I'm having issues with my parti poodle... both morally, and health wise.
First the health. She was totoally fine until in the summer we discovered my sisters dog had lice. My dogs are always with her dogs at work, in the kennel, and they play together, so we treated everyone with advantix (I'm pretty sure that's the one we used) Well, Jemima almost immediately got so itchy... she was ripping at her self, and scratchin constantly. She had a hot spot that was almost healed and she scratched so much THATflaired up again... the next morning I took her to the shop and bathed her, trying to get as much of the medication off as possible. It helped a bit. she continued to scratch, but I figured it had to work it's way out of her system. She was still scratching weeks later, so i bathed her in Nature's Specialties Lavenderm (it helped with the hot spot before). It relieved the itching a little for a few days. The itching started to slow down, but never went away. She is always itchy. I tried oatmeal baths too... still itchy. I tried anti-histamines, but she still scratches. I just recently swtiched her from a raw diet to GO natural, endurance formula (I was tired of my dogs refusing to eat, and having to doctor up the raw food) and I think she's even more itchy now, but I could be wrong.
None of the other dogs are itchy, and I'm really feeling bad for her now. I'm worried the only answer the vets will give me is to give her the little pink steroid pills. I could try switching her to a hypo food, but i don't understand why giving her flea/lice medication would trigger a food allergy.
Now Morally. I LOVE my dog, and she's absolutely fabulous with my kids (she likes to snuggle the five month old, even though she's pulling on her and screaming in her ear). But I never really truly bonded with her the way I did with my other two. Maybe it was just cause she came into our family right between babies. She also would be a star agility dog, i'm sure of it... but I don't have the time right now to dedicate myself to that. I also really want to focus on my breeding. My white girl is having pups again, and even if there is a fabulous specimin... I can't keep it cause I'm maxed out for dogs with the kids being so little. I don't think Jemima is going to be a good breeding candidate. She has droopy eyes, is very slightly roached in the back, and now with this asumably allergy thing... I'm thinking spaying her is probably the best option...
My dilemma is do I keep her. She loves to play with my other dogs, she's fabulous with the kids, everyone loves her... She makes me laugh (most of the time hehe) But She is limiting me in my breeding program, and i'm not truly able to stimulate her fabulous mind.
Or, do I re-home her with someone who CAN stimulate her, and really wants a silly, loving, sporty dog, and possibly give her an even better life than what I'm offering. And in a year or two, keep one of my breeding pups and continue doing what I love; showing.
I'm really torn... I only want what's best for my dogs.
So if you have any input on her itching, or what you would do... please let me know
First the health. She was totoally fine until in the summer we discovered my sisters dog had lice. My dogs are always with her dogs at work, in the kennel, and they play together, so we treated everyone with advantix (I'm pretty sure that's the one we used) Well, Jemima almost immediately got so itchy... she was ripping at her self, and scratchin constantly. She had a hot spot that was almost healed and she scratched so much THATflaired up again... the next morning I took her to the shop and bathed her, trying to get as much of the medication off as possible. It helped a bit. she continued to scratch, but I figured it had to work it's way out of her system. She was still scratching weeks later, so i bathed her in Nature's Specialties Lavenderm (it helped with the hot spot before). It relieved the itching a little for a few days. The itching started to slow down, but never went away. She is always itchy. I tried oatmeal baths too... still itchy. I tried anti-histamines, but she still scratches. I just recently swtiched her from a raw diet to GO natural, endurance formula (I was tired of my dogs refusing to eat, and having to doctor up the raw food) and I think she's even more itchy now, but I could be wrong.
None of the other dogs are itchy, and I'm really feeling bad for her now. I'm worried the only answer the vets will give me is to give her the little pink steroid pills. I could try switching her to a hypo food, but i don't understand why giving her flea/lice medication would trigger a food allergy.
Now Morally. I LOVE my dog, and she's absolutely fabulous with my kids (she likes to snuggle the five month old, even though she's pulling on her and screaming in her ear). But I never really truly bonded with her the way I did with my other two. Maybe it was just cause she came into our family right between babies. She also would be a star agility dog, i'm sure of it... but I don't have the time right now to dedicate myself to that. I also really want to focus on my breeding. My white girl is having pups again, and even if there is a fabulous specimin... I can't keep it cause I'm maxed out for dogs with the kids being so little. I don't think Jemima is going to be a good breeding candidate. She has droopy eyes, is very slightly roached in the back, and now with this asumably allergy thing... I'm thinking spaying her is probably the best option...
My dilemma is do I keep her. She loves to play with my other dogs, she's fabulous with the kids, everyone loves her... She makes me laugh (most of the time hehe) But She is limiting me in my breeding program, and i'm not truly able to stimulate her fabulous mind.
Or, do I re-home her with someone who CAN stimulate her, and really wants a silly, loving, sporty dog, and possibly give her an even better life than what I'm offering. And in a year or two, keep one of my breeding pups and continue doing what I love; showing.
I'm really torn... I only want what's best for my dogs.
So if you have any input on her itching, or what you would do... please let me know
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