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[LisaFinn64]

Hello everyone, New to this site and hope to find some good and crediable advice for the life of my Cairn. Her name is Maggie Mae, and 3 yrs., old going on 7. She is really a smart and intelligent dog. I've been having allergic type itching every since we got her, and called the breeder to ask if his dogs had experienced this same disorder. He said he never experienced this with her parents or siblings. He does do something that I've never done to Maggie, and that's is stripping her coat. Just wandering if it really makes that much difference. Have done research out the ying yang, and most info was try and error reports. I have narrowed down her dog food, brush her often, bought all kinds of shampooes from the vet, and still experiencing alot of the same as when we brought her home. She really bites her feet alot plus all the scratching. I feel like a loser, that I can't figure this out, and feel like I'm letting her down, when she deserves so much more.

Sorry for the long intro, but had to explain. Any help or comments greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Lisa

[Napi'smom]

many dogs have ffod allergiesm you should start there first.

I don't hand strip mine and he doesn't have regular skin problems

[Jessica H]

Stripping can help the skin a lot. All dogs are different and some have more sensitive skin than others. I made a HUGE mistake and I shaved mine last year. Sadie had always had skin issues but about a month or so after I shaved her she had horrible skin issues. I ended up stripping some out a little myself and as time goes bu I am noticing a difference. She is going on Saturday to get fully stripped so I will see how it effects her skin.

I believe dogs that are prone to skin issues can have much more symptoms if not stripped, only because of my experience. Scooter is fine, Sadie's skin is a mess.

What happens is these dogs do not really shed so the dead hair gets "stripped/pulled" out. If the hair is not pulled out it stays in the hair follicles and dies, it can cause infection in the hair folicles and cause itching. Makes perfect sense if you think about it.

I also have been giving all my dogs fish oil tablets, my puppy (German Shepherd) had bad dandruff and was itching a lot. So my breeder suggested giving him fish oil tablets (one's buy at the store). I cannot believe how great his coat is now, not one flake of dandruff. I started giving them to the Cairns as well and noticed much less itching.

[jimnconnie]

Hand stripping is the best thing you can do for a Cairn's coat & skin. That being said, it may not be the solution to all of Maggie Mae's (great name by the way!) itching problems. Biting the feet is an indication of allergies, and food can be a frequent cause of them. When our Bailey (now 5 1/2yr.) was about 1 yr. old, he had severe itching/scratching problems. We tried different foods, and finally found help in Hill's Prescription Z/D Ultra. It relieved the problem, and we fed that for a few years. I wouldn't recommend other Science Diet foods, but their prescription foods can be good. When Bailey was about 4, we decided to see if we could change to a higher quality food, without the itching problem returning. We now use Evo & Eagle Pack foods on a rotation, along with a daily dose of salmon oil, and it works well for both of our dogs. Grains are a big cause of allergies, so check the ingredients carefully before buying.

Good Luck, Jim

[bradl]

Contact allergies from stuff in the yard, dryness from winter heating, borderline skin health from retained dead coat, flea-bite sensitivity, and low tolerance of certain foods can all contribute. Sometimes it might be "all of the above" where no one thing is THE issue, but combined they just push the poor girl over the edge.

Some good suggestions already.

For sure don't feel like a loser - getting relief from itchy issues can be very frustrating, time consuming, and subject to considerable trial-and-error. For example, if it's seasonal allergies, by definition it could take you a year or more to even figure that out!

[Kramersmom]

As already advised, please don't feel like a loser. Skin allergies is very common. Wheat ia a biggy. What food are you feeding? Grain free foods are good for allergic dogs. Corn is another. Foods play a big roll.

[JerryLv]

To me food is EVERYTHING. For the first year and half I followed the breaders instructions and fed Zen a diet of raw food that I made myself and

fortified it with all the necesary vitamines, kelp and minerals that a growing dog needs. And grow he did. Up to 30lbs. After that I got lazy and started feeding him holistic kibbles and a little (hopefully) holistic canned food. Last year he started chewing on his feet to the point we had to take him to the Vet. The Vet gave us a solution to soak his feet in and recommended Omega 3 fish oil. After some research I found that there is Omega 3

fish oil and then there is OMEGA 3 FISH OIL. In otherwords not all fish oil is the same. I found a place on line that specializes in fish oils for pets and

after reading the difference I ended up with a high grade of Icelandic Cod Liver Oil. It was rather expensive but it last a very long time and he hasn't

chewed on his feet since. After reading about how Candide (Sic) is now under investigation and which a lot of Cairn owner used to swear by I am having serious doubts about any commercial dog food. I am now going back to making my own dog food because that way I know exactly what's

in it.

[cairnrescueleague]

It also doesn't hurt to get her thyroid checked. Even thyroid in the low range of normal can cause itching and skin problems.

[mjones]

I'm new to owning a Cairn, but I know that you are not supposed to give them too many baths. I noticed you said that you have bought all sorts of shampoos to try which made me wonder if you are bathing her too much??

[Idaho Cairns]

Here's something I picked up from another forum concerning dog food. It sort of puts the damper on the designer dog food craze and especially on the homemade dog food practice. Take it for what it is worth but understand there are few published legitimate long term dog food research studies out there--most of the discussion about dog nutrition tends to be unsupported and rumor laden.

An interesting article from Consumers Report:

Q&A: Vets weigh in on Fido's food

Americans might be spending less on themselves, but not on their furry friends. In a survey conducted by the Associated Press in December 2008, just one in seven pet owners said they had curtailed spending on their pet during the past year, even as they cut other expenses.

Prices range as widely as the foods

[bradl]

Pardon a brief off-topic tangent...

Tip for the future that applies to everyone: when referring to material already on the web, it's always better - from a copyright, resources, and guidelines perspective - to quote a sample to give some context and then link to the original source.

[Sam I Am]

I am all for home cooked foods for any dog. Especially dogs with allergy issues. I have home cooked now for over 10 yrs and both my Cairn and Scottie have no skin issues what so ever. The Scottie prior to home cooking had hot spots, hair falling out, ear infections it went on and on. Then I started going to a holistic veterinarian and the Scottie never had skin issues or ear issues after that until she passed away at 12 yrs of age . It takes a bit more time, but the result have been really positive. Jock has a lovely shiny coat free and isnt bothered with skin allergies.