How can I relieve my dogs itch? My guess is he is having an allergic reaction. It has been about 2 weeks since the itching began, but the intensity has dramatically increased in the last 5 days. There are 3 things I suspect. The first is, I bathed him and possibly didn’t rinse well enough. I thought I did, but the itching began about that time. Second, I started a new health supplement at that same time too, I have since stopped. Third, it is that time of year for grasses and pollens, etc.

He had been scratching more than usual for the past 2 weeks, I suspected mild seasonal allergies. His itching intensified on Friday, May 25. On Saturday his “armpits” were red and inflamed. I began giving him Chlorpheniramine Maleate. Today is the 5th day on the CM tablets. He has periods of comfort, but then starts scratching like mad. His underside is red and now there are welts. He seems to feel fine, always ready to play. I have kept him busy to keep him from scratching too much. I expect it is something that needs to work out of his system. What do you recommend to ease the itch?

It may be mange, armpits and belly are the prime targets, the itching often flares up in the evenings. The last time one of mine had a bad case of armpit and belly itching I doused them in food grade diatomatious earth twice, about a week apart, and the itching stopped.

fish oil & Vit E with the Chlorphenairamine.

unless it's fleas. Is your dog on a flea remedy?
If he is allergic to fleas it only takes one wayward flea to cause havoc with your dog.

 Quote: Nancy Manuel

How can I relieve my dogs itch? My guess is he is having an allergic reaction. It has been about 2 weeks since the itching began, but the intensity has dramatically increased in the last 5 days. There are 3 things I suspect. The first is, I bathed him and possibly didn’t rinse well enough. I thought I did, but the itching began about that time. Second, I started a new health supplement at that same time too, I have since stopped. Third, it is that time of year for grasses and pollens, etc.

He had been scratching more than usual for the past 2 weeks, I suspected mild seasonal allergies. His itching intensified on Friday, May 25. On Saturday his “armpits” were red and inflamed. I began giving him Chlorpheniramine Maleate. Today is the 5th day on the CM tablets. He has periods of comfort, but then starts scratching like mad. His underside is red and now there are welts. He seems to feel fine, always ready to play. I have kept him busy to keep him from scratching too much. I expect it is something that needs to work out of his system. What do you recommend to ease the itch?

Is he itchy along backbone or at base of tail? Is he licking or biting paws? Back legs itchy?

How do inside his ears look (flashlight)? Normal? Inflamed? Any unusual debris?


"He has periods of comfort, but then starts scratching like mad. "

Have you done white-sheet test?

i swim my dog in the lake every chance i get which is about every other day in the summer , and i swim him in the ocean whenever i can . i think the salt water is good for his coat and skin .

side note . . . he got skunked last summer , full blast in the face . i got him in the ocean as fast as i could , and it made a huge improvement . i think the salty water diluted the skink juice .

Connie,

His scratching is almost exclusively on his underside.

His ears look great. He was treated 3 months ago for ear yeast infection. I have monitored them closely since.

Even with the medication, he has scratching fits.

I did not do a white-sheet test. I did a "Nancy" test. As delicious as my dog may be, if there is a flea around, it will find me too.

I was going to send you a PM because you are so familiar with all the threads here. (Thanks to your advice, my advanced searching has improved.) It appears in the threads that a lot of people decide their dogs are allergic to chicken after beginning a raw diet. I have learned that food allergies are actually rare compared to flea and environmental allergies. Why is it so many dogs seem to itch after switching to raw?

This dog, a 3 year-old GSD, has been eating raw exclusively for 2 months. Before that I was feeding kibble and once a week a chicken quarter. Raw chicken is not new to him. Ground turkey and chicken quarters make up the bulk of his diet. Additionally he gets lesser amounts of ground beef, organs, egg yolks and vegetables, plus health supplements. In my mind, it doesn't make sense to conclude it is any of this because...

I highly suspect a "natural" dental health supplement that I began sprinkling on his food about 2 weeks ago. I have since eliminated it. It makes sense to me that he has had an allergic reaction to this. I am waiting for his body to eliminate all traces of this product. I may reintroduce it later to verify the allergy. At this point I just want to see him get some relief, preferably with a home remedy and without a visit to the Vet.

I have been keeping him occupied with play and walks (as much as possible) filling his wading pool with cool water, spraying his underside with diluted apple cider vinegar, applying an icepack when we relax inside in the evening and administering chlorpheniramine maleate. I was just looking for more suggestions.

P.S.
I haven't been able to figure out how to quote multiple replies. I know you can teach me.

Thanks for all your posts. I am learning a lot.

Thank you Debbie. Mange is not something I even considered. I don't believe it is the case here. But because of your suggestion, I've now read up on it and I know to be aware of the possibility in the future. Diatomaceous earth is a great recommendation.

Wendy, thank you for your suggestion. Yes, he is on that.

Ian, you must live in paradise. We are making do with a Toys 'R' Us wading pool. We live near the ocean, but the fine for taking a dog on the beach is hundreds of dollars. If he ever gets skunked, it may be worth it. Thank you for taking the time to respond.

"I did not do a white-sheet test. I did a "Nancy" test. As delicious as my dog may be, if there is a flea around, it will find me too."


The fleas that usually infest dogs FAR prefer dogs when there is one around to humans. They prefer to hide in dog fur.




"I highly suspect a "natural" dental health supplement"

What is it? Ingredients?