Basset Hound

Question
My Basset hound, Dugan has been itching quite a bit lately.  My local vet asked us to give him a bath once a week with an oatmeal shampoo, and if this does not help, she wanted to possibly try steroids.  I do not want to give him steroids because of the risk factors, and some other health issues he has.  He does not have fleas or other parasites, and it has been about 6 weeks with no luck- he still wakes us up itching every night. Could this be a nerve issue?  Is there any other medication that we could try that would be easier on him?  He also has runny eyes and nose occasionally.  Does he just have allergies? Any suggestions?

Answer
Bassetts are notorious for having yeast infections on their skin.  That will cause itching. Ask your vet if that is a possibility and if it is, then ask for a 14 day supply of Ketoconazole tablets.

Steroid use is not as bad a in dogs as it is in people.  We use them short term and at decreasing doses for 2-3 weeks to give the dog some relief.

A new drug called Atopica does the same thing as cortisone, but does not have the bad side effects.  It is quite a bit more expensive, however.