Dog Skin Allergies – My Itchy Dog

35 Comments

1. Hi Dianna,

   I’m glad your dog is feeling better. Thanks for letting us know that the head and shoulders clinical strength worked for you.

   Take care,
   Colby

2. We have a six year old rough collie who has had skin issues for at least the last for years. His annual shots always caused him great distress for several days. We used frontline and when that didn’t work for the fleas we tried advantix, but he still would have so many bites and hot spots, that we discontinued the treatments and just used flea comb daily. We used Organic Apple cider vinegar for the hot spots, which helped alot, but he still had flaky skin and fur coming out. We gave him a bath two weeks ago with head and shoulders clinical strength shampoo. We used about half the bottle and kept it lathered for 10minutes before rinsing. His skin has no sores and he has not been itching. This is the only thing that has worked for us. It did seem to slightly discolor his white, but that’s a small price to pay to see him feeling so much better. Thanks for letting us know about this. It sure worked for our collie.

3. It looks like your doing everything right for your baby Luisana, pitbulls and bulldogs are known for their over abundance of yeast, try giving him probiotics to balance out the yeast in his system, also you could try the neem shampoo at hennahut.com or the Sulfadene medicated shampoo that has sulfa in it to kill yeast.

4. I have a pitbull with environmental skin allergies. I switched her diet to grain free food and every morning I give her a capsule of fish oil (1,000mg) and I add virgin organic coconut oil (about 4 tsp) to her food. They recommend 1tsp per 10 lbs. But you should build up to it a little at a time. Do not feed all at once. Once in awhile I add a raw egg to her food as well. I also apply coconut oil topically to her skin when she gets a rash. It has really helped. Except make sure you put it on areas she can’t lick because they do enjoy the taste. I also bathe her using Vita-soothe aloe and oatmeal shampoo, but I add neem powder (you can find at Indian supermarkets) and neem oil (you can find at natural food stores). I add about 12 drops of neem oil to her shampoo and about 1/2 tsp of neem powder everytime I bathe her. Neem oil smells bad but the smell will not linger on your dog. I also use neem oil on her skin topically but she hates it, but it does help her skin. To rinse her I use an oatmel rinse. I soak the oatmeal for a few mintutes in warm water and I add 1 tsp of coconut oil. When the oatmeal is soft I blend it and add warm water to it as well as 1/2 cup of milk and soymilk. Add just enough water to get her wet and rinse her afterwards. I do not use just plain water when I bathe her. It’s a lot of work, but it has really helped. I’ve noticed a lot less itching and she’s worth it.

5. Thanks for telling us about your Pekingnese and what you do for his skin allergies. Hopefully he’s feeling less itchy. Stetson has been chewing on his paws a little bit so I might try washing his paws on a regular basis.

6. Hi Marc,

   Thanks for telling us your story. Yes, as you said for those of us who’ve tried nearly everything to relieve our dogs itching any suggestion is worth a shot. As you said though it’s best to consult with your vet before starting any new treatments.

   Take care,
   Colby

7. The active ingredient in the Head & Shoulders Clinical Strength Shampoo is 1% selenium sulfide. It’s not the normal product but it is an over the counter product. It comes in a normal sized shampoo bottle, which was plenty for my dog who was 70lbs at the time. I noticed it when walking through the grocery aisle and that it said for “seborrheic dermatitis”, which was how one of my vets described Bear’s skin condition. Previous to using this, Bear was on a special diet, got all sorts of supplements that did nothing, he got allergy shots, steroids, oatmeal baths, you name it – we tried it all and he was miserable til we used that shampoo. He had this problem for years and I spent a lot of money trying to find some relief for him. After his skin cleared up we went back to some Purina brand kibble, stopped all the shots, meds etc. and his coat was great. If you’re in the same situation, ask your vet if it’s worth a try.

8. my Pekingese also has allergies and was scratching and chewing himself raw, now its a whole lot better, he just scratches and chews a couple times a day instead of continually all day. I put him on NUVET and also PROBIOTIC PEARLS to balance the yeast that causes the ear infections and makes him feel itchy. I got him a doggy life jacket to keep him from scratching, its poofy enough that he cant scratch his ears or chew his rear, but he doesn’t have to wear it anymore. I put BurnJel on the itchy spots because it numbs the itchy skin. I wash him with SULFADENE medicated shampoo (same active ingredient as head & shoulders) every 3 days to keep the allergens off his skin and coat and prevent skin infections. I have been doing this for 4 months. The last time he had a flair up I gave him just one of the prescription pills he had left called “SIMPLICEF” and used a little ear ointment he still had called “MOMETAMAX”. I also give him grain free food.
   https://www.happydogfood.com

9. If you or anyone else are dealing with dog skin allergies, try Head & Shoulders Clinical Strength shampoo.

   My dog suffered for years and I spent thousands of dollars trying to get him relief. We saw top vets, tried different diets, allergy shots, everything. Though an allergic reaction or a flea bite might start the problem, the skin gets worse because of a yeast or fungal infection. The vets seem to focus on dishing out antibiotics or antihistamines, even steroids, but none of those are gonna break the cycle of what’s happening to the skin.

   It was pure dumb luck that we tried this medicated shampoo but I’m very grateful that my dog got to live the last half of his life without being miserable. His skin went from being red, smelly and almost weeping to drying up, healing and his coat grew back in. I started by shaving the fur surrounding the affected area. I would give him a bath and allow the shampoo lather to stay on him for at least 5 minutes. Then I’d rinse him off and shampoo him again, leaving the suds on for a shorter period of time. Then I’d rinse him really well and dry him completely with a towel and a hair dryer. From what I remember it seemed like day and nite, but I’m sure we repeated this process more often initially and then less as his skin cleared up and his coat was growing in. I’ll admit that I am nervous about posting this info online cuz I’d hate for any dog to have a negative reaction to the shampoo, so please test it out on a small area first & run it by your vet. Ask your vet about testing for yeast or fungal infection. But I promise you, we tried EVERYTHING before this and the poor guy suffered for many years. Wearing a cone was a daily routine for him. It was not until we tried the stupid dandruff shampoo that he was able to become a normal dog again. .

10. Hallo. I’ve posted that I feed my 9-month-old Lab a raw diet on another page on this website. But I want to post it again because it amazes me that so many people (me included before I started feeding Snowie raw food) think that they do not know how to feed their dog. We think that a pellet is the best thing, and if we dare venture out and feed our dog regular food we think might do him or her harm! Who has been feeding us this rubbish information? 40 years ago my parents cooked up a pot of food for the dogs and that is what they ate. And they lived happily until they reached the ends of their lives. Then, in recent time, we’ve been persuaded by vets and dog food companies that we are clueless when it comes to feeding our pets, and if we don’t feed them pellets, we will do them grave harm. Well, I was chatting to a pharmacist who has now left the chemist business and entered the lucrative dog food and supplies business, and he told me that vets are no longer service providers but are now retailers, and they make a LOT of money from selling dog food. So it’s in your vet’s best interests to sell you a bag of pellets otherwise its their livelihood on the line. You just need to decide whether your dog or vet’s livelihood is more important. The only vet I have met who insisted that raw food is best is a vet who did locums and did not run her own business, so she had no vested interest in selling dog food.

    It is SO easy to feed raw. I buy raw meaty pork bones, raw chicken carcasses, raw chicken necks, and raw chicken wings, and I feed Snowie a mix of these over a month. He gets 900 gm of meat/bones per day, divided up in the day: for breakfast he gets a raw chicken carcass (300 gm), for lunch a raw meaty pork bone (300 gm), and for dinner some wings, or necks, or another carcass (300 gm). I also add raw veg and fruit to two of his meals, eg chopped raw spinach, lettuce, celery stalks and leaves, raw green beans, cooked butternut, pear and apple cores and the ends of strawberries (after we’ve used them for fruit salad) etc (NO bread, rice or potatoes) and I also add a TINY amount (a sliver) of garlic and a splash of flax seed oil, on occassion I also add a raw egg or some plain yoghurt, and I add some water just to mix up the juices and encourage him to eat the veg. I can tell you, he needs no encouragement to polish the bowl clean! And I love the fact that it takes him a while to eat his food cos he has to chew the bones. The raw meaty pork bone keeps him occupied for about 30-45 minutes, and then he continues to gnaw on the bit of bone that is left the rest of the afternoon. This has saved my furniture and garden a lot of damage! And it gives me time to work and do other things other than entertain him. And after a meal, he is sleepy and needs to rest from all that chewing. And the bones in his food makes his poos small and hard — they pop out like bullets when he poos and are so easy to pick up. And subsequently his anus is very clean and he has no anal gland problems.

    Why would you want to spend so much money on canned and bagged food when a raw diet is easier and healthier, and in some cases cheaper? Since being on the raw diet, Snowie’s eyes are clearer (they used to be oozy) and he scratches less. He did have some fleas a month ago and chewed his skin where they bit him. I did put on Advantix — although now I read that Lori says this is really bad. He really inflamed his skin by chewing away at the fleas, so I will investigate the alternatives to the chemicals for keeping fleas off him.

    Regarding buying the raw food, I buy it once a week at the dog club where we go for dog training. It’s sourced by a dog trainer so I know he’s getting the right kinds of bones, but there’s nothing stopping you from going to your butchery. I’m vegetarian so I have no clue when it comes to dead animal parts, so it’s easier to trust the dog trainer’s choice of meaty bones.

11. Thanks Lori, I have changed his diet several times in process of elimination trials, I have tried only chicken for a few months, then only beef, then grain free canned expensive dog food with duck, turkey, venison, buffalo, pork, all with limited ingredients for allergy prone dogs. All that along with Enzymes and probiotics to help digest in case it was the food that he had the problem with, and even “red” krill oil suppliments. I’m convinced its not a food allergy, but probably an environmental such as pollen, the vet said he has seen many dogs allergic to arborvitae’s and the neighbors on each side have them all down our fence lines. So now I use the natures domain salmon and sweet potato grain free dog food, with freshpet fresh refrigerated dog food sprinkled on top, they both have limited ingredients. The dog just turned 4 years old and he’s been having this problem a little over a year and a half now, but hasn’t had any more vaccinations since he was a puppy until last month when I took him in for severe hives and redness inside his ear flaps, then the vet insisted he get a booster because of the outbreak of Parvo he has seen lately, and his new exposure now because of his visit to the vet that day. I am going to try everything I can before I resort to drugs that will harm his kidney’s and liver, my husband gets angry with me for not putting him on the Atopica because he said “its not the quantity of life but the quality” but I don’t think he is suffering in any way as long as I keep him calm, clean, happy and take care of any hot or itchy spots immediately until I can find a more permanent solution other than damaging drugs!

12. Barbara, Your dog is going to continue to itch and have problems regardless of what you are doing unless you change his diet. Dogs are carnivores they cannot digest vegetables most have allergies to them. Kibble is loaded with garbage (additives, preservatives, carbs and a lot of other junk) You are probably making matters worse with trying one thing after another instead of eliminating the problem.

    Prednisone will only mask the problem just like pain pills do but it will not clear up anything, it will only cause major secondary problems! As soon as you stop the prednisone the problem will return.

    Vaccinations are the no 1 cause of allergies and skin issues in dogs!

13. Hi Barbara,

    It sounds like your doing a lot for your dog and his allergies. We’ve been doing the same for Stetson. The two things that have worked I really don’t like using. Our vet has prescribed Prednisone which relieved Stetson’s itching and cleared up his skin, but our vet said that it’s only temporary and not a long term solution plus it made Stetson thirsty and he was peeing a lot. The second was Atopica which made Stetson nauseous. Thanks for all the tips! We’re still trying to come up with a best solution for Stetson and if we find something that really works we’ll report back here on the blog.

    Take care,
    Colby

14. I bought my dog a doggy life jacket at petsmart, it is stiff enough that he cant turn aroung a chew on his tail or back end, and he also cant scratch his ears or ribs, but he can still go potty, move and sleep comfortably, and go in and out the doggy door. I put in on him when I can’t be there to watch him, like when I go to work. I also bought him probiotics by GNC called “ultra mega digestive health complex” and also “seasonal allergy support” made by Vets Best. I feed him Natures Domain salmon and sweet potato grain free dog food and I sprinkle fresh chopped chicken on top twice a day with his 2 pills above, I wrap a piece of chicken around each pill. For his itchy spots I use “burn Jel” because its has lidocaine in it which numbs the itchy spot, it also has tea tree oil which is an anti-bacterial agent and vitamin E. I wash him with sulfodene medicated shampoo which has sulfa and coal tar for itching. I have been doing this for about a month now and he hardly bites or scratches lately, he still does once or twice a day, which is not nearly as much as he used to.

    UPDATE:
    I don’t use the GNC Allergy Support anymore because even after I thought he was getting better he had another breakout with hives, so now I’m trying Nuvet to boost his immune system, and I don’t sprinkle chicken on his food anymore, I give him freshpet dog food sprinkled on top of his Natures Domain dry food, it was getting hard to give him his pills so now I stick them in a bite of frozen yogurt, and I ordered a Thundershirt for him to replace the doggie life jacket thats falling apart. if the Nuvet doesn’t work then I’m going to consider the Atopica as a last resort.

15. Thanks for the advice. We’ve tried Benadryl with our dog and it doesn’t really help. Our vet told us it works on dogs with allergies about 20% of the time.

16. My family breed labs for a long time allergies are bad Benadryl. It works great as long as the dog is attest 30 40 pounds it shouldn’t hurt. But every dog is different.

17. @Lori – I couldn’t agree more.

18. @Barbara, thanks for telling us about your dog. I’m going to check into some of your suggestions.

19. @Lori thanks for all the great advice. I’m going to check out the rawfeddogs.net site and see what I might be able to do to relieve Stetson’s allergies. I also like the recommendations for natural flea and tick preventative. I usually don’t worry too much about flea’s and ticks, but last year we had a flea outbreak in my house which was quite miserable. I ended up using Advantage on the dogs and bombed the house, but next time I’d like to try the natural products as I hate putting advantage or frontline on my dogs. I’m also going to check into the vaccinations. I have heard similar horror stories about vaccinations. Thanks again for all the advice!

20. I bought my dog a doggy life jacket at petsmart, it is stiff enough that he cant turn aroung a chew on his tail or back end, and he also cant scratch his ears or ribs, but he can still go potty, move and sleep comfortably, and go in and out the doggy door. I put in on him when I can’t be there to watch him, like when I go to work. I also bought him probiotics by GNC called “ultra mega digestive health complex” and also “seasonal allergy support” made by Vets Best. I feed him Natures Domain salmon and sweet potato grain free dog food and I sprinkle fresh chopped chicken on top twice a day with his 2 pills above, I wrap a piece of chicken around each pill. For his itchy spots I use “burn Jel” because its has lidocaine in it which numbs the itchy spot, it also has tea tree oil which is an anti-bacterial agent and vitamin E. I wash him with sulfodene medicated shampoo which has sulfa and coal tar for itching. I have been doing this for about a month now and he hardly bites or scratches lately, he still does once or twice a day, which is not nearly as much as he used to.

21. Carbs and kibble are two of the reasons dogs get allergies. Kibble is not species appropriate food and dogs never need carbs or dairy products in their diet. Sadly most vets are not educated on canine nutrition or they would never recommend or sell the kibble that they do. Bottom line, dogs are carnivores they eat meat, not dried up extruded hard pieces of chemical laden, artifical colored pieces of kibble that contain grains and garbage not fit for human consumption. For what little education vets do get while in school, guess who educates vets on canine nutrition? Money making dog food companies. Ironic isn’t it? As for dry dog foods labeled holistic and all natural, well there is nothing holistic or natural about the process the food goes through to become dry dog food/kibble.
    Flea and tick products along with heartworm medications and vaccines can cause allergies and skin conditions not to mention cancer, seizures, and in some cases death.
    Dogs that are fed a healthy species appropriate diet very rarely suffer from ear infections, yeast, and allergies. However some dogs, even very healthy dogs on a good diet can suffer from environmental allergies i.e. pollen, grass, floor and carpet cleaners, household cleaners, air fresheners, candles etc. Use natural cleaning products and if using harsh chemicals to clean your floors always rinse floors with a hot water and vinegar solution before allowing your pets on the floors. Steam cleaning is an excellent way to clean up harmful bacteria without harming your pets. Your aunt is correct rinsing with vinegar clears up flaky skin, and repels mosquitos, mites, fleas, and ticks and soothes dogs skin that are suffering from allergies. A few drops of organic apple cider vinegar in your dogs water is also very beneficial to their health. Bathe more frequently when the pollen is high or at least soak a towel in vinegar water and wipe down your dog after being outside for prolonged periods or walking in the weeds or high grass.
    I have been a dog owner for most of my life and I have been working with rescued dogs for 25+ years now and have learned a lot through trial and error.
    My first suggestion would be to do a lot of research and get your dog on a raw diet it truly is the best thing you will ever do for your dog.
    *Helpful info. on raw feeding here,
    and here,
    My second suggestion would be stop the use of all chemicals and pesticides on your dog for fleas ticks and heartworm. There are too many natural things you can do for your dog to keep risking their health with harsh chemicals and pesticides. These topical treatments that some vets push go into your dogs blood stream and cause a whole host of problems for your dogs. The fleas may be killed but now your dogs are at risk for cancer, seizures and some pretty nasty skin problems. There are many lasting effects form flea, tick and heartworm products. Never, ever use any Hartz flea and tick products or Bio-spot.
    *Read here for more info. on the dangers of flea and tick products,
    Here are some natural flea and tick preventatives,
    Read here for the truth about heart worm preventatives,
    My third suggestion would be to stop yearly vaccines they are unnecessary. Have titers run on your dogs instead if your vet is pushing for yearly vaccines. Rabies is the only mandatory vaccine in most states and that should only be given every three years. Also if your dog has suffered any allergy symptoms, seizures, skin conditions, or tumors at the vaccination site check to see if your state will issue a rabies exemption some states do. I lost dogs to rabies vaccines, lepto vaccine, and distemper vaccines, as well as had adverse reactions in my dogs to flea products, heart worm products, and food recalls so I do speak from personal experience in all the fields I have mentioned. Educate yourself on these matters and confront and discuss them with your vet you owe it to your dog to do whats best for them. Only you have their best interest at heart. Never let a vet talk you into doing something that could potentially harm your pets I made that mistake too many times.

22. Thanks for sharing! Very informational article. I agree that allergies can be one of the major causes of ear infection. Proper cleaning on your dog’s ears is important too! Check out this article about the step-by-step guide on doing it http://www.dogears.co/how-to-clean-your-dogs-ears/

23. @Lizl thanks for visiting our website. Our vet recently prescribed Atopica which worked very well for Stetson. However, we had two problems with the Atopica. First, it’s very expensive. I believe it was costing me about $200 a month. Second, it made Stetson nauseous every time he took it and he regularly vomited shortly after taking his pill. I’ve heard that some dogs have issues with it and some do not so you may want to ask your vet if it something that might work for your dog. Good luck with your dog. I hope he starts feeling less itchy soon.

24. I have a labrador alsation mis breed, her name is Cayla. I struggle with skin problems. I have tried everything, from changing her diet, cooking for her, cortisone injections and tablets, antihistamine, and any lots of different shampoos for sensitive skin. I have even tried all sorts of home remedies recommended by friends. The cortisone helped for round about a year, but now it doesn’t make a difference. My poor baby is itchy all the time and now has large bald spots where the hair has been falling out. She defenitely does not have fleas because I check and treat her regularly. Her dachshund brother and sister has no skin problems at all. If there is anybody who has some advice for me, I would really appreciate it.

25. @Bonnie, one of my friends is a vet tech and she told me to try Benadryl so I’m thinking about putting Stetson on Benadryl for a few weeks to see if it helps. I have a friend who is a vet so I’m going to run it by him before I start Stetson on any new medications. Good luck with your pup. I hope he feels better.

26. Thanks Colby for the reply! I hate to put her on drugs, they tried an antihistamine and she acted like she didn’t like that so I stopped. I’ll ask about the Atopica, let me know if you find something else (have you tried an allergy med like claritan? I’m thinking of trying that….)

27. @Bonnie, Sorry for the late response. We used the Atopica on Stetson for about 3 months and he totally cleared up and his coat looked great. The only problem is the medication doesn’t make him feel good and he’d occasionally vomit. I didn’t like this so I decided to stop using it and see if I could find another alternative treatment. It probably wouldn’t hurt to ask your vet about Atopica. I’m guessing that different dogs react differently to the medication, but Stetson got visibly sick. Let me know if you find anything that works with your Aussie/Chow.

28. Oh, and she’s still on the venison and potato with the occasional treat or table scraps (nothing with chicken though). What is this Atopica?

29. So has the flea and mite medication helped? I also have an australian shepherd, possible chow mix. We got her from a shelter, assumed to be about 1 year old. When she was 2 we noticed scabs on her, in particular on top of her head and on her legs. then she started itching a lot! Spent about $1000 at a doggie dermo, did all the food trials, used revolution, sprayed the house, washed everything etc. We put her on venison/potato prescription food (expensive!). Thought we had discovered that she was allergic to chicken and she seemed to get better. Now though a year later, the scabs are back and she is itching like crazy and it’s killing me! i feel like my poor baby thinks her skins on fire! Help!! what else could it be and what can I do to help her? I also am not real good about applying the flea stuff, only do it in the summer (it’s Jan now and we live in Chicago!) as it is hard because her hair is so log. Help!!

30. @Pieter, I’m glad your dog is doing well. We made another visit to the vet a couple weeks ago and Stetson is on a new prescription medication called Atopica. It seems to be helping. Our vet said that Stetson’s chronic ear infections, canine acne, and itching are probably all related to his allergy problems. We’ll have him on Atopica for a month and see how it goes.

31. Re my comment above. the 3×5 should read 3X5mg. Sorry.

32. We have a black Labrador – German Shepherd cross with the same problem, and after trying every possible remedy have resorted to alleviatng the itching with prednisone. (cortisone) When the itching gets bad we give her a burst of 3X5 tablets per day in one go (5mg tablets) for three consecutive days. This controls the itching very well for a couple of weeks. Although it is not good for her it is better than allowing her to live in misery. The vet tells us she is suffering from climatic dermatitis. We moved from up country to the coast when she was a year old and that is when the itching problem manifested itself. She is now 8 yrs old and apart from showing premature grey, has exhibited no other health problems.

33. @Tamia, I’d be interested in your organic shampoo. Do you have a list of the ingredients on your website?

34. I’ve used my own organic shampoo for my pooch for the past 5 years to protect her sensitive skin.

35. my dog too have same problem.

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