Hot Spots/Allergies

Help! My Shih Tzu, Lexie is scratching her tail and rear. I was told she has "hot spots" and may be allergic to the leaves, or something she's eaten. I do not want to take her to the vet as they will give her a shot of cortizone and she is only 1 year old, much to young to start that route. I have changed her food, all the leaves are picked up, and have her on childrens benadryl. I would like to get at the root of the problem, as I do not want her on medicine if at all possible. Should I just continue with what I am doing or does someone else have any ideas? I have also started her on an omega 3 and fish oil suppliment for her skin and coat. Someone also told me that there is a fungus in the grass this time of year, that many dogs are allergic to, and that I should just wait it out.

What do you guys think?

Thanks for your help!

Michelle & Lexie

My bro's dog has an allergy to fleas!
it only takes one bite and he eats himself raw!!!
obviously this may not be the problem but for the skin simple human cod liver oil capsuals help (with hair as well)
garlic helps prevent fleas!!!
and to sooth the skin we use either Zinc and caster oil cream or udder cream!!(we add tea tree to that) and rub it into the area to sooth it!!!
also to wash it in we use hybyscrub (?sp?) diluted,
so some of these may help sooth the spots?
let us know what you do?
Ky and rio

Thanks for the info. I was going to try udder cream, but was afraid she would lick it off. I'll put some on her now. I forgot to mention that we do use advantage for fleas, and I've checked repeatedly to make sure that she has no little "critters" running on her back. I just dont want her scratching to the point of breaking the skin, and perhaps infection!
Thanks for your help!

Benedryl is an effective treatment, and should be used continuously until winter has arrived. With my previous Lab puppy I would throw the gel-cap Benedryl up into the air, and she would catch and swallow them. If the hot spots seem inflammed, then you will need to get to the Vet for antibiotics. The fish oil is an excellent supplement to give as it has anti-inflammatory properties.

In the fall, you will encounter allergies to leave molds. Although gathering up leaves will make your lawn look better, it probably won't make that big of a difference per the allergy, as the mold spores readily become airborne. Some dogs have multiple allergies at the same time which can make trying to find the cause next to impossible.

Note about tea tree oil. I used it on my part Lab to keep her from licking off the antibiotic salve I placed on her. I would smear on the antibiotic salve, and then place a drop or two of tea tree oil, lightly spreading it over the small area involved. It's extremely bitter taste was a great deterent to licking off the salve. However if used in large amounts it can be absorbed through the skin, and become toxic to dogs. So don't get carried away with tea tree oil.

I have a 12 lb Toy Fox Terrier and I give him adult Benadryl. Usually one capsule in the morning and one in the evening. The children's Benadryl didn't even touch the allergy and our vet recommended the regular dose instead. It works much better.

Don't worry about the vet giving a shot of cortisone. If you don't want it, then don't allow them to do it. She's your dog, so it's your call as to what treatment you want to give her. Don't not take Lexie to the vet because of them wanting to give her a shot. She can get a staph infection and she'll need antibiotics for that.

Thanks for the info. I might go ahead and try an adult dose of benadryl. She does not have any sores yet. I have looked all over her and have not found any irritations on her skin, so I am not worried about infection setting in, but I dont want her to continue to scratch. Especially if I am not home to monitor her. The childrens benadryl works okay, I really notice when it begins to wear off. I was just wondering if there was something else that I can do to solve this problem. Believe me, if I had any doubt, she would be in the vet's office ASAP. This is my child, and nothing is too good for her.

Thanks everyone.

The adult Benadryl seems to last a bit longer than the child's dose, so you may want to try it. Hope we were of some help to you.

Oh, and we'd love to see some pictures of her. I myself have a Shih Tzu, too. She's not in my signature picture because she has an extreme fear of cameras and I can’t get a decent shot of her! :rolleyes:

Maybe you should ask the vet on how much Benadryl for her to take. Lucee was on it for 7 days. She took 50 mg. twice a day .Which is more than Tom and I take at a time. Our pills were 25 mg each. I also called the company to confirm that they were in fact only 25 mg. So for me one pill last over 12 hours, but for dogs it's different. Lucee is 40 pounds. It did not seem to help. She was on Cephalexin 250mg twice a day for 14 days and that did the trick for her scratching. She DID NOT have hot spots though. She did have dandruff and scabs, and seemed to itch ALL over.
Katz

Is the area smelly, moist, red, irritated & getting raw? If not it is probably not a hot spot, it is probably her anal glands that needs to be expressed. Your vet can do that for about 8 bucks & they can show you how to deal w/ it in the future, you can also help prevent this problem by her diet, adding a little more fiber to her food (they make diets more high in fiber, or you can add a tiny bit of canned pumkin etc depending on her size).
If it is a true hot sopt & boy you will know it it is a hot, smelly, moist, raw spot that is un-bearable for dogs (it is ussually caused by excess moisture, not drying properly or getting wet too often, or im-proper grooming). In order to cure a hot spot dry air is the most important step (ussually be shaving the area plus 1-2 inches around the infected area) ussually an anti-histomin is given (benadryl) if bad then a cortison cream ir injection. Also in sever cases antibioptics must be given.
Sulfodex or sulfoden makes a hot spot medical application (I know it can be found at wal-mart & most pet stores). It works if you catch it before it gets bad.

I forgot to mention allergies DUE TO FOOD OR AIRBORNE USSUALLY, not always start with itchiness &/or redness of feet, ears & eyes. If the animal is allergic to a cerytain bug (flea etc) or object (leaves, bedding, product like shampoo or etc) then it may be only noticable in one area but ussually an allergy will cause multiple symptoms.
If you suspect an allergy I reccomend an allergy test, not too expensive & it saves a lot of time, money & trouble in the long run!

I finally got it figured out! I talked to the vet. He told me that the allergies this year were the worst he has seen in a long time. I have kept her on the benydryl and things have cleared up. We got our first snow the other day. I have not given her any medicine since before Thanksgiving, and her scratching has stopped. Now next year, I will know ahead of time and not be so panicky. My mother's dog had allergies so bad it got into her eyes and ears. (She on medication from the vet). Anyway, thanks for everyone's help and info. It's so nice to have this web site for those of us who are inexperienced "mommys". Thanks!