Itchy dog but no fleas
By spalladino
@spalladino (17891)
United States
May 28, 2008 10:25am CST
Before I spend the money to take my dog to the vet I thought I'd see if anyone here has had any similar experiences or suggestions.
I have a yorkie mix and, for the past couple of months, she's had an itchy back and hind quarters. Since she's fat it's hard for her to reach some of these spots so she rolls on the floor but she also scratches and bites. I regularly use Advantage flea treatment on her and bathe her every Saturday with a special shampoo for sensative skin. I don't see any evidence of fleas or anything else after draining the water out of the tub so I don't think she's infested with anything. She also doesn't have any redness on her skin, hot spots or evidence of ant bites (we live in Florida) so I have no idea what her problem is.
Could it be allergies? I let her go outside and she walks, rolls and sits on the grass. She also likes to sniff around under our vehicles and, when I bathed her last night because she seemed so uncomfortable, she was pretty dirty already. Is the gunk underneath a truck an irritant?
Any and all suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
6 people like this
23 responses
@krebstar5 (1266)
• United States
28 May 08
No redness at all huh? That is really interesting. It could very well be that she is having a reaction to something, or maybe having problems with dry skin. I would buy some dog shampoo for dry skin. Look for something that has oatmeal in it because oatmeal is really great for relieving itchy skin. See how she feels after that. Also, if you look at her skin and it feels dry or flaky, it can be good to add a little olive oil or an egg to her food to help from the inside too.
If you think it is just a reaction from the truck gunk, you might want to keep her awqay from the trucks for a bit to see how she does. But, since the itching has been going on for a couple months, it is probably something other than that.
If special anti-itch shampoo doesn't seem to be doing the trick, I would then go to the vet. It could be mange or some other baterial ot fungal problem.
You can also check out this webite: http://www.thepetcenter.com/gen/itch.html
That might also help give you an idea of what you are dealing with.
1 person likes this
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
28 May 08
Thanks for the link and suggestions, I'll definitely check it out and I'm going to stop at Walmart on my way home tonight and pick up some dog shampoo with oatmeal in it. Her skin doesn't look dry or flaky but I'll start putting an egg in her food a few times a week and see if that helps. She'll probably like that. I put her on the chain last night after I bathed her and told my husband and daughter to watch her if they let her out unchained because I don't want her under his truck anymore.
1 person likes this
@mentalward (14690)
• United States
28 May 08
I agree with lucy02. It really sounds like an allergy. It could very well be the grass she rolls around in. I doubt it's the stuff under your vehicles. I've never heard of any person or animal who was allergic to motor oil or grease.
You may be bathing your dog too often. A vet once told me that dogs do not need bathing on a regular basis, except when there is a health issue.
I had a dog who was allergic to fleas! I treated him regularly, as you do, but if one flea bit him, he would itch so badly!
Your best bet is to take her to the vet's to have her checked out. That way, you'll know for sure what's causing her symptoms and can get them treated properly.
Good luck with your baby!
@shantiquarian (146)
• United States
31 Aug 08
We have had several dogs over the years that were allergic to the dyes in dog food or maybe corn too. We have had to feed those dogs barley or rice based food. It could also be a plant based allergy. Hand neighbor once who's dog was allergic to grass.
@shantiquarian (146)
• United States
2 Sep 08
The shot was most likely cortizone which you want to avoid as much as possible as it is very bad for their kidneys. I had a cat that had pododermititis and that is what they gave him for the itching. Keep a diary of what you feed when the itching starts again and you will eventually find the trigger. Glad the dog is better because when they get raw sometimes the hair does not grow back then you have to worry about sun exposure.
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
31 Aug 08
We finally had to take her to the vet because, after trying many of the great suggestions offered in this discussion, she was getting worse with some spots that were very raw. The vet saw no signs of flea infestation and checked her for mites but she didn't have those either. She said that something was irritating her and she was making it worse by scratching and chewing so she shaved the bad areas, cleaned them up real good (the dog loved that part), gave her a shot for the itchies and gave us one of those cone shaped collars to put on her if she started chewing again. She said the shot would last for a week and when we brought her back for a recheck she was much better. We're allowed to give her half of a benedryl if she starts scratching and chewing again but so far we've only had to do that once and her fur is growing back. I am still feeding her the all natural dog food and only bathing her once a week with oatmeal shampoo so, hopefully, we won't have to spend $130 at the vet again any time soon. 
@lucy02 (5015)
• United States
28 May 08
Could be allergies. I have a 15 y/o rat terrier (fiest) that has allergies. We got her shots for awhile but they quit helping her. I give her benadryl and bathe her with an oatmeal and aloe shampoo. Some days aren't as bad as others but she still scratches and bites herself alot.
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
29 May 08
Thanks, Lucy. Do you give her over the counter benadryl or did you get it from the vet? How were you able to figure out the dosage?
1 person likes this
@lucy02 (5015)
• United States
29 May 08
I give her over the counter benadryl. I just give her 1 tablet of the adult strength. That was what my first vet told me and it has worked out fine. However I would call the vet and ask him just to be sure. My dog has a habit of spitting part of it out, lol.
@palonghorn (5479)
• United States
29 May 08
I have a Chesapeake Bay Retriever and she was having itchy skin, until my sister told me to try feeding her lamb and rice dog food. Her dachsund was having a similar itchy skin and she had switched his food and it worked. I switched our dog's food over a year ago and she has not had itchy skin since.
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
29 May 08
LOL, what a cute picture! Ok, I'm adding lamb and rice dog food to my list of things to try with this dog. I really do appreciate all of the advice I'm getting. Thanks!
@kittenmc (464)
• United States
29 May 08
My mom's dog has sensitive skin and does about the same as you dog. We bought Sulfodene Medicated shampoo and conditioner. There is also an oatmeal bath for dogs. If these 2 products don't work, you can buy a shampoo from the vet for sensitive skin. We also give my mom's dog cod liver oil by mouth. You can get it from Wal Mart. I'm not sure of the exact name, but it's a liquid and cod liver oil is the main ingredient. It helps their skin and coat.
Good luck!
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
29 May 08
I went to Walmart yesterday after work to buy an oatmeal shampoo only to discover that the white shampoo I have been using IS the oatmeal shampoo so I bought the Sulfodene. I'm going to wait a while before trying it though since I just bathed her the other night. Does your mom's dog like the cod liver oil? I'll have to give that a try. Thanks!
@loujac3 (1188)
• United States
28 May 08
It really does sound like allergies. Many pets are allergic to grass. As for the grime under the vehicles, I really question that one. Are you using anything on your carpets such as flea powder or scented deodorants? Those things can be irritants. Good luck!
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
29 May 08
I never thought about carpet fresheners...yes, I use them so that could be it, too. I think I'm going to make a list of the changes I'm going to make with her and her environment so that, if something helps, I'll know what it was. Thanks!
@emma412 (1156)
• United States
29 May 08
This sounds exactly like my dog except she's not fat and she chewed all of the hair off the back of her legs and tell. She looked so terrible, I wanted to cry! We found out it was a combination of allergies and bathing too frequently. It is the right time of year for allergies to start so it probably be like that for your dog. When we took ours to the vet they gave us some medicine that really helped and also a powder to put on her skin to stop the itching.
I also had to stop giving her a bath once a week as it was really drying her skin out. The doctor told me to do it every two weeks but that drove me crazy and I did it about every 10 days. That and the medication seemed to make everything go away. It took a littl while but she is happily back to normal and full of fur!
Good luck!
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
29 May 08
Thanks Emma, I'm glad your dog is doing better. I am going to look at allergies but I'm also going to look at her nerves because I noticed last night that she was fine when I first got home from work, but she got itchy after getting excited by the fact that I was FINALLY HOOOOOME. Tonight I'm going to try calming her when I first get home instead of letting her get so excited and see what happens, plus I'm going to take her off of commercial dog food, too.
@Dreamweaverr (131)
• United States
28 May 08
It could be the shampoo. My dog scratched and had a lot of dry skin.It was noticeable because she has short black fur. I got a hypoallergenic oatmeal shampoo from the pet store.It is designed for dogs. Don't use human stuff. That can irritate their skin. That works great for her. It isn't overly expensive either. I only use the flea treatment if she has signs of fleas. That is strong stuff. I don't like over medicating.
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
29 May 08
That's a good idea about stopping the flea treatment, even though it's only once a month. We actually got fleas from a hurricane, the wind can blow them pretty far, and it's been a couple of years now. I haven't seen any evidence of fleas on Sugar and my daughter, who lives next door hasn't seen anything on her Lab who she treats with Advantage, too. I could be wasting my money on that stuff if the fleas are gone from the property.
@snowy22315 (182000)
• United States
29 May 08
She probably has an allergy to something. It could even be dustmites. She could even have a grass allergy. I think the only way you are going to find out what the problem is is by
process of elimination. it might take a long time.
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
29 May 08
I'm going to try changing some things and eliminating some others and see if it helps. If not then I'll have to take her to the vet. Thanks.
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
29 May 08
I read about chocolate a while ago and also about a lot of other things that are toxic to dogs so I don't give her any sweets but I am going to take her off of commerical dog food and make some changes in the environment at home, too. Thanks.
@Gollywog (1092)
•
29 May 08
It is either the heat or an allergie, you would have seen the fleas, like you said in the bath water. I wouldnt know what to do so I would go to the vet.
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
29 May 08
Thanks Gollywog. I've gotten so many great suggestions that I'm going to try a few things and, if she's still itchy, I'm going to take her to the vet.
@sunnflr (2767)
• United States
28 May 08
This is just a wild guess but maybe she has a thyroid problem. My cousin's dog does and he has almost no hair now from the condition and scratching. I know I have hypothyroidism, and when my skin gets really dry it itches alot. Animals can have the same condition as us humans. The vet should be able to tell you.
Your idea about something under the car being an irritant is very possible too I would think. I hope you can get her some relief!
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
28 May 08
I never thought of that...that's something to think about. I'm definitely going to stay on top of this until I get it figured out. She's a sweet little dog and I hate to see her so uncomfortable. Thanks sunnflr.
1 person likes this
@dragonlady9947 (122)
• United States
28 May 08
I would take her to the vet - A few dollars spent will help both the dog and you! What is she eating? Ask your vet about the raw meat diet. Cut her weight down to where it should be. (I lost my little MIKO because she was too fat and I had her on commercial dog food. Now my little chihuahua is on a raw meat diet and she is just very fine.) The flea treatment may be your problem - you may also be bathing her too often! Keep us informed.
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
29 May 08
I've been using Advantage on her for over a year so I doubt that's the problem but changing her diet is a good idea. She likes people food better than canned or dry food so she would probably like the brat diet. Thanks.
@AnnieOakley1 (5596)
• Canada
24 Jun 08
To be certain it isn't fleas, if you give her a bath, do you see little black droppings. They will be tiny blood droppings as that is what fleas poop out since their diet is blood.
If you are certain it isn't fleas then, many dogs have dry skin or even exzema and must be treated accordingly. The vets have pills that you can give them for it if it is really bad.
But in the interum, anything that removes their natural oils, like people shampoos, are overly drying to a dogs skin. You have to use dog products that are moisturizing if you insist on bathing them.
@lmwillis47 (47)
• United States
29 May 08
i sympathize with your dilemma and i too agree with your responders, i had a mix and was allergic to new grass, he used to chew , scratch and bite his back end till it was red and raw, the vet gave him a shot and put him on prednisone for 2 weeks, that helped him a lot. you might be bathing too much and depending on what shampoo you use it could be very drying to dogs. i used to use baby shampoo or ivory soap. i don,t know how old your pet is but if you have introduced new people into his or her life it could be a response to a little jealousy. hope you find the right cure , take care.
@stbiii0 (92)
• Philippines
28 May 08
It might be mange. Mange is a skin disease found in many dogs and is caused by a mite that burrows beneath the skin. Mange mites themselves cannot be seen with the naked eye, but the effects of their burrowing can be very dramatic. Some types of mange look like dandruff, but the effects are often short-lived. Scaly skin that usually starts on the ears but spreads to the rest of the face and body unless treated. Extremely itchy scabies is also common in dogs. This type of mange actually live in the hair follicles and are very itchy. It can spread to the entire body and be difficult to cure, but early treatment is usually successful.
Most types of mange in pets can be eradicated, especially if they are treated early. Veterinarians diagnose mange with a painless skin scraping that is subsequently analyzeed under a microscope.
Treatment may include tablets, special dips with medicated shampoos or injections. In more extreme cases, shaving may be required, or the pet may be quarantined to minimize the likelihood of transmission.
-taken from wisegeek.com
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
28 May 08
I'll be sure to ask the vet about mange if I end up taking her to him. Thanks.
@ycpgoldberg (807)
• Malaysia
28 May 08
My dog have similar case too,
but not that serious case.
Without flea in her body,
she still fell itchy and scratchers everywhere on her,
especially on the ear part and back side.
Since I didn't take my dog go out,
I believe that no problem with my dog.
You might want to take your dog to have a check.
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
28 May 08
I'm going to try some of the suggestions people have posted and, if they don't work, then I'll take her to the vet. I don't want her to suffer.
@pixiedustforyou2008 (2422)
• United States
24 Jun 08
Do you wash you dog alot, cause if so it could be from dry skin...
