well my problem is with Quincey from constantly scratching at his skin and chewing at it, especially the base of his tail. He is a shi tzu. Im trying to let his hair to grow long. The hair has been growing for 2 yrs. I hate it. At parts it went from 2 ft to 2 inches. He doesnt seem to have fleas. Only the leggs, head, and tail have long hair. The rest is cut.Oh yea, his ears are also, getting tathered looking.

 Quote: Jennifer Schnegg

well my problem is with Quincey from constantly scratching at his skin and chewing at it, especially the base of his tail. He is a shi tzu. Im trying to let his hair to grow long. The hair has been growing for 2 yrs. I hate it. At parts it went from 2 ft to 2 inches. He doesnt seem to have fleas. Only the leggs, head, and tail have long hair. The rest is cut.Oh yea, his ears are also, getting tathered looking.

Detail of where else he is itchy. Ear edges? Face? Armpits? Topline? Paws-toes?

Nice hair is a genetic thing in Shih Tzu’s. Some just can’t grow that long, luxurious cot… Keep that in mind…

But in order to get him to stop chewing and scratching, you need to find out why he is doing it and fix that. Otherwise he will keep doing it.

It could be food, allergies, fleas or a fungi or bacterial infection. If he is not on fish oil, and at the higher recommended doses, that should be the first thing you start and it could take up to a month to see results from just that. Also if he is bathed regularly, perhaps some small amount of shampoo is left on, or it is too drying. It could also be that his anal glands need to be expressed.

Scratching and biting at the base of the tail is most often a flea thing. Those little guys are tough and often hard to find evidence of as they tend to live not on the animal, but in the environment. Even a dog on some of the flea medications can still get bit by a flea that will be dead very soon.

If the dog has not been seen by a vet, about this issue specifically, that would be the first step in determining what is going on.

 Quote: jessicakromer

... Scratching and biting at the base of the tail is most often a flea thing.

And "doesn't seem to have fleas" is pretty vague, because if the dog is flea-hypersensitive, then one exposure can wreak havoc.

Have you combed/brushed over a white sheet and looked for flea dirt?

P.S. I didn't even know about the genetic hair-growing thing for the breed. Is there a long-haired version and a not-long-hair one?

 Quote: Jennifer Schnegg

Oh yea, his ears are also, getting tathered looking.

Jennifer,

I have spent the summer trying to cure an itching problem which has become very complicated and has not been diagnosed but my knowledge of skin conditions has increased a great deal. There is always a silver lining .

How long has he been itching? Has he been checked by a vet? If not, take him asap. I'm sure he is not enjoying the itching and the potential for secondary infections; bacterial, yeast or both is great and can cause a whole array of conditions that go beyond a poor coat.

I'd try to rule out fleas and scabies first. Scabies, a parasite which is invisible to the naked eye and is contagious dog to dog is prone to ears, tail, face and elbows (low temp areas). I mention it because it is hard to diagnose in a lab; however the itch is intense enough to set the legs to scratching by rubbing vigorously at the pinnae (rims) of the ears.

Fleas and scabies are pretty easy to treat so it might be something to check out before persuing the more difficult conditions of food allergies, contact allergies, inhalent allergies, auto immune conditions, tumors that produce histamines, deep skin infections...... the list is endless so a check in with the vet is an important first step.

To prevent the itching and chewing; you can purchase a head cone. Connie has some good links; try to stay away from the big plastic ones if possible.

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

P.S. I didn't even know about the genetic hair-growing thing for the breed. Is there a long-haired version and a not-long-hair one?

I don't have much to add as I think you all are on the right track. I however would just like to say that there is only suppossed to be the long haired variety of Shih Tzu, but not all can grow a coat like the ones you see in shows. This goes for Yorkies, Lhasas, Poodles, Pomeranians, etc. It is all genetically involved and some parents have larger and fuller coats than others of the same breed. It is one of the ways they differentiate between show and pet quality. It is up there along with size of the dog and coat color as well. Also, every dog's coats can grow at different rates. I know with pomeranians specifically, there are some lines who always have huge fluffy coats from when they are young and then there are some whose coats don't start filling in until after they turn 3 years old. I have one of the late blomers and she is just about to be 5 years old and finally getting a nice fluffy coat.

I tried to be as clear as possible, but feel I failed miserably. It is hard when you know what you want to say but it can be difficult putting it down in written form.

-Lamarr

ok, He has had the coat almost to the floor. I got so sick and tired of seeing him always scratch and scratch so I then decided to shave his body hair. I left the head, tail, and leg hair long now. It did seem to help a little. I do think that he is allergic to fleas. I did check using the white paper to see if he indeed have fleas. He did, but not noticable without using the paper method. He is on the flea preventative drops though. He does eat kibble, and probably not the best kind. It has corn as the first ingredient. He should be on a better kind, but dont know what is a good one that doesnt cost me an arm and a leg. I had at once tried him on the Wellness food but he could not tolerate it. I am giving him a aloe, outmeal soak, to help his itchiness. That does seem to help calm his skin. I make it out of blended instant oatmeal with water and a bit of aloe mixed in. I would fill the tub with water half up his body and put the oatmeal in and then let him soak for about 15-20 minutes. Then rince well. I would dry him with a towel, then blow dry his legs. His skin does not look like its dry and flaky at all. The scratching is under the legs, his eats, and the base of the tail. He has a very thick under coat. How does one treat scabies? The itchiness is since summer.

WHAT DOES YOUR VET SAY ???!!!

I knew about the different coats. Quincey's hair is very thick but is not kinky curly. Its wavy and very thick. It grows very slow. About 6 inches a year.

I didnt go the vet yet.