THE CRAZY DOG LADIES - Itchy Animals

Recently, I was asked “how do I get my dog to stop scratching?” While I am no veterinarian, which is always your best place to start with issues with any of your pets, I have experienced the same problem with my dogs.

The reason your dog is itching could be so some many things but the first place to start is checking her for fleas. You must be really careful in checking as a few times I have told My Crazy Dog Guy/Husband, “They don’t have fleas! I checked!” I even asked the groomer to double check me and give them a flea bath if they see fleas. The groomer detected no fleas so we gave them a medicated bath to help with dry skin. They still itched. I was baffled because they were still itching. I was ready to start changing their food when I re-applied their flea treatment a little earlier than usual. After a few days, the itching stopped. I still haven’t seen a flea with my own eyes!

A few years back, our American Staffordshire Terrier, BeeBee, was itching. Fleas were ruled out so the next step was food allergies. We just fed her a brand we purchased at the grocery store so we checked the ingredients and began the process of weaning out the villain-ingredient. Not chicken, not pork, not beef…corn it is! T. J. Dunn, Jr., DVM on PetMD.com says “If you feed dry commercial dog food, be certain that the first ingredient listed is meat such as beef, poultry, lamb or fish.” Food allergies can take some time to determine but Dr. Dunn says “without proper nourishment skin problems in dogs and cats is just one of the possible reactions; the animal’s entire body, not just its skin and coat, will be continuously in a state of stress. High quality meat-based dog foods seldom, if ever, create the kind of skin and coat irritation in most animals.” Many pet people are trying grain free and organic foods. The cost may be more but if you find something that stops the itching, it is probably worth it.

If fleas and food don’t seem to be the answer it’s time to call the vet. At least you can say you tried these two solutions and your vet can advise you from there.