Itchy, smelly dog that poops a lot

[Ericthegreat]

I’m pet sitting for my neighbor’s two adorable tiny dogs. Very friendly and cute but one of them is itching like crazy and stinks to high heaven. I know they get groomed regularly.

I gotta think it’s the food she’s feeding them. One dog is about 3 lbs and the other one is probably 7 or 8. The really itchy one is happy and friendly but she is also rubbing her butt on the furniture every chance she can get. I have brought them out several times today and she’s pooped every time. Not runny but pretty soft. To me, that’s also a sign of bad food.

Would you say something about switching them to a salmon based food? I have a very itchy GSD and that, along with coconut oil has helped her a lot.
I really feel bad for this itchy little dog.

[GraceLikeRain]

Depends on your relationship. I’m the type where I’d rather say something than not but I also get why many people would opt not to for any number of legitimate reasons.

Rather than say use X food (not saying you would) Id probably do something like “pups were so great! Little bit certainly loves being scratched. A friend of mine had a super itchy dog and it turned out to be food allergies. How crazy is that? They did a novel protein, I think it was fish, and he stopped itching in a few weeks.” If she wants to probe she can and you gave enough info she can always google on her own but you don’t come across as being judgy or telling someone else what to do with their dog.

[S1969]

I wouldn’t recommend a food but yes would suggest a vet visit to address. The stinky and itchy together suggests a skin issue but there could be lots of reasons- dogs are more often allergic to environmental allergens than food based allergens.

[Marla_000]

Itchy butt could be other things-
Anal glands, wormy.
I 'd also suggest mentioning what you noticed.
But Crappy cheap food would also be high on my list for the numerous stools.

[LookinForSpace]

What’s the dog currently eating?

“Salmon-based food” is not a recommendation I’d make, there are plenty of crappy foods that market themselves as “salmon (flavored!)” food, which may or may not actually contain significant amounts of salmon as a percentage of ingredients. Recommend a decent food, but “salmon-based” isn’t really specific enough, IMHO.

[MunchingonHay]

Salmon can cause skin issues like chicken, venison and lamb. If I was going to suggest a protein I would suggest a novel one first, like buffalo or even just beef.

BUT I would eliminate worms, anal gland as issues first. Little dogs have a harder time expressing their anal glands when they poo. Especially when the stool is soft.

That being said, backed up anal glands would not cause an itchy dog. You are in the St Pete Fl area right?

When I lived in S. Tampa, and used to sell my dog treats at the Saturday Morning Market, I always suggested: https://stpetersbark.com/ for help for my customers on where to buy food and food consults.

[Ericthegreat]

It’s not her butt that’s itchy. It’s her whole body. I feed a salmon-based food that lists salmon as the primary ingredient. My itchy GSD has improved with this but it’s not a magic wand. This poor little dog I’m babysitting is miserable with itching.
I’m pretty sure she’s getting Cesar’s. .I know they give her Cesar’s wet food because there’s a case of it on the patio.
It’s not an itchy butt. It’s an itchy body.

[trubandloki]

@Ericthegreat

I feed a salmon-based food that lists salmon as the primary ingredient.

Owning a dog with a chicken allergy, I can promise you that you need to read past the primary ingredient.
There are lots of salmon based foods and treats that have lots of things that fall onto the ‘typical allergy’ list.

If you are going to suggest they try a different food, I would suggest you say limited ingredient novel protein.
Chicken is a very common dog allergy, so if nothing else, try to avoid that.

Edit to add -

I went to chewy and looked up some “salmon” dry dog foods.
I am mentioning chicken specifically because that is the allergen that I am dealing with, with my own dog. But the first three choices under salmon food are a great example of why just saying salmon might not be the best answer.
This was the first food on the page and it is advertised as Beef and Salmon. The second ingredient is Chicken. Salmon is well down the list.

Next choice - This is advertised and fish, salmon and sweet potato. Chicken fat is the third ingredient.

Third choice - Advertised as Salmon and Sweet potato. Chicken meal is the second ingredient.

[S1969]

Agreed. Before I’d just start playing with foods I’d recommend a vet visit and/or allergy testing.

There is a strong likelihood that the dog is allergic to multiple things - food, environmental, etc.

And, it’s not the OP’s dog…so there’s that. Maybe the owners cannot afford the allergy testing/treatment. Or, maybe they’ve tried already and it wasn’t great.

The OP could bathe the dog; it might help (temporarily). Something like this might be worth trying. https://www.chewy.com/douxo-s3-seb-odor-control/dp/290639

[MunchingonHay]

This is just good general info regarding food and what I have found successful for my ‘hot’ dog.
Following Traditional Chinese Med. There are hot foods, cold foods and netural foods.

Chicken, lamb, venison and salmon are hot foods. A “hot” dog will have itchy skin, stinky ears, itchy feet eating these proteins due to the these proteins also being hot. Its like pouring gasoline on a fire.

To balance a “hot” dog, the owner needs to feed a cooling or netural protein: beef, pork, white fish varities, shellfish, turkey buffalo.

I concur with Trubandloki about chicken further down the ingredient list, but I will say that chicken fat is not equal to chicken meat and most of the time is not an issue; but I would still avoid it to be safe.
(I too had a “hot” dog that was allergic to chicken, lamb, grass, oak trees, air…and we lived in FL which makes it harder because a hot dog has a build up of yeast and yeast thrives on humidity) Most dogs living in FL are ‘hot’ dogs due to the environment. I hosted a TCM event a few years back with a DVM who also studied TCM.

It takes a few weeks to clear out the gut and poops become smaller, nice firmness, less to no stink, skin calms down, less panting, and the dog is more comfortable.

[Ericthegreat]

It’s what my vet told me to buy. Sheesh. Stop dog food shaming me.

[S1969]

@Ericthegreat

It’s what my vet told me to buy. Sheesh. Stop dog food shaming me.

LOL dog food shaming?

Look - it’s a dog you don’t own, and you’ve proposed one random solution to it’s itchy skin without knowing if it’s even an allergy, let alone an allergy to the food.

Is the food you’re feeding good? Probably it’s just fine, and obviously works for your dog. Relax.

Will it work for these dogs? Who knows? Feel free to mention food to the owner, but a salmon based recipe might have no effect if the dog is actually allergic to something else and/or to one of the ingredients (e.g. chicken in a salmon based food).

[trubandloki]

@Ericthegreat

Stop dog food shaming me.

I have no idea what food you feed your dog so I am confused how anything I posted can be dog food shaming.

You asked this question.

@Ericthegreat

Would you say something about switching them to a salmon based food?

My post answered that question, suggest they change to a limited ingredient novel protein instead of saying salmon based food.

[MunchingonHay]

No one is food shaming. Trubanloki presented information on how to read an ingredient list and with mine and Trubandloki’s experience with a dog with food and outdoor allergies we understand where you are coming from and how frustrating it can be.

We are all just trying to help.

[trubandloki]

And to clarify, this same label ingredient shock experience can happen with so many base ingredients.

I read labels at the store the other day and I was surprised to find that most of the “lamb and rice” foods had chicken quite far up on the ingredient list.

I have also been surprised how often things like chicken (because that is the thing I am looking for) happen in dog treats that you would think would not have them. I grabbed a package that was advertised as peanut butter, did not bother to read the label until I got home and was shocked that chicken was way up on the list. Or beef flavor things that the second ingredient is chicken.

Allergies are so hard, for the dog and the human. So many hidden ingredients.

I do hope you are able to help your neighbor and their dog!

[Ericthegreat]

Well, she came home and didn’t even send me a thank you text, so I doubt I’ll be able to say anything at all to her. I did mention the itchiness as I was interacting with them a lot, though, hoping it was getting picked up on her ring camera.

“your poor little itchy thing!”… said warmly to the tiny dogs.