Pet Lovers

[Citrine1]

All good suggestions, but one other thing that can cause itching is parasites.  My daughters dog had an awful itch all over his body.  He scratched to the point that his hair was falling out.  After a stool check, it was discovered he had worms.  Once he was rid of them, the itching went away.  

[Naturegrl]

My bichon had the itches. I started her on one tsp. Coconut Oil with her dinner and the itching stopped. Could be the dog is not getting enough fat in their diet.

[terriebear]

Our mini-Schnauzer scratches, and our vet put him on Hydroxizine.  He takes 1/2 of a pill a.m and p.m.  He will be on it for life. It does make a difference.  The pill is not expensive. We pay $42 for 2 months worth. This has made a big difference. He also eats Natural Balance Duck and Sweet Potato Food. It is available at pet food stores. Again, it was recommended by our vet. Those are the only 2 ingredients, so no corn, wheat, etc. I also feed him a Salmon Oil capsule every day.  Amazon carries this, the brand is Nutravet. It is the high amino acid content that helps his skin.  Also I keep a shirt on him and that helps stop him from itching.  Martha Stewart makes cute pet clothes that I like. I really think all of his itching started when we got new carpet. The vet says it is a real possibility.  For mega bucks, we could maybe find out.  We said no thanks.   Hope this helps.  

[RainyDayGal]

It could be any number of things.  You can consider changing her food to grain free.  But I always err on the side of caution and take them to the vet to rule out any underlying cause.  You just never know.

[Mom2Dogs]

@Kachina624  No fleas or ticks.

[Mom2Dogs]

Thanks everyone...good advice.

I will get her a different food this week and see if it helps, otherwise I guess we will go to see the vet!  I hope she is not allergic to anything outside....she loves to be outside. She either digs in the yard or just stands on the side walk and lets the air blow thru her fur....

Is two weeks on a new food enough time to test?

[Kachina624]

It could well be a food allergy.  Grain is the usual suspects and grain-free dog food is very expensive.  The dog could also have dry, itchy skin.  Some oil (fish, coconut oil) should help if that's the problem.  Do you see any dry, dandruff looking skin flakes?

[NYwoman]

You did not mention the age or type of dog.    I will assume that the dog doesn't have fleas or ticks.    Also, you have not changed flea / tick repellent lately.   BTW this seems to be a particularly bad flea / tick season due to the mild Winter.

It is Spring and there can be allergens sprouting out all over.   Control your dog's exposure to fields and woods with so many types of plants / flowers.  

Dynovite is good but get your dog on a grain free, single protein food.    Don't change food often---it takes 6-8 weeks or more to see allergen effects from a food.    Make sure the water is well filtered and keep bowls clean.   

Allergic dogs need Omega supplements in their food.   I believe Dynovite has that (as does coconut oil).   You can use a human capsule, pierced with a pin, and squirt some on food.  

Soothing baths help.   It washes off outdoor allergens and the oil that is produced by scrathing.    Get an oatmeal and aloe vera shampoo (PetSmart has a good GNC brand).

You can follow up with  PURE aloe vera as a leave on rinse.   This soothes, heals, and can be ingested safely.

I would still see a vet to check for parasites (internal or on the skin), just to be sure.   I know the routine of steroid shot and antibiotics.   Been there, done that.   Steroids are good for a severe case,   If there are no parasites / worms then I would stabilize the diet, follow what I have stated, and use Benadryl (one pill) as directed by the vet.   Other antihistamines are also used by vets.   If no relief, I would suggest allergy tests. 

[CrazyDaisy]

Constant iching is not normal and very miserable for the dog.  Rather than "trying" all these hit and miss suggestions, please take him to a vet so he can get some relief.  Then you can determine the cause in order to correct the issue.