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Help! How do I get my dog out of the itch/scratch cycle

How do I get my dog out of the itch/scratch cycle? She has scratched her sides since April.

She is on Frontline Plus, she has had 2 cortisone shots, and yet she scratches her hair out.

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4 Responses to “Help! How do I get my dog out of the itch/scratch cycle”

  1. Jo Ann Greenberg, VMD - Brooklyn, NY says:

    Hi – This is very frustrating. Has your vet checked your dog for mites (demodex or scabies)? Both can cause itching and will not respond to cortisone or Frontline. Another thing to consider is a food allergy – this can cause intense itching and is nonseasonal. Maybe a change of diet will help. One thing to remember is that a diet trial needs to be done for at least 8-12 weeks and you have to be very diligent about feeding ONLY the hypoallergenic diet – no treats/table scraps etc.

    I have found that even if food allergy isn’t the only problem, feeding a hypoallergenic diet can really help decrease the severity of the symptoms. There are many diets on the market that could be useful: Hill’s Z/D, Royal Canin venison or duck or rabbit, Eukanuba kangaroo (!) and potato, Wellness salmon. Or if you are ambitious, you can make a homemade diet (there is a great book by Donald R. Strombeck that has lots of recipes).

    Another very common cause of itching is malassezia, or yeast infection. If your dog’s skin has an odor, or if you are seeing lots of scaling or greasiness, this may be the problem. This can be diagnosed by cytology – your vet can make a slide from the outer skin layer and see the yeast buds under the microscope. Treatment is topical (special antifungal shampoos) and systemic (oral medication).

    In the meantime, maybe try antihistamines to control the itch – your veterinarian can recommend one or two to try (there are several that are available over the counter, as well as by prescription, and you may need to try a couple of different ones to see what works). Antihistamines may cause drowsiness, and you may need to tinker with the dose, but they are much safer for long-term use than cortisone. There are some shampoos and topical sprays on the market that can give your dog some relief while you are working on the other aspects of her problem – some brands are Resicort, Resiprox, Relief. Your vet may carry one or more of these. You will want to bathe her every week or two for starters.

    Also, if her skin has gotten infected from all the scratching, she may need antibiotics to manage the infection. Skin infections can be uncomfortable and cause itching too. This may need to be done for several weeks to clear the infection.

    Good luck – hope this helps.

    Jo Ann Greenberg, VMD
    Atlantic Animal Care
    Brooklyn, NY

  2. Dyanna McCain - Holistic Healer - LA, CA says:

    Good Morning,

    I would be careful with the frontline. This chemical is a neurotoxin. The same applies with the cortizone. This drug can cause muscle waste among other things. Typically, if there is a lot of scratching, the liver is congested. You could do a detox or support the liver with food supplements. A liver glandular would be good as well. You could build up his immune system as well. A homeopathic remedy called sulphur 30c is also helpful for this condition.

    Dyanna McCain, DIHom DVetHom
    Holistic Animal Healing
    Los Angeles, CA

  3. T. L. Medinger, DVM - Aurora, IL says:

    Ask your DVM for a referral to a veterinary dermatologist/allergist as there can be many causes and without a definitive diagnosis empirical treatment is destined to fail.

    T. L. Medinger, DVM, MS, DACVIM (SAIM)
    VCA Aurora Animal Hospital
    Aurora, IL

  4. Anonymous says:

    Dogs that itch can have a couple simple problems
    outside allergies, food allergies
    I have 2 dogs who both have diffeent problems
    solution is find a new diet that works for you
    mine are on raw and cooked
    do not do allergy shots or tests! huge waste of money
    Dr Jessica Levy is a holistic vet who helped me the most
    big problem witht he food is dogs cannot digest grains–dog food is garbage
    Cindy

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