Dog that constantly scratches & no fleas ... help

Hi,

I one little poodle that is constantly scratches, even after a bath. Have tried medicated shampoos, and no fleas. Could this be just a nerveous habit? Anyone.

It could be, but is more likely allergies.

What are you feeding? It sounds like it could well be food allergies, but your vet would be able to help you much better then we can.

I have the same problem with my beagle. I just went to the vet last week as he scratched so much he made himself bleed. I was told that it is probably an allergy, either food or seasonal. I was given a steroid medication for him and am switching him to the Eukanuba KO diet (kangaroo & Oatmeal). We'll see how things go. Good luck with yours.

Bathing to often will cause the skin to dry too much, causing excessive itching. How often do you bath & groom your Poodle?

I have my cocker spaniel on Ekanuba Kangaroo and Oatmeal for this and it works really well, even better with one Vantcty-P pill per day, stops this completely. Her's is completely related to food allergies. At least with combination she manages to get some rest and is not constantly scratching. You might want to give this a try. It has taken me 1 1/2 years to find this combination.

Sounds like allergies to me. Two of the biggest allergens for dog are corn and soya. Check the ingredients on the food. One of the first ingredients in the regular Eukanuba is corn. Iams food is basically full of filler. I don't know about the Kangaroo but check the ingredients before you buy it. Also adding fish oil capsules to the food is great for there skin

Could be allergies. Could be just dry skin. Too much bathing really isn't good for your dog. I wouldn't bathe more than once or twice a year, unless they get into something really icky.

Omega-3 fatty acid capsules. These did wonders for Phoebe's scratching, and her shedding has decreased as well. You can get them at the vet's office (mine charges about $15 for a bottle), or you can buy the generic brand at WalMart (my sister uses the "people" version - it's the exact same thing for a lot less $$). Phoebe won't take the gel cap without a struggle, so I just cut the end off with pair of scissors and pour it onto her food. She loves it that way (silly girl :p ).

HTH!

I have a Cocker Spaniel that has horrible allergies. We have had the tests done, and she is allergic to so many things(including human dander). Most of Maddie's are food allergies.
I now give Maddie a shot every 14th day. And she is on Nature's Recipe Venison and Rice. She did really good over the winter, but now that it is 90 degrees, she is starting the scratching again. So we will go back to vet and get her shot adjusted. When she first started on shot we were told this would need to be done (for things she is allergic to that are not food but are seasonal).
As for bathing I use Sentry with Oatmeal. There are several Oatmeal based shampoo's. Works well and smells good. And I use Sentry's Natural Defense (which is made with Peppermint Oil, Cinnamon Oil, Lemon Grass Oil, Clove and Thyme) for fleas (another of her allergies).

An old vet we had , told me that today's overprocessed pet foods contribute to dogs and cat's dry skin. He said that dogs are carnivoures and are supposed to eat meat along with the fat on it. He said dogs should be given a lump of fat once a week along with their regular food.
I did this with our dog and the problem cleared up within a few weeks.
Information only.

This thread is from 2005..