Extremely itchy dog - Please help.

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MM&PP

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Hello,

We have a rising 8 yo GSD who has become extremely itchy over the past few weeks so much so that he itches until he is raw and sometimes bleeding :(

I took him to the vet who prescribed an antibacterial shampoo, Cortisal Spray (steroid spray) and regular flea treatments. I have changed his diet to a hypoallergenic feed and he gets bathed weekly, but I have seen no change and it is very upsetting to see him like this :( The Cortisal and baths help for a couple of hours and then he's back itching like anything.

I will get another appt at vets - what do you think next step should be? Nothing changed at all and he began itching - although I guess it could still be allergies? Could he have thyroid problem? Could it be in his head? Would one of those lampshade collars do any good?

Any reccomendations to help him in the mean time please help! I feel a bit stuck with what to do :(

Thank-you.
 
My mum had a retriver who used to have an itchy coat, she used to give it it Evening Primrose Oil tablets from a health food shop. It worked for him
 
Whereabouts on his body is your boy scratching? On what basis did the vet prescribe the treatment that he did? Did he see evidence of flea dirt? Did he do skin scrapings? Which flea treatment did he give you as some will cover mange too?

A cheap long shot to try (with the permission of your vet of course) would be to give him some piriton tablets on a daily basis and monitor the results.

Also, try feeding sardines as a source of omega oils to help his coat/skin.
 
My labrador suffered with this last summer, and I can tell it is about to make a re-appearance if I dont keep on top of it!

Like you - found it very distressing (as did he!) and became at wits end when vets passed it off as a mild allergy. I dont know whether this could be the same for your dog, but I spoke to my dog trainer and she thought it could be a grass allergy to certain grass types - as different grasses come up every year it is hard to identify them, and also why probably havent seen symptoms before!

So, he is now on Piriton twice a day, and brush him thoroughly daily - which he loves. I flea him monthly and bath twice monthly with camomile shampoo - a combination of which all seem to work for the majority of the time!

Good luck and hope he stops itching soon! :)
 
What flea treatment did you use?

Skin cases are incredibly frustrating but there is still hope for your guy. Skin scrapings to rule out mites and other parasites would be the next step.
What parts of his body is he scratching at? different areas can be associated with different problems...

Is he on a full exclusion diet?as in no extra's in terms of treats and chewing toys like pigs ears.Diet changes should be given 4 to 6 weeks to see if they work.Though it does sound like it may be more than an intolerance to something in food in your guy.

Is there a pattern to his itchyness? after outside or contact with anything....windy days versus humid days when the pollens are high? Has he had issues before..What time of year? has anything changed in his envirOnment around the time he started itching....new airfreshener carpet cleaner etc...

Thyroid problem generally is hair loss on the flanks and is associated with other symptoms as well....dullness depression heat seeking weight gain.

Allergies are still a very high possibility.

Antihistamines tablets should wait until after your vet has seen him though.They can cause dogs to be sedated in some cases.Plus the vet will need to see the full clinical picture to be able to get a proper idea of potential causes.Id be booking him in sooner rather than later
 
I would try James Wellbeloved food for a couple of weeks and see if that helps. An awful lot of dogs are allergic to additives in foods and I find most people fare better with the James wb x
 
My GSD is in Piriton under vet's guidance and also on a low-protein, wheat/corn-free, fish-based food. He reacts to certain foods, tree pollen and the bacteria on his own skin.
He also gets Malaseb baths.
He is in the middle of a melt-down at the minute and has had to go on anti-biotics and steroids :(

What food is he on now?
 
You could try sulphur tablets, they worked a treat for our very itchy Border T. You can get them from a chemist or natural health shop, you can also get rock sulphur to go in the water bowl from a pet shop.
 
Which hypo-allergenic food are you using?

Some only pay lip service to the label and it is no point feeding lamb & rice if your dog would be better with fish & potatoes.
 
ITs not really long enough to know if the diet change has helped re allergies but the Cortavance spray should have helped the itching. Prob the next step should be skin scrapings and investigations for parasitic skin problems other than fleas. i.e demodex, sarcoptic mange and lice. Using a buster collar (lampshade) will stop him from getting to the itchy spot but it doesn't stop it itching.
If he is that itchy I would be suspicious of a parasite if some kind that isn't affected by routine flea treaments.
 
my dog is an itchy monster weve just finished 8 weeks of antibiotics again (thank goodness for insurance), have you changed anything in the house? new carpets , febreze, washing powder or conditioner for his bedding, had the car valeted etc etc even cutting the grass sets my dog off.my dog even has to have his teeth scraped and polished regularly so hes not carrying infection in his mouth and transfering it to his skin by madly licking himself. trial and error im afraid is the only way forward. good luck and my sincere sympathies!
 
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