Hey Woofa’s,

I’ve been speaking to many people lately who have expressed how itchy their dogs are.

The first thing I go to is the weather!

Let’s face it NSW hasn’t had it’s usual summer this year, we’ve had sooooo much rain!

This weather makes the grass grow like crazy and keeps it damp, if your dog is prone to skin irritations, this will make it worse.

Obviously there can be other reasons why dogs itch, which I’ll cover shortly.

Trying to figure it out why your dog is itchy becomes a process of elimination.

Once you narrow the cause down, then you can deal with it and treat it.

To get to the bottom of it though you have to be willing to do some ground work.

So we’ll cover, possibilities on why your dog is itchy and then cover how to deal with it!

FYI: yelling at your dog to stop scratching doesn’t get rid of the itch either!!!

 

WHY IS MY DOG ITCHY?

Before we begin, I want you to note down if your dog is itchy all over or if it’s just in certain areas.  Figuring out where your dog is itchy will help you in the process of elimination.

I.e:  If it’s all over, it could be a food allergy, from their bedding, or dry skin, or are they flea ridden etc

If it’s just underneath it could be from the grass (unless they roll in the grass), if they’re constantly licking their paws because they are itchy, it could be anxiety.

Do you see here how the process of elimination matters???

Let’s start the process of elimination!

1. HAVE YOU CHECKED FOR FLEAS?

I always check for fleas first!!

Billy doesn’t get fleas so if one jumps on him it drives him nuts. Which in turn makes him itchy!

If your dog isn’t use to having fleas it may only take 1 pesky flea to drive them crazy as well.

Some dogs are also allergic to flea bites (from the flea saliva), which can cause them to also start biting themselves.

What’s a Flea?

I can’t stand fleas and I don’t understand why they even exist except to drive our fur babies crazy!!!!

They are tiny black living creatures that can come from places like the grass, the dirt or other animals.

Fleas crawl all over your dog biting them in the process.

They leave a black dirt like substance all over them which is flea lava aka poo and flea eggs.

When washing your dog a dark orange to red tinge comes out in the water.

For a much more in depth explanation on THE FLEA read the Wikipedia definition here!

Click here for images on what do Fleas on my dog look like?

HOW DO I DEAL WITH FLEAS?

There are soooooo many flea prevention products on the market now it’s confusing about what to use.

Searching reviews of the products can drive you crazy as well.  Some have raving reviews and others will condemn that same product!!!!  So frustrating.

You’ve got to chose what’s best for YOUR DOG!  You can ask other dog owners what they use and you can always ask a trusted vet.

To name just a few product types out there you’ll find –

• flea shampoos (won’t stop them from jumping back on your dog long term),
• flea collars,
• flea sprays,
• flea powders,
• topical flea products and
• oral flea products!!!

If however, you don’t want to use these products there is always the natural remedy path.

With this path though I find you just have to apply the remedy more often (which is fine because it’s not as harsh for your dog).

What you use will also depend on whether your dog is covered in fleas or whether they just have a few.

To find flea products – you can do a google search and buy on-line, go to your local pet store or check with your trusted vet.

On A Side Note – I would also wash my dog first, to wash the fleas off and then use a treatment.  Also treat the surrounding areas such as your dogs bedding, kennel, carpets and lounges, anywhere your dog has been.

I liken fleas on dogs to nits on kids – treat everywhere and everything until you know it’s all gone.

 

2. WHAT ABOUT THE GRASS?

As I said earlier, this year with all this rain, it’s hard keeping the grass short.

In Spring/Summer, my parent’s dog Cleo use to lay spread out on the cement and rub her stomach up and down until it was raw (obviously we’d take her to the vet for this).

We found out that she was allergic to a seed in the grass that’s produced around Spring time.

What type of grass?

It doesn’t matter what grass it is, if your dog is allergic to your grass you’ll definitely know about it.

It doesn’t mean you have to pull up your grass it just means you’ll have to manage your dog’s allergy.

HOW DO I DEAL WITH THE GRASS?

It will depend on how bad the scratching is.

Cleo use to have to get a cortisone injection from the vet.

Some people give their dog’s an antihistamine, but before doing this I’d check with your trusted vet.

When giving dog’s human medications you’ve got to be really careful.

This can either be an all year round itch or a seasonal itch.

In some cases you may only have to manage the allergy in the warmer months!

It’s a great idea to keep a diary of when your dog gets itchy as well.

On a Side Note – check whether your dog is running through any plants in the garden, sitting under trees that drop sap or any other substance that could also be making them itchy out in the yard.

Also try keeping your grass short, neat and tidy.

 

3. IS IT FROM THEIR FOOD?

There’s all sorts of ingredients in dog food and our food (that we give to our dogs) that can be causing your dog to itch like crazy.

A customer of mine noticed every time her dog ate Chicken, she came out with a pink rash from scratching so much.  My uncle’s dog gets itchy from eating beef!

Some of the most common foods that can cause allergies are – beef, dairy, wheat, egg, yeast, chicken, lamb, soy, pork, rabbit and fish.

How Do I Tell If My Dog Is Allergic To Their Food?

If your dog has no fleas and is ALWAYS itching (and it doesn’t appear to be a seasonal itch) then the next place to look at is their food.

According to PetMD some general signs are – itching all over the body, sometimes focussing more on the ears and feet.

Recurring ear and skin infections as well as excessive gas, or vomiting or diarrhoea.

It’s a good idea to keep note (as in write it down)  on what you’re feeding your dog and what the ingredients includes.

This way you can track what could be causing the itchiness.

HOW DO I DEAL WITH FOOD ALLERGIES?

If you’re unsure, take your dog to the vet to have allergy tests.  It will depend on which vet you go to as to how much it will cost.

If you’re feeding your dog canned food, change their diet to something more nutritional, meat and vegetables made at home by you.

However, don’t change it immediately change it over a 7 day period where you feed them less and less of the canned food and more and more of their new food.

Check the ingredients of their canned food and dry food.  If you’re not sure this post on 6 Must Have Ingredients covers what to look for on dog food labels.

Your vet may recommend a more suitable diet.  You could try a raw diet but again a slow introduction is a better way to give new food.

Make sure no-one else in the household is feeding the dog food they shouldn’t be.

We all mean well but sometimes we can be causing issues in our dogs by giving them a small biscuit or piece of toast etc.

You know what I mean, we all do it!!!

On A Side Note – I make Billy’s food that way I know what goes into it and being a white staffy he’s not an itchy dog.

 

We also give Billy, Meals For Mutts, Salmon and Sardine flavour dry food for sensitive skin, and (touch wood) it works for us!

 

4. DOES YOUR DOG SUFFER FROM ANXIETY?

Anxiety in dogs is becoming more and more common.   Excessive itching and scratching in our dogs is one way for them to release it, just as some people may bite their nails.

What Causes Anxiety?

A change in family energy can cause your dog to become anxious, as well as situations they aren’t fond of or they can have separation anxiety while the family is away!!

There are many reasons why your dog may be anxious, another being boredom, noise anxiety (thunderstorms, fireworks) etc

Our recent lockdowns would not have helped our pets with separation anxiety at all.  One minute everyone is home and then they’re all back at work and school!!!

Here is an article from PetMD that may help you understand Anxiety in your dog more and how to deal with it.

HOW DO I DEAL WITH MY DOG’S ANXIETY?

Watch your dog’s behaviour, have they only just started scratching?

Look back at what happened around the time the itching starting, did something occur in the family or a change in household?

Did something change in your dog’s life around the time the itching started?

Is your dog bored?  Does your dog need more mental stimulation, walks can do this, there’s toys for generating mental stimulation as well as playing with your dog, making them hunt for their treats etc.

If it’s anxiety from noises such as thunderstorms or fireworks, there are also many products to try, from calming treats to thunder shirts.

Once you can pinpoint what changes occurred in your dog’s environment to cause the itching/scratching then you can put processes in place to change the behaviour.

If you can’t manage to figure it out, you may need to seek a trusted Dog Behaviourist or Dog Trainer, as well as seek Vet advice to rule out any medical conditions.

On A Side Note – Every dog is going to be different in what works for them when it comes to calming their anxiety.

You’ve got to be patient with your dog when dealing with their anxieties.

Remember having the anxiety is not fun for them either.

 

5. WHAT HOUSEHOLD SUBSTANCES DO YOU USE?

This is another area to look at especially if your dog is an inside dog.

Dogs are constantly on the floor, so it could be a floor cleaner that’s causing the itching.

What washing powder’s are you using and are you washing the dog’s bedding and blankets in it?  Or have you recently changed to a different product?

It’s always important to be aware of the chemicals used around the flooring and bedding areas (even if they sleep on your bed or the carpet beside your bed etc) because this could  be effecting your dog.

Have you recently shampooed the carpets?  What chemical was used or is always used when doing this?  Do you have blankets all over your lounges, what do they get washed in?

Are fleas in the carpet?  Are you using an oil in your diffuser that could be causing your dog to scratch?

Do you spray your carpets or furniture with something to make it smell nice, but it could be actually driving your dog nuts?

There are so many questions to ask here.

The best thing to do is be aware of what products you are using around the house and how your dog reacts to them.

On A Side Note – If you can, get down on your hands and knees and crawl around your house.

Yes I’m serious because this is the  perspective your dog has of the area in which you live.

HOW DO I DEAL WITH HOUSEHOLD SUBSTANCES?

Noting down what products you’re using inside your house (and in the yard) and where your dog goes will help you eliminate what could be causing your dog’s itchiness.

If you do pinpoint it to a product, note down the chemicals in that product and steer clear of them.

Don’t use it anymore.

 

6. WHAT BEDDING DOES YOUR DOG SLEEP ON?

Bedding is important because this is where your fur baby sleeps.

Some people I know use Hessian Bags for their dog’s bed and I know for some dogs this drives them to scratch like crazy because of the material they’re made of.

HOW DO I DEAL WITH MY DOGS BEDDING?

As mentioned above, make sure your dog’s bedding (anywhere they sleep) and kennel is rid of fleas.

If they sleep inside, do the same here and use a natural washing powder/detergent when washing their blankets etc.

Make sure their bedding isn’t a harsh itchy material.

On A Side Note – if you’re not sure whether your dog’s bedding is a harsh material or not, rub it on your bare skin and see how it makes you feel?

 

7.  CHECK YOUR DOG FOR SKIN IRRITANTS!

Dry skin in anyone is itchy.

Here are some images of what Dry Skin can look like.

What causes it?

There’s many reasons why, here are just a few common ones:

• washing your dog too much,
• dandruff,
• dermatitis,
• some dog shampoos,
• food,
• fleas,
• excessive scratching,
• cold weather,
• infections, etc.

If in doubt seek medical advice.

HOW DO I GET RID OF MY DOG’S SKIN IRRITATIONS?

There are topical treatments (creams to put on the skin).

Depending on how bad your dog is itching, if it’s bad see your trusted vet first.

You could try a fish oil (Omega 3-6-9), sardines in olive oil can help too (as long as the skin irritant isn’t bad) but again I’m not a vet, so seek medical advice.

There are also soft oatmeal and lanolin shampoos to use and some soft conditioners if need be.

However, don’t over wash your dog.  Washing your dog daily or every week is too much.  Ideally you want to do it monthly, 3 weekly at most nothing more.

 

8. DOES YOUR DOG HAVE A HOT SPOT?

Hot spots when in their finest form are nasty and terrible for your dog to experience.

It’s like a red moist dermatitis that’s commonly found on the head, chest and hip areas.

Images of what Hot Spots look like.

How does my dog get them?

By starting off with extreme itching, scratching and biting as well as licking (caused by any of the above).  The licking keeps it moist and spreads it if it’s not treated.

HOW DO I DEAL WITH A HOT SPOT?

I always say prevention is better than the cure!

Try to stop the itching in the first place by addressing all of the above issues.

If however it happens, the best way is to head to your trusted vet.

There are many many articles that come up when searching how to treat them at home, just be aware.

Do your research thoroughly and when in doubt go to the vet.

 

9. DOES YOUR DOG HAVE HIVES?

Hives can cause your dog to itch excessively.

Hives are areas of the skin that appear raised and reddened.

They can appear anywhere on your dog but most commonly on the head, neck, back, stomach and legs.

If you want to know what hives look like google – what do hives look like on dogs, they’re not pretty.

How does my dog get them?

Hives can come from the environment, or be chemical, or from diet.

Common causes include:

• Insect stings/bites (often involving the head and neck)
• Shampoos or topical agents
• Medications
• Vaccinations
• Toxic plants
• Food allergens

Insects bites, chemical contact, and medications are the most common.

My friends staffy use to sit under a tree that dripped sap, this caused him to get hives.

 

HOW DO I DEAL WITH HIVES?

It will depend on how bad they are, but either way they make your dog uncomfortable, so seek out your trusted vet.  Give them a call if you’re unsure if it requires a visit.

Any information you can give to your trusted vet can help as well!

In my friend’s dogs case, he had been sitting under a tree with sap.

 

The most important to thing to remember is to have patience with your dogs itchiness.

I’m sure they’re not happy about it either.

 

WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN?

Our dogs get itchy.

However we want to avoid excessive itching and scratching.

Finding out what’s causing your dog’s itchiness is a process of elimination regarding their food and their environment.

It takes patience.

Be aware of your dog’s behaviour, and diarise it!

 

IN THE COMMENTS BELOW – BILLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW – IS YOUR DOG ITCHY & HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH IT?