this will do the trick

I don't have a hydrobath so can I still use Fidos?

No, not from ears or feet. Its general body odour. Its not foul smelling,I just find it interesting how the two are different. I guess humans can be the same (ie different people have different odour)

I bathed my dogs and very soon after their doggy odour returns, it isn't stinky just different smell. What influences this? Both have their own smell

I think what adds to this problem is that pet insurance in Australia sucks, its expensive and coverage is restrictive. I had a chat with my vet the last time I was in and she agreed with me that we have one of the most poor value pet insurance in the world. I'm not sure whether its possible to lobby this at all to get the premiums down and be comparable to world standards.

My family in USA insures their dog for $200-$250 a year! This includes rebates on annual checkups and injections. My pet insurance comes to about $600 and has a book full of restrictive terms and no rebates on the annual checkups and this is just normal cover (not premium). For two dogs it comes to $1200+.

Vet costs in Australia are pretty high if you compare with overseas. My family in the States had to take their dog in for an emergency visit for a bee sting which set them back US$90. I thought this was cheap, a friend of mine had the same problem in Australia and as soon as she set foot into the emergency, it was already $220 for consultation. Then the meds and hospitalisation sent the bill close to $1000 in just one day.

when you clean up after brushing his teeth do you also wash/rinse his beard?

how regularly are you doing it?

Don't rinse his beard after brushing.

Last couple of weeks I was doing every second day.

doggy toothpaste - beef flavour ...eek

I have recently started to brush my dogs teeth regularly. I noticed that his beard which was stained before is now almost white. I think it has something to do with the toothpaste. Does it do something to the pH of the saliva so that the staining dissapears? Is this the same effect as applying baking soda? Is it harmful to use the dog toothpaste on a regular basis?

Is there anything i can apply to the gumline to improve the gums? One of my boys had some plaque build up between the front teeth which i only noticed recently (it could have been there for a while already, i never took any noticed of the front teeth when i clean them, only the back ones). The colour of the gunk is green and i am not sure whether overtime, the gumline around that area turned black or whether its just a coincidence. But i finally managed to remove the plaque using a scaler. I've been applying dog toothpaste in that area for about 1 week now but haven't noticed much of an improvement on the gum line.

The gap (where the gunk was) between the two front teeth is quite big, not sure whether the gum has receded to leave a hole there. Now that the plaque is gone, would the gums get better by itself?

Thanks

my dogs dont rub their butt on the floor but i still get them checked out every year as part of the annual check up. Its always full and vet expresses it. Can i actually do this myself?

I add sweet potato in their diet and they almost have it every day. On top of that, they get fruit. Their stool is nice and firm but still their anal glands tend to fill up so a bit confused.

he gets bones all the time, but doesn't clear the gunk on his two front teeth. Bones are only good for cleaning the back teeth

I feel kind of silly asking this question but do you need to floss your dog's teeth. The reason why i ask is i noticed some green thing between my dogs front teeth. Its probably plaque compounded with grass. I can't seem to get it off with my finger. I tried a flat scaler as well and can't get to it. I'm thinking dental floss but i'm sure he wouldn't let me do it.

I tried brushing twice a day for the last two days but doesn't seem to have made much of a difference.

thanks. He does well on fish. But then again it could be other ingredients in the BH thats setting off his scratching. Has anyone who has had itching problems with the previous flavours given the fish a try?

You need to determine if his allergies are food related or not; there's no point chopping and changing his diet. With your vet's guidance you could do an elimination diet (one new protein + one new carbohydrate) for 4 to 6 weeks. No treats, no flavored tablets etc....

Chances are it is probably not food related; seeing a dermatologist would be a good idea if his scratching is quite severe.

Otherwise, a few people on here recommend Calendula tea as a topical (or full body rinse) treatment to soothe the itchy spots. I haven't had any results on it sadly.

Other topical ointments (as recommended by my dermatologist) are alpha Keri lotion (quite inexpensive from the chemist, and my dog flips over to have her belly ointed so it must feel good!) and Paw calming gel

http://www.naturalpetstore.com.au/d/25523/19/grooming/paw-pure-animal-wellbeing-triderm-calming-gel---75ml/

She also advised us to use the Paw shampoo and conditioner (and to not rinse off the conditioner)

Thanks. Do the ointments work on your dog. The Keri lotion is for humans right? I'm sure he will lick at it, is it okay?

Has anyone tried the fish and potato version? I was wondering it will induce scratching. I used to feed the lamb until my boy started scratching like hell and switched over to TOTW.

I give them Vaalia Probiotic Yoghurt (Natural version). They love it. They will lick the foil cover until its sparkling clean. I occasionally add a tablespoon into their food.

Once in a while, my boy has a sensitive spot. You know the ones you touch and his hind legs automatically gets triggers into scratching. It comes and goes. I'm wondering whether anyone has found a remedy to this?

Also any kibble recommendations that is good for allergies or sensitive skin?

You'll have to teach him how to wash himself, Giraffez :laugh: :laugh:

Lol yes have some training to do! :D

dont buy Saline in a tin from the supermarket. It's a powder that mixes up into a sweet fizzy drink! I dont think he'd like that squirted into his doodle. :laugh:

lol - that would be getting myself into a pickle

Went to vet and all cleared. Didn't even need to flush anything. Vet examined the sheath and nothing left, just the area was slightly red. No other visible medical issues.

its cleared up today after the wash yesterday - that you to those who suggested the saline solution. A bit of white at the end but no foul smell.

Think I will take him to the vet still just in case the infection hasn't completely cleared