Itching

[Guest posting as: Duncan]

Several weeks ago I posted a question about itching. Several ideas were about food. We

[CallisMom]

Well - it looks like you may be able to narrow it down to something environmental since he was fine in Wisconsin. Supposedly dogs don't get poison ivy - but I will tell you that when I broke out all over with poison ivy this summer (apparently I was taking Calli to do her business every day in a field of poison ivy) - she was extremely itchy and her whole body (esp. the tummy) had a rash that looked EXACTLY like my poison ivy. We don't have a lot of chiggers around here but if you have them there perhaps? - were there any on your vacation? I am assuming that he was in contact with grass in Wisconsin so the grass allergy seems to get less likely. Is there something in your yard that he likes to play in that wasn't in Wisconsin? Or maybe something in the house? Calli was itching a lot when we first got her but I put her on a wheat free diet - and noticed a signifcant change. Now - whenever she eats a shredded wheat, etc. I notice her itching more. I'm sorry it is not so cut and dry for your little guy! Sounds like you have your detective work cut out for you! Good luck!

[Eliz222]

We live in Missoui too. My 2 year old female, Scout, started getting an itchy spot under her tale. The vet couldn't find anything wrong and we are still trying to find out what made her itch. I am in the process of changing their food to an all natural diet, but I don't think that is making her itch. I also had given her a bath using a new shampoo. The vet gave her some cortisone pills to take and I gave her another bath using an anti itch soap and making sure that I rinsed really well. I'm not sure which helped, but she has stopped itching. I guess the key will be if she starts scratching herself when the pills are stopped in the next few days.

Have you changed anything else with you dog? A different detergent to wash her bedding in, or given her a bath using a different soap?

[Guest posting as: Duncan]

We have a medicated shampoo that the vet gave us that we have used. Duncan also took his first swim in the pool. We rinsed him with the medicated shampoo after the swim. Maybe the chlorine and shampoo were just too much for his system. However, he was itching before he went for a swim. On vacation he wasn

[Toto times 2]

One of my boys has environmental allergies ( he gets his about the same time I get mine). We have both of them on a lamb and rice diet but the problem really seems to be the air and molds. I have him on a very low dose of Vanectyl-P (an antihistamine and Prednisone) for the time that the allergies bother him because otherwise he ends up with infections where he has chewed at the itchy spot and pulled his hair out. When it isn't too bad I use Benedryl.