Hello from iowa

[Donna from Iowa]

I am new to your group and plan to learn so very much from each of you. I have had Yorkies for the past 13 years. I will share each one with you, Willow, Walley and Willie Bill. First I would like to start with Willie Bill. He came to live with us when he was 12 weeks old. My grown son got him for my mother, she had always wanted a little Yorkie and so he made sure she had a little one. She adored him, well, I loved him too so I put in papers to adopt a little rescue Yorkie. She had arthritis and was very, very shy and scared. Right up my alley, I knew I could show her so much love. Her name was Callie, 8 years old, found in Clinton, IA on the streets. Well, just about the time I was going to get her, my mother, in tears, asked me to take Willie Bill home with me. She lived on a busy street and he had gotten out twice, he wanted to play and had her legs all scratched up and she was so scared he'd get hurt. I talked to the rescue about giving Callie to my mother and they consented. So, I took Willie Bill and gave my mother Callie. Mother named him Willie (After my son) and Billy after my husbands father.
So, all was fine until he was about 3 or 4 years and one evening he kept going to me and then to my husband to scratch him. Back and forth. It seemed to be like he was frantic to be scratched. I looked and his skin seemed red but other than that I could see nothing. I went and got my clippers and took him down until I could see his skin. I WAS SHOCKED he had hives all over him. About the size of dimes. He was in agony. I quickly put oatmeal in the sink and put warm water in to make a pasty water to bath over him. I did that for about 10 mins. then wrapped him in a towel, without rinsing him and put him on my chest to sleep. When he got bad again we repeated. The next morning I took him to the animal hospital I worked for and the Dogtor was shocked. She gave him two shots and some meds. Said he was into something he surely was allergic too. From then on we had problems Willie Bill and me, trying to figure out what was the problem.
I went to work for another clinic and the Dogtor there tested him for allergies. BOY DID HE HAVE THEM. So many, so many, Allergic to Beef, potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, Eggs, Shellfish mix, Boarder line: Carrots, Lamb, Rice, Soy Beans. Several grasses, several weeds, molds, insects, indoor things such as: cotton Linters, Jute, Kapok, Pyrethrum and Tobacco Leaf.
His doctor put him on several of the Hills Science Diet foods and he kept getting little red itchy bumps, he's scratch they would get infected and then have to have medications. I explored different shampoos including making my own. She finally put him on z/d. I HATE IT..I do not like Science Diet and have looked but always found at least one ingredient he was allergic to in other foods.
I have used so many shampoos and FINALLY at 13 years old I found one that kills the yeasty smell on him. "Malaseb" He doesn't get that yeasty smell to often after using this a couple of times. I am so excited and I am sure he is too.
He has long ago entered the world of being a Senior Citizen, so I watch him closely and give him Snip Tips for a very long time. He has a leaky heart valve, #4-6 Heart Murmur, sight loss (cloudy, not cataracts), and a gallbladder that gets gunk in it. So, is on medication for Thyroid, heart, allergies (give shots too) gunk in gallbladder and blood pressure meds.
The food I have him on I HATE and am sure it isn't helping him one bit. But do not know what else to do. I give him boiled chicken off and on, vegetables, greens make his stool loose. Put him on Vitimans that I should have when he started this darn z/d "Verti Science, Canine Plus Senior"
I do not know what to do about his food, he is allergic to so much. I got him a couple of cans of wellness (Chicken) and found on down it had eggs in it. Or egg powder. Any suggestions, any help would be appreciated by both of us. He wants a decent meal and I so very much want to give him something other than z/d it is so expensive and not good for him. I just know it. Thank you for allowing me on this site.

[Wylie's Mom]

Hi and welcome to YT .

Skin issues / allergies are just miserable to deal with, I know. But if I were you and the zd didn't irritate his skin, I would not hesitate to give it for life no matter how much I didn't like Science Diet. If ZD is what it takes, that's really what he needs, ya know?

[anneclaire]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Hi and welcome to YT .

Skin issues / allergies are just miserable to deal with, I know. But if I were you and the zd didn't irritate his skin, I would not hesitate to give it for life no matter how much I didn't like Science Diet. If ZD is what it takes, that's really what he needs, ya know?

I agree. No matter how much you dont like it that apparently works for your yorkie. And that is what is really important. Poor baby.
I live in southern Iowa and am a first time yorkie owner myself. This forum has been wonderful for helping me.

[Donna from Iowa]

I know, but on other posts I have read that z/d has sawdust in it and that just scares me. I don't want him to have to eat things like that. I found a recipe last night that I did get and make. I would have to cook all the time to feed my three little buggers. So, I decided to put a little more oatmeal powder in them (not processed flour) and bake them like cookies. Give them to them for treats. They will be healthy for them and NOTHING in them to cause allergies to flair and kind of supplement the z/d. I would do anything for him to help him in his final years to be healthy, happy and eating things that are good for him.


Thank you so very, very much for answering me. Your baby is just to darling, cute as a button. Again, Thank You

[KairaPup]

Have you looked at Acana at all? I feed it and it works for my dog who has terrible allergies.