dog itches

Question
I have a Pomeranian that is always scratching. I have used an over the counter itch shampoo but with no results. It is not flee or anything I can see. Can you suggest anything?
Larry

Answer
Larry,
  Hello, sorry to hear your Pomeranian is suffering.
Unfortunately that breed of dog is well known for having dry skin, going as far as having Eczema.
  You can try two separate remedies and if neither of them
help you might have to see a vet for steroids.
   The first remedy you can try is giving him/her an oatmeal bath once a week for about three weeks. Now I don't normally recommend over the counter shampoos but if you can't get your local vet to sell you some of his professional strength oatmeal shampoo get the best over the counter you can find. To judge the quality look for something as purely organic as possible.
 When giving the bath let the dog soak for at least five minutes so the moisture can seep into the dogs pores. If the dog is fidgety just keep massaging the shampoo deep into his/her skin this usually keeps them comforted till
rinse time. Make sure you brush the dog out completely BEFORE the bath so as not to cause knots in the fur making the situation worse. Blow dry on low so as not to burn the skin or dry it back out. If you don't feel comfortable doing this at home you can always ask your groomer to give a weekly oatmeal treatment bath without a haircut.
 This should put moisture back into the skin and reduce the constant itching.
 The other treatment can be done after you've tried the one above or before.
 This treatment is much simpler to do. All you need is some Gold Bond medicated powder. Simply put the powder directly on the skin. Do this daily for about two weeks and
it should help greatly.
 If neither of these work then it is quite possible that your dog has Eczema and needs steroids from the vet.
 I hope that I have been of some help to you and your pet.
Good luck and God Bless!
Doreen