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I've been absent for a while but now I have a new question. Katie seems to have a BAD case of itchy skin, especially her belly. Cannot find any evidence of fleas or other critter issues and she is getting preventives for those anyway.
I am hoping you all can recommend a topical spray/lotion/shampoo or something to help. We bathed her yesterday but it only seems worse this morning.
Thanks!
One husband, two kids, two cats, two gerbils, one dog, one me....FULL HOUSE!!
Benadryl makes a topical spray. Ask your vet if it would be safe for dogs. I know vets sometimes recommend Benadryl tablets/capsules for dogs, but ask about the spray, just to be sure. The spray does work-- I had an extreme case of the itches in the last weeks of my first pregnancy, so I had to use the spray to keep from scratching myself raw. One drawback, it will make her coat rather sticky, though.
Murphy had the same problem and developed a rash on the inside of his thighs as well. The vet said it's probably seasonal allergies (!) and told us to change his food to a single-protein, single-carb formula (we went with Natural Balance potato and duck and mixed wet with dry) and to crush 1/2 a Benadryl tablet into each meal. She also gave us ointments to clean and dress the area and suggested weekly baths with oatmeal shampoo. (The oatmeal shampoo doesn't interfere with the monthly flea and tick treatment we do.) Not saying it's the same situation with you, but definitely check with your vet sooner rather than later so it doesn't get worse.
One thing I forgot to mention was that she shows no sign of redness and /or flakiness. Everything looks normal, she just keeps scratching. I had her at the groomer's for nail clipping this morning so I asked her advice. She said it could be allergies to grass this time of year down here. But Katie just is not outside that much due to the heat, and when she is, her area is pretty much sand in the tree shade.
I am thinking of changing her food anyway as she seems bored with it now, so maybe I'll try and see if it is a diet issue. She is on a quality, soy, preservative, and corn free food now.
Keep the solutions coming, I love the advice!!
One husband, two kids, two cats, two gerbils, one dog, one me....FULL HOUSE!!
Stupid question, do you bathe her? what do you use? My Maia gets staph about 3 times a year so I take her to a specialist for allergies and skin issues. I have to use a special shampoo on her belly for this. Not all dog shampoo is good shampoo, even the spendier brands. If you bathe try plain water and rinse the dirt out. I always follow up a bath with a cup of plain white vinegar to 5 gallons of water to rinse any shampoo reside out, it will never hurt the skin, My 2 home remedies are white vinegar and baking soda. The baking soda is for it the get a bite or abbrasion of any kind. they both will calm the skin. I use baking soda to wash my face, and vinegar as a rinse on my skin to remove all the soap residue that can build up. Neither one of these will ever hurt you. It could also be that she needs a change in diet. You just have to see a skin specialist and work through it to see what works.
One of the causes of itchy skin for dogs, especially when there is no visable signs of irritation, can be vaccinosis. More and more Vets are seeing this type of skin itchiness even years after a dog has had a vaccination.
A traditional Vet may not be up on this although many Vets who have written books on natural pet care do discuss this. You might find a holisitic Vet in your area that specializes in homeopathy.
