Occasional itching and scratching is natural dog behavior. Problems only arise, when our dog starts to itch and scratch with extreme frequency.
Common reasons for extreme dog itchiness include-
- Allergies,
- Bacterial infection, or
- Skin parasites.
The irritation may sometimes cause our dog to rub his nose and body on the rug, on furniture, or even in the mud and snow. These behaviors may offer him some temporary relief, but it may also cause dirt to enter the wound, and further inflame the condition of his skin.
Depending on the cause of dog itchy skin, there could also be hair-loss.
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 Husky developed a hot spot last winter, on the lower-inner part, of her back leg. It was raining frequently, and she probably developed the skin infection from exposing a scratch on her leg to water, or from lying on a damp surface. Being a Siberian Husky, Shania likes being outside in the rain. However, we now limit her rain time and make sure to dry her well when she comes in.
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 kept the area dry. The most challenging part was supervising my dog, and making sure that she did not lick or bite at the inflamed skin. Sometimes, an Elizabethan collar may be necessary to prevent licking, scratching, and biting.
After a trip outside, we gently toweled-down the area, and then lightly fanned it, until it was no longer wet. Keeping it free of moisture reduced irritation to the skin, which in turn, made it less likely for my dog to continue worrying at it.
If the infection spreads or develops pus, it is best to get treatment from a vet.
2. Food Allergies
With food allergies, the itching and scratching 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.
I 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 some types of 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.
I start with only 1/4 portion of the first food. If everything goes well, I slowly increase the portion by quarters, after every few days (three or more). If the allergy symptoms do not come back after a couple of weeks, I introduce the next food on my list and so on.
If we are using dry food (kibble), find one that is grain free, and has good protein sources. Some good kibble brands include Orijen,
Blue Wilderness, Nature’s Variety Instinct, and Wellness CORE.
3. Environmental Allergies
Dog itching can also be caused by plants, pollen, or other chemicals.
The best way to deal with 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, if I suspect outdoor allergens, I try keeping them mostly inside the house for a few days. At the same time, I limit and closely supervise their outside time.
If the itching improves, then my dog is likely allergic to something in the backyard or neighborhood. Once I identify which plant is the source of the problem, 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, symptoms usually include nose irritation and frequent sneezing.
4. Skin Parasites
Dog itching may also result from mites, fleas, or other skin parasites. Some flea and tick prevention products.
Our vet can easily diagnose this with a skin scraping. Depending on the parasite and the severity of the infection, different treatments may be appropriate. Ask our vet for the pros and cons of each.
Note that many parasite treatments involve the use of toxic chemicals to kill the mites or fleas.
Some dogs may have a bad reaction to these toxins. Therefore, I ask my vet about possible risks, as well as supervision and after-care requirements. I also get additional information from online sources to fill in the gaps, and provide a more comprehensive picture of available options. If I am still unsure about safety, I get a second professional opinion.
My 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 has some good information on possible risks.
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 a bad 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.
However, 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 find 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 with the Ticked off tick remover.
It may look just like a silly plastic spoon, but it works surprisingly well. Since I got it, I have been able to remove all ticks from my dogs without any problems.
Conclusion
Finally, dogs may also lick themselves as a result of stress, nervousness, or anxiety (e.g. separation anxiety). In these situations, a dog may engage in displacement behaviors such as self grooming, to calm himself down. Over-grooming can cause irritation to the skin and hair loss.
In general, we want to address skin irritation issues as soon as possible. Otherwise, our dog will likely keep licking and scratching at the problem area, and worsen its condition. Excessive licking may cause pain and further irritate the skin, which will encourage even more licking, and so on. If not addressed, this may be habit forming, and lead to Acral Lick Dermatitis.
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 a vet.
When dealing with allergy issues, find a vet who is willing to help us identify the source of the problem. Medication may help in the short term, but for a long term solution, we want to pinpoint the origin of our dog’s allergy, and stop it there.
In this article, we only focus on itchy dog skin. 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.
my 7 months female siberian husky got allergies legs now now chest wats the best care and medicine for my husky name kayla i buy dog flea and tick powder and soap for her allergies not effective to kayla pls help
There can be a variety of reasons for skin allergies and hair loss. First, I try to identify the cause of my dog’s allergy. Once I identify the cause, then I can come up with an effective treatment or solution.
To do this, I take my Sibe to the vet, to rule out skin parasites, and get my vet’s advice on next steps.
Next, I may look at other contributing factors, for example examine my dog’s diet, stool, and routine. These will indicate whether the cause is dietary or environmental in nature.
hi.. I have a 6 month old female husky. And I noticed that there are red markings just below her mouth and near her eyes. Is it an allergic reaction? There is a construction site near our place and dust are every where and we leave our dog all day outside our house. Are her red markings because of this? Should I take her to the vet?? by the way i love all your articles. I’m a first time dog owner. <3
Congratulations on your new Husky.
What kind of “red markings”? Are they little dots? Is there hair loss? Does she try to scratch the area frequently?
For health issues that I am unsure of, I usually take my dog to the vet, especially if it is causing discomfort or irritation. Otherwise, I end up worrying myself silly anyway :); so better to be safe and catch things early.
Thank you for responding… š
I just found out what those red markings are.. and its a sunburn! I live in a tropical country and its summer now. Which means itās super hot. Do you have any suggestions on how can I prevent it from spreading all over her body? and how can I treat those sunburns? Thanks in advance š
Ah, it is good that you have figured out the cause.
My Huskies also have a lot of fur, and because of that, they heat-up really quickly during hot weather. Here are some of the things that I do to help my Sibes stay cool during the summer months.
They usually prefer to stay inside the house, when it is hot outside. When they do venture outside, I make sure they have a ready supply of clean, cool, water, and that there are many shady spots with free air-flow.
As for sunburns,
Here is another article on dogs and sunburn –
http://www.petside.com/article/can-dogs-get-sunburned
Hi! Im so glad I found your website! I have a 7 yr old sheba inu, her name is foxy. she is a healthy dog. has some allergy problems with scratching at different times of the year but nothing major except for lately. she has started scratching both sides of her mouth with her front and back paws to the point where the skin is raw. I was doing some research and the only thing I found is tge possibility of mouth cancer? what are your thoughts? it just seems like it drives her crazy all the time! any thoughts would help!
Hmmm, the closest I have experienced to this is when Shania had some hair loss on the eye area and it turned out to be mange. Luckily it turned out to be localized demodectic mange so the vet gave us some topical cream to treat it and we were able to get it under control fairly quickly.
Checking with the vet is probably best to get a good diagnosis and treatment.
Big hugs to Foxy and hope she feels better soon. Keep us posted on what the vet says.
I have a shiba dog female. Today i notice that she have hair follow, red stamps in her hand . Please can you tell me what that is??
It sounds like a visit to the vet may be best.
we just got a 8-10 year old dog and i am a little bit concerned. He is supposed to be a cross between a chitzu and terrier and since we have him i have been noticing a few things, he shakes alot, rubs his head into the carpet, rubs his back on the couch cushions the last two days, he is a very skinny dog, and his breath is fowl, is this normal for an older dog, he is very quiet and very lovable with our family, not sure if he ever had shots or was medicated for anything before please help
he also threw up something hard and yellow today and have no idea what it was
I would take him to the vet asap.
Hello,
I have written a couple of times regarding my Schnauzer’s itching back paws and ears. I have been trying to figure out if the allergy has come from the fish based food I was giving her, chicken treats or environmental–grasses, pollens, etc. I stopped giving her the fish based food in March and started her on a food of the same brand that has less fish in the ingredients but is generally chicken (Acana–all of their formulas have some fish). Also, since June we have been watering our grass more and I lifted up some curtains that were touching the floor that she laid next to often. Anyway, she stopped licking her paws and scratching her ears in the second week of July (what a relief–it had been going on for over a year) and I was wondering what your opinion is whether it was the food or the environment? Would it have taken 3-4 months to see a change if it were the fish food? As a reminder, the itching was ongoing for over a year–it did not stop during weather changes; it had only stopped for five days once when she was sick for a week. Thank you again for your time.
Hello Marie,
That is very good to hear!
It is difficult for me to say whether the cause was food or environmental, since I have not seen the dog or his environment. When Sephy had food allergies, he was itchy all over his body, and his stool was soft or liquid.
Hugs to your furry one. š
Hi, our 16 week shiba is constantly itching. She has no fleas, no ticks, but we noticed that she has flaky, dry skin. I heard from a lot of places that oatmeal baths relieve itching skin. So we took her to Petsmart to get an oatmeal bath, but she STILL keeps itching and STILL has dry skin! Is there a next step we should take? Thank you.
How long have you had her? Did she itch as soon as you got her or did it only develop after? What food is she eating? Does she get a lot of baths normally? What is her routine like?
Has she been to the vet for her shots? What did the vet say?
We had her for 8 weeks. The itching started to develop after. She is eating Orijen Puppy food, which is a very high quality dog food. She gets baths at least once a month. She has been to her vet for shots and the vet says she is very healthy.
Does she itch everywhere or only in particular spots?
Some possibilities that come to mind include-
1. The shampoo is too strong and drying out the skin.
2. There is some shampoo left over in the fur which can irritate the skin.
3. There is contact allergies with something else in her environment.
I don’t bathe Sephy very often. During the summer I play the water hose game with him, and turn that into a play/bathing session.
http://shibashake.com/dog/dog-bathing-how-to-bathe-a-dog-with-a-fun-game
What did her vet say about the dry skin?
The vet hasn’t said anything yet. But we have an appointment on Thursday. Thanks!
Hi Shibashake! We took her to the vet and asked him about her dry skin. The vet gave us fish oil to put on her food and it helped her itching and dry skim tremendously. Thank you so much for taking time to reply!
That is great to hear! Thanks for letting us know.
HEllo
I own a three month old husky, she is a beauty, as of lately I have noticed that she has developed some kind of rash on her groin area. I brought her from the Dominican Republic the other day, and she has all her shots. I had to switch her food abruptly because the one I was feeding her is not available here in NYC. The new food gave her the runs as expected but it seems to be getting better already.My worry is about the allergies. I don’t want to take her to the vet yet because it may be something that can be easily fixed. Here is a picture of what the allergies look like.
http://imgur.com/qU0bj
Any idea on how I can manage her allergies. Also if you think it is an emergency please say so that way I can take her to the vet asap. The only new routine we have been doing is me taking her to the park where she runs and lays on the grass and gets to lay around for a long time. Besides that everything else has been the same
Hmmm, it looks a bit like Folliculitis (also called Pyoderma or bacterial infection of the skin). Is it only in the groin area?
It is hard to say though. Are there any other symptoms in addition to the rash? Does she lick a lot at the area? Does she lick a lot in other areas?
In such cases, I usually just bring my dog to the vet just to be sure. Even if it is just light allergies, at least the vet can confirm that it is not something else.
Hi thanks for your reply,
I have not seen her licking it or anything it doesnt even seem to bother her. Since I’m a first time owner it has me a bit worried, Just want feedback on if I have to take her to the vet, or do you think its something minor?
Also to add to it, some people suggested that it was most likely contact allergies, they said to shower her with a non detergent shampoo, any idea on which one I can use
Hmmm, contact allergies will usually also show up at the paws or muzzle. Those places usually have the most contact with the ground and other objects, so they are most susceptible to contact allergies. The belly/groin area is pretty protected.
Has only her belly area been in contact with anything unusual?
This is not to say that it is not contact allergies, only that it seems a less likely cause (to me) given the area of incidence. Please remember though that I am not a vet and I have only seen that one picture – so this is merely my best effort at speculation.
Husky Lara had a bacterial skin infection (pyoderma) on her belly and groin area when she was a pup. It didn’t itch and didn’t seem to cause her any discomfort. We noticed it soon after we got her, so my guess is that she may have developed it because of stress from the change in environment, food, etc.
In Lara’s case, the infection was superficial (only a surface infection) and secondary (likely triggered by something else, e.g. stress, change in food, environment, etc). The vet didn’t think Lara’s infection was serious so we just kept the area clean, kept her environment very clean, and we also put her on Innova puppy kibble. We wiped the area several times a day using dog wipes. At the same time we kept a close watch on it to make sure it didn’t worsen. It went away after several weeks and has not reoccurred.
However, each case is different. Based on what I have read, pyoderma can result from many things and can be superficial or deep skin.
Hello again thank you so much for your reply. I gave her a bath with a hypo allergenic shampoo and have not taken her to the park ever since. Thankfully her allergirs are going away now, her skin is back to normal. Haha it seems that one problem gets resolved then comes another. She had diarrhea because we switched her food abruptly. Then she had allergies. Now she is developing the bad habit of biting the leash, and if i take the leash away she goes after my jeans. Haha although she is not perfect i honestly couldnt be more happy now that I own her. I will try to send pictures of her when i have the chance
Awesome! That is good to hear.
LOL! Yeah – puppies are like that. I had a lot of leash biting issues with Sephy (Shiba Inu). He is a wild one! š
Big hugs to your girl! I would love to see pictures of her when you have the time.
Hello again š
This is Saya the very first day we got her, although I don’t see the size difference since I see her everyday. When I look at the picture I see how small she was when she first arrived. http://imgur.com/L3fUj
This is one of the more recent pictures, I took not too long ago http://imgur.com/WZnud
and this is her once again http://imgur.com/Tvs1s
Well those are the pictures of the love of my life :), although she loves strangers more than me haha she jumps from joy whenever any of my sisters get home, she even started following my sister around everywhere, something she used to do with me, I feel lonely haha š
She is absolutely adorable! I especially like that last picture with the grinning face.
Haha, yeah my Sibes are like that as well. They will go home with whomever has the best dog cookies!
Put cheese in your pocket and she will follow you around everywhere! š
Big hugs to Saya. She is a cutie!
Haha indeed they do follow anybody, it scares me sometimes because I leave next to a precint nd she loves jumping on cops. Haha specially when they are not looking she tries to harass them lol
LOL! I bet they love her. It is difficult not to love an affectionate, playful, and people friendly Sibe. š
You got that right. They love petting her and playing with her. Nice to have a few police friends, They might let me get away with breaking some laws lol. By the way which collar would you recommend for Saya. She is always pulling I stop when she pulls and don’t walk until she stops. But whenever I take another step she decides to start pulling again
LOL! I was thinking the same thing. Like the “Get Out of Jail Free” card from Monopoly. š
I use the Premier martingale collar and a 6 foot leather leash with all my dogs during walks. I take the collar off after we come home so that it doesn’t accidentally catch on anything while they are running around. They each have a different colored one. š
I use this collar only for its no-slip properties and not for collar corrections.
With Lara, I stop when she pulls and I also shorten the lead and bring her in right next to me so that she can’t be walking around and smelling things. After she does a Sit, I start walking again but I shorten the lead and give her less freedom. If she walks well, I give her back a bit more freedom and so on. If not, then the next time I stop for a longer period of time. The lead is also a great communication tool. I play around a lot with the lead length and lead pressure.
Sometimes, if she pulls many times in succession or is walking especially badly, I will turn around and walk in the opposite direction. In this way she learns that if she pulls and does not listen, we take even more time to get to where she wants to go.
Hugs to Saya!
More on leash training techniques.
More on leash training equipment.
Thank you so much for taking your time to reply. I will order that collar as soon as possible. The problem with Saya to be quite honest is inconsistency. I walk her on certain days and I don’t allow her to pull or to bite on the leash. On some days I can’t walk her and my sister has to do it. But everything I teach Saya goes downhill. My sister allows her to pull, allows her to buy the leash etc. So sometimes it feels like what I’m teaching her is pointless since my sister does the exact opposite although I tell her how to do it properly
Heh, Lara is the same way. I walk her in the weekdays and in the weekend my partner walks her. I am usually a lot more strict with her, so come Monday, she will try to see what she can get away with.
Sometimes, it helps to all go walking together. I walk Lara part of the way and then my partner walks her the other half. That way, we get to see what each of us is doing, what we are doing differently, and what can be changed. Sometimes, it is difficult to be strict with them when they hit you with those beautiful eyes and face! š
Indeed it is difficult! Quite honestly if there is one thing I would like to fix is her walking properly I would love for her to heel and walk besides me. Sometimes she actually does it. Other times not so much
Hello,
I originally wrote to you on January 22, 2012 regarding my itchy Schnauzer. Thank you for your response. My dog is still licking her paws and experiencing hot ears that are itchy too. I thought maybe it was actually environmental but it seems to be year round now since January, 2011 and since feeding Acana by Champion foods. I thought it was the fish based formula so I switched to the Chicken formula, which has a smaller amount of fish and she is still itching. I mentioned that I give her chicken jerky treats and have even before the itching began. I know a food trial is going to be a lengthy process and I have two dogs that I prefer to feed the same food so I was wondering what your opinion is as to how likely her allergy might be the chicken or the fish…basically, do you know if it is that likely that she would become allergic to chicken after being fine with it for the first three years of her life or does it sound like it would be the fish since the itching began a month after giving her the fish based food? Thank you for your time and help.
Hello Marie,
Based on what you say, it sounds like fish is more likely the problem. However, it could also be some other ingredient in the kibble. The problem with kibble is that it contains many things and the brands may also change their formula. My Husky Shania, for example, is allergic to oats and some types of fish.
When I suspect that my dogs have food allergies I put them on a bland diet. I give them boiled chicken and plain white rice – no sauce or anything else on it. For dogs that are allergic to poultry, we can try some other meat source such as lamb, rabbit, or deer. No treats at this time. This limits the type of ingredients to just 2.
I keep them on the bland diet for a week or more. If the allergy symptoms disappear, then I know that it is food related. If it does not, then it may come from something else, some of which are listed in the article above.
Have you tried giving your girl a bland diet? If so, how did it go? Did the allergy symptoms lessen or disappear?
Hugs to your girl. Hope she feels better soon.
hi.. we just got a 2month old siberian husky. it’s been a week since we brought her home. now she develops this skin allergy on her belly. red spots that looks like a pus in the tip of the spot. her food is beefpro. we put hot water to it to make it soft for her to eat. we brought her to a vet to see the allergies. the vet gave us topi derm wound cream. instructed us to clean the area with hydrogen peroxide, dry and apply the cream 3 – 4 times a week. we did as instructed but the spots seems to have grown plenty. we asked the vet and says, it must be the food we gave her and need to change her food to a hypo allergenic one.. what do you say about it?.please help.. thanks!
Hello Maya,
I could not find the ingredient list for Beef Pro. Could you give me a link to their list of ingredients?
Both my Sibes have pretty sensitive stomachs. They do well on high protein kibble that is grain free. Here is more on what I look for when choosing kibble for my dogs-
http://shibashake.com/dog/feeding-your-dog-a-healthy-diet#dry_food