Does your dog have allergies?

Question

I use Frontline on my cocker spaniel and he still scratches at himself. He doesn't have fleas. I've checked him all over and can't figure it out. Any help?

Answer 1

Could be allergies but you need to know that Cocker Spaniels (American) are very prone to yeast-fungal infections. Especially on the ears, neck, lower belly & private parts. This could be the source of your problem. Researchers are trying to figure out if this is a genetic immuniity problem as all dogs are covered in bacteria, yeast & fungus (so are people)

I am a dog groomer and we do alot of "itchy" cockers. They can get pretty funky smelling from their skin/ears. What I do to help control this is wash the dog with an antifungal/antibacterial shampoo like Malaseb (available from some groomers and vets). Followed with an anti-itch conditioner. I like to do them at least once a week. Preferably more.

This helps many of the dogs. But some start on the roller coaster of cortisone, antibotics & anti-fungal drugs. I have one client that threw in the towel and had both ears sewn shut.

Answer 2

You can try benadryl at 1mg/1 pound of body weight. Sometimes this helps for dogs with itchy skin. Also i would try adding some omega-3s to his diet. A lot of dogs have food allergies. You vet will have a Rx food you can try, but you really have no idea until you do allergy testing. A OTC food I like is Natural Balance Venison and Brown Rice. It has no soy, eggs, dairy products, sunflower oil, wheat, barley, corn, oats or poultry/beef products and byproducts. There are some shampoos you can try like Relief Shampoo from your vet.

You only want to use steroids as a last resort. They are very hard on the body. If the dog gets a secondary skin infection from the scratching a antibiotic like cephalexin and a short course of steroids can be used.

Answer 3

It could be environmental or food-related , if it is an allergy. Unfortunately, the process of pinpointing allergies is costly and difficult, in my opinion. I really hope for you that it is something more manageable than allergies. Does he scratch continuously or once in a while? If it's all the time, you have no choice but to have him checked out by a vet. You know how annoying and uncomfortable it is to be itchy, so do you little guy a favor. I wish you lots of luck!

Answer 4

Could be an allergy to something in the air or his food. Corn and wheat are common causes of allergies in pets. Try switching pet food. Also avoid dye in the food. One of the best foods for allergies is Nutro.

Answer 5

talk to the vet, could be simple allergies that prednisone could take care of or it could be simply dry skin. Try specially formulated shampoo and conditioner for it that you can buy at the vet's office. It is a natural shampoo that is Oatmeal based. it has the conditioner right in there too.

Answer 6

Could be a skin condition. Have your dog checked out at a local vet. Our collie gets 'hot spots' all the time and he's on tylan (sp?) for that.

Could be something as simple as a diet change, to expensive medications.

Answer 7

my boxer has food allergies, she gets litle pimples around her mouth and gets hives all over her belly. After many tests and switching foods, we found she is allergic to corn and corn meal. She is now taking Temerol-P given by her vet. It has worked wonders for her.

Answer 8

yeah my father in law has two dogs and he has to give them benadryl