Occasional dog itching and scratching is natural dog behavior. Problems only arise when the itching becomes extremely frequent.
Extreme dog itchiness is usually a sign of dog allergies, or skin parasites.
The irritation may sometimes cause dogs to rub their noses on the rug, on furniture, or even in the mud and snow. This is done to alleviate some of the unpleasant itchy dog sensation.
Depending on the source of the irritation, there could also be hair-loss.
Dog Itching Reason 1
Hot Spots
As I understand it, hot spots are caused by bacterial infection on the dog’s skin. It usually starts when a scratch or opening on the skin is exposed to moisture, for a prolonged period of time.
My Siberian Husky Shania developed a hot spot last winter, on the lower-inner part of her back leg. It was raining cats and dogs, and her outdoor bed was often wet. She probably developed her hot spot from lying on her wet bed, and exposing a scratch on her leg to moisture.
With hot spots, it is important to catch it as early as possible. Otherwise, the condition may worsen and spread when the dog continuously licks or scratches on the infected site. If untreated, the infected area may become painful, may develop pus, and may start to smell.
Luckily, we caught Shania’s hot spot early-on and stopped it, before it was able to expand. We cut away the fur around the spot, and made sure to keep it dry. The most challenging part was supervising Shania and making sure that she did not lick, or bite at the infected skin. Sometimes, an Elizabethan collar may be necessary to prevent licking, scratching, and biting.
We also made sure to dry the infected area very well after a trip outside. First, we used a towel, and then we would lightly fan the area until it was fully dry. Keeping it dry reduced irritation to the skin, which in turn made it less likely for Shania to continue worrying at it.
If the infection spreads or develops pus, it is best to get treatment from the vet.
Dog Itching Reason 2
Food Allergies
With food allergies, the dog itch is usually accompanied by loose or watery stool. My Shiba Inu is allergic to wheat, and he used to get really itchy from it.
To identify the source of the allergy, I started feeding my dog really plain meals (boiled chicken and rice); no treats or other types of food. I was also very careful during neighborhood walks so that he did not slip in a “road-side surprise“.
It may take a few days before the allergens clear out of our dog’s system, and we start to see an improvement. Some dogs may be allergic to poultry, so if the boiled chicken does not help, then switch to an alternate meat source, for example venison or rabbit.
Only boil or microwave the meat. Do not add anything else, and absolutely do not use table scraps. Table scraps are usually too rich for dogs, and may contain spices or ingredients (e.g. onions) that are poisonous to dogs. Some dogs may be allergic to multiple common ingredients. My Siberian Husky, for example, is allergic to wheat, oats, and fish.
Once the extreme itching goes away, slowly introduce our dog’s normal food back into his diet, one by one, until we find the problem ingredient.
Start with only 1/4 portion of the first food, and slowly increase the portion by quarters in each subsequent day. If everything is well after one week, then introduce the next food on the subsequent week.
If we are using dry food (kibble), find one that is grain free, and has good protein sources.
Some good kibble brands include Innova EVO, Orijen, Nature’s Variety Instinct, and Wellness CORE.
Dog Itching Reason 3
Environmental Allergies
Dog itching can also be caused by plants, pollen, or other chemicals.
The best way to deal with these environmental allergies is to keep our dog away from the offending chemicals or contaminants. For example, my dogs often stick their muzzle into holes, bushes, and plants. Therefore, I try keeping them inside the house-only for a few days.
If the itching improves, then it is likely that my dog is allergic to something in the backyard or neighborhood. Once I identify which plant is the source of the skin allergy, I remove it from my backyard and avoid it during walks.
Note that some plants can be poisonous to dogs.
Like us, dogs may also have a reaction to inhaling certain air allergens such as pollen, or mold. However, this usually results in nose irritation, and frequent sneezing.
Dog Itching Reason 4
Skin Parasites
Dog itching may also result from mites, fleas, or other skin parasites.
This can be easily diagnosed by the vet with a skin scraping. Depending on the parasite and the severity of the infection, different treatments may be appropriate.
Our vet will be most equipped to advise us on the different treatment options.
Note that many parasite treatments involve the use of toxic chemicals to kill the mites or fleas.
Some dogs may have allergic reactions to these toxins. Remember to ask our vet about possible dangers of the treatment, and get additional information from online sources before going ahead with it.
My Siberian Husky recently got demodectic mange from her puppy playmates in dog daycare. To treat the skin mites, our vet suggested the use of Goodwinol ointment. This treatment got the mites under control after about one week, but it also caused some vomiting and irritation to the eyes.
There are also some horror stories on flea and tick repellent products. This article provides safety information on most of these products.
Since these repellents are designed to kill fleas, ticks, and other skin parasites, they are all toxic to some degree. As such, there is always the possibility that our dog may have an allergic reaction.
Flea and tick collars can be especially dangerous because if they are not properly fastened, a dog may chew off pieces, or even swallow it whole.
Note however, that not using flea and tick repellents may expose our dog to skin irritation, as well as dangerous diseases such as lyme disease. Before making a decision, it may be useful to read what the FDA has to say about fighting fleas and ticks.
If we do find some ticks on our dog, do not try to pull them off with our fingers. This may cause the body of the tick to break off, and leave the head still embedded in our dog’s skin. Embedded tick parts may sometimes cause a skin infection.
One of the best tools for removing ticks easily and safely, is the Ticked off tick remover.
It may look just like a silly plastic spoon, but it works surprisingly well for removing ticks. Since I got it, I have been able to remove all ticks from my dogs without any problems.
These are the most common reasons for dog itching, dog scratching, and hair loss. However, there could be other causes, so it is always best to consult with the vet.
When dealing with allergy issues, find a vet who is willing to help us identify the source of the allergy, rather than just treat the symptoms with shots.
Note – In this article we only focus on dog itching and scratching. For a broader, more general discussion of dog allergies, check out Allergies and Atopy in Dogs. Dogs may also have allergic reactions to their yearly vaccination shots. This article on Vaccine Side Effects and Risks gives a good overview of possible dangers.
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Hi, thank you so much for such an informative article. I was browsing the internet in attempt to find some help for my 3-year old Jack Russell Terrier. Recently my dog had a really bad ear infection and we took him to the vet and got antibiotics. He had already been Lately scratching his face a lot, but we thought it may of had something to do with his infected ear. His ear is better, but the scratching does not stop. He scratches his face and when he does he even whimpers. I feed him a high quality food (WELLNESS) and am not quite sure how to go about finding out what is wrong with him. I’m worried that about him and don’t want him to feel uncomfortable. What is the first step to take?
Thank you so much!
Hmmmm,
Has he been digging?
My Sibe Lara loves to dig, and often, a bunch of dirt would get into her ear and she would scratch it a lot as a result. We started to clean her ear every day, before sleep time, and that seemed to help things a lot.
Have you taken your boy back to the vet for a checkup of his ear? I would probably have a chat with the vet, and see what he has to say.
Another possibility is environmental allergies. We can observe where our dog spends most of his time, and see if there is anything there that may cause an allergic reaction. Dogs can also get stung by bees or spiders, which can also cause discomfort, and itching. Are there any unusual areas or bumps on his face?
How is his energy level? Is he eating and drinking normally? Is his stool normal?
Hi. I was curious about food allergies and all or any signs of them. My 2 year old husky has been scratching and nipping at her hair along her back and tail to the point it looks like a reversed mohawk. She’s been on Purina Pro Plan Lamb and Rice since she was able to start eating solid food. I’ve taken her to the vet and he’s said it could be allergies related to food or fleas (no longer any fleas, but when there were it was very little and taken care of immediately), or just simply dry skin? I’m switching her over to a bland diet of rice, hamburger, and green beans and see how that works. Any suggestions?
Hello Carol,
How is it going with the bland diet?
With Purina Pro Plan Lamb and Rice, I noticed that it contains corn gluten meal as well as wheat. Many dogs are allergic to corn and wheat. I feed both my Sibes a grain-free kibble, and that seems to work well for them. My Shiba Inu is allergic to wheat, and my Sibe Shania is allergic to oats. I am not sure about my other Sibe Lara, because I haven’t given her anything with wheat, corn, or oats. The only grain she has had is rice.
With my Shiba Inu, the wheat in his kibble caused him to itch a lot more than usual. He would also lick his paws more and he had some diarrhea. With my Sibes, they both had bad diarrhea, but I did not notice any significant increase in itching.
Here is a bit more on what to look for in a kibble-
http://shibashake.com/dog/feeding-your-dog-a-healthy-diet#dry_food
Hello,
I believe that my three year old schnauzer may be allergic to fish. She started eating a fish based food Dec 2010 and began licking her paws excessively in Jan 2011. I was told it was likely environmental and not food related, however she recently was sick and did not eat for 5 days; while she was sick she did not lick her paws. As soon as she was back on her food, she began licking and itching again and now it seems worse–her paws and ears are constantly hot too. I also give her chicken treats so I don’t know if it is the chicken or the fish so it is very frustrating. I read that your dogs are allergic to fish and that you feed EVO, however it has herring meal in it. Is this not a problem because it is not the main ingredient? Most kibbles have fish oil…is this ok if it is a fish allergy?
Hello Marie,
That is a very good point. In the case of Shania and Lara, they seem to only get problems when I actually feed them salmon and tuna. In particular, they get diarrhea from it. I did not try other fish. I am not sure if herring is different, or just that the kibble preparation process removes something that they are allergic to, but they seem ok with the EVO.
To rule out food allergies, I switched my dog onto a bland diet. I used boiled chicken and rice, but we can also use lamb, venison, or rabbit, as an alternate meat source if we think poultry is an issue. Has your Schnauzer had chicken treats earlier on, or was this a recent addition? What are the ingredients in her old food?
It usually takes a few days before the change in diet will have an effect. Then, if the allergy symptoms go away, we know it comes from the food.
I checked through the ingredient list of Blue Wilderness Chicken and did not see any fish, so perhaps that could be an option.
http://bluebuffalo.com/dog-food/wilderness-chicken
When your girl was sick, did she stay in the house the majority of the time? If that was the case, it could also reduce her exposure to environmental allergens.
Hugs to your Schnauzer. Let us know how it goes.
Hi,
I was wondering what you could tell me about my dog.. he’s been rubbing his nose on the rug and carpets which made a little part of his nose pink now… And I’m not sure if that’s from rubbing his nose too hard. Also he has fleas on him, but I don’t know the best way to treat him.. I already tried frontline but it didn’t seem to work… I also tried a oatmeal flea shampoo but they only seem to work for a couple days.. since I see fleas on him now I was thinking maybe my home is infested with fleas… And if you know the best product to get rid of them could you please tell me. thanks..
Hello Cyndi,
With fleas, it is necessary to not only get rid of the fleas on our dog currently, but to get rid of them in the environment where our dog sleeps and plays. If we do not remove the fleas from the environment, they would just get back onto the dog.
A few years ago, I rented an apartment that had fleas. I got some people to come over and flea-bomb it, which worked really well.
I also use flea and tick repellent regularly on my dogs, to prevent fleas and ticks from when they are walking outside. Note though, that all repellent products are toxic to some degree, so use with care.
http://shibashake.com/dog/itchy-dog#ticks
If the problem is serious, then the vet can probably provide a more powerful medicinal bath.
I have a little Yorkie/Maltese mix he is 2 years old and i think that he may have hotspots..But im not sure…I have a cone on him right now so he cant bite himself and he seems to have no problem until i take it off and then he scratches/bites himself until he looks like he is going to bleed..So i went to pet smart and got him a hot spot ointment and i put it on him 2 times a day…My mom thinks he might just be allergic to the new food we have got him…He also has a smell to him and i have to bathe him almost everyday now…Which i think is drying out his skin even more,,,Does anyone know what may be wrong with him or have any suggestions on what i should do to fix it…
Thanks
-Miranda Burroughs
Where does he itch?
The itchiness is likely from some kind of allergies, which can result from a variety of sources as described above. It is difficult to tell exactly which one just from the itchiness symptom. If there is a smell, then there is probably some skin infection.
When my dogs had extreme itching, I first took them to the vet. The vet can determine whether the itching is from skin parasites. The vet can also provide antibiotics to help with the skin infection.
With my Shiba Inu it wasn’t skin parasites, so I switched him to a bland diet and carefully observed his outside activities to determine if it is environmental allergens. It turned out he is allergic to wheat. With my Siberian Husky, it was skin parasites.
eddie just got a patch of what i think is demodectic mange around his eye and he keeps scratching what should i do i was going to take him to the vet but someone said anibacterial doggie soap would help
just made appt for eddie looked up mange around eye scared myself silly and called vet. there was a site saying that its a sign of weak immune system, and a sign of heartworm. so hes all set up for after xmas and iam getting his allergy test done too yay =)
Yeah a vet visit sounds like the best way to go.
When Shania had demodectic mange, she first had a bald patch on her leg. Then, she scratched her face and transferred the parasites there too. I have also read that these bald patches can sometimes be a result of zinc deficiency.
After the vet diagnosed Shania with demodectic mange, I was very worried. However, it actually was not too bad at all, especially if it is caught early. We just applied the medication and things were back to normal within a week. It took a while for the fur to grow back though.
Let us know how things go at the vet. Hugs to Eddie.
thats what the vet tech that made my appt said that it could be the zinc deficiency. i was going to buy a can of blue wilderness salmon i might just switch him to that food anyway i heard its top notch, it has all special vitamins(zinc) for wolf type breeds. and iam going to give him a bath with anti allergy shampoo as well because hes shedding and sneezing this always happens. So hes going to the vet all spiffed up, and smelling pretty lol hey you never know he might meet a nice looking bitch there (i dont want to embaress him lol.
Yeah I have also heard really good things about Blue Wilderness. Both my Sibes are allergic to fish though, so no salmon for them.
LOL! You are too much.
Eddie is a lucky boy!
took eddie the vet today he had a great time, me not so much (try explaining why your dog is marking every corner in there so embaressing. anyways he has allergies can you believe it they think its due to dander since hes shedding, i was shocked so i walked out of there with his allergy meds and a cone that iam going to write 2012 on and is now his new year party cone lol. No champange for eddie this year he’s on meds its not a good combo lol ahahah.
LOL! You are too funny.
I am glad that it is all taken care of. Btw. have you seen the Pixar movie “Up”? There is this really funny scene in there with the “Cone of Shame”. I very much enjoyed that.
oh yes lol my daughter loves that movie lol i forgot all about that lol. the meds they put him on is giving him an extra burst of energy and trust me if you met eddie you would say oh no not more energy its like watching the indie 500 hundred on a rainy day lol he ran around my coffee table then dashed into the kitchen and spun out around the kitchen and boom hit the stove got back up and did it all over again. lol but he stops to refuel (at his water bowl lol)
LOL! Eddie sounds wonderful. No wonder you love him so much.
Did he meet any cuties at the vet?
sighs… there was a few 2 boys and 1 girl lol but everyone was like giving me dirty looks because he kept doing the playful growl cry let me off the leash woman stunt. oh and the marking yeah that was great. but i dont think eddie is into female dogs per say lol there was a female dog that was in heat at the dog park and he well kinda bared his teeth at her when she laid down.. whats wrong with him lol but he had no problem humping the big doberman that was there..( he was a male) so they refer to eddie as the ptown pup lol hey but hes proud.
LOL. For some reason, Sephy loves German Shepherds. I don’t think it matters whether they are male or female.
I have a malamutte shepherd mix who has chronic ear infections. We’ve been treating his ears for 4 years now and he has developed a polyp in one ear fully blocking canal. He is now on meds and is doing better in that “bad” ear, but his good ear is now acting up.
I’ve been to 2 speciality dermatoloy vets and have been told that 90% f food allergies are due to chicken, turkey, duck. My dog is now on a salmon based food and he still has problems. I’ve noticed over the past year he’s been on 3 different dry foods all containing rice. today I changed his diet to EVo, which is rice free the fish formula and can’t wait to see if he improves. My vets did say when doing food trials stay away from CHICKEN.
Hello Cat22
It is true that some dogs are allergic to poultry. However, both my Sibes are allergic to fish. In my experience, food allergies are very dependent on the individual dog, so it is a matter of finding out what works best for each dog.
I also feed my dogs EVO (the chicken version since they are allergic to fish) and it has worked out well. Let us know how things go with your Mal. Good luck and big hugs.
i would like to thank you so much, iam the proud mumma of a pure white siberian husky named eddie, and after a vicous and i mean vicous investation of fleas, i kept giving him flea bath after flea bath. i soon noticed a puss bubble on his neck where he has been scratching i treated and walla the fur grew back and he looks like a million bucks. the vet told me what i was doing was working and that it looked good. but just yesturday i noticed 2 bald spots one on his tale and the other on his back. well i freaked out this never happened to me and his vet was closed and i went browsing and i found your blog now i know what it is and how i can treat before it becomes worse thank you soo so much
How is Eddie doing?
Bald spots can be the result of any number of things, so it doesn’t hurt to give the vet a call and have a chat. If the bald spots expand or look worse, definitely have the vet take a look.
Hugs to Eddie. Hope he is feeling better.
hes doing fine as happy as ever i put aloe gel on his tale and it looks better and the gitting at it has slowed down. i wouldnt have even noticed it to tell you the truth if i wasnt brushing him. but if it expends ill def call the vet
I have a female chihuahua.as soon as I let her inside the house she runs to our center table in the living room and starts rubbing her hind against the table in a back and forth motion. She stays there for a good 45 mins at times. if she doesn’t do it there she will do it on our bed upstairs or our living room sofas which have wooden frames. Please help if anyone knows why she is doing this?
Hello Jimmy,
It sounds like it could be an issue with the anal glands, but it could also be something else. Does your dog also scoot? Is there anything in the dog feces?
It is probably best to give your vet a call and see what they say.
I have a german shepherd who is constantly scratching his nose until it begins to bleed. This has happened once before within the last 3 months. It healed and I didn’t think anything of it. He is 3 years old, physically he is in excellent condition, except for this. Any idea of what may be going on? He has been doing this for about 4 days now.
Hello Roberta,
It could be several things.
I know my dogs always poke their noses into holes, under bushes, into bushes, at bees, at spiders, etc. One time my Sibe got a bee bite on her foot and was scratching at it a lot. Sometimes it could also be something that the dog is allergic to from the bushes or plants.
Another possibility is bad stuff getting stuck in the nose cavity. My Shiba Inu inhaled a fox-tail a couple of years ago and it really did bad things to his nose. He kept pawing at it and he was also sneezing out a bit blood intermittently. We took him to the emergency room for that.
It may be best to take your dog in to the vet so that you can be sure what is causing the problem. Since it has happened before, it could be something in the backyard. Identifying the source will also help us prevent it from happening again in the future.
Good luck. Let us know how it goes.
I have two huskies one ive had more than a year and my newest one sasha i just recently have gotten. Miya my older one has recently just started itching constantly on her belly and lower back legs. We have given her allergy medicine everyday with no improvement. And now I just saw my younger husky sasha rubbing her face on the carpet idk what it could be i think it allergies cause miya did the same thing this time of year last year. Should i take them to the vet ? or what im lost at what to do ?
Hello Ashley,
I would take them to the vet. It sounds like it could be skin parasites which can then pass from one dog to another.
My Sibe Shania got demodectic mange once while in daycare. The vet quickly diagnosed it with a skin scraping and gave us Goodwinol ointment. It caused some vomitting, but it got the mange under control after a few weeks. The fur will take longer to grow back though.
My shiba has what looks like a bite on his side and it has lost the hair around it. We don’t know how it got there but it’s there… We took him to the vet but they don’t know what’s wrong either. What should I do?
Hello Kyndra,
What did the vet recommend? Did the vet test for skin parasites?
What does the bite look like? Is it just a small bite, large bite? It is getting worse? Is it causing discomfort and is Shiba scratching at it?
I would definitely consider going to another vet to get a second opinion.
One of my dogs has this like red spot on her back near her tail, i dont know how else to describe it but its about the size of my fist and has little red bumps. Also theres no fur there. My grandmother told me its a hot spot from fleas, that shes probably allergic to them. i dont know anything about hot spots, but how could i fix this, ive tried frontline, but the fleas are still on her.
I also have another dog that has a huge wound on his neck, it looks like he was attacked by another animal or got his head stuck in a fence we have been cleaning it with peroxide and sterile water. we wrapped it up yesterday, but he ripped it off. were taking him to the vet tomorrow. but i just want to know why he rubs dirt and mud in it. It seems to take the pain away when he does it.
Hello Miranda,
I would take both dogs to the vet.
Sometimes, if there are too many fleas, the dog may need stronger topical medication or medicated baths. When we took Shania in because of mange, our vet mentioned that medicated baths may be a possibility if things don’t improve with just the medicated ointment. Luckily things got better.
As I understand it, mud is cool, and that cooling effect can help to ease pain and perhaps also help with swelling (similar to using ice). However, mud may also contain bacteria, insects, etc. The vet will probably use an E-collar to prevent him from scratching the wound and getting it dirty.
Let us know how things go with the vet. Big hugs!
I have a skin question about my husky. I have only had her for about 2 months. When I picked her up from my mom 2 months ago her belly and inside of her lower legs were slightly red. She was found outside so she could have gotten into something, but she lives with me now in a diffrent area. I wanted to address it soon so I took her to the vet and he said to try to give her benadryl to help with the itching. I think it has helped slightly as far as itching, but her skin has gotten much worse in the area and the hair around her eyes is a little red. He also gave me a spray, but I don’t think its working. I don’t think its a flea allergy becuase she doesnt have any fleas. Could she be allergic to her food? I’m thinking about switching her food to a salmon based food instead of chicken based. What else could it be? Thanks -H.
Hello Keisha,
Did the vet test for mites? One time Shania (my Sibe) had hair loss around her eye and foot due to demodectic mange. The mites are too small for the regular eye to see, so the vet had to take a skin scraping. She got the mites when she was at daycare.
When my other dog had food allergy issues, he itched, but I did not notice any redness. My other dog (a Shiba) is allergic to wheat. My Sibe is allergic to fish oil and oats, so she can’t eat salmon. If you think it is food allergy, it may be best to switch to a totally bland diet. E.g. just boiled chicken and rice. If you think the allergy is poultry related, then rabbit and rice, or deer and rice are possibilities.
How is her stool? I have observed that food allergy usually also results in very soft or watery stool.
I would definitely talk more to the vet, and maybe even get a second opinion from a different vet.
Hi, our dog Sammy has just started scratching the inside of her mouth with her front paws. We have looked at the skin on the inside of her lips, but can not see anything. Do you have any suggestions as to what her problem might be?
Many thanks
Fran and Sammy
Hmmm – could be an issue with her gums or teeth. Shania was doing something similar earlier in the summer and it turned out to be a bee bite inside her mouth
She likes chasing, pouncing, and biting at bees.
To be on the safe side, see what her vet has to say.
Hi Debbie,
My Siberian is on Atarax as well. She had some bad allergic reaction this morning, and her whole face swelled up. The vet said it could be from her vaccine shots, or from an insect bite.
Hopefully it was a vaccine thing, because there are always going to be spiders and bees about.
How is the Atarax working out for Bond?
Bond just got back from Vet Visit. He is now on Atarax for the itching/licking with 30% relief. To be continued.
Sorry to hear that Debbie. What did the vet say?
One thing you could try is to just keep Bond inside the house as much as possible and only take him out to potty on wood chips. This way he stays away from most organic materials and this may help determine if it is a plant/pollen allergy thing.
Is Bond having diarrhea or any other symptoms in addition to the itching?
Sorry to report after medicated bath, 10 days of antibiotics and medication for yeast, Bond continues to lick and scratch. We will be returning to our Vet tommorow
LOL – Gotta love Shibas. Sephy is exactly the same way. Going to the vet is always a big challenge.
But we still love them anyway. Lucky for Shibas they are so good looking
Bond & I survived his medicated bath with muzzle and lots of Shiba Screams. The groomer was great. First time I met her. She told me Bond was a Drama King and any family that put up with him for 10 years, without giving him away deserves an award. She gave Bond his bath free, even after trying to bite me while muzzling him. She was great with Bond and I will return there as needed. Bond continues on his medications and I will keep you posted.
Hi Debbie,
Hope the medicated bath went well.
Actually, all this information is very helpful. Now if any of my dogs show these symptoms, I will have a better idea of what it could be, and what are some of the things that need to be done.
Thanks for sharing your experiences with us. Sounds like your vet has diagnosed the issue, so Bond should be back to his old self soon.
Shania sends lots of licks to everyone. Shiba Sephy is too cool to lick, but he offers his Shiba ‘stare’
Vet visit, thanks for asking. I 100% trust my vet, does not go overboard, but is very pragmatic. He said Bond’s ACL Conserative Rehab has gone great. He did several skin scrapings to r/o mites, mange, etc. and they were negative, however positive for yeast and bacteria. He put him on Simplicef and Nizoral for 10 days. Wants me to call him in ten days to determine if Bond is better or worse.
I told him about the chicken and rice for the past 5 days, no relief from itching, Vet does not think it is food allergies.
He does not want to just begin allergy testing and other testing just yet. The Vet first wants to see if the itching subsides and move forward to determine cause of bacteria/yeast.
In addition Bond has a Medicated bath scheduled tommorow with a groomer my Vet recommended. I am very nervous how Bond will respond to the bath, but talked to groomer at length. She knows his whole history and is willing to give it a go.
I will keep you posted.
I feel like group therapy here, but it is really helping Bond and me get through this.
Thanks for asking
Hi Debbie,
How did the vet visit go yesterday?
Yeah finding the source of the allergy can sometimes be difficult but I totally agree with you that it is the much better way to go.
Does he only get itchy from walks? or is he still itchy from just roaming in the house?
Hugs to Bond.
Thanks for asking. I tried the chicken with rice for the past 5 days, no changes in the itching and licking. Thinking maybe airborn allergies gave him Benadryl for several days, no changes in itching and licking. Going to vet today. Mites? Yeast? Stool speciment? Bond had been on Temaril P in the past with some relief, but just do not want to keep on that ongoing. Want to try to get to source of problem. May do some limited allergy testing (blood test) to rule out source of allergy.
I am a little embarassed to mention that Bond has not had a bath in the past 3 years, as he goes wild. Over the past year he had ACL injury and we did conserative rehab versus surgery. He did well with the rehab, but cannot be crated as we now know from our rehab over the past year. He had not been crated since puppyhood. He got his teeth caught on the wires from trying to get out and lost several teeth.
So, the thought of bathing, crating, and nail cutting become a nightmare. If he were to get a bath, he could not be crated after “to dry”. I am afraid he will reinjure his ACL during the whole process.
So….we will see what the Vet says today.
I did the total bland diet for about 4-5 days – until the diarrhea totally went away. Then I slowly introduced his new kibble back into his diet 1/4 at a time.
1/4 kibble, 3/4 chicken-rice for about 3-4 days. If everything was ok, then I did 1/2 and 1/2 for another 3-4 days, and so on.
As for the amount, unfortunately I don’t remember exactly how much I used. I think I just filled a few of his toys, and fed him smaller but more frequent meals. He would always let me know when he got hungry – but I think the digestive allergies made him less hungry in general.
How are things going with Bond?
When you did boiled chicken and rice, how long did you do it for and what amount? We feed Bond 1/2 cup food twice per day now. He is ten years old and mostly on leash walks and jogs.
Hi Debbie,
Yeah that actually sounds a lot like grass allergy. I wonder if it is more common with the Shiba breed compared to other breeds.
Here are some things that may help -
http://www.shibashake.com/dog/shiba-inu-personality-good-bad-traits#comment-2436
I also visited a Shiba breeder who had a grass allergic long-haired Shiba. She kept him mostly on a concrete run, and only walked him on the concrete sidewalks around her house.
Luckily we didn’t have to. With Sephy it was a food thing so I just did the ingredient elimination thing. With Shania it was mites, which the vet was able to identify right away with a skin scraping.
Sephy is also allergic to some airborne stuff, usually during a change in seasons, when there are different pollens in the air. During such times he would sneeze a lot.
We have given him some Benadryl during these times but it usually goes away after a few days once the pollen density decreases.
Hope this helps. Please let me know what works out best.
I also forgot to mention with Bond he is continually scratching nose, and inside his mouth (gums)?
Did you ever do lab tests (blood) to determine allergies? Bond is gnawing at paws, licking, gnawing at thigh area. Our vet thinks it is airborne and not food. We had him on Temaril P I believe, which gave him relief, but not a cure. The vet also suggested Benadryl, but he just gets loopy and like deer in the headlights.
I still took my dog out, but only on-leash and did not let him explore bushes or pounce for lizards. I also looked up the list of poisonous plants so that I would recognize them during future walks.
Some dogs are allergic to grass – so if everything else is exhausted, and you want to test for grass allergy, it is possible to prepare a potty area made up of wood chips that is grass free. It is also possible to use dog shoes. Still, I don’t think this is too common.
Grass allergy usually affects the paws most causing dogs to bite on their paws. In this way it may also affect the head area.
When my Shiba had food allergy, it was itchiness on his entire body, accompanied with diarrhea.
More recently, I have just gone with a fully boiled chicken diet.
In the past, I have used regular white rice when they had digestive issues. Brown rice has more fiber so I didn’t want to introduce that into their diet during the allergy test.
In general when properly used, fiber can actually improve digestion but only when introduced gradually and with an increase of water intake. I didn’t want to introduce a new variable into their diet – so I went with plain white rice.
Don’t make the rice too sticky so that it doesn’t stick on the teeth and cause tartar.
Try keeping your dog inside the house-only for a few days. If the dog itching improves, then it is likely that your dog is allergic to something in the backyard or neighborhood.
Where does the dog go to the bathroom?
Should one use brown rice or white rice when doing chicken and rice as per your suggestion regarding allergies? Trader Joe’s make a good brown or white cooked rice as the only ingredient.
Hello Debbie,
For dog food information I like the dog food project website. Here is their article on high protein foods.
When it comes to dog food there are lots of people with many different opinions, so I would also quiz the people at your vets to get a fuller picture.
I have tried regular Orijen on both my dogs and it seemed to work fine. However, now I am using Innova EVO because I can get that locally from a pet store, whereas Orijen is not as widely available. EVO has also worked very well for my dogs – they are 2 and 3 years old.
We have a 10 year old red Shiba Inu “Bond”. He is constantly licking his anal area and feet. In addition he gnaws at his paws, hips, and elbows. We have tried many food. I just got ready to mix his new food Orijen 6 fish formula and read on a blog that protein content is too high for Shiba size dog. Low activity, 1/2 walk daily on wood chip flat strand. Slow recovery from non surgical ACL rehab.
Any comments on Orijen.
That is very good news! Glad it worked out for the best
thanks very much for the advice and having checked her food found that it contains wheat bought a better quality one without wheat and shes been fine so far touch wood will keep informed if things change
I would try keeping her in the house for a few days to see if the swelling subsides. I know my Sibe likes sticking her nose into all kinds of holes and such in my backyard, so who knows what she gets on her muzzle.
Allergies are usually difficult because you have to slowly rule out where the allergy could be coming from, based on all the places your dog goes to. To start you want to temporarily cut down the number of places she visits to a minimum, so that you can get the allergy under control. Then slowly start introducing her to new places again one by one, and always keep her under close supervision when you introduce her to a new place. In this way, you can identify which plants, etc. that she comes into contact with so that if the allergy flares up again, you will know which plant(s) caused it.
There are also many common garden plants that are poisonous to dogs.
http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/plants_poisonous_to_pets.html
I would also check to make sure that she doesn’t come into contact with these plants.
my 11 month old huskies nose sides of mouth and eyes keep swelling , have taken to vet they said its an allergy and gave us piriton tablets . we keep eye on her in garden to make sure not going by anything as vet doesnt know what alergy is , but still keeps swelling up and cant keep affording vets bills just to keep being told the same any help greatly appreciated
Hello Kellie,
Hair-loss can be due to a variety of reasons.
My Siberian had hair loss around the eyes last year and it turned out to be demodectic mange. It started out around her mouth, probably from her playing with other puppies in daycare. This led to scratching around the mouth, which got the mange onto her paw, and that got onto her eye area when she scratched her face.
The best thing to do is to take your dog to the vet. They can take skin scrapings and tell you for sure what is the cause of the hair loss.
Let us know how it goes.
my dog has hair lost around his eyes ,any infomatiom to please proble?
Thanks for dropping by Bonnie. Yeah, it took me a while to identify that the source of my Shiba’s itching was wheat. My Siberian has an even more sensitive stomach
I use Innova EVO kibble with the both of them and it has worked out very well for us.
Let me know if I can help you with anything.
Thank you for your Dog Itching, Scratching, Allergy article. My Shiba is constantly itching. I found out his food was not as advertised and am trying a new one. He continues to itch. Your articles give me some structure to follow to determine “what” is causing this problem for him. Thank you
It really kills me that so many of the mass-marketed kibbles that trumpet their “healthy diet” are LOADED with wheat and/or corn (prime example: Beneful), which are not easily digestible by dogs, and to which many, many dogs (including both of mine) are allergic.
Nice selection of healthy kibbles in your adds ^^ We tried many grain-free brands, and settled on Innova.
–spiff
Hi June,
Thanks for the great additions. That is really interesting about the water. I didn’t know about that. I will definitely have to add your environmental factors to the article. Thanks!
Btw. love that profile pic! and welcome to HubPages
Nice article.
Just to add on – other reasons which are contributing factors are
environmental (atopy) and annual vaccination leading to vaccinosis.
Environmental includes the type of water drank by the dog, the level of humidity and dust mites etc.
Thanks for dropping by Nancy. What is say is very true. Animals are a lot more tolerant and brave about it than humans though
I’m absolutely terrible when I get sick!
Hi Shebashake, Another great article and isn’t it interesting that animals suffer the same health issues as humans…