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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>There are not many things more miserable for a
hound than to be itchy. Exept maybe ear infections. Anyhowl. Colt and
Ruger have seasonal allergies and have been to the vetman for them. There
is something in my yard (grass, mold, fungus, something) that only shows up
during the heat of summer and breaks the boys undersides out (bellies and
armpits). Last summer Colt was so bad that he was on a very expensive
antihistimine and spent most of the summer as a zombie dog. I hated seeing him
like this. SO this year I declared War on the Itchies! Below is what I am
doing for my hounds and it has worked very well so far this year. (I consulted
with our vet first)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>1. Anytime the boys go outside and step even a
toebone off the patio they get DECON'd (this is at least 70% of the battle...get
the allergen off of them as quickly as possible)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial> Bellies, feet
and armpits wiped down with a cool damp cloth. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>
The amazing thing is that they go out with normal belly
color, come back in with red angry belly and when wiping them down you can watch
the redness leave their belly and return to normal or just a shade darker
pink.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>2. One 10mg Zyrtec once a day after breakfast.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial> This is
the normal adult strength over the counter Zyrtec. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial> I buy it at
SAMs Club. 100 count for $35.00.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>3. Thereacoat Supplement. They get this year
round but 1 month prior to their allergy season I double their doses. I can get
this either at my vet or at my Groomer/self serv dog wash. $18.00 for
14.1oz</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial> 1 Tablespoon on afternoon meal
and 1 tablesoon sprinkled on bedtime yogurt treat.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>4. Any sign of break out or if one starts itching,
I will powder their undersides with Gold Bond Powder.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>5. I also switched their food to Taste of the Wild
- Pacific Stream with salmon. Before that I feed Nutro Holistic and added
a salmon oil capsule to breakfast and supper food bowls.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>So far this year both hounds allergies have been
well controlled (knock on wood). Ruger has had a few minor breakouts but
the Gold Bond powder gets it under control within 12 or less hours. The
war on the itchies had been a hard battle, lots of wiping bellies. The boys are
good, they come back inside, I tell them "Give me your belly" and they flop over
and let me do what I need to do. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>As for the Glucosamine...Research can sometimes be
skewed. How many times over our lifetime has the stance on ooohhh lets say
eggs has changed...at least every 10-15 years...Eggs are bad for you and 10-15
years later they are good for you, great source of protien. Same with
Coffee and many other things. Anyway glucosamine and chrondriton are
produced naturally by the body, but with age the body slows production of this
joint protecting compound, so it defiantly will not hurt to give it as
directed. As a pesonal note I myself have used it and felt the benifits of
it and seen it also in my Shadow ATB. As for me about 15 yrs ago had to
start running again (new AF Physical Training requirements) 4 weeks into it my
knees and ankles hurt so bad that I thought I would have to quit running and
probably put out of the AirForce. A friend suggested trying glucosamine &
chrondition. I did and 4 weeks later I was running pain free. Shadow was around
10-11 years old and had arthritis in her hips so bad that she was having trouble
getting up and down and getting around in general. Vet put her on Rimadyl for 2
weeks and started her on Glucosamine/Chrondition. She showed marked
improvements...1st 2 weeks was the rimadyl. But after coming off the rimadyl she
was getting around a lot better at 4-5 weeks on glucosamine she was getting up
easily and at 6 weeks she was basset 500ing around the yard and wrestling with
her grandson. Just my experience.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Love and heart healing drool to all of thouse that
have lost your beloved hounds to the bridge. It has been a sad few weeks
on the drool as so many have made that journey.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Be safe and go away IRene drool to all of those on
the East coast. What's up with you all...Who p'd off mother nature?
Last winters heavy snow storms, spring times heavy rains and tornados and now
a earthquake and a hurricane...is there anything that you all haven't
endured?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Michele Momma to the Bad A** Basset Brothers
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Colt and Ruger who are pulling out my wolfbane,
chalking in a protective circle around their kennels, and melting down my
silver...wonder what's gotten into them?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Women are Angels...And when someone breaks their
wings..They simply continue to fly....on a broomstick...They are flexible like
that...<BR></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>