Dog won't stop scratching!?

I have a 2 year old male Pommarian. He is always scratching. He doesn't have fleas or ticks. I bought some soap-free hypoallergenic shampoo from Petco and it works for a few hours then he's itching again. I'm pretty sure its dry skin. My mom had the same problem with her collie. Is there any home remedies I can try to help relieve the itching. He even has made himself bleed in a few spots from the scratching. I'm really tempted to shave him! Any advice?

Dog won't stop scratching!?
First thing, any problem needs to be addressed by a vet. Second, you could try fish oil gel caps. Third, too many baths will cause itching! Fourth, look at the food you are feeding. Our pets need quality pet food. Read the ingredients list and learn what the stuff on there is and what it does (or does not do) to/for our pets. A quick pet food 101. If the pet food contains corn/corn products or by products it is a poor quality food. Corn is a filler that can trigger skin problems. (allergies, skin problems, itching and excessive shedding) By products is anything from an animal not fit for human consumption, including cancerous tissue. Do not pay attention to advertising, they all say there food is great. "Vet approved" means they have a vet on staff to approve their product. In other words, someone paid to approve it. Same with foods most vets recommend. Salesmen "gift" vets then the vet recommends the food. Most vets are not nutritionists! Quality foods have meat as the first ingredient. California Natural, Solid Gold, Innova and Merrick are a few of the best brands available. If you want to learn more check out: http://www.sagekeep.com/petfood.htm www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359%26amp; more=1 http://animalark.eapps.com/animal/PetFoo...
Reply:I don't know how often you give the dog a bath but try to reduce it to once a month at the most. The more you bathe a dog the drier their skin will become. Also use a oatmeal and aloe shampoo when you do give the dog a bath. I don't think shaving the dog will help because hair or no hair the skin will still be dry. Good Luck!!!
Reply:Shaving him won't help - a pom's coat protects him from the elements. Sounds like allergies - either environmental causes or from food. Take him to the vet - there are meds they can give him short-term to settle it down. Then look into his food situation. I feed California Natural which is formulated for allergic dogs.
Reply:take him 2 the vet! cuz my dog does the same


the vet gave us meds! :)
Reply:There are some skin conditioning shampoos out there that might help. Also try feeding more fat. Get some beef fat from your butcher or ask for it at the meat counter at the grocery store...feed the dog a little of that every day. I would say a handfull would be efficient. Also you can put an ounce of olive oil in his food. Feeding eggs also helps the coat. Sometimes dry skin is an effect of too little fat in the diet.





These are all suggestions, but if you can you should really get him to the vet right away. The poor dog sounds like he is miserable and might have an allergy or something.
Reply: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.








Top Ten Worst Itching Offenders





1. Fleas





2. Airborne allergens like pollen, which result in hay fever





3. Parasites, such as ear mites, scabies or cheyletiellosis, also known as walking dandruff





4. Skin infections caused by bacteria





5. Ticks and lice





6. Food allergies





7. Fungal infections, including yeast infections





8. Seborrhea





9. Contact allergies





10. Whole-body illnesses, such as liver disease, immune-system problems and some cancers.





Allergies in dogs can be very frustrating. Symptoms your dog may have are chewing/licking the paws.... and/or scratching anywhere on the body causing oozing sores that just don't seem to go away. And they can be allergies to just about anything..... the bite of a single flea can cause a fit of scratching and chewing. And even be allergic to their plastic food bowl Or to the food you feed. Dogs also may have seasonal allergies from pollens in the air or rubbed into. Our mission here is trying to pin-point what is making your dogs discomfort and scratching and chewing and licking. It's not easy but don't give up. We encourage you to seek veterinary care. This group is not for replacing vet care.
Reply:Try changing the food you are feeding him. Switch him to something like Solid Gold, Wellness, Candiae, etc. Foods like Solid Gold don't have fillers, by-products, gluten, etc in them. Most of the foods that you buy in the supermarket contain corn. Corn in the number 1 cause for allergies in dogs. Which can cause them to scratch.


Also call your vet and ask them what dose of Benedryl you can give him. Benedryl with help relieve some of the itching. But definitely change his food. Benedryl will only cover up the symptoms and won't actually treat the problem.
Reply:What are you feeding him? Chances are good that he's got a problem with his food. You can look here to learn more about dog food:





http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com





Corn is a major source of dog allergies and skin problems. Switching to a simpler food like California Natural may be a good idea. Good luck!
Reply:Try Atopica I live in St.Louis and I take my Jack Russel to a doggie dermotoligst. Thje Atopica has worked very well for allergies. Hope this has helped.
Reply:I regularly shave my dog in the spring/summer anyway because of the heat and I can then make sure shes free of lumps/growths/sores too. If you run the AC alot and shave him, he'll need a doggie sweater! Shaving works wonders to get the medicine right on the skin instead of wasting it on the fur. I use a Braggs Apple Cider vinegar/neem oil rinse on my dog AFTER I shampoo her. I leave it in, dont rinse it. It smells like a salad for awhile, but it works wonders for the itching!!! Vinegar burns open wounds but only for a minute then somehow it calms the skin. Great dog itchy website below with home remedies !! Good luck!