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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Marlene,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>A while back a drooler mentioned using zyrtec so I followed up with my
vet and he said to try it on the boyz this allergy season... I posted this a
week or so ago and will repost just in case someone with itchy bassets might
have missed it</DIV>
<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, pollen, 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 serve 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 hours or less. The
war on the itchies has 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> </DIV>
<DIV>I hope this helps. Good luck! Marlene if this doesn't work then I
think you and Maggie should hit the wine bottle, or maybe opt for something a
little stronger. Bring the girls to come visit with me & the Boys...I
make a mean Pomagrante Cosmopolitian!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Love & Skin soothing Drool</DIV>
<DIV>Michele, </DIV>
<DIV>Colt "Cool wet cloth on my belly please!"</DIV>
<DIV>Ruger "Momma I itch, powder my belly"</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></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>