[Dailydrool] Baths and Scratching

[Jennifer Martin]

I have waited all day to calm down before posting to the suggestion that I have caused my dogs allergies by bathing them. First of all, I will grant you that if you are using old style crappy shampoo or doG forbid human shanpoo or dish soap, you can dry out your dog's skin. Dry skin will itch. There is a HUGE difference between that and washing known allergens off of the skin. Have you ever had true allergens stuck to your skin? The kind that make you break out in hives and want to rip your skin off? These are the allergens I am washing off my dogs! I use a very emollient shampoo with a conditioner to make sure I don't dry out the skin to make my dogs itch more than they already do. As for the use of prednisone, it is a true catch 22. If I don't use the steroid, my dog's ears will swell shut and his ear drums will burst. This will not only cause pain, but spread the infection and increase the chances of him going deaf. This is why I had my dog allergy tested. This is why I get really bent out of shape when strangers feed him because he "is cute". I manage his food and his environment very closely to prevent him from getting an ear infection or a skin infection. I feed him Omega 3 fatty acids to improve the condition of his skin. All of this takes an incredible amount of time and money. This is why I can only afford to have 2 bassets when I would really like to have more. Please never suggest that all of my problems are brought on myself because I wash the pollen my dog is allergic to off of his body. You have NO idea what I have been through and I actually hope and pray you never have to understand.

Jennifer, momslave to the very allergic Beauford, Bugsey and 7 other dogs ATB before them. No, God has never granted me a dog without allergies. Unfortunately, I am very good at managing these babies and God knows it and keeps giving me more.
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