Itchy Puppy

    • Gold Top Dog

    Itchy Puppy

    Sascha is a Vizsla pup. In general, he looks good. But maybe not on the best food? Or maybe he needs a supplement?

    1. Itching, mostly behind his front legs (in his front armpits), and some little white bumps on his neck that got a little scabby and then retreated. These are both contact spots for his harness. This itching is not too intense, he's not giving himself sores or anything... but you know, it's noticable.

    2. And he smells a little not so good, a little "doggy".

    3. Poop. He is still young--at almost 5 mo. is it normal for him to be pooping like 3-4 times daily?

    He was smelling really horrid for a bit--DH bought him Iams. Now he's eating Nutro Lamb and rice, which seemed pretty good to me, no BHT or other weirdness, no wheat or corn, etc. And now he smells better but not great. Sleeping next to him is not the joy it was when he was still on Back to Basics (only available through mail order and kind of a drag, so I am hoping to avoid that if possible)

    He must wear harness and not collar--he's a pullah. And getting him a new harness did not make anything go away. Haven't taken him to the vet--called them up and said that there is no reason to bring him in if it's not that serious... to just keep an eye on it.

    Thinking maybe fish oil. Anything else I can try?
    • Gold Top Dog
    Fish oil sounds like a great idea. Brands I've had good luck with are Grizzly Salmon Oil and Iceland Pure. In addition to the oil, you'll need to add vitamin E, 100 iu per 25 lbs body weight. It helps keep the unstable oil from oxidizing in the body so the body is able to use the benefits of it.

    Nutro is a decent food, but it is considered "mid-grade" and could be contributing to some of your issues. I don't know if most 5 month old puppies poop 3-4 times a day, but that sounds like a lot to me. Dogs bodies shouldn't normally smell. They will if they've been working hard, and their feet may stink, but I don't think their bodies should normally smell bad.

    He's probably to young to have food allergies, and they're relatively rare anyway, but he could have enviornmental allergies.

    This may be a really stupid question, but when you got the new harness did you make sure it wasn't made of any of the same things the old one was?
    • Gold Top Dog
    Ummmm...
    ...there is no such thing as a stupid question.

    The new harness is actually a lot like the old one, although it is looser on him. I feel a little like a retard.