Re: [pyrnet] Allergies... Blowing her coat?

[DMB7490@aol.com]

Hi Adrienne - I live in South Carolina with Cody, our 5 year old, neutered, 
male Pyr.  This is our third Pyr and never had any allergy problems with them 
until we moved here from Illinois.  Anyway, our first summer in the South, 
Cody got hot spots and a coughing, gagging allergy late in the summer.

Bound and determined to avoid these problems as much as possible this year.  
Talked with our breeder back in Illinois, talked with Pyr rescue people and 
this is what advice I followed:

Cody is just starting to blow his coat now.  But All along I have been really 
brushing him well at least once a week to get out undercoat which causes his 
hot spots. Starting at the bottom and working upward over his body, I part 
his hair with one hand so that I can see pink skin or undercoat, I brush with 
wire brush and continually move hand, part, brush until I have covered 
everything.  Then I take a rake and gently rake through coat to grab loosened 
undercoat.  As long as I tell him he is wonderful and feed him little tidbits 
of cheddar cheese he will let me do anything to him.

I also give him one DermCap for large dogs everyday.  I have switched to 
Wellness dry food mixed with Wellness canned food - Cody has not had a hot 
spot so far this year, doesn't itch or scratch and his coughing allergy on a 
scale of 1 to 10 is a 1.

He gets a bath every four months.  I understand you don't want to deep groom 
as I have described more than one or two times a week because it will deplete 
natural oil from their skin.

The only problem I am having this year is under his chin from drooling -- 
smelly and probably irritated.  I use hydrogen peroxide on area and it stops 
it cold.  

Knock on wood that this all continues -- you never know with these babies.  
But they sure are worth it.  Good Luck.  Sorry to run on so long -- but I can 
imagine how upset you are - I know I was.

Diana in Bluffton, SC
Cody the Wonder Dog (because he doesn't do anything)