Tibetan Terrier Forum
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Mandy
Apr 10, 08 - 6:04 AM |
What is causing my TT to itch ?
I have a 3 year old TT who has developed an 'itch' mainly around her sides & ears which she scratches and bites at constantly. She has been doing so for about 8 months. We understand from our vet that it is caused by an allergy to something. She has been York tested but nothing conlusive was found, I have feed her only Burns hypoallergenic dog food & nothing else which didn't stop it. The only thing that stops it is steroids which I do not want to use long term. My ideal would be to pin point what she could be allergic to. Has anyone else had a TT with an allergy or any suggestions as to what could be the problem. Thanks Mandy 
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T&P
Apr 14th, 2008 - 6:49 AM |
Re: What is causing my TT to itch ?
My five year old TT is allergic to dust mites and storage mites. His symptoms are to chew his feet. He started suffering with this when he was around two and like you I did start him off on steroids. My vet however did not what to give him too many steroids due to the side effects so referred us to a Dermatologist in Huntingdon. She did some allergy tests on him to establish what it was that he was allergic to. Once they had established what he was allergic to they were then able to send away for an Immunotherapy vacine which he has once per month. Having an injection once per month may seem a little drastic but is well worth it as it does not have the side effects which steroids do and it makes him much more comfy. My vet has been so impressed with how the injections have controlled his allergy that he has started using the testing kit himself so you ought to have a check round your local vets to see if any of them do carry out the allergy tests. Storage mites are found in dried foods so I did stop mine having dried for around 18months however for the last year I have also been feeding him Burns dried as they have such a good reputation and this has not had any negative effects on his allergy. Further proof that the immunotherapy injections work well. The injections did take a few months to control his allergy as they need to get into his system so the vet also perscribed me a human product called Bettermouse which is for Ezma sufferers to use on their scalp. Although this is steroid base it does not have the same effects as orally taken steroids as you just rub it into their skin. This did give him more instant relief to his itching. I think it is only available at the chemist via prescription so you could ask your vet if you can give it a try. If you can't find a vet who does allergy tests in your area you ought to try and get referred to a dermatologist. Hope this information helps and your TT gets her itching under control soon. |
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Clair
Apr 18th, 2008 - 2:45 AM |
Re: What is causing my TT to itch ?
Hi My TT, Anya, used to itch a lot. The Vet recommended I use Starflower Oil (available from petshops such as Pets At Home) in her food. This worked as long as we carried on using it. However, around the same time my other dog, Ellie, finally decided that she really didn't like tinned or pouched dog meat. We were literally throwing money down the drain. We decided to take them both off bought food and now feed them freshly cooked meat from our local abattoir. It works out cheaper and the dogs are loving it. We pay around £25.00 for 30 days worth of meat for 2 dogs. I just add vegetables (buy stores own frozen), pasta or a little rice for variety and we use stores own mixer. They also get a vitamin tablet in their food. Anya's itching got a lot less  and the Vets started commenting on how great a condition both dogs were in! The abattoir also makes its own dog food (fresh meat/tripe and vegetables in a kind of solid pate) so I use this every other day so I'm not cooking each day. If you don't have one near you then Morrisons do stock a good range of reasonably priced meat. I'd noticed for a while (before changing to fresh meat) that her coat was also getting quite dry and getting over time worse. I changed to John Paul Pet Oatmeal Shampoo and Conditioner (www.jppet.co.uk) which is a little expensive compared to some but as she is only bathed a few times a year it isn't so bad. Her itching is even less now - I would now say is normal level. So I've also bought the Oatmeal Leave-In Conditioning Spray for when I groom her - which I can highly recommend. I hope this helps and either might be worth a try. Clair |
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Joanne
Apr 18th, 2008 - 2:05 PM |
Re: What is causing my TT to itch ?
It may be worth switching her to a BARF (Beef and Raw Food) diet. Google it and you'll find lots of useful info about it. Natural food means no additives, so less likely to develop allergies. Good luck! 
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