Sunny has been scratching himself a lot.... please help!

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Sunny

get the food!!!!

Barked: Wed Feb 24, '10 5:08am PST


	Sunny has been scratching himself a lot. There arn't any bald patches or anything like that. In fact the skin looks normal. I don't think it is flees, but should a flee shampoo just in case. What are the posibilities of food alergies? I was thinking about switching his food and seeing if it makes a difference. Also does anyone know of any good products that I could use to help him? Thanks sooo much!

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Charlie

The world is my- food bowl!

Barked: Wed Feb 24, '10 5:39am PST


	Edited out, whoopsie! Edited by author Wed Feb 24, '10 5:40am PST

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Juniper CGC

SQUIRRELLLL?- Where??

Barked: Wed Feb 24, '10 6:26am PST


	What are you feeding him now? Food allergies are certainly a common cause of itchies. You may want to take a flea comb to him really well and see if you can find any fleas. I flea bath probably won't hurt if you want to just be on the safe side.

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Leah, CGC

All the Beauty- with none of the- Brains

Barked: Wed Feb 24, '10 9:23am PST


	Food allergies often show up before 5 years of age unless you have recently changed his food. He could also have an enviromental allergy causing this itchyness. Have you changed laundry detergent recently or started using new scented candles or air freshners? Have you recently moved or turned on forced air heat or do you have a wood burning stove? These are all things that may cause an allergy to flare up. As always even if you have not seen a flea they could always be the culprit too. Is he specifically itchy in certain areas or all over? Usually food allergies make them itchy around the anus and around the mouth where as enviromental allergies make them generally itchy, contact dermatitis to things like lawn treatments or laundry detergent will make them itchy on the part of the body that came into contact with the item they are allergic to, and flea allergies are usually itchy near the base of the tail and on their tummies. First I would ask you what type of flea control you are currently using. I personally would apply a topical flea medication instead of using a flea shampoo as flea shampoos are often drying and harsh on itchy skin and can cause them to itch more. I would then wait 48 hours after application and use an oatmeal shampoo or oatmeal bath and give him a good shampoo and bath to clean the skin. The oatmeal bath will help to relieve the skins irritation. In order for topical flea medications to properly work you must make sure to apply them either 48 hours before or after bathing or swimming so that they oils in the coat are active enough to disperse the medication over the whole body. I would also speak with your local vet about using benedryl or another oral anti-histamine to help control the itching. Be careful though if he has been itchy for sometime it may now have a secondary bacterial or fungal infection starting which requires a vet visit and additional medications. Good Luck

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Daddy

Changing one- mind at a time - APBT style

Barked: Wed Feb 24, '10 9:59am PST


	Until you can get to a veterinarian, supplementing his diet with omega 3 fish oil can really help with the inflammation and itching. Daddy has seasonal allergies so I give him extra omega 3 fish oil or organic flax oil in the winter, and grain free fish based kibble in the summer when it gets really bad since it's the only thing that has helped during his summer itching. As for food allergies the most common ones seem to be corn, wheat and soy, and chicken isn't too uncommon of an allergy but not as common as the above three. For food allergies a vet will generally try an elimination diet, a single protein source diet, or a recommendation to a specialist to have allergy tests done to see if it's diet related or environment related.

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Milton

Im just a little- guy

Barked: Wed Feb 24, '10 10:03am PST


	I would be careful with topical flea medications. it has been in my experience they can be the culprit. My dog has skin allergies and he gets sores and scabs if I put topical meds on him. I had him in a climate that could not support fleas and he had a great coat on Evo dog food. I moved to a climate with lots of fleas and put him on a topical flea control product from my vet. Milton began to itch a lot and his skin broke out. It did not get better until the product wore off. He looks great now and he's eating a fish and potatoes dog food. I have been running a flea comb through his short coat daily and regularly wash his beds. So far no fleas. i would rotate your food with different formulas than what he's eating now. When changing the food gradually mix in the new foods. I would stick with high quality products that do not contain corn, by-products, food dyes, ect. natural balance, innova evo, and chicken soup for the pet lovers soul worked with my dog's skin problems.

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Sunny

get the food!!!!

Barked: Wed Feb 24, '10 1:51pm PST


	Thanks you guys! Just so everyone ones he has been itching mostly on his shoulder and aroudn there.

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Snickers

Momma is the- center of the- universe...

Barked: Fri Feb 26, '10 5:31am PST


	It may indeed be a contact allergen, Snickers gets them once in a while and can get a 'hot spot' if it gets bad, but they start out itchy. Other possibilities, sarcoptic mites; if he has been anywhere other dogs have been, he could pick them up. Look in the area of the itch for what looks like a bug bite or pimple (whitehead). Dry winter skin. It will pass with the cruddy weather.

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