Myrtle is less than a year old female red Shiba Inu. View her Facebook Album.

Myrtle is named after the Crape Myrtle tree, known for bursting into spectacular, vibrant blooms later in the summer when many other trees have already finished flowering. We thought that made it the perfect name for our own little late bloomer.

Myrtle is an allergy girl we took on from the second wave of 20 Shibas in our #60ShibasRescue breeder release. Our second-wave pups all received tree-inspired names, and Myrtle is one little rescue we hope to watch blossom into a beautiful, full, lush coat — just a little later than her companions.

Because Shiba HQ is utterly overwhelmed with the care of so many dogs right now, we haven't yet been able to start Myrtle's full allergy program. She will receive nanohydrotherapy, photobiomodulation, canine microbiome sequencing and targeted gut therapy focused on supporting the intestinal tight junctions and mucin layer before working on increasing the diversity of her microbiome.

Unfortunately, Myrtle is only 8 months old and is already struggling significantly with her skin. With such an early onset and a possible genetic predisposition, she may take longer and require much more intensive work.

Right now, we are treating a severe ear infection and trying to get in frequent baths to remove the intense yeast buildup on her skin.

We actually hadn't planned to take Myrtle until the last wave because we knew how much hands-on work her condition would require while Shiba HQ was already completely overwhelmed. But we just couldn't leave her there itching and uncomfortable when we had the ability to start helping her immediately.

Myrtle will require a tremendous amount of time and funding. Our program does not rely on traditional veterinary drugs for long-term allergy management. Instead, we focus on a nutrient-dense raw diet, environmental management, reducing internal and external toxin exposure, and supporting the microbiome and mitochondria.

Location: Continental US
Dogs: Yes
Cats: Yes
Kids: 12+
DOB: 11/20/25
Weight: 18 lbs
Intake Date: September 10, 2026

MEDICAL HOLD – SEVERE ATOPIC DERMATITIS Unfortunately, Myrtle’s condition is quite severe, especially for such a young dog. When she first arrived, we actually thought she was a senior Shiba because of the condition of her skin and coat. This poor girl is just a puppy. We were also told that Myrtle’s mother was euthanized because of severe allergies. Atopic dermatitis can have a strong genetic component, and dogs who develop severe disease this early in life can be particularly challenging cases. But we are going to do everything we can to give Myrtle the opportunity to heal and live a comfortable, healthy life. Our allergy program is not focused simply on suppressing itching and other symptoms. We take an integrative approach aimed at identifying and addressing the factors contributing to inflammation and an inappropriate immune response to otherwise harmless environmental or dietary antigens. For Myrtle, that means a major focus on microbiome health, nutrient sufficiency, skin-barrier health, environmental exposures, and a diverse, species-appropriate raw diet, along with individualized supportive therapies as we learn what she needs. Myrtle is currently on medical hold and is not available for adoption or meets. When she is medically ready, she will require an adopter committed to continuing DC SIR’s allergy program and will be placed under our Holistic Atopy Adoption Contract, as we do with our other allergy dogs. We have had some incredible transformations over the years with dogs who came to us suffering from significant skin disease. You can see some of our previous allergy dogs and their progress here: Our Allergy Dog Success Stories: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1v10xHfNUU For Myrtle, this is just the beginning.

Follow Myrtle’s progress on her Facebook Album.