labradors coat

Question
hello. recently my 6 month old lab mix has started chewing incessantly. i switched his food from nutro to purina puppy chow quite awhile ago, and it didn't seem to make any noticeable changes occur. he's always had a little bit of dandruff and the occasional itch, so i mentioned it to our groomer who gave him a medicated bath when i had asked for oatmeal shampoo. anyhow, several people have recently told me that medicated is in fact for oily skin, not dry skin, and that is most likely why he is now chewing so much and losing hair right above his tail. do you have any suggestions, be them home remedies or even holistic?
thank you so much!!

Answer
Hey Sarah. I would recommend bringing him to the vet for an exam. This sounds like he is having some allergy problems. Is he on any flea & tick prevention? Sometimes chewing at the base of their tail is a flea allergy. If this is the case, it only takes a few bites to drive a dog crazy. There are some medications that your vet can prescribe that will help with the itching. Stay away from any steroids though. You do need to bring him to the vet though to get something to help with the itching. He also needs to be on flea & tick prevention. The best is Frontline. This can also be purchased from your vet & they will show you how to apply it. Let me know if I can do anything else to help. Thanks!
-Heather