Doggies

[gja1000]

My babies (dogs) are itching/scratching like crazy. They have never had allergies - but for the past couple of weeks, they are scratching like mad!!! When we traveled last weekend, I found some fleas on them - but just a couple - even though they had Advantage on.

They did eat different food while they stayed at my daughter's when I went to Alaska (I took their food over there, but they wanted to eat the food that my daughter's dog was eating ) and I just kept them on that food (dry) because they seemed to like it better than the dry food they were eating. They had been on Solid Gold Wee Bits and now are eating Royal Canin. The ingredients do not seem different at all - but of course, there could be one thing that IS different.

I also changed their wet food as they decided they didn't want to eat the Nature's Variety frozen raw food. I changed to an organic, holistic all natural wet food.

I suppose either of the food changes could be causing the scratching. So, I have gone back to Solid Gold dry to see if that helps (no, they are not happy!).

Rex seems to have a rash on his belly but Rowdy does not and Rowdy is actually scratching more than Rex. Go figure. I have some medicine for the rash that I got for Rowdy last year when he had a similar rash. I put it on Rex's belly last night, but it doesn't seem any better this morning.

I gave both of them a bath day before yesterday in skin soothing bath wash, but that didn't help. I've looked and looked and I can't find any more fleas. They are still scratching scratching scratching!!! ARRGGHH!

[Janet]

I honestly feel bad for the doggies, but boy does all that scratching drive me nuts...lol.

I don't have any advice Gayle...I'm sorry. I have only switched food once and did it very VERY slowly over a week or so and I use the same PetSilk shampoo I always have. When it comes to the dogs, I try to keep everything the same with very little change.

[gja1000]

Janet, that's usually me too, I switch things very slowly! But the dry food got switched at my daughter's, that's been over a month now. When I got home from Alaska (June 22), they wouldn't eat their wet food and my daughter said they hadn't been eating it at her house either. So, I got them this all natural wet food adn they LOVED it, still do.

Hmmmmm, don't know!

[paula1961]

When my little Brutis started scratching really bad a few mths ago..I ended up taking him to the vet and he got a shot of steroids. He hasn't scratched since. Mine are on sentinel for heartworms, fleas and ticks. They eat Taste of the Wild dry food and no wet food. Lordy.........who knows about these kids....it seems it's always something no matter what you feed them or how well you think you are taking care of them.

[judy]

Annie had a rash on her stomach and scratches a lot too. I started putting a little olive oil in their dry food every week or so, and the rash is gone. She is still a scratcher, but not as much.

I feed them Wellness dry and Oma raw.

[DianaB]

I have problems like that with Reuger. Did you happen to have them groomed? I think that they can itch from having their hair cut short. When I last groomed Reuger (and I trimmed him really short) he scratched a lot!!! I don't know if it was the short hair making him itch or what but now that it's grown out he's not doing it anymore.

Also, there are some dog foods that make him scratch. If he gets into the dog food for our airdale he'll bite at his paws which is a sign of food allergies.

Then he also has grass allergies!!!!! You can take them to the vet for an allergy shot. I also have a small bottle of spray for dogs that I got at Wal-mart that's for itching.....it's like benedryl.

Also, there's flea dermititis.....that's where a flea bites them and causes a rash. Since I switched Reuger over to Comfortis we haven't had any more problems with this.....anyway not as bad.

I hope you find out what's wrong......it's so irritating to have them scratching all the time......trust me, I know!!!

[gja1000]

Yes, we had just had them groomed, but they were scratching before the grooming, and then scratching worse afterwards. The groomer had told me that sometimes they scratch after being cut short - which we always keep them short.

I think they are better today, at least a bit better - so maybe it was the new dry food that was causing the problem. If they don't stop, I'll take them for a steroid shot.

[JJJ]

I give mine Capstar, and it seems to work great. They are in Advantage but some times is not as effective. Capstar is a pill they take when they seriously need to get rid of fleas.
For dry itchy skin make sure they are well condition, and I just got a bottle of Cowboy Magic. Cowboy magic is some sort of oil for horses tail but does wonder's with dogs matts and no more itchy skin. Atleast I hope I'm just trying it out but so far I'm happy .

[gja1000]

I think it was the new dry food - I stopped it last night and they are MUCH better!! They are still scratching a bit but NOTHING like they were before.

Thanks for all the tips, if they start up again, I'll have lots of suggestions to go with.

[Janet]

Glad the scratching is easing up some Gayle.

[DianaB]

My vet also told me to pierce an omega-3 vitamin and put it on Reuger's dog food. It helps if they have dry skin.....or you can buy Sciece Diet dog food that is for sensitive skin and it has it already in it.

I'm glad to hear that they're better. I can always tell if it's Reuger's food because he bites at his paws for some reason. I hope by changing back to their food that it quits......I know that the scratching just drives me crazy!!!

[gja1000]

OH YES! The itching has definitely stopped!! YAY!

Gary thinks that giving them a bath and reapplying the advantage is what did it - but I DO NOT THINK SO. We took them to the groomers and applied advantage the day before we left for Oklahoma (last Thursday) and the itching was going on before and continued after this. I thought maybe they had some fleas and that going to the groomers would take care of that, but it did not. I do know that cutting them too short can cause them to itch, but we left them a little longer than usual, so I don't think the cut was making them itch.

It was Tuesday of this week that I gave them both a bath, reapplied (a smaller amount) of Advantage (cause it is supposed to keep working even after a bath) and on the same day I took away the new dry food. So, Gary thinks it was the bath and new Advantage, but I don't think so, I think it was the food.

They are both eating the old dry food, and there is almost no itching, so I think it was the food, and if not, well it really doesn't matter.

[DianaB]

Whatever the cause was I'm glad that they're better!!!!

[Blueyes]

I'm glad they're better, too. Itchy dogs are uncomfortable for everybody!

[paula1961]

Glad the boys are better Gayle!