How do I get my dog to stop scratching??

Question

How do I get my dog to stop scratching and biting himself, I don't think he has fleas but he's constintly doing this, any advice would be helpful, thanks

Answer 1

He may have dry skin or an allergy to something like shampoo or a flea repellent.
Be sure to check if he does have fleas. Those little things are crazy to find. Usually the best places to check are under the arms or back legs, also around the ears. Fleas like warm spots and that's where I found them on my dog.

Answer 2

Since you didn't say what type of dog he is or if he is an indoor or outdoor dog, its tough to figure out a few things.

Is he exposed to other dogs?
Is he outdoors?
Are there other pets in the house?

Do you use powdered carpet freshners?
Sprays?
Do you bathe him a lot?

If he is an indoor only, no other animals around dog....and you don't use powdered carpet freshners (or other household stuff on the rugs where he is most of the time), you don't spray the house all the time with freshners that could be falling on him and you're not bathing him often......talk to you vet.
He could have fleas (although doubtful), he could have a skin mite ...or, he could have dry skin.

I have a pitbull that goes outside but doesn't have a flea problem due to the medication she gets at the vet. (She's not allergic to it, as we've had her tested)
She doesn't have dry skin...yet she does nip at her skin often. It ended up that she has a little mite under the dander that irritates her. It took our vet awhile to figure this out....but we finally did.

You really can't get him to stop doing this until you figure out what is causing it. The vet can give you shampoo or a medicated lotion to use on the dog to relieve his discomfort.

Turn him onto his back and go through the fur on his tummy. If you do it right, he'll think you're just scratching him and he'll let you look. Look for little black crawling bugs. They are small and will hop if they feel threatened. If they are on his tummy or back by his tail...(either place is the easiest) Then he has fleas. Get a really good flea medication from the vet and then take him in and have him de-flea'd. (Usually a grooming place can do this).

You will need to also de-flea your home....either by professionals, using flea bombs or another form of getting rid of them. While you are doing this, you cant' have the dog or any other pet in the house. (If you are flea bombing you can't be in the house either.) So arrange to have your dog either at a puppy kennel (doggie daycare I call it)....or another safe, flea free place.

Once he is treated and your home is treated all should be fine.

Excema can also be the culprit. We have a small pom mix that has excema and it took over a year to get it to the point that he didn't chew on himself all the time.

Good luck and I hope all turns well soon.

Answer 3

How do you know she doesn't have fleas? Have you checked her for flea dirts?

Even if she was an indoor-only dog she could still have fleas.

There are many things that could be causing the itching, but fleas are the most likely cause. If not that, it could be skin infection, allergies, mites, hormonal imbalances. I suggest you get to a vet to find out which so you can treat properly.

Chalice

Answer 4

Well, make sure he doesn't have fleas first...Check the skin throughly. make sure he's on a good food...foods can cause allergies. Other than that..Best bet is to go the vet. They can give him meds to help stop the scratching and help you determine what the cause is. Scratching can cause a very bad bacterial skin infection...so get him check soon.

Answer 5

How long has this lasted? When did it start? Like others have said, check for fleas first.

It may be seasonal. Has he been exposed to anything environmentally? Have you gone anywhere recently that you haven't gone before (with your dog, I mean)?

It may be food allergies. What food is he eating? How long has he been eating it? A lot of dogs tend to be allergic to corn and grain, as well as certain cooked proteins like chicken and beef.

Answer 6

He may have some kind of allergy or dry skin. You should make an appointment with your vet to see what he thinks and he will probably be able to give him a shot or something to help him out.

Answer 7

go to the chemist and ask for a bottle of oil that stops skratching! thanks and good luck