Itchy Dogs - Treatment Ideas

Do you have a dog with skin/fur issues? Do they suffer from itching? What have you done that has been helpful?

A long time ago, my first dog was a collie/golden who had some food allergy issues. She would chew her tail and backside until it was bare. I was a young man then and my parents would utilize the vet in order to treat this issue with so-so effect.

Fast forward to today and I have recently adopted a new dog. She is a three year old Dachshund who appears to be suffering from the itches. We are currently working with a vet in order to get a workup on what we are dealing with but are already making moves to try and ease her issues.

Currently, we have transitioned her to a food with more limited ingredients. My first dog was found to have a wheat allergy and this helped significantly then. We also have a few 'onesies' that we have put her in to protect her skin from being exposed with some success. I'm researching salves/ointments that might be beneficial to rub her down in but have only just started.

Dog Tax included. (She just got spayed so she is in the donut of shame!)

'Loy' the Dachshund

A few things that I am trying in addition include...

1. My bedroom has an air purifier running in it. I have environmental allergies myself so this may help reduce issues if the itch is related to dust/pollen.

2. Fish oil is reported to be good for both skin and coat. I'm getting 'fish jerky' to feed as a treat to help supplement fish oil in a treat form.

3. I have obtained a chamomile/yarrow ointment that we are going to try as a rub-down to help relieve some hotspots.

We feed some supplements, and give Benadryl.
We were using an expensive vet prescribed medicine that had potentially bad side effects, but the expense and hazards made us look elsewhere.

My shepherd has had "scabbies" for almost two years. First looked like hotspots (got red and weepy, he licked, got worse) and then reemerged a bit later as rough, scabby patches that came and went, almost all on his underside- belly, butt, brisket and groin. Because his (normally pink) skin grows back black it made him look really, really nasty.
Some things we tried....
Everyone insisted he get fish oil, which made no difference. I switched him from a good quality normal dog food to one without chicken, and doubled down on flea control (we are in a wave of tick-borne illness here, and the dog training/daycare facility requires it anyway, so I'm kind of stuck with that now). That also made little difference. The vet said it was allergies (to what, who knows) and along with all sorts of special shampoos and sprays (which made no difference whatsoever) wanted us to start giving monoclonal antibodies, which is way outside my price range.
I suspect the dog gets itchy from grass, and it's worse in the heat. Right now it's winter and he's almost patch free (there is one in the fluff on his butt, but only that one patch).
When his skin is bad I put gentian violet (for dandruff/fungus) or betadine (for bacterial infections) in his shampoo, depending on what his skin looks like, and wash him weekly. Right now it's too cold and dry for washing, and he's off the hook. He does get plenty of brushing though.

but in the end, i think it was all in his head... for the time being, it seems to have disappeared since he started daycare once a week (our strategy to get him used to other dogs and ratchet down his dog anxiety a bit, which has worked). the vet agrees that reducing the anxiety seems to ahve done the trick, but we shall see i suppose.

One of our dogs had a hereditary condition similar to mange.  I keep a bottle of betadine (iodine) that I would spray the spots with so the spots would go away.

I give our dog Omoega-3.

I have also heard that camomile, yogurt or coconut oil works well too.

Our labrador has an allergy to tick bites - as well as a sore spot he would come up with a rash a couple of inches in diameter. If you know what you are dealing with (like ticks in Dyson's case) it makes it far easier to help avoid the root cause. Having a really good anti tick strategy means he rarely has a problem now.
It maybe that giving the dog a bit of a haircut might help - she looks like she is a long haired type and maybe feeling the heat with you just now? Pity, because she does look gorgeous!

My poor little Charlie was so horribly itchy... but, not anymore.  She is fed a raw, homemade diet that includes pasture-raised raw eggs from our chickens or ducks(whichever I grab for the morning), cranberries, blueberries, pumpkin, parsley, garlic (not a lot - a small amount is actually good for them - yes, I have a certification in dog & cat nutrition), powdered egg shells, golden flaxseed meal, hawthorne berry powder, psyllium husk, various veggies, grass-fed beef gelatin, organ meats, muscle meats, a multi-vitamin/mineral, and the thing that I added, that turned the itchy-train around: raw, organic coconut oil.

She gets limited poultry, usually in the form of the skins and knuckle cartilage. No grains. *Extremely* rare starchy roots, no peanut butter or other legumes, ever (they are inflammatory). She often gets tiny nibbles from my food - then again, I'm often told my dogs eat better than most humans.

But, that coconut oil... Adding that was the thing that made the difference for her. She gets 1T/day (I freeze it in cute little paw- shape molds, to make it easier to give all of them), and in the beginning, I was also putting a tiny smoodge in my hand, rubbing my hands together, then massaging it into her skin, every night. Not enough to make her feel greasy - just getting a tiny bit into the skin, to sooth and moisturize.

If that doesn't quite finish the problem off, a daily dose of PEA ought to help.

I had a dog who was terribly itchy. Her coat lost its luster and she started getting little scabs on her skin as well. After much research, the thing that worked and turned everything around for her was neem leaves. I started adding about a tablespoon of the dried herbs (leaves) to her food and within a few days she was feeling much better, and within 2 weeks she was like a new dog. After the research, I was so impressed that I started making little capsules filled with the powder for myself as well. Amazing stuff!

Try switching your dry food to a brand that doesn’t use high heat to cook the kibble.  I switched to Merrick’s Grain-Free, with freeze dried morsels.  They’ve got several kinds, and their fur is so shiny, even my VET asked me what I fed them! The only thing they get now is the occasional chigger bite.

My second Rat Terrier had this type of problem. Vet thought it might be allergies to fleas or? Treated her for that, with minimal success. What fixed the problem was putting her on a raw meat diet -- no commercial dogfood at all. Not as expensive as you'd think, with a small dog (she weighed about seventeen pounds). I've got my third Rat Terrier now (love the breed!). She gets a little dog food, but her diet is mostly raw meat, and has been since I got her when she was eight weeks old (she's almost two and a half now). She's very healthy, and hopefully will have a longer lifespan as a result of not eating (much) commercial food.

I would suggest searching in the Vital Animal and Swift Thinking wholistic veterinary Substacks. Itchy skin isn't something that can be cured topically, which will only suppress the itching. Diet is probably the most important factor to start with. Raw is best. You'll find recipes there on those sites.
My mother's Bichon mix had to wear a satellite collar for years or she'd tear her skin because it itched so much. When we took care of her, we put he on a raw food diet and in a few days were able to remove the collar.

I second everyone who's mentioned coconut oil (topically or orally) and, the real winner, a raw whole-prey style diet.  Just raw meat is not enough, they need raw bones and organs too for complete nutrition.  I feed my two dogs a raw diet, and although we've had ticks a-plenty here this year, they rarely come in with any, and when they do, those often are not even attached.  They are, I think, going on 5 years old now, large dogs, and still act like puppies, full of energy, with no health concerns.  

I met a feral-ish cat once who had bad-looking skin on her lower back with lots of fur missing.  I managed to get her to let me rub coconut oil on it while petting her a few times, and it seemed to help.  If she had been comfortable enough to come to me regularly I'm sure she would have fared even better.   I think her issue was more like mites or mange rather than allergies, though.  Diet change first, then being proactive about what they come into contact with in their environment (including toxic flea/tick gick!) would probably help more with allergies.  I had a cat once who turned out to be allergic to her plastic food dish!  I swapped it out for a ceramic one, and her chin abscesses cleared right up.  Oddly, a veterinarian suggested that possibility to me.  Who'da thunk it?  I haven't used plastic dishes for my pets (or people) since then, only metal or ceramic.

Thera Coat from Davis pharmaceuticals saved our Jack Russell’s life and sanity.
Available on Amazon and some other outlets like where we bought ours

We had a Papillon that scratched like crazy. (Gus. Augustus T. Coltrane. Aka Gusseroni Pupperoni. May he rest in peace.)

It all started when we took the dogs with us to central Florida on a duty visit. Once we got into town we made a beeline to a vet office to get the pill for Florida dogs (sand fleas and something else that I can’t remember).

About 5 days in he was scratching like crazy. His belly was bright red. We tried many things, to no avail.
(Note - as we were packing up to leave, we found a half melted pill. He had held it in his cheek for at least an hour, including a second car ride, and eventually spit it out. The other 2 dogs swallowed their pills and were fine.)

Over the next few years he had scratchy trouble on and off. Miserable. Nothing worked. We lived in central California then.

Subsequently we moved to the Willamette Valley in Oregon (shout out for the  best vets ever).
They suggested we try an injection. I wish I could tell you what it was. I just remember it was something “natural” that “sometimes works.”

Well it worked! That poor boy got relief. About 3 times a year he would start scratching again.  Another shot. Relief.

If anyone wants to know about this shot, do a post and I’ll call the vet to see what it was.

We have an older cat that chews and scratches until the skin is weaping and then develops scabs that she licks.  We put some diatoaceous earth on her coat and it healed up everything very well.  It is safe to eat so no problems and adds to their calcium intake. Our method is to dip the fingers in the packet and use what sticks to rub in.  No tools, no problems.  Around the tail and front is very important.  If there are microscopic mites or secondary bacterial infections which are undetected, it will kill them and prevent reinfection.

Paul Fookes wrote:We have an older cat that chews and scratches until the skin is weaping and then develops scabs that she licks.  We put some diatoaceous earth on her coat and it healed up everything very well.  It is safe to eat so no problems and adds to their calcium intake. Our method is to dip the fingers in the packet and use what sticks to rub in.  No tools, no problems.  Around the tail and front is very important.  If there are microscopic mites or secondary bacterial infections which are undetected, it will kill them and prevent reinfection.

I did that with a pygora goat. Worked great!

Timothy, my spoiled pooch has been plagued withe the demon itchies and gnarly hot spots every Summer. We  went to my sister's to visit and he went swimming in her pond that had been treated with copper sulfate. His hot spots and itching disappeared within 2 days! We had been using all the Vet recommended stuff including some ridiculously priced "special diet" dog food...Nothing we have found has worked anywhere near as well as his dip in the pond. Best of luck with it. We've gotta take god care of our fur babies.

The vet prescribed Apoquel for our dog which has definitely worked. There is an issue of bone marrow suppression.
No labs yet to keep track of that. It is expensive and has to be taken forever, but our dog is 9 and she is thriving.

What type of raw meat specifically do you get please.

People have had some positive results with ivermectin cream, I am also reading and experimenting with what NASA has called the universal antidote (.com) and for example it took the sting out of a bad skillet burn that was forming a blister, and then healed rather quickly. I’m learning about the different protocols through dr. Andreas Kalcker on Substack, and also read the testimonials from the curious outlier (on Substack).  
I really like the idea of one simple solution to everything (besides healthy (as possible) nutrition).

I'm currently treating my itchy dog with MMS and DMSO. I bathe her in a seasalt and warm water solution then rinse her in plain water. I don't want to put shampoo on her as I'm using the DMSO.
Both MMS (which is sold as a water purifier) and DMSO (which is derived from trees) are both natural products and very effective.
I then bathe her in the MMS of 20 drops and DMSO about the same amount and add water. She stands in it and I put the solution over her.
You can buy both products online.

In Australia, we’ve used calendula ointment on a cat who wouldn’t leave a vet-repaired wound alone! She kept scratching at it enough to rip out the stitches more than once. One application stopped her urge to scratch and with daily applications she healed up in good time.
Other treatments which might help are tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) and lemon myrtle oil( Backhousia citriodora). Both are antifungal and antiseptic. Do not use at 100% as they very strong and can irritate sensitive skin - use with a carrier oil like olive oil (3-5% tea tree oil or about 1:20. Both are steam distilled from Australian native tree species. Lemon myrtle is also a wonderful culinary flavour and is better tolerated than tea tree oil when used on the skin, especially near sensitive areas. You might be able to source pet shampoos with tea tree as the active ingredient.
There are some great suggestions above so if one type of treatment doesn’t help your animal, try something else. Seeing your “patient” improve and get her quality of life back is the best reward for perseverance.

Thank you all for your suggestions!

I am planning on trying to tackle the itch through diet primarily. I am just starting to transition her food and expect it to take a little bit of time. I have been looking for short-term solutions to help the sudden bursts of itchiness that she seems to run into.

Separate from the ointment applications, I have found that sweet almond oil has been helping deal with scaley/rough skin. It does not take a lot but it helps moisturize and she tolerates it just fine. I chose to use this oil because I had it on hand and utilize it myself. I saw online that it does not pose harm to canines so I went forward with it.

She has been doing 'just fine' as you can see.

'Loy' letting it all hang out.

As always, lots of good advice and ideas shared here - thanks

Another thing you might try - an oil (e.g., olive oil) infusion of plantain and jewelweed rubbed onto the skin. Great for itchy people bodies, too!!

And I agree, a proper ‘natural’ diet is high on the list - do a search for “B.A.R.F” diet for additional advice

Here’s a good article by Amandha Vollmer - "Natural Pet Care” - https://yummy.doctor/blog/natural-pet-care/

Paul Fookes wrote:We have an older cat that chews and scratches until the skin is weaping and then develops scabs that she licks.  We put some diatoaceous earth on her coat and it healed up everything very well.  It is safe to eat so no problems and adds to their calcium intake. Our method is to dip the fingers in the packet and use what sticks to rub in.  No tools, no problems.  Around the tail and front is very important.  If there are microscopic mites or secondary bacterial infections which are undetected, it will kill them and prevent reinfection.

This is very effective if, as you say, there are external parasites (diatomaceous earth also helps with internal parasites) but if the itching stems from an allergic reaction other than that, the DE won't help. but certainly won't hurt. It's vital only to use FOOD grade DE.

Diana Irwin wrote:What type of raw meat specifically do you get please.

It's not simply a diet of raw meat, which is why I posted the names of the 2 sites. There are many other recipes on line. Essentially, we use raw meat (chicken, turkey, cow) mixed with a variety of vegetables we blend, and add a balancing supplement from Wysong.net called Call of the Wild.  I would also suggest when transitioning, you add an enzyme/probiotic supplement and Florazyme EFA with essential fatty acids is an excellent one, or Flozazyme LP, which has the added benefit of dried liver and pancreas. https://www.mypetsfriend.com/digestive-supplements.


I worked 10 years with a 100% wholistic vet in a house call practice and we saw many ill animals turn around with diet and supplements alone.

Helloooo,

Welcome Johanna

Super advice from everyone and everywhere. Thank you

With dog issues, Diameticious earth(DE) both topically and with raw food.
Dealt with some worming and post flea bite skin inflammation.
Massage with, is it tansy leaves and whatever oil is to hand.

For skin issues someone suggested sulphur in drinking water.
I’d drop a modest slab in the bowl.
I found some skin beauty sulphur soap.

All of these provided relief to the beasts, me inc.

Cats also with skin issues.
One I suspect of neuroses and I’m not investing in therapy.
She has massively improved with DE, MMS in her drinking water; she seeks it out, and also applied topically.
I use the stuff so why not share the benefits.

A homeopathic vet suggested arsenic, can’t remember the dilution.
Moggy wasn’t having it.

They all seem to enjoy the loving application of salves and oil, in moderation of course, with relief that it provides.
Thanks for the heads up on plastic dishes.  

It’s seriously baking hot here, no really, and draught again, and believe it or not, slug guest appearances?
Whatever.

May our furry companions fare well, and us too

Well watered blessings if only in my dreams at the moment
M-H

Hello again,

Welcome to the other first posters missed.
Welcome welcome and thank you for info
M-H

It’s the heat

[quote=marie-helene kutek]Helloooo,

A homeopathic vet suggested arsenic, can’t remember the dilution.
Moggy wasn’t having it.

M-H[/quote]

To clarify, that would likely be the homœopathic remedy Arsenicum album, which is in potency, with none of the poisonous substance. Homœopathic remedies are prescribed for the individual patient, not for a specific condition.

I used to own a dog grooming salon & doggy daycare many years ago. I am not a veterinarian, but I can testify that I have personally witnessed HUNDREDS of dogs miraculously reverse dozens of heartbreaking medical conditions (the majority being skin related for obvious reasons) by being fed a strict "BARF" diet - BARF = "Biologically appropriate raw food" - but even pets whose owners were too squeamish to feed it RAW enjoyed their conditions being improved dramatically with a homemade diet of mostly meat, a little bit of liver + a tiny bit of rice and vegetables.

For a little dog like yours this shouldn't be terribly expensive. I really encourage you to try it without any off-diet treats for just 8 weeks before you add more medications.

At the very least, cut out all DRY dog food because even the cheapest junk food brand of wet food is most likely going to be healthier than the abomination that is dry dog food.

I can also recommend Davis manufacturing's line of shampoo, specifically their promoxine anti itch formula. But you have to rinse well, 90% of people bathing dogs do not rinse all the soap out because they just rinse the top, like we do washing our own hair in the shower, but dogs grow hair in every single direction; imagine you are using the end of the hose/sprayer to "paint" every single square inch of her skin underneath her hair (yes, press it close) and THEN you'll have properly rinsed (don't forget bottoms of feet too!)

Shampoo & conditioner left unrinsed is another common cause of terrible itching for dogs.

Good luck!

Several other people have mentioned feeding raw food (specifically BARF), and I just wanted to add something to that. I hope nobody will take offense, because I don't mean to offend, but I strongly believe in dealing with the root cause of a problem, not just soothing the symptoms. If it helps to give a medication to your pet (or to a human), fine, go ahead and use it -- but please, please work on finding and eliminating the root cause while you are doing that! ALL medications have side effects (not to mention supporting and enriching the pharmaceutical industry). You really don't want to use them long-term if you can possibly eliminate the necessity for them altogether.

I only give meat to my little Rat Terrier -- no vegetables or carbs. That's because my daughter and I are both on the carnivore diet -- dealing with the root causes of our own serious health problems -- and I figured, if it works for us (and it does), it should work for a dog, too. And it does. Of course, she's outside quite a bit, and if she craves vegetables, there are plenty of edible green things in our yard; she can help herself. But I've never, ever seen her chewing on grass (unlike my previous Rat Terrier, who did often eat grass).  And she's a very healthy, active little lady. My suggestion is to try BARF with a little carb and veggie, if you want, and if any problems remain, then go the rest of the way to just meat. Charlotte gets whole chicken legs (drumstick and thigh, raw, with the bone and skin); raw ground beef; a little bit of pork once in a while; a tiny bit of liver once in a great while; and sometimes a can of tuna with a pat of butter added to it. She also hunts mice (and moles) in the yard, though she doesn't eat the moles, and I don't know how many mice she actually catches.

BARF is an excellent diet.  People are afraid of bones but if you start with softer bones such as chicken necks, you can build up your dog's tolerance. Bones become more brittle when cooked, so raw bones are great and good for the teeth and chewing big ones put dogs into almost a meditative state. Bones are a good way to give them bovine cartilage.

Dogs have no need for carbohydrates. We add a wide variety of blended vegetables for fiber and added nutrients. We also sometimes add apple, avocado, spirulina, kombucha scobies, garlic, turmeric and ionic minerals. Dogs are basically wolves internally and apparently wolves do eat some berries and other plants.They also eat fur that is a fiber . You could add psyllium husk, but vegetables have more nutrients. They're blended to aid digestion in carnivores' short digestive tract. By the way, the same diet, with emphasis on meat is great for cats.

Please avoid tea tree/ melaluca for cats and dogs. It is highly toxic to them.

Thanks for pointing out the toxicity of tea tree in relation to cats and dogs, Carla.
I was not aware of this issue when I posted my “advice” a week ago.
Lemon myrtle does not appear to have the same level of toxicity as tea tree, especially when used in diluted form.

Carla also mentioned coconut oil. I'm not a huge fan of it in cooking or on my skin (it dries me out something awful) but I bought a "snoot balm" for the dog that seemed to help on the hot spots and then made my own afterward based on a recipe that I saw from the Holistic Vet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flAuSw-9kmc
I did not have shea butter and I left out the castor oil (the dog will lick off anything I put on, and I don't need him barfing his guts out), just using more coconut instead, and I put in a few drops of lavender and chamomile oil and used some really nice unprocessed beeswax I had which I'm sure had some propolis and leftover honey in it. It's great, the dog is interested in tasting it but not licking to the point of obsession, and I really think it does help.