Itchy dog

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Janah

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One of my labs aged 6yrs began itching like mad last year. No fleas or rash, just scratching all the time. She got sore behind her elbows and stomach so I applied Wondergel (fantastic stuff I use it on horse dogs and me). Wondergel eased the itch but didn't cure it, not that I expected it to. Itch stopped in the autumn.

Fast forward to this week and has started again. Could it be an allergy to pollen? Lots of rolling on grass with daisies and dandelions.

Thought of trying Piriton, any ideas if suitable for a dog and how much to give a lab, weight 27kg.

Thanks in anticipation.
 
yes, dogs can suffer from pollen, grass seed type allergies as well as dust mites. Nightmare to treat - sometimes with steroids, topical creams and shampoos - all together! Itchy skin is a nightmare to diagnose properly too!
 
Maybe try a different approach, what do you feed her? Maybe she is reacting to cereal in the diet, or you could add a little salmon oil to her feed, this often helps with skin irritations.
 
She is fed Skinners Duck & Rice, just a handful for breakfast and chicken meat and puffed rice for supper. No change there.
 
How often is she treated for parasites and with what?

...behind the elbows and on the belly is a red flag for some types of mite's.... so best to rule that out early on.

Allergies are also a possibility.the seasonality of her itch would point in that direction, those areas..belly and elbows would suggest its could be something she is coming into contact with when lying down.
 
I have an elderly lab who had tests for allergies and was diagnosed as being allergic to 30 different things include all grasses and dust etc. He is the product of backyard breeding.

He is now fed raw and although not cured, the episodes are few and far between where it used to be a monthly vets visit back when he was on bog standard kibble. I guess the vets left out tests for grain allergies ;-)
 
I am beginning to think maybe something to do with swimming in the fish pond! Huge pond and 6' deep- in the middle. She doesn't go in in winter as too cold. Maybe a big bath when she comes out. Will give it a go.
 
Dog swam in fish pond this am, hosed her off immediately and 'touch wood' no excessive scratching!
 
All my dogs have allergies (and they are not back-yard bred). The consultant we are under says piriton is good for itchiness but not for ear infection which is how mine show their allergies. We have had one pin prick allergy tested and one blood tested, awaiting pin prick for 3rd. We will be vaccinating as soon as they are off steroids.
 
Our Vet suggested Piriton (half a tablet for our little pug) but you have to speak to your vet for recommended dose, she sneezes near grass and get itchy but I've found to prevent the itching is to towel her off with those dog wet wipes (like a shampoo wash wipe) as it removes the pollen from the coat, dry doing that after being outside, it could help, certainly worth a try.
 
Worth trying MSM for itchy dogs. Has amazing anti inflammatory properties and is totally natural. Is very cost effective to feed so well worth trying it. I know a lot of dogs with seasonal allergies who do really well on it without the use of things like piriton. Also if it is pollen based allergy you could try feeding local honey to your dog. It needs to come from within a 20mile radius of where you live. By feeding it every day you help your dog to build immunity to the local pollen. You can get MSM for dogs on the Riaflex website but you'd need to hunt locally for your honey. good luck
 
I have just started using Yumega Plus oil for my dog, its a salmon oil supplement. He's an allergic type and reacts to all sorts of things including pollens, hay mites, cat hair etc. I'm pleased with the results so far, i've noticed all the red has gone out of his itchy areas and his skin is beginning to look healthier generally.
 
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