Dog has itching from allergies

Question
7/4/06

My dog is itchy quite often.  He takes 3 benadryl a day as his vet suggested (it helps very little).  I have tried him on one other allergy pill the vet suggested but it didn't really help.  He is especially itchy in summer (we live in Florida) but itches in winter (not as much.  His ears also get itchy at times.  I spray him with hydrocortisone (in itchy spots) and this helps somewhat.  I wash him with Relief shampoo.  He weighs about 40 pounds and is a gun dog.  He continues to itch and I feel frustrated and sorry for him.  I wonder if fish oil tablets and vitamins for dogs might help him.  He eats chicken or baby sausages (he also get dry food - Beneful and holistic dry food mixed together).  Occasionally he gets pepperoni stick treats.

Can you please help me (it's very frustrating and sad to see him itch).

Thanks very much,


Sue
basellers@netzero.com

Answer
Hi Sue, I know your frustration, my pug has the itches like that too.  He might be allergic to something in his food, like wheat or something.  Have you tried changing foods (keeping track of what is in the foods)?  A lot of time the itching can be from dry skin too, and putting something like a food supplement called Linatone in their diet can help relieve that.  You don't want to bathe him too much as that removes all the natural oils from their skin and can make matters worse.  Benadryl just helps relieve the symptom of itching so it doesn't always help solve the problem.  It basically ends up being a process of elimination, which has to be kept serious track of and can time.  Hope this helps,

Dawn