HELP.....My dog itches this one spot....?

Question

My dog has this one spot above his tail that he itches all the time. I have had him to the vet 2 times about this but it hasn't fixed the problem. they gave him steriods, and it works for a little while, but then ha is back to itching llike crazy... it really bothers him! Please help. I hate it that my dog is in pain like this but there are not a lot of vets in area to go to. Some advice please!!!

Thank you all so much! I looked at his food and it does contain corn. I will be getting him some new food TODAY! I will also try some of your other suggestions and hopefully he will get better. I will make sure to post his results. Thanks again.

Answer 1

Change his food. Food allergies cause the body's natural defenses to go haywire and "hotspots" like you are describing are common reactions. Iams, Purina and Science diet are all but poison to dogs. If you bought it at Petsmart, Petco, or a grocery store, throw it away, it is making your dog sick.
Corn and wheat products are the biggest offenders. Read pet food labels just like you do people food. Avoid animal by product, animal digest and preservatives.
Go to naturapet.com for more info on dog nutrition. They also have the best food out today. Their whole line is great. Look at Innova EVO and the California Natural line. There is also a Skin and Coat supplement that works wonders. I use it and can't say enough. My very allergic dog cleared up and I haven't had a problem since I started using this stuff.
Wellness, Avoderm, and Artemis are also very good foods. They all have websites too.
Good Luck,

Answer 2

Sounds like your dog has developed a "hot spot," which is basically a tender or irritated spot on the skin. It could have started because of an insect bite, or even a scratch; and as the dog has scratched it, even though the original problem has healed, the area remains tender and bothersome. Dogs can also just get the hot spots because of heat and dryness of the skin. I had a lab/husky cross for 17 years who suffered from these spots when she was younger, and had to have meds from the vet. She was buff colored, nearly white and had the pink nose and the very pink skin. We finally eliminated the problem by adding a few spoonfuls of mineral oil to her food, and then getting her shaved in the summer months. She had an extremely thick coat, as well as an incredible undercoat, so the shaving really helped. Of course she was an indoor dog, and when she was outside for play we would make sure that she would not be in the sun long so she would not get overheated. We did discuss all this with our vet beforehand. I believe you can enter askthevet.com into your search engine and be able to ask questions of licensed vets. This can save trying to transport the already uncomfortable animal to get a check-up, when they are not in danger. I would be very careful about giving steroids to any living thing, nothing against your vet, but steroids can have a rebound effect where they work for awhile and then when they need to be used again; the dosage has to be higher, and a lot of them will affect the animals kidney function. I use tea tree oil mixed with filtered water, our town water has too many additives; I keep a clean spray bottle of 1/3 tea tree oil with 2/3 filtered water. I use this to spray on all hot spots, scratches, bites etc. in my household. Animals and people....hopefully none of the people are biting each other or I need to get off of this computer!! I also use this tea tree mixture to clean dog and cats ears, so there are no longstanding mite infections. You can find tea tree oil in your local drug store, and some supermarkets carry it in the health section in with the herbs and vitimins. Best of luck to you and your furry friend!!!!

Answer 3

Poor doggie. I'd say you can try some eucerin cream (sp?) it sounds like eczema? Ask the doc if you can give him a bennadryl? Ask first though because you need to know if it's safe.

There are tons of things you can try to do. I had a dog that did that but I don't remember what we did because it was a childhood dog and my parents dealt with it...

Maybe go to PetSmart and tell them what's going on they usually have great ideas.

Good luck to the pup!

Ohh did you give him a bath too with conditioner?

Answer 4

I hate using steroids on animals, but with a hot spot the best thing to do is put a steroid cream on the spot. I wouldn't get the shots all the time its not good for the dog. So get some steroid cream and put it on the spot that he is licking all the time. One cream that I like to use is called Tritop and you can get that at the vets office. Tritop also has antibiotics in it to prevent infection. Good luck.

Answer 5

Like someone mentioned shave the area that is affected so the skin can dry to cut down chances of infection and reoccurance. If the problem clears up you shouldn't need to keep it shaved or do her whole body unless you like the less shedding benifits. Good luck

Answer 6

try adding a half tsp of flax oil to his food...and what kind of food are you feeding him? Look at the label..if there is anything that says corn on that label get rid of it! It drys out the skin and causes them to itch.

Answer 7

try some specially formaulated dog wash .... they should only be bathed like once or twice a month or it will dry out the skin....and watch the things it eats

Answer 8

His anal gland doesn't need to be emptied, does it? I'm sure the vet would know that, though, so it's probably not that.

Answer 9

Aww I no how that feels because i have a pet myself and i no it hurts to see them in pain.... maybe you might want to switch her food and then see if that helps.......how sad =*(

Answer 10

aww im sorry , i don't know what to say, try putting vaseline on him, it'll probably ease the pain, but first ask the doctor if you can use it on him.