So is your dog scratching himself? And! It’s what dogs do, right? Well yes, but within reason! All dogs scratch, but if it becomes excessive, there is usually something wrong that needs attention. Read on for free veterinary advice on how to provide necessary pet care and avoid unnecessary vet fees.
First, you need to do a little detective work to find out what’s going on.
What causes it?
Scratching is what is called a ‘non-specific sign’; in other words, it can be caused by many different things. If your dog is scratching more than normal, usually all over, then the first thing to look for is to see if he is carrying any “passengers”. The most common are fleas: they are fast-moving, chestnut-brown in color, about 2mm long, and difficult to catch as they run through open fur. They tend to congregate around the neck and tailbone, but they can appear anywhere, maybe even on you!
They have the well-known prodigious ability to jump amazingly with their powerful hind legs. But fleas aren’t the only biting skin parasites your dog may have: lice – the smaller, slow-moving ones that cling to the fur (and their eggs, known as “nits”) can also be a problem, especially in puppies and kennel dogs. If he finds any of these, that’s probably the problem, but just because he can’t find them doesn’t mean it isn’t the cause; an expert eye may be required to spot them.
Another parasitic condition, usually seen in younger dogs, is mange. This is caused by mites and usually results in redness, hair loss, and irritation of the lower body, legs, and head; these mites are almost invisible without a microscope, especially since they burrow into the skin instead of on top of the skin like fleas and lice. Another itchy insect is the harvest mite, which lives freely in gardens and pastures, particularly in limestone areas: its larvae feed on the skin of animals and birds usually in July and August and if your pet (or you! ) until their bites can cause intense skin irritation. Dogs living in the country will also get ticks which may seem alarming when filled with your dog’s blood, but in fact rarely cause itching or any other problems (you may have heard of tick-borne Lyme disease; in fact, it is rarely seen in dogs).
If your dog is only scratching in one area, take a look to see if you can see if something is a friend. Scratching behind one ear and head shaking usually suggests an ear infection, often accompanied by a buildup of wax, redness, and sometimes an odor. Infections can also be itchy: sometimes it’s a scattered infection of the hair follicle with tiny pustules, or it can be something quite dramatic like a “hot spot,” aka “acute moist dermatitis” or “self-inflicted dermatitis.” This latter condition causes great distress to affected dogs, as they go berserk over a patch of skin, perhaps about 10cm in diameter, which they lick and nibble intensely and pull at the hair, leaving an angry, wet red patch. The condition is caused by an acute infection along with damage caused by the dog itself. Sometimes ‘hot spots’ start when the dog licks the closest he can get to a point of irritation; it is commonly seen in dogs with blocked anal glands.
Allergies are another cause of itchiness in dogs. Like a similar condition in humans, this can be a “contact allergy,” where your dog becomes sensitive to something (called an “allergen”) in his environment that he comes in contact with, such as plants, tar, treatments of fabrics etc. the affected skin being the one that comes into contact with the allergen – legs, chest and belly in general. Another type of allergy that is seen to cause more itchy skin in dogs is “atopy,” which results from an allergy to something that is usually inhaled or eaten; this is a difficult condition to control effectively as the allergen is often something that cannot be controlled. Do not remove from your dog’s environment. However, there is a treatment called Atopica that is very effective in most cases; it is fairly new and has dramatically improved the lives of many affected dogs. Atopica is sold only by prescription and is expensive, but it can be purchased online at a much lower price.
Just as scratching due to allergies is an external sign of an internal problem, some other cases of scratching are also due to internal problems; for example, some liver conditions can cause itchy skin.
Something to remember is that puppies always scratch more than adult dogs, particularly when he gets his first collar!
What can I do to help?
Fleas and lice can be easily treated without going to your vet – great flea treatments like Frontline for dogs are available over the counter and many are very effective against lice as well. One important thing to keep in mind is that fleas don’t breed on your dog, but on your bedding and around the house. So treatment consists of treating your dog with, for example, Frontline, and then using your vacuum to remove fleas, eggs and larvae around the bedding (beds at night and sleeping places during the day). You can also purchase treatments to spray or fumigate your home that are effective in killing and preventing fleas for up to a year. Unlike fleas, lice reproduce entirely on the dog, so you can eliminate an infection simply by treating your dog.
Because fleas are so successful as parasites, especially during the warmer summer months, if your dog mixes with others or spends a lot of time outdoors, you should assume that he will contract fleas and therefore treat him monthly with Frontline to prevent it from getting infected. .
Ear infections will likely need veterinary treatment, but once they subside, you can do a lot to prevent outbreaks by using an over-the-counter ear cleaner to keep your ear healthy and free of the wax that often starts a new infection.
If you see that your dog has developed a ‘hot spot’ (it’s amazing how quickly they appear!), then you need to see a vet, but there is something you can do beforehand to prevent it from getting worse: avoid licking, biting or scratching. the affected skin patch and apply a soothing lotion to the area. If you have a ‘lampshade’ necklace, put it on; if you don’t have it, and your dog is prone to developing hot spots, then get one!
Dogs that scratch in a general way without specific parasites or infections are only affected by a low-grade skin infection, they just need a bath! You can get good medicated dog shampoos over the counter.
When should I call my vet?
It’s an important principle of pet care to know when to take your pet to the vet instead of doing it yourself. Here is a list of reasons to see your vet if your dog is scratching:
- If your dog has an ear infection.
- If your dog has developed a ‘hot spot’.
- If the scratching is accompanied by other signs of ill health
- If the skin on your dog’s belly is red and inflamed, or if you see small pus-filled spots.
- If there is hair loss, with thinning of the coat
- If your dog is intensely nibbling on his feet or on a particular area of the skin.
Veterinarians see a lot of scratching dogs in our clinics, and while some dogs certainly have lifelong problems, especially if they have atopy, the vast majority of cases respond to simple treatments and settle quickly. The best thing is that many cases respond to treatments that you can buy and apply yourself without incurring veterinary expenses.
