Itchy puppy, not fleas, help please!

[rubyrumba]

My puppy seems to be really itchy around her neck and chewing at her paws. She has had advocate so it is not fleas and the vet expressed her anal glands but she is still itching. She is fed arden grange puppy food. Any ideas most welcome please?

 

[CorvusCorax]

Try a different food, eliminate a household product such as a cleaning fluid, the carpet, her bedding, washing power, cigarette smoke, pollen etc. Breed?

 

[MrsElle]

Allergy sounds like a good bet. As CC says, try to elimate certain items to see if that makes a difference.

We have a JRT who is allergic to goodness knows what. She has had skin scrapings and bloods taken, we have tried every food available, plus plain rice and chicken, and she still chews and scratches herself until she bleeds. She gets worse if she is stressed.

We manage to keep it from getting too bad by giving her half an anti hystamine a day.

Hope you get your pup sorted, it is very distressing for dog and owner when they have allergies.

 

[rubyrumba]

Was thinking about trying her on fish4dogs anyway. Would that be a safe bet? She's a springer spaniel. I wash her bedding in non bio, no carpet, no smokers. How would I know if it's pollen? Should I try changing her food before I take her back to the vet?

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Was she clipped recently? Fish4dogs is a great food to eliminate allergic reactions. My neighbour's springer is allergic to chicken!

If it's grass, you're a bit screwed as its obviously difficult to avoid and you'll probably need antihistamines. It's not disastrous, but a pain. Switch the food ASAP: what is she currently eating?

 

[rubyrumba]

She is on Arden grange at the moment.

 

[NeverSayNever]

arden grange is a pretty good food tbh, although fish4dogs is better.

the fact its her paws makes me think its an environmental allergen causing it, grass pollen or something. Your vet can get an intradermal skin test done to test for allergens. I had one done on my lab pup 15 years ago and he came back reacting to 28 different things, including grass pollen and house dust mites!! I thought we were goosed but the results were sent off and a vaccine made up for him that he got once a month for the next year. He was fine!!

 

[Soft-touch]

If you wanted to try something natural I have a westie with really itchy paws and skin and use the Dermacton range of products from Aromesse (website Aromesse.com) works wonders! No steroids or harsh chemicals for your puppy either.