itching

[niks514]

My 3 year old cairn who we've had for a month has started to itch and pull his hair out...he has been doing this for a little over a week. I am taking him to the vet to see what we can do but was wondering if anyone has had anything like this happen. He had a bath just after we got him and then I gave him another one a week ago hoping that would stop the itching but it only made it worse...any suggestions or what can I do for the poor little guy I know its not comfy for him!!

[jimnconnie]

Well, Cairns certainly can develop allergies. Our Bailey, 4yr. old male, had severe itching problems shortly after we first brought him home. At first we thought it could be chemicals in the new carpeting we had just had installed, or just something else due to the change in homes. The vet said to just observe him for 30 days. After a month, and no improvement, we went back to the vet. He said there were 3 possibilities: Dry skin, food allergy, or an unknown allergen. He put Bailey on Benadryl, but that was a real problem; Bailey had a bad reaction to Benadryl (hyper-activity, hallucinations). We added flaxseed oil to his food, for possible dry skin, and our breeder suggested we try Hill's prescription Z-D Ultra dry food. After about 5 weeks on the new diet, we noticed an improvement in the scratching, and after several months it was no longer a problem. This began when he was about 8 months old. His diet now consists of the kibble, flaxseed oil, fresh veggies (carrots, gr.beans, snap peas, cherry tomatoes), apple, canned pumpkin, and he gets no commercial treats. The culprit in his previous diet was apparently proteins in the commercial food. The Z-D Ultra is manufactured in a way that eliminates that problem. As you can see, there are many possible causes of your Bailey's itching. I hope you are lucky, and find a quick solution. Lots of Luck!!

[sanford]

You definitely should see your vet in order to rule out the possibility of demodectic mange. This type of mange is not contagious and is not caused by unclean conditions. Demodectic mites live on the bodies of many dogs (and most humans) without causing any harm. These mites can only be seen under a microscope. They are normally transferred from the mother to the pups during close contact. If the dog's immune system doesn't keep the mange mite under control, your dog will scratch and the skin might become inflamed. Your Vet can prescribe medication to soothe the itching and a course of treatment to clear up the mites.

[Scruffys Mom]

I have found every time my dog itches, it is a flea that is the culprit. One flea can cause days of misery for your dog. If the itching is around the tail, chances are it is a flea. If it is face, it is usually a food allergy. If it is paws, than it may be grass of environment. I am a huge believer in home feeding and only give my dogs 2 or 3 tbl spoons a day of a premium organic dry food. Good luck

[sheila and Misty]

I agree with jimnconnie

many causes - last cairn had the itchies, drove us and him nuts-thump thump thump!

finally came down to 1st using a flea tick shampoo by seargents, semi worked then resulted in me using a mild solution of dawn soap and water RINSE extremely well -actually saw the fleas drop off. that worked for the flea thing. other itchies caused by dry skin we ended up using primrose oil capules in his food poke a hole in the gel cap and squeeze it on, sometimes I used olive oil-fine for the dry skin- over bathing caused that but hey if they get skunked you dont have a choice- also try groomers blend hypoallergenic shampoo- absolutely no fragrances etc . not real expensive either around $8 washed well but No fresh odor. afterwards a small dab of favorite cologn behind the head works.

You could also try a shampoo that takes care of mites - a nasty looking gunky blackish tarish sulfurish shampoo works well for that too. and then if all those fail to work try eliminating certain cleaners that your pup may encounter-carpet, dryersheets etc do you have lawn care? sometimes that gets them started. then I'd work on the food allergies if none of the above worked. The vets are too eager to give out antihistamines,, Id do that as a last resort. hope you find a cure soon!