My bichon frise...?

anyone know of a home remedy or something I can do to make my bichon frise stop itching constantly? I cant afford the high cost of sending him to an allergist for dogs. so I'm not sure what to do? I give him benedryl as my vet suggested but he requires it nearly daily and Im afraid of the long term affect benedryl will cause. He is just over a year old and so sweet and lovable but this breed has bad skin issues. Anyone with a bichon have an ideas? He is on frontline for his fleas and I suspect it is this that causes his itching since it is summer and he doesnt seem to have this issue in the winter months. Then again he could be allergic to grass or pollen or anything like that... thanks for your help

My bichon frise...?
I would suggest first looking at his diet and the quality of food you are feeding him. You might first try eliminating common allergens like corn, wheat, beef and chicken. (BTW, read labels VERY carefully, a lot of so-called lamb %26amp; rice foods ALSO include chicken, corn etc.....). Then you might try more exotic foods like fish %26amp; potato. Of course, it is possible that he is allergic to other ingredients, preservatives etc. in the food, so you might want to go to one of the natural brands with less or no chemicals. If you have tried that, or even before you try that, you might want to try a recipe suggested by my vet to determine if the dog has food allergies.





2 parts potato


2 parts sweet potato (or yams)


1 part turnip (or rutabaga)


olive oil





Try this for a couple of weeks to see if it has any effect. If it does, you know your dog has a food allergy.





The next step is to add just one ingredient to the recipe (maybe chicken or hamburger) and see how he reacts to that. If he reacts, you know he is allergic to that ingredient, if not then try adding another. Continue this until you have built him a balanced diet.





I had to do this with a VERY allergic basset hound that I used to have. He came to me with bald patches, red skin, and ear infections so bad that they were oozing yellow pus and would bleed if you tried to clean them even gently. And his previous owner had spent considerable money at the vets trying to help him. Within a week on the above diet, his skin showed noticeable improvement. I learned through experimentation that he was allergic to chicken (it would turn him bright red within 24 hours), beef, pork, lamb, eggs, canned tuna, all grains, and other things. I never did find a kibble that he could eat without breaking out (and believe me, I tried lots of them), but as I said he was VERY allergic. I eventually ended up feeding him a homemade diet of fish, potatoes and certain vegetables.





In all, it took me about a year of experimenting and trying different foods, both homemade and commercial, but it was worth it. His skin cleared up completely, his itching stopped (except a bit in the spring) and then I was able to clear up his ear infections using the Blue Power Ear Treatment. (Ear infections are often related to allergies). He was comfortable and pain free for the first time in years.





Good luck! Allergies are very frustrating.
Reply:Cont giving the benadryl and try to find shampoo for sensitive skin , during the summer months. I have a bichon and she will be 13 years this fall. I got mine from a vet , the shampoo, but I sure you could find it at a co op store. Sorry I cant remember the name of the shampoo and try a health food store and ask them if they have something for skin irritation, yes I use the same thing on my dog that I use on myself.
Reply:I have a 10 year old Bichon that has the same problem. His turned out to be food allergies. If you suspect the flea treatment, try stopping it. Bathe him in a shampoo for skin problems. Stop using any perfumed shampoos. Keep his skin clean. You can ask your vet about flea treatments taken internally. If it doesn't help, its probably as you said, grass or pollen. Hope this helps. Give the little guy a hug for me!
Reply:Try feeding a premium quality food. California Natural, Solid Gold, Innova and Merrick are some of the best ones out there. Poor quality food has corn/corn products which can trigger skin problems and they contain by products which can include cancerous tissue.
Reply:It could be allergies, or just dry skin. My dog used to have a similar problem when we would cut his hair short for summer. If it's just one area that's itchy, like a foot or so, you can give them cool dips in water. Use some unscented oil or moisturizer to prevent the skin from drying out with the water. Sometimes you can buy oatmeal conditioner for dogs, and you could give your dog a gentle cool (not cold) dip and then use this. According to Home Remedies for Pets, you can even use hand cream and work it into your dog's fur and skin, as long as it's unscented. Something gentle like Vaseline therapy or something. As for the cost of benedryl, you can get the generic version at WalMart. It's the same medecation, only cheaper. Some pet stores also sell "Stop-Itch" leave-in sprays that soothe itchy skin on dogs. Good Luck!