Incessant scratching

Question
Hi Carol,
Our 3 year old Parson has developed a bad itch recently. At first we believed it
was in response to his monthly Advantix application, but our vet says-no. We
were told that we don't exercise him enough and it is a nervous response.
However, he has been gradually getting worse; chewing on his front legs to
the point of creating open, bleeding wounds; pulling large patches of hair
from his rear haunches and licking himself raw on the inside of his thighs. We
tried changing foods, discontinuing/reintroducing Advantix, bathing, tea tree
oil, a 'neem oil' product, Bach's flowers and even a eucalyptus spray to no
avail. Our poor boy is so unhappy and doesn't sleep well due to the itching.
Any advice would be so very helpful; we love our little guy & it's so hard to
see him miserable.
~Shelli

Answer
Hi Shelli,
I hate to say it, but it sounds like he's an unfortunate candidate for allergies. I'm surprised your veterinarian didn't mention this possibility - Jacks are notorious for developing allergies. Usually the culprit is food so you'll need to start there and do an elimination diet, taking away different ingredients at a time to find out what it is that he is allergic to. It could also be environmental which includes things like dust, certain plants, fungus, etc. You can have testing done which is expensive but will save you lots of time and frustration trying to figure out what the culprit(s) is.
Allergies can rear their ugly heads at anytime during a dogs life but can be treated with the correct foods and medication if necessary.
I'm sorry he (and you) are suffering, I know how hard it is. The sooner you get him diagnosed and treated the sooner he'll feel better and so will you.
Good luck with everything.