The dog is itching a lot for reasons. The dog has severe itching. What to do and how to treat? Stress causes itching

It happens that the dog’s owner notices that the pet begins to bite itself, but does not attach much importance to this, believing that the whole point is that the animal is infected with fleas and buys means to remove them (collar, various drops that are applied to the withers). But there are other reasons, such as skin diseases (various dermatitis, dermatoses), allergic skin reactions.

As a rule, itching does not bring serious consequences, other than constant discomfort for the animal’s body, however, in rare cases, it indicates problems in the dog’s health and requires contacting a veterinarian.

You should pay attention if an animal chews and bites itself for a long time, despite flea treatment, it is also necessary show him to the vet. Even if the discomfort is not caused by a very serious reason, a pet that constantly bites itself is injured, which can lead to pain, hair loss, and infection of the wounds when dirt gets into them.

What are the causes of restless dog behavior?

Typically, there are several reasons why an animal chews itself:

Why does a dog chew its paws?

Often the dog chews on its limbs. There are the following reasons that can lead to this behavior:

• Improper claw treatment. Often, owners forget about the need to keep their pet's claws in order and trim them regularly or do it incorrectly, which leads to significant discomfort. It becomes uncomfortable for the dog to move, and it begins to chew its limbs, trying to relieve itself of the pain.
• Subcutaneous mites or fungal diseases provoke severe itching in the paw pads, and the animal begins to bite its itchy places.
• Insufficient hygiene. Usually, after a walk, a caring owner washes his pet’s paws, and if this is not done, then lumps of dirt and wool (tangles) form between his toes, which interfere with movement, and therefore the animal begins to chew out this dirt on its own.
• Damage to paw pads. You can injure your skin with anything. The reagents used to treat roads against ice often turn out to be chemically aggressive to the skin, corrode it, thereby leading to itching and pain.
• Inflammation of the claw bed(felon), numbness of the paws (usually due to poor circulation), and joint pain.
• Dietary disorders and errors. Often the cause of obsessive behavior is an excess or lack of nutrients and vitamins.
• Neurosis-like state. It is necessary to identify the causes of stress in your pet and try to eliminate them.

How to help your pet?

Food allergies are the most common cause of scratching on the skin of pets. Need to change your pet's eating habits, try to remember how he ate before the onset of the disease, include only healthy foods or ready-made food in the menu. If you notice that the allergic symptoms have disappeared, then the problem was indeed an unsuitable ingredient or food (take note and do not buy them in the future).

Treatment of all types of allergies is usually carried out as follows: identifying the allergen and limiting contact with it. However, if the allergen cannot be detected or there is no way to prevent seasonal allergies, doctors recommend treatment to reduce the symptoms (the use of antihistamines, hormonal ointments and medications).

When you find fleas while washing your pet, most likely they are the cause of nervous behavior. Nowadays, pet stores offer a whole line of remedies for these blood-sucking insects.

It should be noted that if a dog itches and chews itself, this fact cannot be ignored, but illiterate self-medication can lead to a deterioration in your pet’s condition. Therefore, it is best to show the animal to a veterinarian.

Itchy skin in dogs has become an increasing concern for dog owners in recent years. There are many causes of itching in dogs. Itching in a dog can appear on a wide variety of parts of the body, to the point where patches of itching in a dog can spread throughout the body. And yet, the most common areas where itching occurs in dogs are usually the ears, back, tail and anal area.

During itching, the dog scratches itself with its claws, rubs against various objects, scratches the skin at the site of itching until it bleeds, as a result, scabs form at this place.

The dog itches - causes of itching.

Ticks in dogs usually affect areas where short hair grows (ears, belly, elbows). The most common diseases in dogs are:

Fungal and bacterial diseases.

Among fungal diseases, itching in dogs can occur with ringworm,. The presence of a bacterial infection in dogs can cause itchy skin (streptococcosis in dogs, pyoderma).

Food and non-food allergies.

A dog itching is one of the symptoms of dermatitis ().

Worm infestation.

The presence of worms in dogs often leads to itching in the anus. With worms, a sick dog often rubs its anus on the floor, ground, and various objects. See our article for more details.

Stressful situation.

Itching in a dog can appear as a result of severe stress, especially if the dog lacks proper attention from its owner.

Your dog may experience short-term itching as a result of numerous mosquito bites while walking. It is necessary to keep in mind that simultaneously with a mosquito bite, your dog can get such a dangerous disease as.

Clinical picture.

The main symptom that provokes the appearance of itching in a dog is the presence of various skin lesions in different parts of the body, the presence of a pink or reddish tint at the site of the itching, the affected area of ​​skin is usually painful and moist upon palpation, and we note an increase in local body temperature. Change in the dog’s behavior – the dog becomes restless, actively scratches the ear area with its paws, rubs its muzzle and eyes on various objects, scratches the perineal area, etc. As a result of severe itching, papules (outlined significant elevations of skin with a diameter of less than 1 cm), pustules (a blister filled with leukocytes), scratches, and areas of skin with no hair appear on the dog’s skin. With chronic itching, there is often thickening of the skin and roughness at the site of the lesion.

Diagnosis of the causes of itching.

If, as a result of diagnostic studies, the source of the itching is not identified, then it becomes necessary to exclude the allergic nature of the skin itching. For this purpose, your dog will need to be switched to another food for 6-10 weeks, where the amount of food allergens is limited. You should choose foods that the dog has not received before, or received only occasionally. Changing the brand of dog food. It is necessary to keep in mind that allergens often contain animal proteins (beef, chicken, fish, dairy products), cereals (all grains, except rice), food additives (stabilizers, preservatives, dyes, aromatics - meat flour). Rarely, allergens are found in lamb, horse meat, potatoes and rice.

The specialist will also, during a clinical examination and history taking, eliminate the seasonal nature of skin itching, while prescribing medications that have a therapeutic effect on seasonal itching.

Treatment of itchy skin in dogs.

Basic principles of treatment.

1. If the disease was not correctly recognized, then inadequate treatment will lead to distortion of the symptoms of the disease and may cause the appearance of new symptoms.
2. The use of simple biologically active substances in the treatment of itching often leads to faster recovery than massive exposure to highly active substances.
3. The correct choice and combination of medications speeds up treatment.
4. Treatment of the affected skin area should be gentle.
5. The use of a bandage has a bad effect on skin regeneration processes, so the dog must be distracted from licking with other drugs.
6. If severe itching occurs, the following measures should be taken before using glucocorticoids: frequently bathe the dog in warm water for 5-10 minutes. Calm the dog with sedatives (sedating antihistamines, acepromazine), diphenhydramine. Put a collar on your dog.

In the case where there are large lesions on the skin and severe itching, the sick dog must be prescribed corticosteroid hormones, which can reduce skin itching within a few hours (cortisone, hydrocortisone, prednisolone, dexamethasone and many others). Considering that hormonal drugs have serious side effects, they cannot be used for more than one week.

When treating itching in dogs, antihistamines are used, which have much fewer side effects. Among the antihistamines used in the treatment of skin itching in dogs are diphenhydramine, suprastin, tavegil, diazolin.

When there is a pet in the house, it is a joy for the whole family. And every caring owner will be concerned about disturbances in the animal’s behavior and health problems.

I would like to help as quickly as possible, but for this you need to know the cause and methods to combat it. What to do if you notice that your pet has started gnawing on its back near its tail for a long time?

It happens when a pet begins to actively chew itself in the tail area. Often, as a result of this phenomenon, wounds and bald patches still form. Unfortunately, the dog cannot tell what is bothering him so much and the owners have to look for the reason. And this must be done as quickly as possible.

• First of all, you need to think about whether your dog has fleas. Most often, this is how the animal tries to escape from annoying pests. In such a situation, the pet itches for a long time and often.
• The second reason is allergy. It can be caused by:
  1. Inappropriate diet.
  2. New bedding. Allergies in a dog can be caused by poor-quality material of its resting place.
  3. Shampoo, but in this case it is more likely that the animal will chew out hair not only in the tail area, but also on other parts of the body.

Important! Dogs can only be bathed with special products for animals. The procedure cannot be performed often, maximum once a week or less.

Some dog breeds require trimming. Trimming - manually pulling out old hairs. And if the fur has already matured, but the animal still has not shed it, irritation may occur. Wire-haired dogs need trimming.

Hair comes out above the tail and on the sides

In principle, the reasons are the same as listed above. The main thing is to determine what exactly is bothering the animal.

But what if the dog also chews out fur under its tail?

Under him

In such a situation, you need to seriously think about inflammation of the anal glands.

The paraanal glands are sacs located on the sides of the anus. In normal condition, the liquid in them is watery. If there are disturbances, it begins to become thicker, the sacs increase in size and the anal glands become blocked. In such a situation, the dog experiences pain.

Causes:

• Heredity. This problem most often occurs in small breed dogs. If you are overweight, this aggravates the situation.
• Poor nutrition. If the owners like to feed their pet from the table, then this may be the reason.
• Little physical activity. Animals need to move a lot, spend more time on walks and this will save you from such troubles.
• Decreased immunity.

Age, pregnancy or nursing

Some owners may not pay attention to this problem, explaining everything, for example, by the age of the animal. Or they dump everything on pregnancy or feeding puppies.

This problem cannot be related to the age of the animal. Pregnancy and feeding are also not reasons for gnawing.

Older dogs may experience hair loss. And lactating bitches may experience ritualism due to feeding puppies. But it has other manifestations. The degree of gnawing can be affected by the animal's temperament.

If fleas are the cause, then the following measures need to be taken:

• Bathe using special shampoo.

Important! The shampoo should have a flea-killing effect.

• Treat with anti-flea drops.
• Wear a collar to prevent fleas.

If there are a lot of fleas, housing treatment is desirable. You can use special aerosols. It is necessary to treat all surfaces in the house, carpets, and upholstered furniture as thoroughly as possible. It is also recommended to wash the floors and spray the threshold of the front door with the same product.

All this can be purchased at any pet store. If you do all of the above, then you will forget about such a problem as fleas for a long time.

Allergy

In the case where the cause is an allergy, you first need to find out what exactly it is. When suspicion falls on the dog's food, shampoo or new bedding, try changing the diet, bath or bed. If there is no improvement, then we look for another reason.

An allergy can be easily diagnosed if fur comes out after changing one of the above.

To eliminate symptoms, taking antihistamines is also necessary. A banal one will do. "Diazolin" at the rate of one tablet per 10 kilograms of weight.

In some cases, it may be necessary to take hormonal medications, but only a veterinarian can prescribe them correctly.

Inflammation of the glands

If the cause is inflammation of the paraanal glands, you need to clean them, you can do this yourself, but For the first time, it is recommended to consult a specialist.

The resulting wounds at the site of gnawing can be treated with chlorhexidine.

Stress

In case of stress, the cause must be found and eliminated. Create favorable conditions for the dog's life.

If you have the opportunity to use the help of a veterinarian, then It’s better to go to a special hospital immediately after the problem appears. As mentioned above, you may need to take additional medications, and it is not recommended to prescribe them yourself.

Useful video

Watch a video about why a dog may itch and chew out hair near its tail:

Conclusion

Regardless of the cause of the problem, the dog needs your help. Once you have identified the problem, you need to immediately look for the cause and eliminate it.

You need to hurry not only because the animal is simply not comfortable. The wounds that form during the process of gnawing wool are an excellent environment for the development of bacteria. If the necessary measures are not taken in a timely manner, an inflammatory process may begin.

In contact with

Many inexperienced dog owners are tormented by the question of what to do if the dog begins to actively itch. Should you go to the store and immediately buy flea treatment or is it better to go to the veterinarian? It is immediately clear that not only fleas can cause itching. Therefore, you first need to understand what the catalyst is, but the treatment will already be selected.

Causes of itching in dogs

The possibility that fleas are the cause of itching is often underestimated. This is because these little pests are not visible on the dog, but still often cause discomfort for the pet. An allergic reaction to flea saliva causes itching. For animals that are highly sensitive to flea saliva, sometimes it only takes a few bites for an allergic reaction to occur.

It is also necessary to carry out scrapings in order to identify mites. This is an effective method for identifying the cause of itching. But still, there is a special type of mites that are the causative agents of sarcoptic mange (pruritic scabies) in dogs. This type of small critter can only be found in 40% of scrapings. But still, the doctor can determine the disease based on the signs that the pet has. He will prescribe a treatment that will 100% get rid of ticks and will not cause any harm to the animal.

You also need to take into account that microflora is always present on the skin, that is, fungi and bacteria in very small quantities. If the body is in normal condition and there are no skin diseases, they do not cause any problems. But against the background of any disease, the number of these organisms increases, which complicates the already complex condition of the skin.

Fungal and bacterial inflammation of the skin in dogs is very common, and since these microorganisms cause itching, the veterinarian may order a laboratory test of smears of the affected areas. Using this analysis, he will be able to confirm or exclude the preliminary cause of the disease.

If the options listed above are excluded, then most likely the dog is dealing with allergies. In these animals it comes in two types: food and non-food. In order to make a diagnosis, the doctor looks at the medical history, as well as the results of skin tests and examination of the patient, compares them, and, if necessary, prescribes further diagnostics.

You need to understand that it is difficult for a doctor to find out what kind of allergy a dog has, since their symptoms are similar, namely redness, swelling and itching. And in order to treat them, different drugs are needed. Therefore, it is important to understand what kind of allergies the veterinarian is dealing with.

To date, there are no tests to determine each type of allergy. Therefore, the diagnostic stage lasts for a long time and its algorithm is to exclude different types of allergies. This process begins with food allergies using an elimination diet that lasts six to eight weeks.

The diet consists of commercial or homemade food, which contains foods that are new to the pet. After all, allergies do not depend on the amount of allergen that the body receives. Because of this, you should not give anything else to the dog, this also applies to treats and vitamins. At the end of the diet, a “provocation” is made, that is, a transition to the previous feeding is made. If, with the help of a diet, the redness and itching disappeared or simply decreased, and after the introduction of the previous food they resumed, then it was the cause of the itching. The next method of treatment and prevention will be to eat dietary food for the rest of your life.

But as practice shows, food allergies do not have a very large number of manifestations; much more often, veterinarians deal with non-food allergies. Given this option, the allergy symptoms may not go away.

Non-food allergies, otherwise called atopic dermatitis, can be caused by allergens from the environment, for example, from fungal spores, house dust mites, pollen and others. It is impossible to cure such an allergy, since allergens will be present in the environment all the time, but it is possible, with the help of drug therapy, to reduce the itching and ensure a normal quality of life for the animal.

An exotic cause of itching can be called psychogenic licking. It is characterized by stereotypical, repetitive behavior, and it occurs mainly due to inattention on the part of the owners, with hyperreactivity and in moments of stressful situations. Great Danes, Doberman Pins, Labrador Retrievers, Irish Setters, and German Shepherds are predisposed to this behavior.

Occasionally, there may also be other causes of itching, rare diseases, the diagnosis of which must be thorough and competent.

Treatment of itching in dogs

Depending on its cause, various remedies can be used to treat itching.

• Antihistamines

Histamine is a biological agent and the main mediator of inflammation in humans. But for dogs, it is not the main cause of inflammation, so the use of drugs that block it is not as reliable as we would like. For dogs, controlling itching with antihistamines is 40% effective. At the same time, several types of antihistamines are also tested, each of which must be given to the owner for two weeks. This is necessary in order to find the best option.

Antihistamines also have side effects, primarily drowsiness. But still, this is a milder option than the systemic changes that are sure to occur when taking corticosteroids.

It should also be noted that the combined use of corticosteroids along with antihistamines will reduce the amount of the hormone that controls itching.

• Fortification of food with fatty acids

After the discovery of the anti-inflammatory effects of fish oil and evening primrose oil in humans, this led to the emergence of similar products that provide the same effect in animals. These include only natural drugs that have an anti-inflammatory effect, relieve cramps and itching, and also reduce joint pain.

If we talk about the effectiveness of this remedy for dogs, then it helps in the range of 10% and 25% of cases. Therefore, this method can be used in combination with antihistamines in order to increase the overall treatment.

• External means

When using various solutions to treat inflamed skin, it must be taken into account that cool water itself soothes sore skin.

• Applications with oats and colloidal shampoos

Initially, these products were used in cosmetology and were included in bath fillers in powder form. But after people learned about their anti-inflammatory effect, veterinarians also began using them. Colloidal oatmeal can help draw out toxins that cause burning. This gives the dog a few days of relief. Applications using oats are more effective medicines, which suggests that they can be used in conjunction with local anesthetics.

• Solutions with sulfur

Veterinarians also note that if such solutions are used regularly, there will be certain inconveniences. For example, they have a terrible smell and the room where this procedure will be carried out will retain it. Also, if the sulfur solution gets on your clothes, they will become colored. But the color of the white fur will change to yellow.

• Shampoos

Groups of drugs for the treatment of itching

Below are the most common groups of drugs that fight itching and its causes:

• Sprays with gummilk

These are moisturizers that are used both as sprays and as aqueous solutions. They should be used on dry skin, but they can be used in conjunction with sulfur-based liquids. They naturally dry on the skin, after which they cause a healing effect.

• Colloidal oatmeal lotions and sprays

The principle of their action is the same as in sprays with gummilk. Preparations based on oats do not lose their popularity and can be purchased as creams, rinses, shampoos, sprays and lotions.

• Sunburn Treatments

They have obvious anti-inflammatory effects in both humans and animals. To increase the effectiveness of dog treatment, it is advisable to use lotions and sprays.

• Aloe gels

This medicine can be prepared at home as a shampoo or similar product. You can also buy aloe liniment in pharmacies. But to be fair, it should be noted that there is no shortage of products on the market that contain aloe, but they are not as effective as we would like. If real aloe is used, it contains enzymes that destroy proteins, which take part in the mechanism of inflammation. They also speed up skin healing and are not harmful to animals.

Use of corticosteroids

For an animal, severe itching spoils the whole life and you need to understand that corticosteroids can help avoid this. They are a tool to reduce the pain and suffering of the animal. You also need to know that they form an important part of therapy aimed at treating itchy skin. But still, due to the bad effects of steroids on the body, long-term use of steroids should be avoided. As practice shows, a complete cure still requires a long term, which forces the use of special therapeutic protocols.

Despite the fact that corticosteroid hormones have a large number of side effects and their use is extremely undesirable, they are an indispensable remedy against severe allergic itching.

And finally, we note that today there are corticosteroid drugs for external use. They act without being absorbed through the skin, and therefore there is no negative effect on the body. If the doctor does not see specific contraindications, such products can be applied to small areas. After all, it’s stupid to put off effective and not harmful medicine.