What can we do to help our dog stop itching?

[JR6ooo4]

Freddy was very itchy in spring of this year. DW gave him some Benadril and it helped.

Now he is scratching again, and it seems worse. The Vet just says "give him benadril", but I would like to find out what is making him itchy. I think we will change his food today, to something that is no wheat.

ANy ideas how to relieve the itching while we are searching for the problem? It is not too easy to rub a lotion on a furry dog. We did give him a bath with a medicated "over the counter" anti-itch shampoo about 5 days ago. I think it helped but only a little.

thanks for any help. Dw also rounded off all his nails to help keep him from scratching himself.

Mikeeee

 

[CathrynRose]

When you give him a bath, do you do it - or do you take them to a groomer?

Either way - there are many shampoo's and conditioners that are available for itchy dogs.

When we first got Charley and asked about what to use on him, the vet (we dont like) said it didnt matter, whatever we wanted....baby shampoo would be fine.

Baby shampoo made him itchy. Pit Bulls already have a tendency to have allergies, and then he's a white dog, with very little fur - and very 'pink' (sensitive) skin.

I got him Paul Mitchell Dog Shampoo. They have several types, and one of them is specifically for sensitive, itchy skin. It's an Oatmeal based shampoo & conditioner and it has completely eliminated his itch. They also have a Tea Tree oil one - which is also absolutely fantastic.

It's a bit expensive, but keep in mind....you dont use it that often AND it lathers really well.... you barely need any.

And lets not even talk about how silky soft he is!!!

Check it out: http://mjmcompany.com/JohnPaulPet/grooming.htm

 

[JR6ooo4]

When you give him a bath, do you do it - or do you take them to a groomer?

Either way - there are many shampoo's and conditioners that are available for itchy dogs.

When we first got Charley and asked about what to use on him, the vet (we dont like) said it didnt matter, whatever we wanted....baby shampoo would be fine.

Baby shampoo made him itchy. Pit Bulls already have a tendency to have allergies, and then he's a white dog, with very little fur - and very 'pink' (sensitive) skin.

I got him Paul Mitchell Dog Shampoo. They have several types, and one of them is specifically for sensitive, itchy skin. It's an Oatmeal based shampoo & conditioner and it has completely eliminated his itch. They also have a Tea Tree oil one - which is also absolutely fantastic.

It's a bit expensive, but keep in mind....you dont use it that often AND it lathers really well.... you barely need any.

And lets not even talk about how silky soft he is!!!

Check it out: http://mjmcompany.com/JohnPaulPet/grooming.htm

Ooooh, won't he prance around the park telling every other doggie about his day at the salon, hehehehehe

The prices did not seem that much more. I think it is $8-12 for our regular stuff.

DW and I do the dog washing. And I do the shaving...

thanks for the info.
Mikeeee

 

[damo]

Wheat free diets are really getting a lot of attention lately for stopping the itching. I'd give that a try first and give it a few weeks to see if it makes a difference. Make sure you change the dog's treats as well. Does he chew his paws too or have staining under the eyes. These can also be symptoms of a wheat allergy.

 

[bballmom56]

Ugh we are dealing with this right now with our St. Bernard. She went thru this last year too. We have her on a no wheat, no corn, no dairy diet, but she still gets exceedingly itchy at certain times of the year. The hair also starts to fall out quickly. We have tried antihistamines (which did nothing), antibiotics, and prednisone. Prednisone is the only thing that actually works, but it is strong and we hate to use it if we don't have to. This time the vet started her on a lower dose (last time she had side effects from it), but we have had to increase it a little. Fleas are also bad this time of year. That wasn't an issue last time, but it is now. The vet also said some fleas are becoming immune to the current "stripe-on" types of flea control. So we may have to change that too! I hate itchy! (And so does the dog!)

 

[JR6ooo4]

Yes he is a paw chewer. We just thought he liked fritos!

thanks,
Mikeeee

 

[JR6ooo4]

Ugh we are dealing with this right now with our St. Bernard. She went thru this last year too. We have her on a no wheat, no corn, no dairy diet, but she still gets exceedingly itchy at certain times of the year. The hair also starts to fall out quickly. We have tried antihistamines (which did nothing), antibiotics, and prednisone. Prednisone is the only thing that actually works, but it is strong and we hate to use it if we don't have to. This time the vet started her on a lower dose (last time she had side effects from it), but we have had to increase it a little. Fleas are also bad this time of year. That wasn't an issue last time, but it is now. The vet also said some fleas are becoming immune to the current "stripe-on" types of flea control. So we may have to change that too! I hate itchy! (And so does the dog!)

What is the "stripe-on" flea stuff.

Mikeeee

 

[bballmom56]

What is the "stripe-on" flea stuff.

Mikeeee

The stuff you apply on their skin starting between their shoulder blades and running down their backbone to the base of their tail. You apply it once a month. It gets absorbed into their bloodstream, the fleas bite, ingest, then die. Ex. Frontline. It has always worked very well for us.

 

[damo]

Yes he is a paw chewer. We just thought he liked fritos!

thanks,
Mikeeee

Mmmm fritos.

A good wheat free highly recommended dogfood is Taste of the Wild.

http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/

It isn't just wheat free but it is grain free as well. The salmon one is very popular with a lot of cocker spaniel owners I know. We use Orijen but it is difficult to find in the USA. It has helped so much with our cocker spaniel's itchiness.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

There are a lot of things that can cause skin problems, which are often caused by allergies. Have you considered seeing a veterinary allergist? Here's what they can offer.

http://www.mspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=AAMC_Boston_derm_serv

http://www.mspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=AAMC_Boston_derm_Service_Allergies

http://www.mspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=AAMC_Boston_Dematology_Skin_Biopsies

In the past when my dogs have had itchy skin, my vet's advised adding a teaspoonful of oil to their food.

Good luck to the cutie.

 

[Amlee]

My Baylee is the same way. He even wakes me up scatching in the middle of the night. He also licks his paws. But he is mostly a meat eater. He likes boneless and skinless chicken breast. The vet said that was fine.

He takes a benedryl at night, but I'm not liking the panting that seems to go with it. Not sure if it's related or not. But the last few nights I have given him one, he has had heavy panting.

 

[JoenAdamnErinnSam]

I have been through this with Kodi since I got him-he had a bad staph infection as a puppy(Irescued him at 16 months) which compromised his immune system, and the only thing that works is keeping him on prednisone. I know, we know its not the safest option for him, but he is miserable without it. My vet oks this after much trial with him with food etc. But one thing she did tell me is that 1 benadryl will only help if your dog weighs 10 lbs. The dosage is 1 pill for EACH 10 lbs of the dog's weight. My dog weighs 40 lbs so he gets 4 pills as a dosage. HTH. Also don't bathe too much it just makes it worse-you wash all the natural oils off their skin= dries them out. A great suppplement is fish oil capsules-1000 mg. its great for their skin.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

1 benadryl will only help if your dog weighs 10 lbs. The dosage is 1 pill for EACH 10 lbs of the dog's weight. My dog weighs 40 lbs so he gets 4 pills as a dosage.

What dosage are the pills each?

 

[CathrynRose]

But one thing she did tell me is that 1 benadryl will only help if your dog weighs 10 lbs. The dosage is 1 pill for EACH 10 lbs of the dog's weight. My dog weighs 40 lbs so he gets 4 pills as a dosage. HTH. .

Wait - wait - wait..... I do not believe this is correct and would hate for anyone to follow this and have Fido die from it!!!

My dog is 80 pounds.... there is no way the dosage would be 8 pills! I weigh twice as much as him, and taking 8 pills might kill me!!!

 

[JoenAdamnErinnSam]

Dogs metabolize it differently than we do-2 are too many for me-but he does ok on 4-and they are 25 mg just a regular adult dose.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Dogs metabolize it differently than we do-2 are too many for me-but he does ok on 4-and they are 25 mg just a regular adult dose.

So you are giving him 100mg? How often?

 

[Amlee]

I know my vet said that Baylee (at 24lbs) can take up to 4 Benadryl tablets a day.

This is what a vet website says.

Diphenhydramine (Benadryl®) – Dogs and cats can be given 1-2 mg/lb every eight hours. This can be used to treat allergic reactions, and it also has some anti-anxiety and anti-vertigo effects. As a general rule, it is pretty safe stuff. The primary side effect is drowsiness, so please do not allow your pet to drink alcohol or operate heavy machinery while taking it.

 

[chell]

Does your dog have hot spots or just general itching? Mine has had both. But now we have her on a food free of wheat, corn and other stuff and it has helped a lot. She also gets a fish oil pill daily, which really helps with any dry skin. We have to hide hers in her food but the puppy LOVES just getting his pill alone - he thinks it is a treat.

 

[Feralpeg]

I own a very itchy dog. He is allergic to a lot of things. I finally put him on lamb and rice food. It helped a lot.

Is your dog chewing at himself or just scratching? Are there any little scabby places? If so, he could have a staff infection. My dog gets them on a regular basis.

If your dog is getting hot spots, they can give you a topical spray that can help.

Good luck. Having an itchy dog is no fun!

 

[NMAmy]

The primary side effect is drowsiness, so please do not allow your pet to drink alcohol or operate heavy machinery while taking it.

Rats. She loves to have a beer when she's done mowing the lawn. There go our Labor Day weekend plans.

My dog has been very itchy, too, for the last week or so along with really red eyes. I know my allergies have been really bad for the same time period. I've been trying to keep her in the house with the a/c on as much as possible. It seems to be helping some. I'm going to talk to the vet about the Benadryl--she has an appt next week for her annual shots.