If you have an itchy dog, you’ll understand the frustration owners feel. The night time scratching, the continual licking or biting of the affected areas and even hair loss is both annoying and painful for our dogs. This excessive itching is called pruritus and it is one of the most common reasons we see dogs outside of their annual check-up. As veterinarians, we will work with you to help relieve their discomfort by taking a multi-modal approach. This involves considering food, supplements, shampoos and lotions, flea control, medication and laboratory tests.
Causes of Itchiness in Dogs
The first step to treating an itchy dog is to identify the cause. Common causes are:

• Food allergies or intolerances
• Dust mite allergies
• Atopy or seasonal allergies
• Bacterial infection or allergy
• Fleas, mites or fungus
• Yeast infection or allergy

Some dogs are also more prone to being itchy due to their breed, particularly Golden Retrievers, Settlers, Terriers and German Shepherds. Signs that your dog is bothered by an itch are continual scratching, biting or licking of the affected area. It is most common on their legs, face, feet, ears, belly and armpit areas.
Treating Your Itchy Dog
When we begin to identify the reason for your dog itchiness, we need to check and rule out several possible causes. Often this involves taking skin samples and blood tests. An elimination diet is also a common test, where your dog is then fed a special prescription diet for several weeks, often introducing one new food at a time and then assessed on their response to this diet. Often it can be one ingredient which a dog is allergic to. Often this is a protein such as chicken, lamb or beef, but could also be a carbohydrate or dietary supplement.
We can help you treat your dog’s itch through:

• Dietary supplements – adding supplements to your dog’s diet can help reduce their itchiness. Fish oil contains Omega-3 fats which helps to reduce the intensity of allergies and skin inflammation. Probiotics help to restore the normal good bacteria in your dog’s gut, helping their immune system to function at an optimal level. This then helps to reduce their itchiness.
• Flea and Parasite Control – flea allergies are incredibly common. Keeping a regular flea maintenance program stops your dog having fleas, which then stops their immune response to these pesky parasites.
• Medication –antihistamines, allergy vaccines, corticosteroids and cyclosporine are common medications used to stop a dog’s itch.
• Shampoos and Lotions –shampoos and lotions specially made to reduce itchy skin work very well as both preventative and reactive treatments for dogs.

If you suspect your dog may have an allergy or you see them scratching a lot, book a check-up for them. We’ll help you get to the cause of the problem, making life better for both them and your family.

Your pet is part of the family. You feed, groom, care for and love them every day. Desexing your pet is an essential part of that care. We and the NZ Veterinarian Association advocate the desexing of all companion animals. Neutering of both pet dogs and cats ensures they live happier and healthier lives and avoids unwanted litters.
What Does Desexing My Cat or Dog Mean?
Desexing or neutering of your pet involves a surgical procedure under general anaesthesia where we remove their sexual organs. In females, this is called spaying and involves the removal of both ovaries and the uterus. In males, this is called castration and involves the removal of the testicles.
Ideally, we recommend you desex your pet before they become sexually mature or in heat. A kitten can become pregnant from four months of age, while a puppy can become pregnant from around five months. A good time to be thinking about neutering your pet is when they reach five to six months of age. There has been research done regarding larger dog breeds, which identified they run the risk of ligament damage and other conditions if desexed early. If you are the owner of a larger breed dog, we are happy to chat with you about this.
Benefits of Desexing Your Dog or Cat
There are numerous health and behavioural benefits to spaying or castrating your pet. The benefits include:

• Prevent unwanted pregnancies and litters
• Reduce roaming and property escapes
• Reduce territorial urine spraying
• Less fighting and aggression
• Prevent reproduction organ diseases including ovarian tumours, cystic ovaries, testicular tumours, or acute or chronic uterine infections
• Reduce risk of perianal hernias, prostate diseases, mammary cancer and perianal tumours

Common Myths About Desexed Pets
There are many misconceptions when it comes to the neutering and spaying of our pets. While we agree that our pet owners come from a position of wanting the best for their companion animal, we thought’s we’d debunk three of these common myths.

• My cat or dog will get fat – it’s true that a desexed animal requires less nutritional energy due to a drop in their metabolism. An overweight pet is avoided by decreasing their food intake, not by refusing to neuter
• My dog will stop wanting to guard my home – dogs guard your property due to their loyalty to you and your family, not because they are un-neutered. Desexing your pet will reduce their levels of aggression, making them happier and calmer.
• My pet will be friendly if they’ve had a litter – a cat’s personality it formed early on, not by pregnancy or having babies

Give us a call today to book in a time to have a chat with us about desexing your pet. The small cost is by far outweighed by the many benefits.

Just like us, our pets grow older and their needs change. Regular senior wellness checks are proactive in that they aim to help your cat or dog live a longer and healthier life. Our pets experience the same aches and pains we do, as well as increased chances of illness and disease. A senior wellness check helps keep on top of these problems, making life more enjoyable for your pets and your family!

When Does My Pet Become a Senior?

Pets age a lot faster than humans do. One year for us is about seven years for a cat or dog. Cats are the slowest to age, with large breed dogs aging the fastest. As a rule, cats and dogs from eight years of age are seniors. However, many large breed dogs can be labelled as a senior anywhere from five years of age, while some small breed dogs are seniors from ten years up.

Benefits of Early Detection of Diseases and Aliments

As our pets age, they become more at risk for diseases and illnesses such as arthritis, cancer, cardiovascular disease, weight gain, bladder and bowel problems, thyroid problems, anaemia, dry eye and kidney disease. Most of these conditions are treatable if caught early on. As our pets are good at hiding early signs of health problems, a thorough check up twice a year is essential to keep your pet in the best of heath. Blood and urine testing, together with a vet examination are all it takes!

Benefits of Regular Blood Testing

Most of us dislike blood tests, but we accept that they are necessary to help doctors identify and treat our health problems. While it may not seem ‘nice’ to allow our cats and dogs to undertake regular blood testing, the benefits greatly outweigh the minimal discomfort. A blood test provides information which the vet can act upon immediately to treat your pet and prevent things getting worse. This includes checking for diabetes, liver or kidney problems, anaemia, cancer, immune system problems and thyroid disease.

Managing and Helping Your Aging Pet

There are many ways in which we can help your pet enjoy their senior years. One of the key areas is in diet management. As pets age, they use less energy which lowers their calorie needs. If your pet still eats the same amount, but is less active, weight gain is most likely to occur. Also, the way their bodies digest and absorb food also changes. Whether this is through having teeth in poor condition, gut or stomach problems, often a prescription food is recommended. We can help you choose the best food for your senior cat or dog which contains all the nutrients they need, but in an easily digestible form.

Nutritional supplements are also of great benefit in managing the health of our pets. Green lipped mussel and glucosamine extract supplements help provide much needed antioxidants and joint support for our pets.

You can find out more about wellness checks for elderly pets on our health check page and book an appointment for your pet’s check up here on our website too! We're currently offering full wellness checks for the discounted rate of $120 - $60 off the usual fee.