This is where on the hips, plus the other areas:
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k620/adgazzard/itchyspots.jpg

His sleep is interrupted with scratching, yes.

I'll do another white sheet test.

Have you had a hard freeze yet where you live? If not, note when that happens and whether or not that causes any improvement in the symptoms.

My one itchy dog (the Corgi) has a fall seasonal allergy to something in the air. The symptoms disappear after the first hard freeze here which I assume zaps whatever weed is making the allergen.

Not saying that's what's going on with your pup-- just another thing to take note of as you investigate clues.

No we haven't had a hard freeze yet. Thanks for the tip. I'll have to make a note of that.

Amanda, here is some info I learned from the derma vet over the past few years with Kasey. I would really encourage you to go a derma vet just for an evaluation if he is really itching that much. You will keep blindly trying things, switching food, killing fleas, etc, till you are stressed out!! We did! And regular vets just don't know skin problems as well as a derma vet. At the first visit she knew what we were dealing with (scrapes had already been done, so we knew there were no external parasite, yeast, bacteria, etc) just from looking at him. They seen skin problems day in and day out, so they can often times narrow it down for you right away. Here are some basics to consider:

1. Most people, and many vets, assume that if their dog is itchy, they should change their food - the kibble companies have brainwashed us into thinking that food allergies are very common in dogs, and so you should switch to an 'allergy-free' kibble if your dog is itching. The truth is, less than 10% of dogs have food allergies! And some breeds less than that - for example, it's less than 3% in golden retrievers. But food is the one easy thing that a regular vet can do to try and help the owner of an itchy dog - plus they make money off the 'hypoallergenic' dog kibble they carry.

2. By far, the most common allergies in dogs are flea and environmental. If your dog is itching a lot, the most important first step you can take is to make absolutely sure they have ZERO fleas! I was one of those people who thought we didn't have any fleas because I was always checking Kasey and never saw any. Wrong! One day I found one flea and that was enough to drive him to distraction. We started using flea treatments (which I hate to do, but the cycle of itching, biting and chewing, which leads to open sores and infection, was worse for him). Keeping him flea free has helped, but he also has environmental allergies, which is the next most common thing to check for.

3. Environmental allergies can range from anything like mold, pollen, grasses, etc. to even people dander! Yup, Kasey is allergic to me! Usually only a derma vet is knowledgeable enough to be able to do the required skin testing and reading of those tests to determine what the dogs are allergic to. Blood tests are a waste of money, both for food and environmental allergies - don't let your regular vet talk you into them, they are not an effective diagnostic tool. Skin testing IS more expensive (usually around $300 - $400), but it is very trustworthy.

4. If your dog is biting and scratching mostly on the back half of their body, fleas are highly suspected as the cause. If more the front half of the body, or the whole dog (especially paw chewing, ear infections/itching), suspect environmental and flea. Many dogs who have environmental allergies are also allergic to fleas.

I spent Kasey's second year of life going through a zillion different kibbles, home-cooked diets, and prescription dog foods - it was a big waste of money, time and anxiety trying to find the 'right' food. A year and a half ago we learned, from this site, how to feed raw and he has been healthier ever since. It didn't fix his allergies, but the derma vet believes the good nutrition has definitely kept his skin and coat in excellent condition in spite of his itching! I hope this info will help even one person who is struggling with the frustration and helpless feelings of having a dog that is constantly itchy! Going to the derma vet has taken all the guessing and responsibility off my shoulders, and that is worth the extra cost of a specialist!

(I would like to add that we would have ended up paying less in the long run if we would have gone to the derma vet first instead of trying all the other foods, drugs and trips to the regular vet!)
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 Quote: lori hall

I would really encourage you to go a derma vet just for an evaluation if he is really itching that much. ..... (I would like to add that we would have ended up paying less in the long run if we would have gone to the derma vet first instead of trying all the other foods, drugs and trips to the regular vet!)

I am always trying to think of new ways to say this. It's hard to make it clear without sounding like we're denigrating GP vets. Believe me, we are not. But dermatology is a specialty for a very good reason, and unless the problem is a simple one-visit fix, then IMO the money-into-black-hole cycle starts.

There are lots of simple steps to take at home when you have a dog with pruritis, but when it is interrupting his sleep and he has broken his skin, it's time for the derm vet. JMO!

I would repeat the white-sheet test, but I'd also have the derm visit lined up.

The dog has been itching since nine weeks. Most environmental allergies show up after the age of one. (Food allergies do tend to show up earlier, but as we've mentioned, they are by far the least likely allergy in any age dog. And you have found evidence of fleas.)

I'm not at all trying to diagnose .... just pointing out how complicated derm issues can be.

"If your dog is itching a lot, the most important first step you can take is to make absolutely sure they have ZERO fleas!" This echoes Dr. Betty from page one, and it's well worth repeating, expanding it, at this dog's age, to include all external parasites.

It's true that statistics don't matter if your dog happens to be the one to have a food allergy (or an environmental allergy that showed up at nine weeks), but the important thing, as Lori says, is that a derm vet often knows what it is in one visit.

I've had the experience Lori describes of that "big waste of money, time and anxiety" before finally turning to a specialist and actually effectively treating the poor miserable dog.

That was what set me on the path of researching the subject, buying every manual and textbook I could find, and learning enough to allow me to adopt dogs surrendered for inability to deal with severe allergies.

Of everything I've learned, from great diet to frequent rinsing to constant flea control to fish oil to intradermal testing, number one was to get the dog to a derm vet.

I want to add kudos for your stick-to-it-iveness.

Believe me, I know how frustrating this can be.


And my fingers are crossed that your regular vet finds something the substitute missed. Let us know!

Please let us know about that sheet test tomorrow too.

Thanks again everyone for the responses. I will certainly be asking for a derm vet referral at our vet visit. I accidentally missed today's appointment (I don't know how I forgot, I feel like an idiot) and next available appointment is not until Nov 8th. So we'll have to wait until then.

I ordered some "Melissa's Aloe Pet" online and it is a natural flea prevention/remedy, as well as itch relief. I'll start using that once it arrives.

I did the white sheet test again today and didn't find any flea dirt. I thought I found one, but since I was doing some microscope work and had the microscope out and set up, I had a look and it was just a balled up tiny orangey-red fiber. Then when I went back to the hunt on the floor with a light, Newman sat on the end of the sheet chewing a bone and then burp-puked on the sheet. It was gross so I threw it in the wash. I'll do the test again after it comes out of the wash. I was at it for about 10 minutes though and didn't see anything.

I might consider calling for a referral rather than waiting more than a week. Of course, if you like your vet a lot and don't want to create strain by missing a visit and then immediately getting a referral, I could totally understand that.

I might also consider asking the vet to call you back to discuss a very low level oral Pred to break the cycle, because it sounds bad ("It's as bad as before"; "it's interrupting his sleep").

I'm no long-term Pred fan at all, but it can be a magic bullet to break a cycle that's driving a dog crazy.

All JMO.