Why does my shih tzu get smelly so fast? And why does he keep biting himself. He doesn't have fleas or ticks. Thank you! Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Female | spayed | 2 years and 4 months old

Why Does My Shih Tzu Smell & Bite Himself Without Fleas?

I have a shihtzu who may have a yeast infection on the skin or some other type of infection. He has been scratching and biting himself for a week now, and I thought a trip to the groomers would make him stop. However, he is still biting himself away

I can see the redness and crusting in Rocky's underarm areas. You are correct in saying that this may be due to an infection. Both yeast and bacteria can cause these signs, as well as food sensitivities, which make dogs itchy. The constant scratching breaks the skin barrier and can allow for infections to occur. I recommend having him seen by a vet who can prescribe oral antibiotics/medicated shampoos as well as a special diet if needed. In the meantime, there are skin wipes for dogs available in pet stores that you can use to keep the area clean.

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Training & Behavior

Hey, I have a 5 year old shih tzu. He has a very bad skin rash all over his body even on his paws which leaves him with many dark spot and red spots as well, also has a very bad odor and he’s always licking himself. What can I give him to cure him?

This is probably caused by an allergic reaction. first of all make sure you de-flea Cutie regularly every month with a high quality spot on (ex. Advantage) as fleas are by far the most common reason for these reactions. If the fleas are not the problem, it could be an allergic reaction to food or an environmental factor. this is more complicated to treat and will sometimes require medications such as Steroids, anti histamines or Apoquel in order to stop the allergy.

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Health & Wellbeing

My minature schnauzer hair has turned brown and he is biting & scratching himself. His hair has only turned on the back of his body.

Hi and thanks for using Boop by Petco! Sorry to hear about Max. The place he is chewing is very suspicious for a flea allergy. The brown staining of the hair coat is evidence that he is licking this spot. Proteins in the saliva will stain light color coated dogs. This could be something else, but this looks like classic Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD). FAD is an allergic reaction to flea bites that cause an inflammation/infection of the skin known as dermatitis. So looks like Max has become allergic to flea saliva and every time he gets bitten by a flea, the allergic cycle is activated. One flea bite a month is enough to keep this cycle going in highly allergic dogs unless something is done to intervene. I would advise a trip to your veterinarian. Give them a detailed history and let them perform a thorough physical exam. Once that is done, they will be able to formulate a treatment plan which could include effective flea/tick control, clip/clean of the area if needed, oral an

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Health & Wellbeing

My Shih Tzu will not stop scratching different parts of his body. I have checked and it is not fleas. I think it is allergies. How can I fix it?

I agree that allergies are one of the most likely causes for your dog's scratching - this is a very common problem for many dogs in the summer. But there are other possible causes also that should be ruled out first - itching can also be caused by skin mites (mange), or bacterial or fungal infections. If the itching is allergy related, you can try bathing in a dog shampoo with either cortisone or aloe and oatmeal to help soothe the itching. But most allergy problems in dogs require prescription medications to treat successfully, so I would recommend having your dog examined by a vet if bathing her isn't helpful.

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Health & Wellbeing

I have a older shih tzu she has a bad skin condition it smells but no sours and is extremely itchy she has had this issue for 2 years now bathing helps for few days but doesn't stop the itching

This breed commonly has skin allergies. It is often from food or environmental components. You can continue the medicated baths because they do provide relief, but you may want to look into a diet change to a hypoallergenic type. This will contain a single protein source and single carb source such as rabbit and potato or duck and potato. You can talk to your vet about allergy testing for environmental problems or starting a medicine called Atopic or Apoquel to help control the problem further. Make sure you have adequate flea control as a flea allergy can also contribute

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Health & Wellbeing

3 yr old shih tzu chewed back raw plus he just got treated for fleas

This can certainly happen with fleas or a dog that is allergic to flea bites. Other possible causes include allergies, atopy, other external parasites, bacterial or fungal skin infection, etc. I would recommend having your dog evaluated by a vet to see what treatments need to be started.

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Training & Behavior

My foster smells terrible. We gave him a bath with medicated shampoo which improved the look of his coat, be he still itches and bites at his rear and the odor is quite bad. Since he is a foster, I am hesitant to spend on remedies sold by non-profe

There are various causes for the bad smell and they will need to be investigated by a veterinarian. 1) your dog (I am assuming it is a dog, you do not say anywhere what type of animal he is) may have a particularly stinky type of bacteria in his anal sacs. This could be remedied by emptying them and flushing them with an antibitic that kills off all bacteria and then hopefully a new type of bacteria will take up residence. 2) Your dog may have particularly smelly bacteria in his skin that emit a bad smell. Certain antibacterial shampoos can alleviate that 3) your dog may have a mite infection. Sarcoptes mite infections have a typical sweet smell. Sarcoptes mites can be killed with avermectins or a Bravecto chew. 4) He could have a fungal infection (treatable with fungicidal shampoo and/or tablets) 5) If you have other dogs in your house he may have a particular pack smell. 6) He may have a skin condition such as seborrhea which invites certain bacteria who can cause a bad smell.

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Health & Wellbeing

my daughter has a shih Tzu/Lhasa Apso mix, she is white and has sensitive skin, she is on a grain free salmon food, and this helps, but lately we can/t seem to get her to stop stinking no matter what we bathe her in. she has tried prescription medic

It sounds like she has a lot of seborrhea which is oil. This could be due to an infection like yeast or bacteria on her skin but it could also be due to allergies. I like dechra's dermabenss shampoo. It really cuts the oil and has a pleasant smell. Be sure to leave the shampoo on for 10 minutes before rinsing. I would bathe her at least twice a week. If there are any crusts, ulcerations, black "elephant" skin then she will likely need to see your vet in order to be completely resolved as there is likely an infection involved as well. I would also start her a Benadryl regimen twice a day. See link below. I hope this helps. https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/cat/benadryl/#!

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Health & Wellbeing

My small 20 pound shitz Tzu has been scratching so much at his ears. We been putting ear rinse in the canal and rubbing it and ear cleaner on the outer ear. He does have one ear that stinks. He also throws himself on something to rub his body that sm

Hello, and thank you for your question. I'm sorry that Beau has been unwell. It looks and sounds like he has an ear infection. This will require antibiotic drops prescribed by the veterinarian. I also suspect there may be an underlying allergic cause, since he also is biting his paws. The vet can prescribe anti-itch medications to help improve his comfort. They can also talk to you about trying a prescription hypoallergenic diet for 2-3 months, which will help diagnose a food allergy. Allergies are often underlying causes of ear infections, so it is quite possible the ear infection may return if the suspected allergy is not controlled. In the meantime, I would place an e-collar (cone) on his head to prevent any further scratching and damage to his ears and paws. You can also try soaking his feet in a shallow bath of epsom salts to help relieve inflammation. But I would still highly recommend taking him to the vet within the next 2 days to start treating the problem. I hope this hel

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Health & Wellbeing

My pug has been yeasty for a while now. He is on grain free food, but nothing seems to help him. He has these dried masts on his sides and close to his chest. He does not itch as much, but he is smelly. What can I do?

If you are observing skin lesions and an odor he may have both a bacterial and yeast infection. While some cases can be treated topically and with medicated shampoos, more severe cases often requires oral antibiotic and antifungal therapy. As a first line therapy, start with a medicated shampoo that can be used for both yeast and bacterial infections such as Malaseb or Virbac or products recommended by your veterinarian. Additionally, it is important to make sure he is on a monthly flea prevention as many pets are sensitive to fleas. If this is secondary to allergies or what we refer to as atopy, he may require additional therapy including an allergy vaccine.

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Why does my Shih Tzu smell and bite himself if he has no fleas?

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Why does my Shih Tzu smell and bite himself if he has no fleas?

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Related Answers from Veterinarians

Related Questions

I have a shihtzu who may have a yeast infection on the skin or some other type of infection. He has been scratching and biting himself for a week now, and I thought a trip to the groomers would make him stop. However, he is still biting himself away

Hey, I have a 5 year old shih tzu. He has a very bad skin rash all over his body even on his paws which leaves him with many dark spot and red spots as well, also has a very bad odor and he’s always licking himself. What can I give him to cure him?

My minature schnauzer hair has turned brown and he is biting & scratching himself. His hair has only turned on the back of his body.

My Shih Tzu will not stop scratching different parts of his body. I have checked and it is not fleas. I think it is allergies. How can I fix it?

I have a older shih tzu she has a bad skin condition it smells but no sours and is extremely itchy she has had this issue for 2 years now bathing helps for few days but doesn't stop the itching

3 yr old shih tzu chewed back raw plus he just got treated for fleas

My foster smells terrible. We gave him a bath with medicated shampoo which improved the look of his coat, be he still itches and bites at his rear and the odor is quite bad. Since he is a foster, I am hesitant to spend on remedies sold by non-profe

my daughter has a shih Tzu/Lhasa Apso mix, she is white and has sensitive skin, she is on a grain free salmon food, and this helps, but lately we can/t seem to get her to stop stinking no matter what we bathe her in. she has tried prescription medic

My small 20 pound shitz Tzu has been scratching so much at his ears. We been putting ear rinse in the canal and rubbing it and ear cleaner on the outer ear. He does have one ear that stinks. He also throws himself on something to rub his body that sm

My pug has been yeasty for a while now. He is on grain free food, but nothing seems to help him. He has these dried masts on his sides and close to his chest. He does not itch as much, but he is smelly. What can I do?

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