"About my Maggie"

[LisaFinn64]

My new 6-month old Cairn terrier, Maggie has a problem. She scratches and she itches, she also has a bad odor to her. Do you know what I should do? I've tried washing her feet when she comes back in from outdoors, I got her on anti-histimine and Omega pills. I even switched her dog food. Nothing seems to work.

Have any ideas? I'm at my wits end.

Deseparate,

Lisa Finn

[sbudd]

What kind of food is she eating? I hear that Canidae is the best for allergy-related problems.

[Milopup]

If you are giving her Omega capsules, the oil could cause her to have an "oily/fishy" smell.

[kayharley]

Have you consulted your vet about the problem? That would be my first step...just to rule out any medical problems.

Then I would look into the food she's eating...wheat is a notorious allergen. How about bedding or the detergents used to wash them...shampoos or any other contact material? Any supplements or anything out of the ordinary that she's been getting?

Anal gland problems can also cause an odor to your dog. Again, a visit to the vet can be your best bet and then go from there. Good luck!

[hallswel]

Check with your vet don't let it get bad. We use Opticoat II an Omega supplement in pump form and he is on Precise -Foundation dog food ( I get it though our vet) it is very clean and he loves the taste. I admit it does smell pretty good. We will still have problems with the allergy season beginning but we are working on that now. We think we will lick it this year so he has no problems and it doesn't slow him down. Our vet is very careful with him

Good Luck

[Guest Taffy's mom]

I have a female Cairn Terrier I rescued and she used to have horrible itching and hot spots until I changed her to allergen-free food from the vet. She has not had a hot spot since. Lately she's been itching though. Also I'm beginning to think she has anal gland problems. She just had a horrible infection in her anal gland. After $260 for antibiotic shot and pills and ointment, she still acts like something is wrong and I'm afraid she may have to have her anal glands removed. She's always had an odor and acted like something was bothering her back towards her rear legs and area. So now I am afraid it's the anal glands all this time. She's approximately 12 years old so it scares me for her to have surgery, but she will freak out if you even touch the tail area of hing legs, so you have to be very, very careful when you pick her up or touch her.