Skin problems

Question
I have a 2 year old half lab/pit mix. He's 65 pounds and has had skin issues for the last year. We moved from a desert climate to the Pacific Northwest and his problems began that winter. His coat gets dull, dry and he begins to bite and scratch until he bleeds and removes hair. On a visit to the vet he was found to have a yeast infection and they started him on prescription diets. He started on a Skin Support diet and then was switched to natures recipe Rabbit and Rice, from there he went to natures recipe Venison and Millet. On the venison he was doing better so we went to a naturally made local food with venison and millet from a local pet store, recently I have switched to a homemade dog food diet and am watching the results. His problems seem to occur in November/December and by May he is clear. His vet was adamant it was a food allergy but I have since stopped believing that. He takes 8mg of benadryl a day and it seems to have helped a little. What else can we do to stop the constant biting/scratching?

Answer
Hi Adrienne.

It does sound like it is likely an environmental allergy.  Benadryl can be very beneficial, however, I would give more than you are.  The typical dose is 1 mg of Benadryl per pound of body weight.  You will want to make sure it is plain Benadryl, no decongestant, no flavorings or sweeteners, etc.

You can also add fish oil with vitamin E to help the skin and coat, and to help with inflammatory response.  

Rinsing your dog can help eliminate the allergens caught up in his coat.  When yeast is present, rinsing with a mix of 50% white vinegar and 50% water can be very helpful.

Good luck.

Gail