Can I officially say I'm in love now?
Awwwwww . . .
one quick question.. my pup seems to scratch himself a lot. i dont see any ticks/flees and he's gotten his meds for that.
could he b allergic?
Is he on the same food that was fed at the breeders?
At this time of yr some of mine have developed grass allergies when going to strange areas for walks. Wipe him down with a damp washcloth after he comes inside.
I have wet wipes I use for his ears. Maybe I'll just make sure to wipe around his neck/head where he seems to be the itchiest. He got a bath on day one so I don't think he's "dirty".
He is not on the same food. Would that cause itching?
He is not on the same food. Would that cause itching?
Possibly, if he has an allergy to something in the food. Did you have a reason for switching?
No particular reason other than it was what i picked up at the store before I got him. Going to petco today to pick up some more supplies so I'll see about picking up another small bag of something else so that i can test the food theory out.
Usually it is best at first to stick with what they have been eating. Did the breeder tell you what that was?
Yes, food will cause itching… is it grain free? Many dogs of all breeds have grain allergies, especially any with corn. What was the breeder feeding?
Yes, food will cause itching… is it grain free? Many dogs of all breeds have grain allergies, especially any with corn. What was the breeder feeding?
royal canin was what he was being fed.
I picked up a bag of beneful which is what my lab puppy ate when she was younger. she never itched from it, and since it was a brand she used I figured it would be okay..
suggestions for dog food brands?
Just a thought maybe it's whatever you bathed him with, or it wasn't rinsed out enough or it has dried his skin. My boy is now 8 months and hasn't yet needed a bath I have wiped him down after walks due to a possible contact allergy and brush him to freshen him up. It's a hard one to find out why they are itchty. We started a list and ticked off as we went through the possiblities, sounds like food is the starting point, good luck.
Jolanda and Kaiser
royal canin was what he was being fed.
I picked up a bag of beneful which is what my lab puppy ate when she was younger. she never itched from it, and since it was a brand she used I figured it would be okay..
suggestions for dog food brands?
Personally I wouldn't use either of those brands, but everyone has an opinion on food. I like NRG dehydrated, as I am not a fan of dry foods, but like convenience. There have been a lot of threads on here in the past about food.
I agree, the bath could have caused itching if the rinse was not complete or for that matter if it dried out his skin. Also, he could be allergic to something in your house…...e.g. bedding or what it was washed in. Unfortunately the possibilities are endless! I think I would start with the food.....
I know for sure Beneful has corn/wheat… and is not a very good food. You should go back to what the breeder was feeding, but even that brand has corn but it is further down on the list of ingredients then Beneful. Here is the beginning of the ingredient list for one of the Beneful products: Ground yellow corn, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, whole wheat flour, AND they claim that the use real chicken... NOT by-product meal is not real chicken. In fact every one of their dry foods start with the above items. Corn is a filler, it is of no use other than to fill them up for a dog. Also, it (IMO) raises their body temperature. Consider that farms have fed corn for years in the winter for cattle and for horses to generate body heat. We used to do that for our horses, dry corn on the cob in the winter, but never in the summer months.
I use Evo Chicken and Turkey, grain free and I switch off or mix with Fromms Surf and Turf or Natural Balance Potato and Duck.
And while I would certainly recommend that you feed a better quality food, keep in mind that when with littermates they bite when playing with each other, so could have little scabs from playing that are healing and itchy.
I use Fromms…but recently places like petco (for convenience for you) started varying Innova which I consider a good quality food. A good quality food is important...also, have you put a collar on her? New pups find collars irritating...and almost all pups itch because its unfamiliar to them...just a thought!?
I like Fromm, Origen, Taste of the wild, Innova, Red Barn meat rolls, I would not feed anything with corn as a main ingredient. Most of the foods you would be finding at a feed store or smaller pet store, as petco and petsmart tend to sell the garbage foods. Its good to hear they now carry innova. Be prepared that good pet food runs upwards of $30 for a 15 lb bag.
I went to petco yesterday, and looked at the different foods. I think I will be getting him taste of the wild.
And yes he does have a collar on him. I noticed he was pretty darn cold this morning when it was about 50 so I'm looking to get him a litt coat. The BF laughed at me and said I'm being an overly worried momma! haha
I commend you on a good choice…a lot of time people don't want to listen to the importance of a good quality food...and as for the collar, that could be making the pup itch because its unfamiliar..or I've heard sometimes nylon causes an allergic reaction in dogs. So if the itching is towards the neck and upper back I'd consider the collar as just something she needs to get used to...and as for the food, I think if it's good related that should clear it up...I wouldn't bathe the pup until you get everything sorted with the itching, best to be safe
I will mention, if cost is concerning then the Innova puppy might be less expensive and has been subject to fewer recall issues inthe past…just food for thought. I am very glad to see a few good choices now being carried at Petco...
My personal opinion is that people bathe their Basenjis way to much. Unless they are rolling in "nasty" stuff, they really don't need to be bathe. They are pretty "self" cleaning dogs….
If it were not for shows, my Basenjis would maybe get a bath 2x's a year. Possible more if they are in a heavy shed (blowing coat) as a nice warm bath and a good curry comb is great for getting out dead hair. Even in the winter during rainy season here in California when the girls are doing the B500 around the yard and get mud baths, I just use a wet towel to clean off any wet mud....
