Check the animal for demodicosis. Demodectic mange is caused by small mites. Typically, these mites do not cause skin problems if the dog's skin function is normal. immune system. Demodicosis is most common in puppies because their immune systems are still developing. To diagnose this disease, your veterinarian will need to scrape the dog's skin.

It is important to understand what causes the itching. The dog may be showing signs of some other illness, which will confuse you. Alopecia (hair loss) and Cushing's disease may be comorbidities.

Treatment of itching

Discuss with your veterinarian possible methods treatment. Due to the wide variety of causes of itching, there are a number of treatments that your veterinarian can prescribe. Some pets feel better after taking antihistamines, other pets will need short course hormonal drugs. ,

• All medications prescribed by a veterinarian must be given to the animal strictly according to the instructions. Medicines will help eliminate the cause of itching and speed up the healing process.

1. Try flea medication. Allergy to fleas and flea dermatitis- The most common causes of itching in dogs. The first step is to protect the animal from flea bites. Dogs may develop allergic reaction on flea saliva, which causes severe itching. Allergies can occur even with one bite.

   • Treat any pets that may have fleas, and make sure there are no fleas in the house.

2. Try a special shampoo. A veterinarian-recommended medicated shampoo will help relieve itching and also help treat bacterial and fungal infections. Medicated shampoos can be used in addition to oral medications.

   • Medicated shampoos are available over the counter and may be coal tar based shampoos, which reduce the risk of further infection of open skin wounds. Before purchasing medicated shampoo, consult your veterinarian.
   • Bathing is useful for skin itching, but don't use it for that regular shampoo. A mild shampoo specially formulated for dogs will help relieve the itching, but only temporarily. If your dog's skin is severely damaged, it is best not to use a medicated shampoo unless recommended by a veterinarian. Otherwise, you can only increase skin irritation.
   • There is no need to constantly bathe the animal. Normally, it is recommended to bathe a dog once a month; some dogs can be bathed even less often. Remember that bathing removes beneficial sebum from the skin. If your veterinarian has prescribed a special medicated shampoo for your pet, he or she will give you advice on how often you should bathe your dog.

3. Ask your doctor about the effectiveness of hormonal treatment. In some severe cases, treatment uses hormonal medications (for example, Prednisone) to help relieve itching.

   Ask about antihistamine treatment. They can be used to suppress allergic reactions. There are many different antihistamines. Your veterinarian may recommend over-the-counter medications or prescribe prescription medications.

   • Remember that no medicine is 100% suitable for every animal. Therefore, first you will need to find out which drugs work best for your pet.
   • Keep in mind that antihistamines will not work if the itching is severe. But they are often recommended after a course of treatment hormonal drugs so that allergic reactions can be controlled.

4. Try antibiotics. If other treatments haven't worked, your veterinarian may recommend an antibiotic. If your dog's skin is so damaged that secondary infection is possible, an antibiotic is essential to fight the infection!

   Talk to your veterinarian. You may need to have the animal's blood tested or take a skin scraping. This will allow your veterinarian to determine if your pet has allergies to pollen, plants, grasses, insects, or mold. Food allergies are best determined by testing the animal for specific foods. ,

   Contact your veterinarian dermatologist. If your dog has severe itching, scratches or other lesions on the skin, talk to your veterinarian. Dermatologist specializes in skin diseases, so he will give you advice.

   Don't immediately buy a bunch of over-the-counter medications. Drugs such as medicated or coal shampoos, oil tea tree and aloe vera are more preventative measure However, owners often start treatment with them in the hope that the disease will recede. Check with your veterinarian first.

   • Other home remedies (for example, turpentine, Vaseline, vinegar) are also unlikely to help.
   • Your attempts to treat your beloved pet on your own may lead to complications.

Change your diet

2. You can try giving your dog supplements fatty acids. For example, in the form fish oil or linseed oil. These products are available as usual in kind, and in capsules. ,

   • To correctly determine the dosage, be sure to read the instructions.

Itching indicates the occurrence of skin inflammation - dermatitis (ecthyma), which occurs under the influence of the following factors:

Stressful

A dog is an impressionable creature, so it reacts nervously to an unusual situation. Sleep disappears, hair is lost, itching develops. Most often suffer decorative dogs And service dogs. Changing the habitat, for example, moving from an apartment to a kennel or vice versa, causes stress and takes time to adapt.

Mechanical

It is the result of bruises or abrasions. Hyperemic skin surfaces form around the injured area. She itches, scratches herself, hair comes out hair follicles. Wounds form, and permanent inhabitants of the skin, mainly staphylococci, settle in the exposed areas of fatty tissue. The itching intensifies, scratching becomes violent, and the pathological surface expands.

Contact

Characteristic of indoor dogs exposed to constant exposure to chemical or physical irritants. If an animal lives near heating radiators, overheating causes the skin to dry out, crack, become contaminated with secondary microflora, itching, scratching, and dermatitis similar to mechanical dermatitis occurs.

Some substances become irritants for the animal. As a result of their action, the dog’s skin swells, becomes covered with blisters, becomes scratched, becomes infected and develops ecthyma. Sometimes the cause of dermatitis is bathing a dog with poor quality shampoos or good ones, but too often. The skin dries out, cracks and becomes inflamed. The disease develops slowly and it is difficult to establish the cause of its occurrence.

Paratraumatic

If the wound received by the dog has become festered, its edges are irritated by exudate, which irritates the surrounding skin, inflammatory and swelling. Putrefactive microorganisms from the infected surface they spread to new areas of the skin, expanding the area of ​​the defect. The fur surrounding the pathological area sticks together and becomes matted, falls out, and reveals a swollen, reddened surface.

Thermal

Occurs as a result of burns or frostbite. Converts to acral licking dermatitis. The harmfulness of this type of pathology lies in the intoxication of the body by the decay products of necrotic tissue.

Allergic

Inappropriate response to stimuli occurs for the following reasons:

Infectious

The most common is staphylococcal ecthyma. How independent disease, it develops rarely and is a symptom of the underlying pathology causing the lesion immune defense body. Mycotic dermatitis occurs for the same reason, but the causative agents are microscopic fungi.

Diagnostics

Treatment

To eliminate dermatitis caused by overexertion, mainly soothing herbal remedies are used internally: Stop-stress and Kot Bayun, and antiseptic aerosols are used externally.

To counteract staphylococcal infection use external or injection antimicrobial and antiphlogistic agents, as well as immune correction. In demand wound healing ointments, powders, antiseptic aerosols.

Discontinue medications to which a hypersensitive reaction may occur. If necessary, use antihistamines. They optimize the diet - switch to ready-made low-allergenic food.

Immune stimulation is carried out after changing the diet and reducing the load on service dog. After 2…4 days, injections of medications are performed that stimulate the body’s defense system - Gamavit, Catazal or Phosprenyl.

If microscopic fungi are found in the pathological material, external and internal antimycotic drugs for cats and dogs are used. For small lesions, ointments are used - Mycozon, Clotrimazole or Yam, aerosol antimycotics - Fungin, Exoderil and its analogues. If fungal infections significant, they use bathing solutions - Imaverol or Fucoricin, or oral medications, among which Griseofulvin is the most popular.

A common disease that is incredibly disturbing and debilitating for an animal is itching in dogs. With such an illness, the pet becomes irritable, nervous, and to some extent, even helpless. Itching appears in certain areas of the body, or in certain areas of the pet’s skin. By observing the dog, you can determine which part of the body suffers the most: either the itching spreads over the ears and back, or the tail itches, or the itching settles in rear hole. There are many reasons why a pet may experience discomfort.

Causes and treatment of itching in dogs

Neither age nor breed play any role in this disease, since itching is a symptom of many diseases in the animal. There are many reasons that cause itching in dogs. One of the causes of itching is fleas and ticks.

In addition to fleas, itching in a dog can be caused by: different types ticks, which are conveniently located on the animal’s body in places where there is no hair. These are the ears, belly, elbow joints. Dangerous period the appearance of ticks - from early spring to late autumn. It is in cool weather that they find their prey. A tick bite can lead to encephalitis. This disease entails death for an animal.

First of all, you need to examine your pet. If you notice that he is focusing on scratching his ears, that may be where ear mites have taken up residence. The appearance of crusts in the ears or the appearance of a disgusting odor indicates that a mite has settled in the animal’s ears. This can lead to deafness in your pet. The scabies mite also causes severe itching.

Another reason is fungal diseases. Ringworm, namely about it we're talking about, any family member and animals living in the house where the sick dog lives can become infected. This disease can be cured:

• Antifungal drugs that cleanse the blood. They must be administered intravenously - these are handled by a veterinarian. As an analogue, you can use tablets or powder - in this case, the owner must monitor the intake of drugs, because Dogs often don’t really like the taste of the medicine, so it must first be disguised as a treat or food.
• Spots that appear on the dog’s body are outlined with iodine or brilliant green, depending on the type of disease.
• The dog is isolated because the disease is dangerous for people.
• Complete disinfection of the house is also necessary. It is important to treat not only things that belong to the pet, but also everything that it may have come into contact with. Special attention give attention to the sofa, bed, etc.

A meeting with a veterinarian is essential in such cases. Before a diagnosis is made, research is carried out. In particular, scrapings and smears are taken from damaged tissues. Based on the examination results, the doctor prescribes treatment.

Itching due to allergies in a dog

Dogs of any breed and any age are susceptible to allergies. The most common allergic reactions:

• Severe itching different parts body, including the abdomen, ears.
• Rashes in the form small rash red.
• Bursting blisters and formation of pustules.

Food allergies cause very intense itching in dogs. There are a number of foods available today that can cause extreme itching in your dog. Therefore, when thinking over the menu, take into account the health characteristics of your pet. Unfortunately, the presence of allergies is determined strictly experimentally. All products that are introduced into your pet’s diet must be added gradually and in small portions. Only if there is no negative reaction, you can increase the portion and include it in the main menu.

However, there are most allergenic products for our four-legged friends. Not even very great use chicken eggs may cause itching in the animal. Cooking dishes from beef meat and birds, do not forget that they can also cause an allergic reaction. Be careful when introducing corn, wheat and other grains into your pet’s diet, especially those grown at home.

Products made from yeast dough, can cause not only itching, but also gastrointestinal upset. After eating seafood, your four-legged friend may also develop itching. If your pet begins to itch continuously after eating cow's milk products, then this is the first sign that these products are strictly prohibited for him. Unbearable allergic itching may appear in an animal after eating soy or products that contain it.

Smoked meats, sweets, and very salty foods are unacceptable as dog food. Be careful when purchasing ready-made food for your pet. Check out the ingredients. Store purchases can also cause complications in the form of itching in the animal.

It is necessary to check the blood for the presence of allergens in the body pet. Based on the result of the analysis, the veterinarian will be able to adjust the composition of food for your pet. The products recommended by the doctor are used for two or three months. The owner monitors the health of his four-legged friend. It may very well be that the diet will have to be adjusted in order to finally get rid of the itching.

Only under the supervision of a doctor can you organize proper nutrition and help the dog recover. With an established diet, after a certain time, changes can be gradually introduced into the animal’s diet. At the same time, make sure that the itching does not recur. Corrections in nutrition are carried out only by a doctor - no arbitrariness if you value the life of your pet.

Symptoms of the disease

Naturally, the first sign of illness in a four-legged friend is pronounced itching.

• At the same time, the pet diligently reaches its ear with its hind paw and diligently combs it.
• He clicks his teeth furiously at the anus.
• To soothe the itching, the dog diligently rubs itself against carpets or sofas.
• Quite often he shakes his ears, rubs his eyes and muzzle, and squeals at the same time.
• It happens that due to unbearable itching, the dog scratches the skin until it wounds and even whines.
• Depending on the affected area of ​​the skin, the pet scratches the ears, nose, belly and other areas of the body.
• Diligently licks its paws. When itching, the skin in the affected areas turns red.
• Dandruff may even appear.

The same symptoms are observed with fungal diseases. For ringworm:

• Hair falls out in places, initially on the face and paws.
• Spots approximately one centimeter in size are formed.
• The skin turns red.
• The owner notices that the dog is itching and hair is falling out.
• Purulent, liquid discharge begins.

Antipruritic drugs for dogs

The extent to which the patient is quickly and accurately diagnosed, the treatment is effective and the recovery is long-awaited. If the animal suffers from very severe itching and skin lesions are clearly visible, then treatment is carried out:

• hydrocortisone;
• prednisone;
• cortisone;
• dexamethasone.

In the next four hours after administration, the drugs begin to act and the pet’s itching gradually decreases and disappears. For twelve hours after administration of the medicine, your four-legged friend doesn't suffer from unbearable itching. These medications can only be used for seven days. And only in case of emergency, since they differ in serious side effects. Antihistamines should be used when it becomes clear that your pet’s severe itching is caused by an allergy.

For treatment, two or more antihistamines are prescribed at once. Their reception is designed for fourteen days. If your pet sleeps more while taking these medications, don't be alarmed. This is one of the symptoms of the medicine. Diazolin, tavegil, suprastin, diphenhydramine can be calmed nervous condition animal and reduce discomfort itching. To treat affected skin, mash and decoctions are used.

At allergic itching More of the following should be added to the diet of a sick animal:

• fatty acids;
• fish oil;
• flaxseed oil (by the way, they can be given with food; they are available in capsules).

Used to treat affected skin medicated shampoos and soap. They destroy fungal and bacterial infections. They are based on coal tar. Talkers with the addition of sulfur are widely used. Applications and even herbal baths are also used. For such diseases use:

• oats;
• strawberry leaves and roots;
• oak bark;
• sequence;
• young birch leaves.

The most common reason itchy your pet has fleas. Their presence cannot be tolerated. The room in which the dog lives must be treated at least three times. During treatment, you can simultaneously use drops that drip onto the withers, plus an anti-flea collar. You can use drops and spray in pairs. The medications contain substances that repel and kill fleas.

• After each walk, be sure to carefully examine your pet. Pay special attention to the groin, abdominal skin, ears, even gums.
• Check your dog to see if he has ringworm or scabies mite. Both diseases are contagious to humans. In case of such diseases in animals, the owner and members of his family must strictly adhere to strict rules hygiene.
• Make notes to yourself indicating when and after the animal began to itch. This information will be useful when visiting a doctor to make a correct diagnosis.
• To obtain a 100% recovery result for your pet, use two or three medications for treatment.
• Don't give your dog a completely short haircut. Just cut the hair in a specific sore spot.
• If your dog's itchy skin is caused by an allergy, then first of all identify this allergen and try to get rid of it. Reconsider your relationship with food. In a dog's menu, proteins should prevail over carbohydrates.
• It is necessary to ensure that there is a sufficient amount of fatty acids in the animal’s diet, as they help improve coat growth, as well as its beauty.
• Detergents, shampoos, and various herbal scents can cause itching in dogs. Medicines can also be allergens, as they have side effects.

To bathe an animal suffering from itching, use a gentle, mild shampoo. This shampoo relieves some of the pain and itching. When choosing a detergent for your dog, it is better to consult a specialist. The dog is bathed once every month. Before you get rid of itching in your dog, make sure you know the exact cause of it. To do this, visit your veterinarian.

Sometimes it can be unbearable that your beloved pet is suffering, but you cannot help him due to a simple misunderstanding of the situation. This is the case when a dog is constantly itching. And there seem to be no fleas, no ticks, but the dog persistently continues to tear the skin and gnaw at itself. Sometimes the situation reaches the point where the fur flies out in clumps, and bleeding wounds form in the place where it was missing. In this case, there is a possibility of a bacterial infection. Then the situation becomes twice as complicated. Therefore, veterinarians recommend not to delay, but to find out the cause of scabies right away.