I recently adopted a male Bishon Frishe between 4-6 years of...

Question by MadamLaRue
Submitted on 9/20/2003
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I recently adopted a male Bishon Frishe between 4-6 years of age. He was very matted when we got him, consequently,he had to be cut back to a short poodle cut. He is manafesting signs of skin disease, And we have tried several approaches to this problem. First he had a cortisone shot along with a change in diet,i.e. special science diet formula from the vet. He is white and likes to be walked twice a day. This creates many proplems for us since he gets so dirty. I wash him with baby shampoo sometimes twice a week and after each walk i wash him with the hose to cleanse down the dirt he's picked up from his walk. He likes to dig and throw dirt with his hind legs after he does his business like most male dogs, however, he is completely covered with dirt and he must be washed before he can come in the house. His skin condition has gotten worse since we've had him and im concerned that i might be using the wrong products on his coat. If anyone has any suggestions as to a good shampoo to keep his coat in good condition and one that will not contribute to his skin disease i would love to hear from you. Please, any information regarding this problem will be kindly appreciated, Thanks, Madam LaRue

Answer by irenee
Submitted on 4/11/2004
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It is best to use a dandruff product called nizoral (over the counter shampoo and conditioner.) bathe dog no more than once a month! dry the dirty wet pouch w a towell on rainy and/snowy walk. Rinse doggy w water only after walk unless he rolled on poop, dry as above, rememnber pouch clean theselves, or they rub on carpets, cotton mat or towel. If you feel obssesive and compulsive about dog's hygene you should not have a dog! At times I wash their tootsies in sink. I walk the dog on bike paths, and I let him run on grassy areas, so most of the dirt falls off, before we get home. When the air is dry or the dog is alone a lot, remember Bishons need a lot of your time and attention, that means lots and lots of your time! they can also pull their hair or if it gets matted when they lick their hair with their tongue, that hurts them too and theey tend to be unable to stop that behaviour, keep hair short and brush every other day, I sometimes use a hair detangler it cleans and leaves a fresh aand clean smell. Once my chihuagua had hot spots the vet recommended nizoral conditioner and antibiotic (no way was I going to give a 7 pound pooch antibiotics, when the microbiological test came out negative, so I took matters in my own hands, the nizoral was ofered at a excessive price by the vet, so I went home washed my dog with baby shampo and conditioner, then applied tincture of iodine to the raw bleeding spots or dry spots, cut her nails short and in a few weeks she stated growing new hair, then my bichon has been also been licking and licking until raw I applied the ticture and that discouraged the licking and hair grew back again. I believe you can buy from th pharmacy special order clear ticture of iodine. To prevent allergies you can rinse your dog only and apply the conditioner. Soaps, shampoos are all about the same and tend to dry their skin just like humans use very little. Do NOT keep on washing the dog so frequently you are removing its natural oils which protects their skin. Important for their nutrition every day add a few drops of deodorized cod liver oil to their food. Purchase at supermarket it is hi in omega-3-polyunsaturated oils, same oil sold for humans will works too. My German sheperd loved the taste. You will appreciate that a shiny coat not olny makes the dog look healthy but also beautiful and the dirt and water washes off like duck's back. Enough be patient and let me know how it works! irenechile3@yahoo.com If all fails use benadril and/or desitin (contains cod liver oil, used for babies diaper rash) on the affected areas put dog in crate because desitin is hard to get off and smells). I atribute most allergies to dry skin, soap which was not rinsed properly and some dogs pickup fleas which they can cause them allergies as well. Dont forget to check that the gums are healthy and it has no cavities (no fishy mouth odor, 'cause it invites skin infections.) An excellent magazine for bishons exclusively is now on sale at pet stores (popular dog series) I will not pay indemnification because some of the suggested aplications have no indication about frequency or quantities to be applied to the animal. I am not an authority and no one has to follow the methods I stated above, they worked for my dogs. Remember that human allergies from dogs can be atributed to the dogs saliva when it cleans himself and then is petted, since bichon do not cause allergies to humans you can still be alleergic to the bishons skin particles shed by dog, dust and dander, even the dog rarely sheds any hair.

Answer by Peg
Submitted on 1/1/2005
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I also recently adopted a 4 year old male. Your story sounds very much like my own. After trying multiple foods, meds, and shampoos, I finally found a solution for my dog. We now feed him Nutro Natural Choice Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Small Bites dog food for healthy skin and coat. It's easy to find in pet food stores and I saw a difference in about 2 weeks. He is groomed every 6 weeks and I only bath him once between grooming, sometimes not at all. I use Veterinary Formula Snow White Shampoo. It's difficult to use according to the directions so instead I lather a hand towel with the shampoo and water, then rub it on his dirtiest spots, wait 20 minutes and bath him as you would with any other shampoo. This seems to get him whiter than anything else I've tried. After walks or trips outside, I wipe him off with a slightly damp towel, let him dry off, then comb him out. The dirt does come out with combing. He now expects to be combed after a walk and seems to enjoy it as much as the walk. The vet felt the skin problems he was having were allergy related, so as soon as I notice him scratching I give him 1/2 of an (over the counter) Benadryl (also easy to find in any drug store) two times every day for about a week. I had to do this with a Sheltie years ago that also had very sensitive skin. It works. I hope this works for your dog as well. I have found the love this dog gives makes him well worth the slight inconvenience he causes. Good luck.

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Answer by cody
Submitted on 10/23/2003
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I also own a bishon,although I do not have a problem with him, I did have one with my other dog. My groomer suggest I use selsun blue shampoo. the green or blue cap. I had previously spent over a 1,000. on derm. bills and prescription. selsun blue cleaned him up. once a week bathing and now I do once a month. good luck!!!!

Answer by barb77mur
Submitted on 11/6/2003
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I have owned many bishons. I would only use an herbal shampoo and conditioner. i would give your baby some natural food supplements like Fresh Factor 1-800-521-3212. His diet should be all natural with no preservatives. There are a lot of good products out there. If you want more detailed information please feel free to contact me. I have a 6.5 month old female bishon puppy and I just lost my 14 year old male bishon this week to renal failure. Good luck. Barbara

Answer by freddy
Submitted on 1/28/2004
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I also have 2 bichons one of them has a skin problem, we tried many approaches but discovered that the Wellness Formula Food does the trick. It's the fish and sweet potatoes in the product that helps the dogs skin. You will see results within a week. It will refresh the dogs look. Good Luck from a proud owner!

Answer by edkayelee
Submitted on 8/6/2004
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try a new dog food with out corn, it worked for me. I started with PETCO Solid Gold, then I traveled to calif. they didn't have any, I then switched to PETCO DUCK & POTATO, it worked too.

Answer by ashleyhart
Submitted on 9/29/2004
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i want a baby!

Answer by Chris
Submitted on 11/2/2004
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I had the same skin problem with my bichon. Although she don't play in the dirty. I change her diet to Lamb and Rice, no beef at all. I get her groom once a month and they use a special shampoo on her.

Answer by MD
Submitted on 4/21/2005
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I would strongly discourage from washing a dog with a baby shampoo. I made the same mistake with my first bichon--I reasoned that baby shampoos would be more gentle and safer than any dog shampoos in the market. Long story short, my dog's white coat turned pink, and caused non-stop itching and biting. I washed him with a mild castile liquid soap and within a week he started to get his color back. I was subsequently told by a vet that dogs lack a particular gland that we humans have and baby shampoos are quite harmful to dogs.

Answer by Pie
Submitted on 5/18/2005
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Tell your vet about the situation and ask what grooming products would be best.

Answer by Tam
Submitted on 8/10/2005
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I have two bishons and one did have a skin problem where he would scratch until he bled especially on the snout. I had put him on meds but stopped as I don't want to drug my dog everyday. Now about once or twice a month I will feed him ground turkey and rice (as opposed to his normal dog food) and wash him with either medicated or oatmeal shampoo about twice a month. They go to the groomer every 6 weeks and she too uses the medicated shampoo. Doing this for the past year he has had no problems. Also they love to brushed!

Answer by maggie
Submitted on 11/1/2005
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I have a problem finding a good groomer here in Leesville, La. I have tried most of them and then the others i wouldnt put my worst enemy in. My bichon was having ear infections due to water in the ears from the groomers. I now groom him myself and with trial and error I have in the past made a big mess I am learing/ How do I cut his hair I have been told the clippers dont do justice so how do I cut his hair, i am most concerned to make sure its even.

Answer by death by wet dog
Submitted on 11/18/2005
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thats grody... kick it in the grill!!!

Answer by Kelli
Submitted on 1/21/2006
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Bathing him every day might dry out his skin, so do it ONCE a week, then use only herbal shampoo. Good luck!

Answer by NQ5kurxpVL
Submitted on 2/19/2006
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Answer by suzzie
Submitted on 3/31/2006
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I just got a 2 month old Bishon, she is just the best little one you could ever see, I work with frail elder persons and she goes to work with me and is the greatest, the only problem I have is she has hot spots on she foot and a small one on her head why does she have it and what can I do for her, the person who I got her from said her vet said it is okay, what should I do for them

Answer by Nicole
Submitted on 11/28/2006
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I have a 2month female bishon who keeps scratching Is this her diet? I have been using IAMS for puppies and I also tried another natural food. This one made her gag. Does anyone have any suggestions? Oh, and what do you do about the tear stains? I heard corn startch. Could that be dangerous to put by her eyes?

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Answer by johnf75712
Submitted on 1/29/2007
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walk your bishon the grass and simply clean his tummy and paws with a wet wash cloth and towel dry him he wants to be clean and pampered - don't treat him like a toy - a little dirt won't hurt him our bishon gets science diet dry food, moistened with Gerber's chicken or turkey - no allergies - Gerber's has omega 3 fatty acids

Answer by greggy
Submitted on 2/23/2007
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I have had two Bischons now for 15 years and both have only been washed with warm water and tea tree oil . i have had no problems with their skin and this method was recommended by the breeder i brought them 15 years ago. I also take them to a palour sometime and they also use the same method perhaps you should give it a go. Tea tree oil you can get at any big food store . cheers

Answer by vlt7779
Submitted on 7/14/2007
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Do bichons get liver spots as they get older?