jack russell terrier and itching

Question
I have a jack Russell terrier about years old and she is constantly itching. I give her an allergy pill twice a day which helps some. I was wondering if there is anything I could rub on her to help ease the itching. She has scratched the hair off her sides and caused sores. Thank you. Lesley

Answer

Hi Lesley,

You didn't say if your dog itches year 'round or if it's seasonal, or if you've ruled out fleas. Fleas cause most the allergic reactions in pets. You also didn't say if you've had your dog examined by a veterinarian, or if a your veterinarian has done a skin scraping test to rule out mites. What allergy medication are you currently using? Different medications have different active ingrediants, another medication might work better for your dog.

The allergy pill you've been using is just suppressing the itch, it's not addressing the underlying condition that's causing the itch. Until you find out the cause of the itch, treatments will be temporary at best. Because your dog has such a bad itch, she may well have secondary yeast or bacterial skin infections which add to the itchiness, and also need treatment. Antibiotics may be needed to control skin infections associated with scratching.

If this problem has been going on for some time, and your regular vet has been unable to get this condition under control, it may be time to have a veterinary dermatologist evaluate your dog. Ask your vet for a referral to a specialist in Veterinary Dermatology. These experts work with severely affected patients on a daily basis and can be an excellent resource for assistance to those poor dogs that seem incessantly itch. You can also locate a veterinary dermatologist here: http://www.acvd.org (click on "find a dermatologist")

Until you can have your dog examined by either your regular vet or a veterinary dermatologist, you can try controlling the itch with medicated shampoos, such as Relief Oatmeal Shampoo, Septiderm-V Bath, Pyoben Shampoo, or Allermyl Shampoo. When using a medicated shampoo, it's important that you allow at least a good 10 minutes of skin contact time before rinsing well, and drying well. Use cool water, it's soothing to an itch. When you dry your dog, if possible use a hair drier on the cool setting. Drying with a towel can aggravate the itch. You might also try Dermal-Soothe Anti-Itch Spray, between shampoos.

You can use 100% Aloe Vera gel on the itchy areas. It won't hurt your dog is she licks it, but the longer it stays on, the more good it can do. If you apply it before taking your dog out for a walk, it will have time to stay on and work.

It wouldn't hurt to give your dog an Omega Fatty acid supplement. This supplement has  anti-inflammatory properties and helps the skin and coat. It is necessary to use an omega fatty acid supplement daily, for at least 6 to 8 weeks before their beneficial effects may be seen. EFA-Z, Lino-Prim and DermCaps are brands of omega fatty acids often recommended by vets.

But like I said, you can't expect to get a handle on this problem until you get a diagnosis. Feel free to get back to me if you've already had your dog to a vet, and can provide answers to the questions I've asked.

Best of luck,

Patti