How To Stop Your Dog From Scratching: Protect Your Pet From These Common Causes

Your dog may develop itching due to several common causes. Knowing what they are will help to protect it and your home. Finding the best relief is only part of learning on how to stop your dog from scratching.

One main cause of itching is fleas. Unfortunately, fleas multiply very rapidly. By the time you see your dog scratching, it may have a serious infestation. Treating the fleas both on your dog and in your home is the first crucial step to helping it find relief.

Because fleas hatch every day, you should have your veterinarian start the first medication. Then, you will need to keep every area your dog visits clean. Your entire home, indoor and out, should be treated for fleas. Target the lawn, and the areas where your pet sleeps and eats. If the infestation is large enough, everyone in your family may be itching from fleabites, too. You might consider calling in a professional exterminator to treat your property with a series of treatments to catch not only the living fleas, but also the hatching ones.

Many dogs develop allergic reactions to fleas. They can come in contact with a single flea and still have itchy skin. Interesting is that the treatments are the same as used for humans, but in very different doses. Lotions and creams such as calamine may provide relief. Be certain to get any of these from the veterinarian to be certain it is the appropriate strength for the size of pet.

Mites and ringworm are two other reasons for scratching. The mites are very tiny insects that burrow into the skin and cause severe itching. You cannot see them, but you can see the damage they cause. If left untreated long enough, patches of fur will fall off. Just as with mites, ringworm also causes fur loss in patches. But ringworm is a fungus, rather than an insect. Both of these must be treated by the doctor with specialized creams, and both may take a while to heal.

Dogs can suffer from food allergies much in the same way that humans do. If all other causes have been ruled out, then consider whether or not the food the dog is eating is causing its scratching. Commercial dog foods may be the source. Also spicy foods, sweet foods, red meats, or foods with preservatives, are main culprits. To determine exactly which food is difficult. You must remove only one food at a time for 2 to 4 weeks to look for improvements.

Other common itching causes are spider, snake, or tick bites. In each of these cases, you should see your veterinarian immediately. These require specialized care. Reading up on standard emergency actions is necessary.

Most every dog will scratch its own stomach by dragging itself, and some will seek attention by scratching too. Learning the causes of the itching is ultimately the best way to learn how to stop your dog from scratching in each case. Take care of your dog and your scratching problems will be much less.

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