The itchy chewy dog...HELP!

[Dance_To_Oblivion]

He is a 4 year old neutered Doberman. The itching started when we moved 3 months ago, which also coincided with putting down our elderly Boxer and making him an only dog for the first time in his life. He was on Nutrisource Large Breed Chicken and after a month or so we switched him to Diamond Naturals Chicken (itching started before switch and the switch was done because I didn’t want to have to drive an hour to buy dog food). Took him to vet for shots etc and she recommended switching to Purina ProPlan and giving him Fish Oil capsules. So I did that and nothing has changed except his coat is less shiny and healthy looking (even the groomer noticed a difference). After reading the ProPlan label I am annoyed I put him on it in the first place and plan to switch to something else at the end of this bag.

Ideas? Suggestions? The itching and chewy drive me nuts!

Oh and no sign of fleas.

[Jhein12]

Surprised the vet recommended such a low grade food, and as a groomer, not surprised in the poor coat change. I would suggest a limited ingredient diet, but you need to stick with it for a few months to see a change. I’m a fan of Nature’s Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Diets. Very much free of potential allergens: no grain, gluten, potatoes, dyes, artificial flavorings, chicken, beef, fish, eggs, ect. It gets a good rating on dog food adviser as well. If I have customers whose dog has hot spots, itchy skin and dandruff I always recommend this food and they have good results on it- less itching, smaller more firm stools, better weights, better coat. There are a few different proteins you can choose from. If you can find this one:

http://www.naturesvariety.com/Instinct/dog/kibble/LIDrabbit

I would go with the rabbit LID because rabbit is supposed to be easy to digest and is a novel protein that your dog is unlikely to be allergic to. Otherwise there is duck, lamb, and turkey if you can’t find the rabbit formula. I know Petco carries duck lamb & turkey LID at basically all of the locations and they may order rabbit for you.

Another thought, since you moved, does your home now have carpeting instead of wood floors? Sometimes dogs can be allergic to carpeting. Or have you started using a different cleaner on the floors?

[right_horse_at_the_right_time]

I have a Lab - we went through a nightmare with allergies with him.

If it coincided with the move, I’m guessing it’s environmental.

We ended up having our boy allergy tested (serum) and were given much helpful information. We found out what he’s allergic to and avoid it whenever possible. We also switched his food as Jhein suggested above, based on the results of the testing. He eats Tuscan Naturals Lamb, and he’s much better.

In the itchy seasons, we also bathe him once a week with special shampoo and use a conditioner (both are prescription).

The cumulative effect of allergens seems to be worse.

Good luck!

[independentlyawesome]

Where is he itchy/chewy? A paw chewer or pretty much all over?

I’d think environmental or stress before dietary if it started during the move. New plants? New carpet? New cleaning supplies?

[paulaedwina]

When I got Ginger she was so itchy and bald we tested her for mange. Here’s here story;

1. Severe flea bite allergy that went untreated for years.
2. Food sensitivities
3. A chronic cycle of infections and inflammation.

She was treated for fleas. Her skin infection was naive and easy clean up with around of antibiotics. Some steroid broke the cycle of inflammation and skin hypersensitivity. She eats grain-free. She gets a bath every few weeks with an anti-seborrhea shampoo and a follow-up with a leave-in, anti-pruritic lotion.

Worked like a charm. She grew hair back in places I figured would have been bald forever -elbows and backside for example.

Paula

[nevertoolate]

Our dog had chronic itchy skin issues which greatly improved when we switched her to a salmon/sweet potato kibble diet. Good luck!

[lovey1121]

Chicken and beef are the two proteins that most commonly lead to allergies, so try to find a grain-free food without either of these ingredients. Blu Buffalo Wilderness has GF Duck and Salmon, Wellness has at least 1 novelty protein-based food, and there are many others. I’d continue the fish oil, also. Its good for skin and joints.

My Lab is allergic to wool and dust mites I had him tested - not the fortune it used to be - so that may be your next step after switching to a novel protein limited ingredient grain-free diet.

[tallyho392]

my large dog itches began with the cold weather and turning on the heat in the house…even though I keep it at 62, it’s still a dry heat, and my guy’s hair was so dry even MY hands got dry and cracky…I was also wondering if it was a food issue…had been feed salmon/sweet potato from blue, but discovered that chicken is also an ingredient in most of their produts…(NOW their new lines are chicken-free)…so, in order to avoid ALL chicken, I am using Evanger’s rabbit and sweet potato…and adding a salmon oil gel cap ever meal…has been a marked decrease in the itching now for about 2 weeks…been feeding Evanger’s for about 4 weeks…
like you,I didn’t want to travel the globe, trying to find a supplier for food, so I looked online…Chewy is just one of the companies that carry the harder to find varieties of food, and they ship FREE…I love it
Merrick is another good ,USA sourced company that has truly chicken-free,novel protein dry dog foods…they are a bit easier to find in local stores…

[LauraKY]

Allergies are cumulative. He could be mildly allergic to something in the food and and environmental allergy pushed him over the edge. I always start with a limited ingredient food trial before pursuing any testing. Much less expensive in the long run.

[wendy]

if it’s environmental, have you tried an antihistamine? dogs usually need a much higher dose than humans do, but other than that, you can try OTC things like claritin and zyrtec and see if that helps. I think it’s usually about three times the human dose, but look it up for each drug.
Switching off proplan is a great idea, even if the dog doesn’t have allergies.
Even if it’s not a food allergy, feeding a non-inflammatory diet can help- a sweet potato/ fish or duck formula will be actively anti-inflammatory, and keep up the fish oil. All kibble-fed dogs need extra fish oil.

[paulaedwina]

Please do not follow Wendy’s directions regarding drugs without consulting your vet. For goodness sake please. I mean for example, a 100 lb dog takes the same dose of benadryl as person -50 mg. These antihistamines are not the same and not interchangeable. Please please please do not drug your dog without guidance from a professional.

Paula

[kmwines]

Agree it could be environmental allergies, food allergies, pyschogenic/stress induced, bacterial pyoderma, etc, etc. Changing food first will possibly help rule out specific proteins. He’s not at an unusual age for food allergies to be presenting themselves. But with a recent move, I’d suspect more environmental. Serum or skin testing can help to figure out which allergens are the cause. You can then do sensitization treatments or medications.

I recently went through it with my pup and decided to put her on anti-itch meds rather than chasing food or environment because her case wasn’t that severe and she had no GI signs. We are also planning a move in the next few months so no reason to do allergy testing when the move would take us to a completely different region. We started her on Apoquel instead of Atopica because it’s less immune suppressive.

I’d also be careful about over the counter meds. Zytrec/benadryl, ect can work but make sure you don’t get Zyrtec or Claritin D, which contain pseudoephedrine. Can be very bad for dogs to get that.

[Dance_To_Oblivion]

This house does have carpet which the previous house hadn’t had for a couple years. This house was also smoked in, although we did wash every wall and surface as well as steam clean the carpets. (Can not begin to describe how awful it smelled!)

Will look at the feed store for the different dog food varieties when I go tomorrow. I am pretty sure they have some decent ones. Will also talk to vet about zyrtec or the like to see if that helps.

Thanks for all your thoughts!

[glfprncs]

This is going to sound crazy, but I have a 10-year old mix that started getting the itches 18 months ago. Tried all kinds of allergy meds under vet advisement, and had to get him a steroid shot on multiple occasions. Tried different foods, grain free, novel proteins, limited ingredients…each for an extended time. Didn’t help anything. It has to be environmental, but I couldn’t find the source. I finally got things under control with…Apple Cider Vinegar. Seriously.

I mix 1 cup of ACV with 1 quart of water. Put it into a spray bottle and misted his coat and brushed in. When he would start to scratch or itch, I’d spray that particular area and rub it in.

3 days later…no itching dog.

And yes, he smells like a salad.

[Amelia]

Hi. I have a very sensitive allergenic golden and have tried a lot of foods for him over the years. He has been on the pro plan sensitive skin and stomach for over two years now with minimal itching and no more hot spots. It wasn’t my “ideal”, but it’s changed his life for the better and I’m grateful. Good luck…I know how frustrating it is.

[Nezzy]

Weird that your vet would recommend such a crappy dog food. There are many things it could be. My dog Polly is allergic to Storage mites, house dust mites, flea saliva, and cat dander. Also she cannot eat chicken, beef, or corn.

I would try giving a grain free diet with a protein like rabbit, Lamb, venison or another unlikely protein source. Also, Steam clean your carpets.

[equisusan]

Ahhhh I too have an itchy, scratchy dog. Mine is a Rat Terrier. Definitely rule out the food allergies first and then get him allergy tested. I also would recommend getting this done by a vet dermatologist instead of a general vet. My general vet put my dog on steroids and various other meds that I think were not good for the long run. After I had my dog allergy tested and determined she was allergic to everything tested pretty much but worst for dust and dust mites… the dermatologist prescribed Claritin and Atopica (the miracle drug).

After being on Atopica for many years with much success the actual cure was a move from the southwest desert to Virginia. Fingers crossed so far she has no allergic reaction in Virginia and is off all meds.

Good luck with your boy.

[SquishTheBunny]

While you are doing a food switch, a low dose of prednisone may help relieve the itchiness. Generally, it will take 6-8 weeks once on new foods to make a difference. Short term steroids may give him some itchy relief

[JanM]

It could be the food (my dog was a foot licker, until I changed from Milk Bone to another dog biscuit brand, and overnight, no licking-I felt so guilty about that) causing allergies and itching, or something environmental. Environmental could be chemicals used for rug or floor cleaning, a change in grass exposure (a friend’s husband is allergic to Bermuda grass, and all of it’s variations), or chemicals used on lawns or grass areas. I don’t think it could be anything but allergies, because it coincided with the move, food change, and environment change. Does the groomer wash all of the soap out? That can cause major itching-if you don’t get all of the shampoo out, you’ll find out how itchy you get, and I’ve had a friend that had it happen to her dogs when they had a new assistant doing the dog washing at her groomers. Try sticking the dog in the shower, and rinsing until you’re sure the dog is soap free-it might not be that, but it’s an easy fix.

[moonriverfarm]

I have an itchy chihuahua and despite changing to every high-end-allergy-free-all-grain-organic food on the market she still has periods of itchiness. I was told by my vet she could have a steroid shot three times a year or I could give her Zyrtec daily. I hated the thought of daily meds so i give her the Zyrtec whe she seems obsssed with scratching, and it has helped. Her allergies are far worse during flea season even though she is on topical flea and heartworm meds. I also bathe her weekly in a medicinal shampoo that cuts down on yeast.