Rat Terrier itching

Question
My rat terrier seems to be scratching all of the time. He does not have fleas since he is treated with advantage monthly. I bathe him once a month and that hasn't helped. I have even tried adding a bit of oil to his food.  I feed him Natural Choice from Pets Mart.   I feel so sorry for him.  Any suggestions?

Answer
Hi Julia!

If you are positively sure that he has no fleas, and with advantage, he most likely does not... then it may be allergies.  Dogs have allergies just like people do. They can be allergic to carpet, grass, pollen... you name it.  If that is his problem, a vet can give him an injection to ease up on the scratching.  It may be your best bet.

Check his skin. Is it dry?  You are feeding a good food,  but try adding a little bit of oil to his diet.  Put a little bacon grease on his food, or give him a spoonful of butter or margerine about once a week. He will love it!

Have you checked his ears?  Ear mites will cause dogs to scratch.  If his ears are "dirty" looking, and/or have a foul smell, then he might have ear mites.  This is easily remedied with an over the counter product, or your vet could prescribe something that works even better.

If none of these things are the problem or if none of my suggestions help, then I would most definetely take him in for an allergy shot.

God Bless,
Becky