Vanessa… thanks so much for the link. I'll have to use it to try and order some if I can't find anything similar locally. I just can't stand the thought of his little nose getting burnt every time he goes to 'get crazy' with his friends at doggy daycare. Maybe I could get him that zinc oxide cream, a pair of swimming trunks and a beach ball to achieve the 'lifeguard' look. :p

Well, thanks for the suggestions renault. I apologize for having listed his food as Timberwolf Ocean 6 (it's really Timberwolf Ocean BLUE)… apparently I've been investigating too many dog foods and they're all blurring together. I may look into the Orijen 6... I went back and found it on one of my lists from when I was trying to narrow this all down. Orijen ranked highly for me, I think it was just that my local specialty store carries timberwolf but DOESN'T carry orijen I may have to order it online (even though I prefer supporting the local guy whenever possible). I'll probably call Timberwolf and give them an earful... I at least like to let a vendor know when they've messed up and lost a customer. It isn't likely to change anything, but it can't hurt either. You never know which complaint will finally put it over the top and pique their interest on any given issue.

Thanks again,

--jerremie

Vanessa… thanks for the suggestion... La Roche Pose? Cool. Is it something you bought at a local specialty cosmetic store or do you think it is carried at national outlets?

So, ever since we adopted Tiger last week, I've noticed that the upper side of the 'bridge' of his snout is pretty much hairless and has been a pink color. He's spending a fair amount of time out of doors at doggy daycare and I'm wondering if there is such a thing as doggy sunscreen? Anyone dealt with a similar issue? If not doggy sunscreen… should I make him a snout toupe - uh, and how would I go about attaching it?

UPDATE: The bag of timberwolf Ocean 6 that I have doesn't list chicken fat in the ingredients. Maybe I should stock up if the store still has more? I'd really like him on a chicken-free, grain-free diet until we get the dander cleared up.

Thanks for the replies.

Robin - I do avoid most prescription and over the counter meds (especially if they'll have to be taken long term) they almost always cause me to dry out or become hyper and jittery, etc. It's cool to find another singer on here! Do you still sing much?

Renault - Thanks for the info on Timberwolf. I specifically bought it after reading TONS and TONS of labels online and making a list of those that didn't contain any chicken products. GREAT… now I'll have to go home and double check the bag I bought to see if it was produced before or after the change. I'm finding it so hard to locate foods that don't have chicken or grain in them in the hopes of reducing Tiger's dander. I'm just not quite ready to go 'raw' yet, but I can't believe how many higher quality feeds still mix lots of different protein sources. I'd much rather rotate through a number of single protein source foods in order to avoid allergies than to have every kind of meat known to man crammed into one food thereby giving my dog the potential to develop allergies to all of them in one fell swoop. SIGH Then again, his skin issues could all be stress related... we'll have to see how he settles in... I'm just trying to be proactive with addressing dietary issues.

Cool… an allergy thread! HOORAY! I just posted my intro yesterday as a new Basenji owner (with apparent Basenji allergies.) Tiger has really dry skin with lots of dandruff, so I'm slowly switching him from Canidae to Timberwolf Ocean 6 (grain-free/single protein source) and adding salmon oil to the kibble. Since I'm the one who appears to have some allergies to his dander, my partner brushed Tiger vigorously outdoors last night and then took a cloth with some pet enzyme solution and to wipe away dander afterwards. Of course, Tiger protested pretty severely to being wiped with wet stuff and actually tried to nip Alberto last night. Here's to hoping that he adapts to his new regimen (and/or stops producing so much dander in the first place.) I've ordered some special shampoo and the Allerpet/d liquid which should arrive next week. Although, I'm not looking forward to trying to bathe Tiger after Alberto's experience. I know I don't NEED all ten fingers, but I'm still kind of attached to them (and find them rather useful when typing and playing the piano).

I'm going to look into allergy shots for myself and am currently trying a semi-natural approach, taking Quercetin (a bioflavonoid), Vitamin C, Stinging Nettle capsules, and BioAllers homeopathic Animal Hair and Dander formula. I just started the last two this morning and am feeling pretty good (of course, I'm out of the house at work which is at least 50% of the battle.)

I just started back studying as an operatic tenor in February after many years off and have been thrilled with my progress RIGHT UP UNTIL our basenji adoption. Now my nose has been runny and draining into my throat leaving my vocal folds red and raspy. I think Tiger is great though, and he and my partner are totally two peas in a pod (they both love to sleep-in late together and then go freaking wild running around the park.) I'm committed to seeking a reasonable solution... there USUALLY is one. Time will tell. PLEASE keep posting other ideas and suggestions, different things work for different people and since I'm unlikely to "break up with myself," Nina's solution probably isn't going to work for me (Sorry to hear, Nina. At least you've got your Basenji though... that's one heck of a consolation prize.)

Thanks again...

--jerremie

WOW! Thanks to Janneke, Pat, Daniel, Chellie, Robin, Humanoid, Renault, Andrew, Steffie, Elena & Schouiffy (and anyone I missed) for your heartwarming welcomes! For some reason I couldn’t get the forum site to load yesterday afternoon or evening, but I was shocked to see all the kind responses this morning.

Holy cow, I haven’t had so many requests for pics since I posted that personals profile claiming to be a 6’4” blonde, blue-eyed weightlifter who enjoys moonlit strolls on the beach with a special someone. At least this time I won’t have to fake the photos! I’m hoping to get my digital camera batteries charged for the weekend so I can get some shots of Tiger… he really is a beautiful dog. You’ve just got to love those expressive Basenji faces.

As someone who has some significant food allergies of his own… that was the first thing to come to mind when I saw how bad Tiger’s dandruff was. I don’t know what food he was on before the Longmont Shelter picked him up and sent him to Colorado Basenji Rescue (By the way, Peggy is AWESOME… and extremely rigorous in her match making). Peggy had him on Canidae for the past couple weeks, but with all the sudden changes in his life, it’s hard to know whether Canidae, or Longmont Shelter food, previous owner food, or just plain stress is the culprit. However, in order to make a smooth transition, I picked up a bag of Canidae and a bag of Timberwolf Ocean (a more or less single source protein/grain-free food) and am feeding him a mix… slowly switching him from the former to the latter. I also put a squirt of salmon oil on there - having heard that that can help. I’ll check out the allergy threads later today or tonight to see what other recommendations there are.

Upon your suggestions I’ll probably try alternating the salmon oil with olive or flax for variety’s sake (not that Tiger will care… he doesn’t seem to have met ANYTHING that doesn’t merit being eaten.) I’m actually a vegan and eat a lot of sweet potatoes, so I may mash a little sweet potato up next time I bake one and see how he likes that (Steffie, I’ve also got Kombu [seaweed] on hand and may try and sneak some of that into his diet too from time to time.) Oh, and Elena, I’ll definitely ask about any possibility of a skin infection when I find a good vet in my area – any suggestions from the Denverites?

A note for the Denver locals: We’re in Northeast Denver kind of near York and E. 36th (sort of a rough neighborhood). Tiger goes to Mile High Mutts doggy daycare and definitely has a good time there (although, I sometimes worry for the other dogs).

Oh yeah, and it’s nice to know that I’m not the only dog owner whose canine companion views him or herself as a serious contender for the welterweight division championship. I just feel a little sheepish when I’m in the park and someone else’s dog tentatively comes up to Tiger (who is frothing at the mouth as he flails about to get nose to nose) only to be brusquely smacked upside the head.

Thanks again for the warm welcome. It’s nice to find such a friendly place for myself and my furry little friend.

Take care,

–jerremie

Just wanted to introduce myself. My partner (age 23) and I (age 34) live in Denver, CO and after months and months of talking about it we finally adopted our first Basenji, Tiger, on Friday. Tiger is about a year and a half old neutered male brindle patterned Basenji with an abundance of self confidence. Three days into it, a lot of things are going better than expected (he's totally housetrained, has stopped howling when crated in the car, and is a surprisingly mellow fellow when we're at home as long as he gets his exercise.) He's also got a really pleasant personality and is pretty much a joy to be around.

Some things are going EXACTLY as expected - he understands the commands 'sit' and 'come', but will complete neither until he has visual confirmation of a treat. He completely destroyed and destuffed the bed in his crate during his first hour left alone in it - again, no surprise there (I should have just let him chew up a $20 bill)… blankets from now on. He's also demonstrated that there is no counter surface which lies safely out of his reach :p .

Then, there are some things that are not going quite as well as expected. Although he did GREAT in a trial at doggy daycare, whenever we've taken him out for walks and allowed him to greet another dog (an exhaustingly frenetic greeting which apparently begins for him when the other dog is just barely visible to the human eye via the assistance of the military's finest high-powered binoculars), he quickly sniffs noses and then hauls out and willfully punches the other dog on the nose. Chihuahua or Chow makes no difference... he's equally "assertive" with Rottweilers.

Oh, and he has the most OBNOXIOUS case of doggy dandruff which is making my eyes itch and sinuses stuffy (even though I did a test where I spent 2 hours in a house with 4 Basenji's playing on the carpet and rubbing a towel all over them which I then slept with under my head overnight without ANY REACTION WHATSOEVER!!!) Seriously, I thought I had seen some impressive snow here in Denver, but it's nothing compared to Tiger, I'm actually thinking of renting him out to Vail or Winter Park so they can keep the slopes open over the summer - let the bidding begin. Anyhoo... I'll be looking through the forums for suggestions on these issues (and many more to come) and will be making posts in the near future. THANKS FOR BEING HERE!!! Dander or not, Basenji's totally rule!

--jerremie

P.S. - Brevity is not my strong suit - apologies in advance.