Why is my dog constantly biting and scratching himself and what can we do about it?

Question

He is an 8 mo. old Nova Scotian Duck Tolling Retriever. We have given him various flea treatments (drops between shoulder blades, flea shampoo) and are pretty sure fleas are not the problem (our other dog and cat show no signs of fleas). In some areas he has small reddish welts (not sure if these are from him biting himself or whether he has an allergy). We have started adding Omega oils to his food and given him some other vitamens and he still persists with the scratching and biting. Help? He's driving us nuts with constant scratching and hes biting off the hair on his butt.......

Answer 1

The causes of self-mutilation can stem from relatively common medical problems or psychological conditions.

Allergies are a common reason dogs scratch and bite. Your dog could be allergic to food, fleas, or some element in his environment such as molds, dust, or grasses.

Treating allergies can be a complex process and you should consult with your vet for specific advice. In general with allergies, you attempt to either avoid the allergen or manage the symptoms.

If the dog has a food allergy and you can isolate the ingredient that causes the problem, you can switch to a food that doesn't contain the ingredient. However, if your dog is allergic to dust or pollen, avoiding it can be difficult. In that case, your vet may recommend soothing shampoos, allergy shots, or other treatment to help manage the symptoms.

Your vet may suggest an e-collar in the short term, prescribe anti-depressant medication, or enlist the help of a behaviorist.

No matter what the cause, if your dog is licking, biting, or chewing himself, there's a problem. So talk to your vet about possible solutions.

Jason Homan

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Itching this bad needs help from the vet. It's probably an allergic reaction to something, possibly fleas even though you haven't seen any. Dogs with a severe flea allergy will go absolutely bonkers from a single flea bite, and often lose hair over their hips. The reaction can last for weeks. As far as the topical flea products go, Frontline-Plus is absolutely the best product out there. You have to wait at least 48 hours after a bath before you apply it because it spreads itself out through the oily coating on the skin. Most common mistake with this product is putting it on a wet dog right after a bath, it won't work well that way. And the drops you get at the supermarket are nowhere close to the real thing-they're pretty much worthless in fact, and can be dangerous to use on cats. You can give Benadryl at 1 mg/lb (dogs need a much higher dose of this than humans do) , but for itching this bad it might not be strong enough, you might need some steroids and you have to see the vet for that.

Answer 4

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The first is simple; you must win your dogs mind. If you don't achieve this first then you will be struggling the all the way. When I talk about winning your dogs mind what I really mean is that your dog looks to you for all the decisions. Before you do anything else watch one of the amazing video sites that show you the 5 Golden rules to establishing yourself as the pack leader. If you aren't putting these in place then you are setting yourself up to fail. Just at the crucial point where you really want your dog to listen they will go and do their own thing. For sure your dog may play ball occasionally or even most of the time, you may even have a dog that is obedient 99% of the time, however if you want a dog who always listens to you and does as you ask then you need to win your dogs mind.

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Answer 5

Dog Itching And Biting

Answer 6

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Answer 7

My dog used to drive me crazy chewing on and licking himself, too, poor thing. As it turns out, he has both food allergies and environmental allergies (to dust and various grasses and trees). The allergies were diagnosed using a blood test. His allergies have also made his skin more suspectible to yeast and bacterial infections.

You really need to take your dog to the vet to find out what exactly the problem is. They'll be able to tell if he has fleas and also do a skin scraping to check for infections. If he does have a skin infection, it can be treated with creams and/or oral medications. The treatment for allergies is a little more complex. In our dog's case, he receives allergy injections for his inhalant allergies and is on a special rotating diet (right now, he eats Wellness Venison and Sweet Potato). Other treatments for allegies include antihistamines (but less than half of dogs, I believe, respond to these) and the more powerful oral steroids. With dogs that have skin problems, there can be many problems that contribute to the itching, and as you solve them one by one, the itching will subside.

By the way, the answer above regarding cheap flea products is correct. The pet store varieties really don't work as well as the ones from the vet. And, keep in mind that some dogs can have allergies to the flea products themselves.

Just work with your vet, and you will likely be able to greatly tone down your dog's itching. You and your dog will be much happier.

Answer 8

Your dog could have an allergy to certain grasses. Also lice can burrow into skin ( mange). Can you imagine the burning and itching it causes. Take your dog to a vet . They can do a skin scraping and look at it under a microscope to help determine why the dog is so uncomfortable. don't spend more time trying to figure it out yourself. The dog is suffering.

Answer 9

Well, if he is an indoor dog it maybe the dry air in the house. I would rub some 100% aloe vera on his skin.
If it is an alergy give him 1 Benadril pill a day for three days and feed him very basic food-like chicken and rice for a few days and see if this makes a difference. Some dog foods have too much protien if your dog isn't active.
I have had these problems with my dogs at one time...and I am sure this will help.
Omega 3's are not good for dogs over the long haul, they can create other problems. An egg in their diet is better for their coat.

Answer 10

It sounds like your dog has a contact dermatitis or a food allergy. You can try changing his diet and see if that helps.He may be allergic to carpet or some other substance he comes in contact with.You can take him to the vet for an allergy sensitity test,but that is not always conclusive.He may need a prednisone shot to give him some rest.