Itchy Dog
There are more then 500 different things that can cause your dog to be itchy.
If your dog is scratching all the time it is important to find out what is causing the
itch. This can be quite difficult. While there are many common causes of canine
scratching, it can take quite a bit of detective work to figure out the culprit. Try not
to scratch your dog itchy spot for him. Believe it or not, scratching the itch, will only
make the dog more itchy.
There are several things you can do to ease your dogs itch while you try to
figure out, with the help of your vet, what is causing the irritating itch.
1. Bathe the dog regularly in cool water. Warm or hot water will
only make the itch worse. Soak for 5 to 10 minutes. Adding some Epsom salts, baking soda,
or colloidal oatmeal (like Aveeno) to the water will increase the soothing effects. This
will provide only a temporary relief lasting from a few hours to a few days. After the
bath, pat the dog with a towel. Do not rub the skin, this will
only increase the dogs itch. Do not use a hair dryer on a heat setting. A cool (no heat)
setting would be okay. Heat and rubbing the dogs skin will increase your dogs itch, making
the bath ineffective.
2.Fatty Acids, found in either marine oils or evening primrose oil,
can be very effective in easing an itch. You can try giving one of these fatty acid
supplements. It will take several weeks before the benefit will take effect, so they are
for treating long term problems rather than an on-off irritation. You can find these at
your local health food store.
3.Antihistamines can sometimes be effective with short term itches.
For example; insect bites or a flare-up of hay fever. You can use an over the counter
antihistamine such as clemastine (Tavist), chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton) or
diphenhydramine (Benadryl). Be sure to consult your veterinarian first. Your vet will give
you the proper dosage and tell you if this will be a good thing to try for your dogs
problem.
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