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

Question

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

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

A yeasty or very strong "doggy" smell is often caused by a skin condition such as allergies or a skin infection of some kind - this would also explain why Max is biting himself so much, since many of these conditions also cause itching. You can try bathing him in a medicated shampoo for yeast and bacterial infections, such as Malaseb or Keto-Chlor. If this doesn't help, I would recommend having him examined by a vet when you are able to as he will probably need prescription medication - he/she can do a simple test called a skin scrape to help determine the problem and get him started on appropriate medication to treat it.

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

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