Excessive scratching

renosteinke · 06-03-2006, 11:14 AM

My house guest has a dog- a yellow Lab- who seems to scratch himself more than usual. He also has an excessive "doggy" smell.

First, at what point should I consider this a problem worthy of a visit to the vet? When bald patches appear? Before then?

Second, before I take him to the vet, what 'home remedies' should be tried? He is washed / groomed constantly by my guest, and we are at an altitude where fleas are not an issue.

Texas2 · 06-03-2006, 11:26 AM

have you noticed if the smell is comming from his ears? could be a yeast infection of the ear and it smell really doggie. a simple visit to the vet will take care of it. you will just have to apply the medicine. mites and fleas are also probable culprits. where is he scratching.

jerry

Curbside Prophet · 06-03-2006, 11:31 AM

Do you know if it's a seasonal thing, or is it pretty constant? Texas2 maybe on to something there. Does he scratch his ears much?

Cheetah · 06-03-2006, 01:55 PM

There are places in the US where there are no fleas, such as a majority of Colorado. <3 So it's probably not fleas if there aren't supposed to be any there.

This could be a food allergy, an environmental allergy, etc. How often is this dog bathed?

ThxForNothing · 06-03-2006, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cheetah

This could be a food allergy, an environmental allergy, etc. How often is this dog bathed?

My thoughts exactly. Maybe the shampoo they use, or the food they are feeding him is causing him to have an allergic reaction. I think a visit to the vet is a good idea, since this problem can be caused by a number of things it's best that a professional looks at him.

Goodluck.

Keep us updated!

bigdawgs · 06-03-2006, 06:48 PM

Please, get that dog to the vet. If you wait, as I have said in other posts, secondary bacterial infections can set in due to scratching and these can be a major pain to treat. We see skin problems a lot and these are the questions we always ask
1, What is he eating (Food Allergy)
2. How ofetn is he bathed/ (Shampoo allergy, dry skin, if too frequent, dead skin, dirt and insect debris if not often enough.)
3. is this seasonal or all the time? (Pollen allergies)
4. Have you seen any fleas/ticks/flies/other insects around your home/How much time does the dog spend outside? (insect reaction; fleea/tick problem, dry skin due to over conditioned indoor air)
5. Is it all over or isolated to particular parts of the body? (Ears; could be ear mites, yeast or bacterial infection,
6. Where does he sleep? (an allergic reaction to bedding, kennel flooring or cleaning products).

renosteinke · 06-05-2006, 01:18 AM

Thanks for the answers. I will monitor, and probably take him to the vet.

He is bathed almost daily, at least wiped down with a damp rag. The scratching is focused in the kidney areas and the base of the tail, as is the smell. So far there is no sign of damage from the scratching- it's just annoying!