May 03, 2011
My 15 month GSD is small and my vet says he has a growth hormone problem. He also has a severe flea allergy. What can I do to help him?
Full Question:
I have a white male shepherd dog which has not grown very big. He is 15 months old and is much smaller than the average German Shepherd. My vet says that he has a growth hormone problem and there is nothing I can do. My dog also suffers from a flea allergy which causes him to get really sick. He gets a horrible smell, his hair falls out and his skin erupts into sores and goes red. This happens every two to three months and he has to go on cortisone. He is treated for fleas, but nothing seems to keep the fleas at bay. I have also had my yard and house treated for fleas. I bath my dog twice a week with Tree Tea oil shampoo. Is there anything else that I can do. My vet is not happy about giving the dog cortisone but he says it is the only option. He also says that bathing the dog twice a week is also not good. My dog, who is such a loving animal, sleeps inside by my bed.Thank You
Lee
Cindy's Answer:
I am not sure how large your dog is but at 15 months old, he is not done growing yet. I don’t know what kind of growth hormone problem your vet is referring to, did he give you a name for the disorder?
Healthy dogs do not have problems repelling parasites like fleas. Allergies are usually caused by several factors, inherited immune problems, poor diet (this includes kibble of any brand) and over vaccination, overuse of antibiotics, drugs and chemicals like flea treatments.
We always tell people that the first thing you should do when your dog is showing you a problem with it’s health is to look at how you are feeding this dog.
Read this article on feeding a raw diet. It’s a work in progress but there is a lot of good information there.
I would also recommend these books, Natural Nutrition for Dogs & Cats and Raw Dog Food.
You can also go to our Feeding Dogs Page for a list of articles and books that will be helpful to you.
For information on vaccinations and the problems they cause please read our vaccinosis article.
I would also recommend these 2 books, Shock to the System and Vaccine Guide for Dogs & Cats.
Please visit our Discussion Forum. There are thousands of members and many posts on every dog related topic imaginable. You don’t have to register to read the material, but if you wish to post a question or reply you must go through the registration process.
This should help you get your dog on the road to better health.
Healthy dogs do not have problems repelling parasites like fleas. Allergies are usually caused by several factors, inherited immune problems, poor diet (this includes kibble of any brand) and over vaccination, overuse of antibiotics, drugs and chemicals like flea treatments.
We always tell people that the first thing you should do when your dog is showing you a problem with it’s health is to look at how you are feeding this dog.
Read this article on feeding a raw diet. It’s a work in progress but there is a lot of good information there.
I would also recommend these books, Natural Nutrition for Dogs & Cats and Raw Dog Food.
You can also go to our Feeding Dogs Page for a list of articles and books that will be helpful to you.
For information on vaccinations and the problems they cause please read our vaccinosis article.
I would also recommend these 2 books, Shock to the System and Vaccine Guide for Dogs & Cats.
Please visit our Discussion Forum. There are thousands of members and many posts on every dog related topic imaginable. You don’t have to register to read the material, but if you wish to post a question or reply you must go through the registration process.
This should help you get your dog on the road to better health.
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