I just found this site today. Our 18-month-old Basenji scratches constanly and has dandruff. The vet gave us Omegaderm for the dandruff. That has been improving.
We think he might have gotten into fire ants or something. Last night we gave him 12.5 mg of Benadryl, but it didn't seem to help. We went to bed at 10 p.m. and he was up at 3 a.m., restless, scratching, and never went back to sleep.
I'm looking for advice.
First off, welcome onboard. I am glad you found this forum, it is gull of knowledge, antics and tidbits pertaining having a B in your life. I se your in Texas, I am too, I am in Houston, are you close?
What makes you think he have gotten into fireants? Do you see lumps, bites? I think if he did, you will see some swelling and redness, but I could be wrong. Dry skin could also be an itch related thing. You said you saw dandruff, is it a lot? You might want to try giving him some addded oils, like fish oil, emu oil or salmon oil. It will help "mosturize" his skin from the inside out. What is he eating? He might have a food allergy, it very commonly manifests itself in itching and bothersome skin.
Let us know a little bit more and I am sure you will get some very knowledgeable answers from the guys and gals on here.
I'm sure you'll get plenty of help here 
Everyone, including myself, will ask for pictures of your B.
Glad to hear the dandruff is improving. We put a tablespoon of olive oil in Leo's food to help with his coat. How often do you wash/shower your B?
We once had a B get into something in Florida the day before we left. Hives etc. We gave him a Benadryl and he had a reverse reaction, hyper, wired, unable to sleep.
We got to a motel in S.C. made a paste of Baking Soda and slathered him up in the bathtub. Really had to work hard to keep him there for about 1/2 hour and then rinsed him off. It really seemed to ease his discomfort. Epsom salts as a paste might also work.
I hope your B feels better soon!
He does have a few little bumps. Right now we're giving him Iams adult food. We have an older dog (lab/terrier mix) who gets Purina Joint Mobility. It's a fish base, and has really helped him.
We inherited this dog from our son. His erstwhile girlfriend bought Buster (the basenji) for our son for Christmas. Then they broke up. Now he's living in a "no pets" apartment while finishing college.
The Omegaderm is improving the dandruff. It's a fish oil additive we give him on his food once a day. Any suggestions on a better brand/quality of dog food?
Bookworm, Does the lumps feel like our antbites would or do they feel dry and crusted over? Sometimes they could have excema type bumps, and they tend to be very itchy. Your vet saw him though right?
As far as food there are so many really good foods out there. The most common problems dogs have with kibble is the grains.
Here is an address to a different chicken related forum, so I hope I am not "breaking" the forum rules by posting it. It is basically a list on how to evaluate your dogfood, scroll down until you get to the list and see what you find, if you scroll down even further there is a list of foods that have already been evaluated.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=67485
Here is another one that is also really good.
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/
I wish I had a brand name that was the "best food out there" but I don't. My dogs are on the RAW food diet, because I had a Westie that just passed a few months ago, with horrible food allergies and I wowed I would never have that again, if I could prevent it.
And yes, Proteinman is correct, we all want to see pics of your little adopted guy..Buster.
oops just saw the pics of Buster and he is a beauty, thanks for sharing
Welcome Bookworm and Buster, he looks a lovely little Basenji.
Iams has a lot of corn in it which is often an allergen for dogs. One thing you can try to see if it is a food allergy is to put him on a bland diet of boiled white rice and hamburger and see after a week or so without the food or any treats he may be getting if there is an improvement. You should also see if your local pet food store has some trial size bags of foods. Look for a brand that is at least corn and wheat free. California Natural Chicken and Rice or Wellness Simple Solutions are good foods with only a few ingredients. Another option are the grain free foods, Evo, Instinct, Core, and Orijen are a few of the grain free options out there. Then you can pick one to try and see if he has a reaction when you start adding it to the bland diet.
In order to avoid stomach upset, you probably want to do the bland diet for 5-7 days and then start mixing in the kibble that you have chosen slowly over another 3-5 days and just watch for signs of itching.
I agree about the corn… many dogs have allergies or skin problems due to grains in foods. And there are better foods out there then Iams. I would consider changing foods to ones without grains and see if that makes a difference.
I will definitely look at the two sites on dog food. He actually likes the other dog's Joint Mobility, which has a lot of fish in it. I'm going to see if I can find him a better type of food.:D
High quality food can often really change a coat and get rid of dandruff (dry skin). My vet sold me a spray that helps when Topper gets itchy, it is a moisturizer, designed to give relief to skin. Called Dermal-soothe anti itch spray for dogs and cats. If you are bathing him, try not to do it more than once a month…you may find that he really doesn't need bathing as basenjis have very little odor. (unless he rolls in dead things, that requires a bath no matter how dry the skin!
I agree that lots of dogs seem to have allergies to corn, many people say that the skin allergies clear up with different foods. Good luck, it is sad to see them miserable and itching.
Welcome, hope you find helpful information for your cute little guy. Most of my friends who "inherited" dogs from their kids wind up with big Boxers or Pits or Pit-mixes, so you are pretty lucky!
Our first dog that our son picked out from the SPCA puppy adoption is a pit mix!!!! That was 13 years ago when our son was 8. He's been a great dog.
Bookworm, just a hint, our petco and petsmart down here in Texas will take back food even if it has been opened, so if somethings doesn't work out you might be able to return it.
