Content
- dog itch
- Stress and Anxiety
- Dog itchy and sores could be Scabies
- A dog scratching a lot could be an allergy
- canine pyoderma
- Fleas
- Dermatitis
Dogs are known worldwide as a human being's best friend. Therefore, it is only fair that we repay all the affection and friendship they have for us in the form of care, ensuring their health and well-being. Between playing, sleeping and feeding, dogs have the normal behavior of scratching themselves, however, you should pay attention if your puppy is scratching itself excessively, too often.
There is no specific remedy for itching in dogs, the treatment will depend on the animal's clinical condition, so that more accurate medications are prescribed. But don't worry if you have a itchy dog at home, we at Animal Expert bring this article to help you with information about the main causes and treatments of itching in dog.
dog itch
Before informing you about the Causes and Treatments for Dog Itches, you should pay attention if your puppy is itching more than usual. Some quick scratching during the day is normal dog behavior, but if the situation is a dog that itches very often, long durations, and hair loss, you should seek help from a veterinarian to understand what treatment should be followed.
To be able to properly take care of your dog, nothing better than finding out about the possible causes and treatments for dog itching, ensuring better safety for your animal.
Stress and Anxiety
Some psychological conditions such as stress and anxiety can leave your itchy dog excessive. In addition to itching, these conditions can cause other behaviors in your dog, such as:
- bark excessively
- lick excessively
- Shake
- panting
- hide
- agitation
- destroy objects
Stress and anxiety can be caused by several situations, such as energy accumulation, lack of play, being isolated for long periods, among others, and can worsen in other diseases. Therefore, it is very important that you help your dog to deal with these situations. Many tutors wonder what to do if their dog is stressed and there are some activities you can do to treat your dog:
- Take a walk
- Play with toys that interest you
- Conversations (it may not seem like it, but this attitude strengthens your connection with your dog)
- Ensure tranquility and safety in the environment
Dog itchy and sores could be Scabies
Scabies is a skin disease caused by mites, and in addition to leaving its dog with itchy and hair loss, can cause red spots on the dog's belly. The main symptoms that scabies causes are:
- Redness and inflammation of the skin
- constant scratching
- Rub against objects and the ground for relief
- loss of appetite
- great weight loss
- Hair loss and thinning with completely hairless areas
- skin scales
- Skin sores and blisters
- skin stench
- Dry, crusty and thick skin in the more advanced stages of scabies
There are some factors that can make your dog more prone to scabies, and these include:
- Lack of hygiene (in the environment and in the dog)
- Low immunity
- Low quality food
- Constant contact with infected animals
If your puppy has mange, you should take him as soon as possible to your veterinarian, so that the diagnosis can be made accurately, and that the best treatment is prescribed for your animal. The treatment that the veterinarian may recommend are acaricidal drugs, usually ivermectin, selamectin, moxidectin and milbemecin oxime. Analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs, skin soothing products, and medications for secondary problems, such as chlorhexidine, which acts as a fungicide and bactericide, which prevents the sores caused by the itching from getting infected.
A dog scratching a lot could be an allergy
Allergies are responses of the immune system to some substance that should not have an effect on the animal. These substances can be pollen, food ingredients, herbs, seeds, tick saliva, flea saliva, cleaning chemicals, among others.
The effects of allergies are not limited to just making your dog itchy, symptoms can range from skin irritation to death of your pet. In addition to itching, some effects caused by allergies are:
- skin irritation
- redness on the skin
- Accumulation of wax in the ears
- frequent sneezing
- vomiting
- belch
- Diarrhea
- loss of appetite
The treatment that can be used for the allergy can vary according to what substance the dog is allergic to. Discovering these substances is not always an easy task, but your veterinarian can give you some indications to alleviate the symptoms of allergies and ensure more comfort for your animal. Some oral antihistamine remedies can be used, in addition to creams, shampoos, lotions and medications to eliminate the dog itch.
canine pyoderma
Pyoderma is usually a secondary disease, meaning it is a result of other diseases in the dog. This disease is mainly caused by Staphylococcus pseudointermediusna, a microorganism normally found in the dog's flora. However, when the animal's immune system undergoes changes, this microorganism proliferates in an exaggerated way, which ends up resulting in pyoderma. The main causes for this disease are: Fungi, atopic dermatitis, parasites such as mites, fleas and ticks, endocrine diseases (hypothyroidism, hyperadrenocorticism).
In addition to teasing itchy dog, symptoms of pyoderma may include:
- Alopecia areas (hairless areas)
- bristly looking fur
- crusts
- peeling
- Papules (small dots)
- Pustules (look like pimples)
- Erythema (redness)
To carry out the treatment of pyoderma, it is first necessary to have treatment for the disease that is causing changes in your dog's immune system. Once this disease has been found and treated, the veterinarian will be able to prescribe shampoos, gels, creams and antibiotics to exclusively treat the symptoms of pyoderma.
Fleas
Fleas are parasites that commonly affect dogs, being the first guess in cases of dog itch. In addition to the intense itching, the animal with fleas may have other symptoms such as:
- swelling around the wound
- Biting and licking skin behavior
Symptoms can get worse if your puppy is allergic to flea bites. There are several methods to eliminate the dog's fleas, such as constant bathing the animal with an anti-flea shampoo, using special combs to remove the fleas from the fur and using anti-flea medication, such as Bravecto.
Dermatitis
Dermatitis is a common disease that affects dogs, second only to flea bite allergy. This clinical picture can be caused by bacteria and fungi, but it can also be influenced by psychological and emotional disorders, genetics, humidity, hypothyroidism, among others. In addition to excessive itching, dogs with dermatitis may have the following symptoms:
- Constantly licking the body: This behavior causes the dermatitis to spread to different regions of the dog's body.
- Hair loss in the affected region
- red spots on the skin
Before carrying out the treatment of dermatitis with medications, you should investigate which substance is causing this disease in your dog, so that you can remove your pet from the substance in question. Your veterinarian can help with this process by performing blood tests to identify which substances are causing your dog's dermatitis.
If it is not possible to do this prevention in the dog, you can resort to treatment with the use of medications such as antihistamines, hydroxyzine, diphenhydramine, clemastine, chlorpheniramine, prednisolone, and methyl prednisolone. In addition, you can also choose to use bactericidal and fungicidal treatments, with the use of chlorhexidine, for example.
Remembering that the use of medications must be in accordance with the approval of your veterinarian.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.