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Teddies to TreasureHello everyone and a very Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends! My 9 year old ShihTzu has developed some kind of skin condition and his tummy is raw and bleeding from scratching.He is not a very happy boy and I am upset too!I have had him to the vet 3 times this fall and he is on his 3rd set of Vanectyl- which is a steroid.He is fine as long as he takes the pill but I don't want him on this forever.I thought someone out there might have a home remedy or an idea of what I can do to stop the itch without steroids.I know that so many of you have dogs and you are all such good mommies that you may be able to help.Thank you so much. I hate seeing him in such distress.Sincerely Jane D. and Raffi!
Dolls N DreamsHi, poor sweety.
Has the vet told you what has caused the rash? Diet? What kind of food does he eat? Skin problems are sometimes hard to get a hold on unless you know what is causing them. Here are some I had bookmarked......
Here is a great webpage with some info......
http://www.thepetcenter.com/gen/itch.html
Waggle BearsI'm sorry, Jane. I have no advice, but I understand your frustration as our Harley is so sensitive and allergic to everything. He takes Predinsone on occasion, but, like you, it's not something we want to give him all the time. Our vet has a shampoo called Corta-Sooth or something like that. I may not have spelled it correctly. We bathe him every 3 to 4 days. It's helps for a few days. I hope you find something to help.
Posts: 1,836Not to sound nuts, as dogs can get all kinds of simple and painful skin conditions just like us...but in my area and all over the place a serious condition is popping up called MRSA and it's affecting pets as well. If your dog isn't healing ask for a culture to be done. There are cases of pet MRSA where no humans around were affected. It can't hurt to ask for the culture.
On the less dramatic side my mom has a cat that gets raw skin during allergy season and bathing and cover the "wounds" are the only way to let it heal. She puts a clean snug baby tshirt on the cat once a day to stop him from licking and scratching stuff open....looks hysterical, but it works. If it's on your dogs belly you may want to try a baby onesie with a tail hole cut into it. The onesie being snapped up will keep his belly covered and his nails off the affected area.
:hug:
~Chrissi
Back Road BearsMy first thought was diet. And thus I have the same question Tami does...... had the vet diagnosed the skin condition? Vets love to give out medicine and often overlook the more obvious causes thinking it HAS to be a condition needing medicine. Well, don't get me started there.
On of our dogs has an allergy that results in tonsilitis... just aren't sure what the trigger is yet. The other gets itchy skin from early spring to late fall. In both cases the vet didn't want to give them a steroid because their breed is sensitive to them so she put them on an allergy medicine (hydroxyzine - an anti-histamine)instead that is doing the trick. So, there might at least be something a little less damaging to your dog than steroids.
I love the onsie suggestion! Too cute!
A word of caution against bathing a dog or cat too frequently: this will cause dry skin which can lead to increased itching in the end. You don't want to be stripping away their fur's natural and essential oils. My groomer and my vet both said no more than every 2 weeks. (But you can bet I'm often counting down the days to two weeks!) And do be careful what you use for shampoo or treatments and don't always trust your vet. Do your research. The vet shampoos have chemicals in them and a mix of things that may cure one thing but cause another. (Been there.) Never mind the often big price tag.
I don't have any other suggestions for you, Jane but Tami's links look good! 
Posts: 32Hi 
sorry your dog is having a bad time of it; since the steroids are a major concern for you; try and find a vet that deals in holistic healing or medicine for animals, dogs in particular, (try a web search) then you can deal with diet, allergies, etc. as far as bathing your dog, you might also want to investigate a natural dog shampoo or soap bar that fits your dog's needs. There are many soapmaker's that make a natural shampoo for dogs that are much safer and kind to their skin--one soapmaker in particular specializes in just that. I have 7 dogs and thats where my little salary goes Hope things get better.
puca bearsSkin problems seem to be getting more and more common in our furry friends.......
We had a bloodhound, who itched and scratched every Spring/summer..... we were brushed off with cortisone tablets which seemed to keep the problem under control - then a new vet sent us off to a vet dermatologist.
Patch tests showed that Sir Humphrey was allergic to...GRASS! We then went through a regimen of de-sensitising injections ......
Our first Leonberger had skin problems, and the vet here sent off blood samples for analysis - turned out she was allergic to all sorts of things - again - de-sensitising injections helped.
I really would suggest trying to find a vet dermatologist, or at least having your vet run some tests......and GOOD LUCK!
The causes of allergies are difficult to pin down - but it's awful to watch your pet in such discomfort, so it's worth a try
huggies
Maria
Rufnut Teddy'sJane, so sorry to hear about your dog Raffi, some ideas from me. :hug:
Ensure you check his bedding or sleep area is not causing some irritation, ensure its clean and the fabric used is not causing the irritation, perhaps change it. Some dogs may have irritation due to being overheated in warm areas. If regularly washed there may be some irritation from the shampoo, or soaps, if possible try not to wash as often until the irritation clears. I know some breeds are more prone to skin irritation than others. Check the type of flea powders or flea colllar if used are not causing any issues.
The other girls have mentioned foods, grass, shampoos, etc. Watch and Observe your dogs habits when they are outdoors and out of your sight, you never know there maybe something outside that is causing the problem, like plants, weeds, etc.
Good luck, let us know how you get on. :hug:
Teddies to Treasure
Thank you everyone for your help and suggestions.I have lots to read -thank you Tami! The vet calls it "seasonal" allergies that seem to linger longer each year.We had a more peaceful night but that happens when he is on the steroids which is my concern.We have a snow storm here today so perhaps if the vet is correct maybe this "seasonal" thing will be over.Who thought I would appreciate a snow storm????I really do appreciate all the help especially when I know that the American gals are very busy at this time.Lulu-Thank you for the pm-I hope your pies didn't burn.Maria- I'm not sure where you are as I'm not "up on" my world flags but thank you too.Again thanks to all for your prompt replies.Sincerely Jane D. and Raffi The tea tree oil sounds very soothing!
Jellybelly BearsJane, my puppy Pippin has been going through all the itchy skin stuff 
its horrible! I ended up having to put ear plugs in at night so that he would stop scratching (well, i couldn't hear him scratch lol)
anyway, i tried the cortisone shots at the vet, only semi effective....i've been giving him one broken capsule of evening primrose oil and one capsule of flaxseed oil a day...and it really helps. i've tried reducing the dose just lately and he is scratching more 
the thing that worked immediately for him was rubbing him over with a mix of sorbolene cream and aloe vera, with a tiny bit of water....work it in all over into the skin....it helps, then i wrap him with paper toweling and let it soak in, then dry him off with a towel. amazingly enough, all that goo dries up nicely and his fur is so soft!
i'm amazed that so many of our pooches suffer with this
Ellen, do you just use straight tea tree oil on the skin??
Our old ShihTzu had many skin issues as he got older they got worse... The vet told us to feed him cooked hamburger and Rice with a dog vitamin.. and bathing was terrible, he would scratch for days after a bath, it was awful... we were suggested at a vet supply store to bath him in Betadine which does not smell very good but he did not have a reaction at all to it.. so we could actually bath him once in awhile.
Pet allergies are so difficult to deal with! I hope you figure out something for your sweetie
Chaska, MinnesotaDear Jane: I agree with Tami, you must find out the cause. Food allergies come to mind. For about a year of my Dara (cat) had itching problems to the point it looked like sores developed. It took a new vet to determine he had food allergies. She placed him on a new diet and guess what, he itching and redness all disappeared! He has been fine now for a year. The poor little guy loves meat and goes nuts when he smells it but I don't give in....
But another thought, did your vet do a skin scraping? If not, ask about that because it could be some kind of mite problem and a scraping could rule that out.
Good luck.
Cleathero CreationsWe have a dog with seasonal allergies.
We have to keep her off the grass at certain times of the year, which is next to impossible being a bull terrier. Certain plants can do it so I would be checking those as well.
Good luck.
