[Dailydrool] Shampoo and Itchy Bassets

[Diane Surman]

I have been using a shampoo by DermaPet called Mal-A-Ket on my Bassets for
several months now.  Both of my dogs have bad skin, with my older Basset
having horrendous skin problems.  This shampoo was developed by a vet for
dogs with skin issues and I bought it on line at Amazon.  I use so much of
it, I actually buy it by the gallon.  It's a wonderful shampoo and I have
been very happy with it.  I would highly recommend it.

With regards to allergies and dogs, my older girl Chloe is allergic to the
planet earth. We tried numerous dog foods to help her problems. This dog
literally ate enough different brands to circle the earth.  We finally had
her allergy tested and found she is allergic to all outdoor things and NOT
food.  She currently eats Canidae and does well on it.  We decided to give
her allergy shots and although we hung in there for quite a while with her,
they didn't work and had to resort to a daily dose of prednisone.  I was
trying to avoid pred, but finally had no choice.  She takes 2.5 mg a day and
does very well on it.  She is currently 11 1/2 and had a growth removed on
Monday. She had excellent bloodwork and is in good health.  Sometimes a low
dose of pred is the only thing that will help these dogs.  Before going on
pred, she had extremely raw skin that was always swollen. The dog was
miserable.  Prednisone has given her a great quality of life. To me, that's
the thing that matters most. I want her happy and comfortable.

Diane