Daschunds possible allergies

Question
I just read your answer to Haley and it sent up some red flags for me.  I am taking care of two parents (ages 91 & 92)with Alzheimer's and they have a daschund named Beau.  Beau has been scratching for months.  He chews on his paws and his legs.  He has lost hair and has sores on his underside, in his ears, on his back above his tail and many other places.  He smells terrible.  My husband bathes him with baby shampoo which helps for a few hours.  He rubs his face and neck on the carpet all day long.  I feel he gets too many Beggin Strips (five bags in a week once)and too much table food (Oreos, ice cream, lunch meat, cake, snickers, etc.)almost every meal.  His regular food which he eats well if he hasn't had a lot of other junk is Cesar. filet mignon flavor. After reading your answer to Haley I am wondering if he is reacting to the corn gluten meal and other junk he is being fed.  I have had him to the vet five times within three months thinking fleas were the problem.  He has been on amoxicillin twice, had three antibiotic shots, three anti-inflamation shots, one steroid shot and one mange shot (although he didn't have mange).  Thank goodness my parents have a wonderful vet who doesn't charge them hardly anything. At one time the vet thought it was fleas because Beau did have fleas.  We treated him twice and had the house treated twice but no change.  As I recall, the scratching started in March or April 2008 and that is about the time my father started giving hiim Beggin Strips.  I would like to stop some of the snacks and junk for a while to see if it makes a difference but I feel my father probably won't do that unless he gets the word from someone other than me.  Thanks in advance for any advice or help you might be able to give me, and more particularly Beau.

Answer
Oh dear, Sandra- TWO parents with ! I feel for you, that really is a lot to deal with. On top of which there is the dog. :) Let me see what I can offer you by way of help.


Looking at the diet you have described, I feel very badly for this dog. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that a wholesome diet can help him.  Stop the Beggin Strips and use a wholesome treat instead. ABSOLUTELY NO OREOS or similar sugary human junkfood. Dogs adore real carnivore treats such as cooked bites of chicken, liver, beef or lamb, and eggs, sardines, even a bit of cheese is much better than these things that are so awful. Cesar is junk food too. The more you try to handle this with amoxicillin and so on while not addressing th horrible diet the more sick this dog will get.

Please, please get this dog on a good wholesome diet asap! While I would love to see Beau on a home made diet I appreciate that you already have enough on your plate. Can you switch him to a premium diet, stop the junk food,  add in helathy snacks instead? Let me know. If you can't, there really isn't a lot I, or anyone, can do.
Catherine