Mini Schnauzer Allergies

Question
QUESTION: My pup is just over a year old and we have been battling allergies for about 4 months now.  We have tried Science Diet ZD, Lamb & Rice, now fish.  He is still scratching and licking his paws.  The fur is even thinning.  Our vet has recommended allergy testing as the next step saying that the allergy is probably environmental.  However, it sounds like shots are the only option if it is environmental.  It just occurred to me that he drinks from our swimming pool sometimes.  Could this be the cause?  It is a salt chlorinated pool.  Try as we may, he sneaks a drink now and then.  Any other ideas?

Also, we are thinking of getting a companion for him as he does long to play with the other neighborhood dogs.  I am not sure we should go to the same breeder or not???  We bought him from a store called Just Puppies only because they readily gave us the breeder information.  We researched and found that she is on the Iowa Board of Pet Breeders so we went ahead w/purchasing the pup.  Are allergies a result of breeding?  Are Schnauzers more prone to this type of allergy?  Any insight would be appreciated.

Thanks so much!
Jana King



ANSWER: Allergies can be caused by absolutely anything, and the only way to really figure out the cause(s) is to have allergy testing done. Most allergies are environmental, as only about 30% of allergies are food-related. Allergies in dogs are hereditary, just as they are in people. Yes, schnauzers can be prone to allergies, particularly those who are bred with no concern for health issues.

*PLEASE* don't buy from a petshop again if you choose to get a companion for your dog. Those puppies come straight from puppymills, usually in the Midwest, although there are a fair amount of high-volume breeders among the Amish in the North and East now. http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_welfare/efoia/downloads/reports/A_cert_holders. The Iowa Board of Pet Breeders is nothing more than an organization of high-volume breeders, aka puppymills! http://www.prisonersofgreed.org/

Here is where you should start your search for a good-quality healthy pet: http://amsc.us/index.php?option=com_contact&Itemid=42

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for getting back to me.  I am upset about the idea that my dog could have come from a puppy mill.  I thought I had ruled that out.  I asked for the breeder info.  They readily gave me her name and address.  They assured me they only buy from private breeders.  I spoke with the owner of Just Puppies and he told me he personally travels and hand picks the pups he buys and that he has been buying from this breeder for a while.  I went on line and searched her name on google.  That's where I found that she was the Secretary for the Iowa Pet Breeders Association, which made me feel good about the breeder.  

I guess this was a false security.  I knew nothing about purchasing a dog.  I grew up with an Eskimo Spitz that my parents got for $50 from a friend.  I have not owned one before in my adult life.

Are there any stores that are legitimate?  This is a store that sells only puppies.  It is immaculate every time I have been in there.  If a puppie pees on the floor when I have had it out, they immediately clean it up with bleach and water.  The staff seems caring and knowlegable.  The pups are clean and well brushed.  

My dog has been the perfect pup other than the allergies. That is why we are considering a companion for him.  He is never any trouble.  He house trained in 3 weeks, rings a bell to go outside, he has had the run of the house since he was 5 months old, he was outstanding in obiedience classes, my daughter has taught him many tricks, he loves everyone he meets- but is very attached to our family and definitely shows favoritism towards my husband, he has never shown any agression (he plays rough w/my husband, but knows he is the only one who allows that), he greets us by running up and rolling over for a belly rub.  He is so calm and friendly, that we take him almost everywhere:  outside dining (he lays under the table on his mat and waits for someone to pet him), stores that don't sell food (he sits right in the cart while we shop and has a lick for every child that comes close enough).  He rides with me to school every day to pick up his girls.  All the kids love him, they make a beeline to see him.
I sound like I am just bragging on my dog, but these are the qualities that have made me consider another pup from the same breeder.  I won't buy one from her if my conclusion is that she is just another puppy mill.  Is there any way to get information on her?  She was on the liscense list from the link that you gave me.  Her name is Lora Lampe in Salem, Iowa.  Customer #7877 Cert#42-A-0733.

I am sorry to take up your time.  I just want to do the right thing.  Thanks so much for your information.
Jana King

Answer
No reputable breeder sells his puppies through pet shops or dealers as there is no way for him to know where they end up. Are the puppies in a good home or were they bought on impulse one day and then end up dumped somewhere the first time they chewed something up or had diarrhea on the carpeting? In fact, most breed clubs specifically have a clause in their Code of Ethics that no (member) breeder shall have dealings with pet shops or dealers.

I looked Lora Lampe up in the membership roster of the Iowa Board of Pet Breeders, and apparently she does not have a webpage like some of the other members. My only suggestion at this point is to check out the websites of those other members that DO have websites and you will see that they offer numerous breeds and crossbreeds for sale. A good breeder will only have one, or possibly, two breeds. I suspect that the breeders in this organization have banded together in order to fight anti-puppymill legislation.

Here is one small something. I put your breeder's address into MapQuest and came up with this: http://tinyurl.com/4rlg84 When the page loads, click on "aerial image", and you will see what appears to be a farm with a lot of outbuildings. Here is another one through Live Search Maps: http://tinyurl.com/68d9gs Unfortunately, the "bird's eye view" is not working on that map; it gets very, very close.


Your dog is the "perfect pup" because of the work that YOU put into him, not because of his breeding. It was the breeding that gave him his allergies.