puppy scratches all over

Question
I have a 6 month old shih tsu who scratches all over. He bites his paws, scratches his hind quarters and shakes his head. He seems to so tis more in the morning.Strangely, he has no hair loss (he actually has a thick beautiful coat), no hot spots or pustules. He has been treated by the vet for parasites. The vet wanted to put him on Hills prescriptive dietbut I have him on a raw diet. I do not like what I have read about the prescriptive diets. Some people have told me that puppies just scratch. He does have a thick coat. COuld that be the problem. He seems very healthy, other than his scratching? I'd appreciate any advice you can give me. This has been going on ever since we got him when he was 9 weeks old!!!

Answer
Hi Pam,

Puppies don't "just scratch", any more than you do. The root cause for your puppy's problem just hasn't been discovered yet.

Has the vet done any skin scraping tests yet? Ruling out Demodicosis, which is common in puppies, would be a good place to start.

I don't know what you've been reading about prescription diets, but it's worth trying since you've tried the raw diet, and the problem remains.
One of my dogs is alive today due his prescription diet, which he's been on for about 3 years now.

Trying a hypoallergenic dog shampoo might help too.

If nothing seems to be effective in treating your dog's itchiness despite your best efforts, asking your vet for a recommendation to a veterinary dermatologist is a good next step.

Best of luck,
Patti