Dogs do occasionally scratch, but if it’s frequent, incessant or distressing then something is amiss. Some dogs will lick or nibble rather than scratch. Many do this in private so watch out for red, sore skin, bald patches, or brown saliva staining where the fur has been licked.
Itching (technically called pruritus) is a sign, not a diagnosis or specific disease. It’s probably the most common reason for owners to take pets to the vet’s, making up a large proportion of our consultations.
Fleas are elusive and VERY common. In warmer weather, flea eggs develop into adults quicker. It’s important to carry out the following steps before discounting these critters.
How to check your dog for fleas
They move fast and hide well, especially in thick or dark coats, so are hard to find. Adults are 5% of the population. The rest exist as eggs, larvae and pupae within the environment. As one flea can lay 40-50 eggs per day, there don’t need to be many adults to start a problem, so not finding a flea doesn’t rule out
Using a comb look for the dark gritty specks of flea faeces, often around the tail base and neck. These specks, when placed on dampened cotton wool, form a red tinge due to blood content.
I’ve used a flea treatment; could it still be fleas ?
Flea treatments need to have effective ingredients and be applied regularly. Breaks in protection allow
There’s a baffling array of flea products out there containing different active ingredients. Products bought from shops or online may have not been tested rigorously for safety and efficacy. Get advice from your vets, especially in the face of an outbreak. In addition, veterinary treatments are often combined with ingredients to prevent other parasites like ticks or lungworm. They can help you pick a treatment that looks after your individual needs and lifestyle risks.
Many flea treatments need
The itch is localised; what could this mean?
Look closely for any wounds, matts, foreign bodies such as splinters, or insect or tick bites. If your pet is scratching only its ears you’ll need a vet to look down the ear canals, checking for inflammation, infection or foreign bodies such as grass seeds.
My dog is scratching all over; what could this be?
The most common causes of itching are parasites, infections, and allergies.
We have already covered the most common parasite; the flea. There are also many types of…
Mites.
Some can be easily seen with a microscope, others are more difficult to spot, and most are not visible with the naked eye. Sarcoptic mites usually cause intense itching and scabbing on the ears, chest, elbows and hocks. They are infectious, spread by other dogs or foxes, and affect humans.
A predominantly rabbit mite (Cheyletiella) less commonly affects dogs. It’s spread by wild rabbits or other dogs. It appears like ‘walking dandruff’ and can cause itching if the dog is hypersensitive, although usually doesn’t. These mites will not live on humans but may cause skin irritation.
Demodex mites cause hair loss and scaling which can be local or general and, in certain forms, cause itching. The mite is not infectious to other animals or humans. If a secondary skin infection occurs, with severe cases this will cause intense itching.
If everything else has been ruled out, your dog is most likely suffering from an…
Allergic skin disease.
Contact allergies aren’t common but can occur with a new shampoo or washing powder, for example. Think if you have changed anything recently.
Flea allergy dermatitis, which is common as mentioned, with lesions typically affecting the rump, back and neck.
The other two broad types are:
- Canine atopic disease (“Atopy” or “Atopic Dermatitis”): a reaction to environmental allergens like pollen causing seasonal signs, or house dust mites causing all-year signs.
- Cutaneous adverse food reaction (“Food Allergy”) is due to an allergic reaction to certain foods, that usually occurs all year round.
They have very similar signs so are hard to tell apart. Many dogs suffer a mixture of allergies, complicating things further. Usually, skin changes and itching are generalised, affecting the tummy and face more often, but can be local. Food allergies are more likely if your dog is less than 1 year old, but can happen at any age. They cause gut signs in one third of dogs. Atopy usually starts between 6 months and 3 years old.
Your vet may discuss starting a strict elimination food trial if an adverse food reaction is suspected.
Allergic skin diseases cannot be cured, only managed, and cause immense frustration for owners as well as being time consuming and costly, as management is lifelong.
Skin infections
These may involve yeasts or bacteria, and usually happen due to poor skin barrier function from an underlying allergic skin disease. It may be the first sign that your dog has allergic skin disease. Bacterial infections often appear in humid areas of the body like the ears, feet and groin as circular scaly patches, pimples or oozing sores but can be general. Yeast infections tend to be more greasy and generalised and can affect ears. These infections cause intense itching so need treatment but the underlying allergy mustn’t be ignored. Prevention of infections is important for long-term management of allergic skin diseases.
Common things occur commonly so make sure all animals and the house are up-to-date with a safe, effective and recommended flea treatment. If the itch doesn’t settle then a vet visit will be required.
Discussion
My 18 week old Belgian Malinois is scratching like mad. His vet was unhelpful and unimpressive. We’ve ruled out food, he has no fleas and is on preventative, Benadryl which the vet recommended is not helping. We’ve begun adding fish oil to his food to help with dry skin. He has not been exposed to new environmental products. This itchy change began about 2.5 weeks ago and is worsening. I see that all your responses point back to the vet, go to the vet, but when the vet’s suggestions do not work, other suggestions are appreciated. Saturday he had a bath and coat treatment at our local pet spa, by Sunday late evening he was back to scratching. Any tips are appreciated. Thanks!
The reason is that skin disease is really complex to diagnose. It’s quite likely given his age that this is atopic dermatitis – and if that is the case, an antihistamine is nowhere near powerful enough needed to control the symptoms. The other likely causes are burrowing mites like Sarcoptes; however, many modern flea treatments will kill them too, ruling out two birds with one stone. Other options include bacterial or fungal infections (but these are usually secondary to something else – usually allergies/atopy!), or weird and rare things like brain lesions (never seen one but they are a remote possibility).
The problem is that whatever’s causing the itching, you need a really effective drug or more likely combination of drugs to manage it – and that means you need a vet to prescribe them.
My advice would be to ask for either a second opinion from another local vet or (more expensive but always an option) ask for a referral to a dermatology specialist.
Good luck!
My dog has no fleas she chewed 3 big holes in her rear end it isn’t the first time. We put the cone on & started benedryl. We looked her over no fleas no flea dirt she’s itching like crazy will get bravecto just to be safe. We don’t have carpet in our house these are 12 & 13 year old dogs that just go in the yard to use restroom they are always in the hose other than that.
Definitely time to get her seen by your vet – do NOT use human medicines on animals without checking with your vet first. Antihistamines don’t work very well in dogs, and can have serious side effects in some cases; it’s also a criminal offence under UK and EU law to use them off license except under advice of a registered veterinarian (although in some countries the laws on animal welfare and protection are much laxer).
While parasites are the most likely cause, there are other possibilities, and your vet will be able to get to the bottom of the problem much faster than trial and error of different meds!
My dog scratches constantly, took to vet no fleas or ticks and of course he didn’t scratch (at least that’s what they said, couldn’t go in with my dog due to covid). The scratching doesn’t leave sores but he does seem miserable and frustrated.
Have a chat to your vet about other possible causes, such as allergic skin disease (which is the second most common cause!).
My Chihuahua named Baby had a dry skin what should I do?
It depends why – was it developmental, was it due to diet, was it due to an underlying skin problem? I’d advise a vet check to rule out underlying medical problems, and then the next step might be to consider diet or supplementation, to improve the essential fatty acid balance in the skin. Good luck!
My dog keeps bit her slef but got no fleas on her can tell what.
here are loads and loads of possible causes, including other parasites (like mites), allergies, and even some types of nerve damage. She needs a vet to determine what’s going on!
My puppy keeps scratching not got fleas or infection she has been wormed and had flea protection
There are a wide range of possible causes – but remember that fleas are much harder to kill than most people think!
If fleas are ruled out, mites and lice are a possibility, but so are allergies. You probably need to make an appointment with your vet to determine the exact cause and how best to manage it.