How to Help Your Itchy Dog

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.
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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.