A German Shepherd/chow Mix That Scratches 24/7. Please Help!?
Monday, February 15th, 2010 at
2:38 am
My dog, Winter, scratches all the time. He doesn’t have fleas. I believe he may be getting bit by ants or he may have skin allergies. I hate seeing him like this. And recently it’s getting worse. Unfortunately, the vet can’t see him until next week. Can you answer these questions for me?
What is the proper dog food to by for dogs with itchy skin?
What is the proper shampoo for dogs with itchy skin?
How often should I bathe him?
-I was doing once every two weeks is that too much or too less?
What else should I be doing until his appointment?
Tagged with: 24/7. • German • Help • Please • Scratches • Shepherd/chow • That
Filed under: Flea Allergies In Dogs
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If it’s that severe, I’d first give him some benadryl to get him some relief. Start with a half a 25 mg tablet and if that doesn’t do it you can give him the other half.
Then you should call your vet back and tell him your dog’s in pain, they’ll usually make room for emergencies and even though it’s not a true emergency, your dog is miserable so try to talk them into an earlier appointment. Or call other vets.
Corn and wheat are the main source of food allergies but soy and other ingredients can also contribute.
Lamb/rice is generally considered a better choice for dogs with skin problems but there are other options with turkey/barley, oatmeal, salmon, and limited ingredient diets.
If you don’t see bites it’s probably not ants. Could be grass, mites, or even a thyroid issue. Get an oatmeal based shampoo and some analgesic cream or aloe to help him through til his appointment. And if necessary you can continue to give benadryl, but even though I give it to my dogs based on veterinary advice years ago, I encourage anyone call their vets to confirm any advice given here before they try it.
Add: forgot to say once a month is plenty for a bath unless he really gets really dirty. Just brush regularly to help keep him clean.
My dog has allergies too, so I can sympathize with how frustrating it is do try and troubleshoot what the culprit is. The food we feed is California Natural Lamb & Rice. It is formulated specially for dogs with allergies and has worked out pretty well for us. http://www.naturapet.com/brands/californ…
Yes, you are bathing WAY too much. That alone could be the cause of the itchy skin. Scale it back to one bath every other month, unless he rolls in a pile of poop or something. You are stripping the oils from his skin, and it absolutely could be the source of the problems. However, if he has sensitive skin an oatmeal based cleanser is a good choice.
When at the appointment, ask your vet about fish oil supplements for his skin. We have been adding them, and it seems to help out a lot.
Good luck!
might be hot spots. check for crusty flakes or rash at itchy spots and in wrinkles. thick haired dogs can get this when its hot. trim hair if you see this. then try oatmeal or sensitive skin shampoo. amino supplements might help also. good luck!
I have a dog with lots of skin allergies. He is an American Staffordshire terrier. He is now 8 yrs old. One thing could be his diet. I tried several high name brands including Eukanuba before I found Nutro. You have to get it at a pet store. It really helped his skin. Also my dog really reacts to flea and tick treatments. He itches horribly with it no matter what kind we tried. The only thing he tolerates for fleas and ticks is flea and tick powders. Also don’t bathe him too often. In the summer I bathe him once every 3 weeks, unless he gets dirty. When we do bathe him I have to use an oatmeal shampoo. I limit his time in the grass as he is allergic to grass. You may want to try giving him a sea kelp supplement as well. I found out about it 1 yr ago when I went to the local AKC dog show. All you do is add it to his food. It helps with skin issues as well as his allergies. Hope this works for you.http://www.kelpproductsofflorida.com/pag…