So , your dog s scratching So what It

So, your dog's scratching? So what! It might be what dogs do isn't this? Well, yes, but within valid reason! All dogs do scratch, in case it becomes excessive, there's usually something wrong which needs attention. Read on totally free vet advice on how to give the necessary pet care whilst avoiding needless vet fees.

First of all you need to do a bit of detective work to find out what's going on.

Scratch is what's called a 'non-specific sign' - in other words it can be caused by lots of different things. If your dog is scratching more than is normal, in a general, all over sort of way, then the first thing to watch out for is to see if he's carrying any 'passengers'. The commonest such things are fleas - fast-moving, chestnut-brown, 2mm or so, and difficult to catch as they contest through the parted fur - they tend to congregate around the neck and even rump, but they may turn up anyplace, perhaps even on you!

They have the recognized prodigious ability to jump amazingly with their powerful hind legs. But fleas aren't the only itchy skin parasites your pet dog may have: lice - smaller together with slow-moving, hair-clingers (and their ova, well-known as 'nits') can be a trouble too, particularly in pups plus kennel dogs. If you find either for these then that's probably what the issue is, but just because you can't find them doesn't mean to say that's not the cause -- it can take a practiced eye to identify them.

Another parasitic condition, observed usually in younger dogs, will be mange. This is caused by mites and commonly results in redness, some hair loss in addition to irritation of the lower body, hip and legs and head - these mites are all but invisible without a microscopic lense, not least because they burrow into the skin rather than being on top of skin like fleas and lice. One other bug that causes an itch will be the harvest mite, which are free moving into gardens and pasture, particularly inside chalk areas - their larvae feed on the skin of animals plus birds usually in July and August and if your pet (or a person! ) pick them up their bites may cause intense skin irritation. Country-living canines will also pick up ticks which may glance alarming when engorged with your dog's blood, but in fact seldom lead to either an itch or any different problems (you may have heard of Lyme Disease carried by ticks instructions it's actually very seldom seen in dogs).

If your dog is scratching just in one area then have a look to verify if you can see if anything's amiss. Scratch behind an ear and mind shaking usually suggests an infection in the ear - often accompanied by a build up associated with wax, redness and sometimes a scent. Infections are able to cause itching too - sometimes it's a scattered tresses follicle infection with little clou, or it may be something quite spectacular like a 'hot spot', also known as 'acute moist dermatitis' or 'self-inflicted dermatitis'. This latter condition causes infected dogs a lot of acute distress because they are driven mad by a patch associated with skin, maybe about 10cm inside diameter, which they lick and nibble at intently and pull the head of hair from, leaving a moist, upset, red patch. The condition is brought on by an acute infection together with the damage caused by the dog himself. Sometimes, 'hot spots' start with the dog licking in the nearest thing he can reach to some point of irritation - it's commonly seen in dogs with blocked anal glands.

Allergies are one more cause of itching in dogs. Just like a similar condition in humans this can be a 'contact allergy', where your dog becomes hypersensitive to something (termed an 'allergen') in his environment which he is in touch with - such as plants, tar, fabric treatments, etc - with the influenced skin being that which comes into exposure to the allergen - paws, breasts and belly usually. Another sort of allergy seen which causes more of an all-over itchy skin in pets is 'atopy' which results from a allergy to something usually inhaled or eaten - this is a complicated condition to control effectively as the anaphylactin is often something you can't eliminate through your dog's environment. There is however therapy called Atopica which is very effective inside the majority of cases - this is quite new and has dramatically improved typically the lives of many affected dogs. Atopica is prescription-only and expensive yet can be bought online at much reduced cost.

Just as scratching due to allergies is surely an outward sign of an inward problem, some other cases of scratching are due to internal problems - as an illustration some liver conditions can result in a good itchy skin.

Something to remember is the fact puppies always scratch more than mature dogs - particularly when he will get his first collar!

Fleas together with lice can readily be addressed without going to your vet - good flea treatments like Frontline meant for dogs are available without prescription and several are also very effective against lice. An essential thing to be aware of is that fleas avoid breed on your dog - they will breed in his bedding and around the house. So treatment consists of treating your doggie with, say, Frontline, and then making use of your vacuum cleaner to remove fleas, eggs and larvae from around the bedding (night beds and day snoozing places). You can also buy treatments to spray or perhaps fumigate your house which are effective at eradicating and preventing fleas for a entire year. Unlike fleas, lice breed of dog entirely on the dog, so you can eradicate an infection by simply treating your dog.

Due to the fact fleas are so successful as organisms, particularly during the warmer summer months, if the dog mixes with others or spends a lot of time outside you should assume that he will get fleas and so should certainly treat him monthly with Frontline, to prevent him getting infected.

Hearing infections will probably need veterinary treatment, but once settled down you can perform a lot to prevent flare-ups by using a non-prescription ear cleaner to keep the hearing healthy and free from the polish that often starts a new infection.

If you see that your dog has developed a 'hot spot' (it's amazing how quickly they look! ) then he needs to see a veterinarian, but you can do something before then to stop it getting worse - stop him licking, biting or scratching typically the affected patch of skin, plus apply a soothing lotion to the location. If you have a 'lamp -shade' training collar, put that on him aid if you don't, and your dog is prone to developing hot spots, then get one!

Puppies which scratch in a general sort of way without there being parasites or even specific infections are just affected by reduced grade skin infection - these people just need a bath! You can get good cured shampoos for dogs without the need for a veterinary prescription.

It's an important theory of pet care to know when you should take your pet to your vet dissimilar to doing things for yourself. Here's a listing of reasons to consult your vet if your dog is scratching:

We vets see an awful lot of scratching dogs within our clinics, and whilst some dogs do certainly have lifetime sign company fast turnaround difficulties, particularly if they have atopy, the vast majority of cases respond to simple treatments and start a family quickly. The best thing is that many cases respond to treatments you can buy and apply yourself not having incurring veterinary fees.