skin problems with shih tzu

Question
My dog is a shih tzu and she is having skin problems.  She is drastically loosing the hair on her abdomen, legs, and around her ears.  There is yellow crust all over where she is loosing her hair.  It also puts off a strong bad odor.  I have had her to the vet numerous times and it seems like nothing is working.  They put her on steroids but that just causes her to not pee and be very inactive.  They want to put her on a whole bunch of antibiotics, but I do not have that kind of money.  I just do not know what to do anymore.  Please help me!

Answer
HI Dusti
Does your dog have mange?  Or some fungal infection?  The steroids may alleviate symptoms, but wont actually do anything to fix the problem.  Also, antibiotics are most likely not going to help either and will end up weakening your dog's immune system.  I am always puzzled by vets who don't know what's wrong, but are happy just to prescribe antibiotics and "see what happens"!
My suggestions are to look at her diet for one.  Is she on commercial dog food?  No matter how expensive or highly recommended the brand is, it is not the sort of food that promotes wellness.  If you want a healthy happy dog then feed raw and natural foods are the only way to go.  You can start by going to www.barfworld.com and get some info there.  There is also a great book by Dr Clare Middle called "Real Food for Dogs and Cats".  You can contact www.freemantlepress.com.au to order a copy.
Add some good quality fish oil to your dogs daily meals as this benefits the coat and skin.
I would also contact the people at www.naturalrearing.com and also at www.herbal-treatments.com and explain what is happening with your dog and they have professionals there who can advise you on the best course of treatment.  You can compare both their products and decide which one to go with.
I hope this has helped.
Kind regards,
Silva.
www.roxysworld.com.au