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What
is causing my dog's itching?
Questions and answers about itching and scratching in dogs.
Few disorders cause
more hardship for dogs and cats than conditions that create Pruritus...
an itchy skin. Pruritus is a hallmark of such issues as
allergic dermatitis from inhaled dust, pollen, and mold.
Contact allergy or irritants from chemicals (see the dog below that
reacted to shampoo), fabrics, plants, carpeting and even reactions
to foods can create an itchy, inflamed skin. Mites and fleas
can cause severe itching and skin damage. There's a difference
between an allergy to a substance and a sensitivity to a substance;
but each has a pruritic component...itchy skin! |
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Question:
Can you tell me why my dog
Fritzie is always itchy? I've had him to the vet's 2 or 3 times a
year the past 3 years and Fritzie gets a shot of cortisone or something
like it and he gets better for a while but the itching and scratching
always comes back.
The doctor thinks it's an allergy and I heard
there's no cure for allergies, just medicine to make the dog feel
better.
Oh, yes, and the shots make him drink lots of
water and he wets the carpet after those shots.
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Answer:
dogs... itching... scratching...
pruritus
If Fritzie has an
allergy to something there are a number of good tests that help find out
what those allergens are; and there may be several substances
Fritzie reacts to including foods such as corn, wheat and even
chicken! Veterinary hypoallergenic diets that are fed for 3 -4 weeks
to rule in or out a food allergy should be utilized because about 10% of
"allergies" are due to food items.
Most veterinarians do a treatment protocol (not
using cortisone) to rule out scabies mites. These mites seldom
show up on a skin scraping like demodex mites do, and scabies mites
commonly fool the doctor into assuming the itchiness is due to an
allergy. Once a cortisone shot wears off the intense itching and
chewing at the skin starts up all over again! When scabies
treatment is done, if the dog stops itching within a few weeks the
assumption is that the itchiness was due to those mites and was not a
"an allergy".
Contact with grass and inhaling airborne pollens,
dust and molds can trigger an allergic episode with licking and itching
that can go on for hours. In dogs with FAD (flea allergy
dermatitis) the dog is hypersensitive to flea saliva. The bite
of a single flea triggers a systemic pruritus and can even cause hair loss
and skin thickening.
You need a diagnosis that delineates to what the
dog is allergic! It just might turn out to be due to scabies
mites. So tell your veterinarian you want some detective work done
to see what is instigating the itching. Allergy tests, special
hypoallergenic diets, scabies mite trial therapy, improved diet with
supplemental Omega Fatty Acids all can be part of a successful resolution
to the itchy skin. Then Fritzie may be able to forego the cortisone injections. |
Doctor's Notes
In general, any skin condition can
be improved by optimal nutrition. Healthy dogs seldom
have itchy, allergic, skin with scabs and crusts. Dry, flaky skin
almost always causes itchiness. 
A thorough medical history enables
the doctor to make the best judgments about current pet health care.
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treatment be sure to ask your veterinarian for clear answers to your
questions. Do not be shy about obtaining knowledge of your pet's
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Question:
I've been told that dogs and cats shouldn't get cortisone shots because
they get dependent on them and the cortisone makes them gain weight.
Is this true?
Useful related Links...
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Common food
allergens |
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corn |
wheat |
soy |
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beef |
chicken |
pork |
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peanuts |
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Answer:
dogs... cortisone shots... effects
First, there are several kinds of
"cortisone". Some injectible corticosteroids are
short acting, some long acting, some have strong side effects such
as increased thirst, appetite and weight gain. Some have good
anti-inflammatory effects and only mild side effects.
Third, frequent use of any cortisone
medication decreases the body's natural output from the adrenal
glands. If the long term use of cortisone is suddenly
terminated a very serious drop in circulating hormone occurs and a
condition can rapidly develop called Iatrogenic Addison's
Disease. (Iatrogenic means caused by human action.)
Addison's Disease denotes a condition of dangerously low blood level
of adrenal hormones and can be fatal if not treated.
Fourth, cortisone-related medications can
be life enhancing miracle drugs when used properly. Like a two
edge sword, though, they can defeat the enemy but have potential to
do us harm, too. Always ask your veterinarian about the pros
and cons of cortisone use in your dog or cat.
NOTES ABOUT ITCHING:
An itchy or itching is a sensation in an animal that triggers the desire to
scratch. While scratching at an itchy spot the act of scratching can
further harm the skin. The urge to scratch the itchy skin results from
changes in the normal, harmonious skin microstructure.
The particles
of or contact with antigens the animal's body senses as irritating or
threatening triggers a cascade of reactive chemicals in the skin and
bloodstream. These chemicals intend to help but some will harm normal
cells which release even more harsh chemicals. If individuals cells
could, they'd scratch themselves!
Because we can't program cells to not react we are left
with either avoiding the triggering antigens of assisting the body in
ignoring the presence of those itch instigators. |
Doctor's Notes
Always pursue a precise diagnosis
whenever your dog or cat has a persistent itchy skin condition.
Don't settle for a "let's try this" kind of therapy.
Establishing a diagnosis will
probably cost a bit but getting the precise diagnosis is imperative for
successful management... and maybe even a cure... for itchy (pruritic)
skin.
Remember this: There is no cure for allergies; the best we can do
is suppress or manage the effects of the reactions to the allergen.
Dogs and cats potentially can be allergic to literally one or more of
thousands of substances. Below are displayed just a few...
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Common environmental allergens |
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molds |
insecticides |
corn |
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wheat |
carpeting |
grasses |
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fabrics |
sunshine |
peanuts |
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dust |
dust mites |
feathers |
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rubber |
cigarette smoke
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plastic |
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pollens |
shampoo |
drugs |
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plants |
perfumes |
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