Why is my dog itching his jaw and neck with no visible cause?

Hi there! BJ may be itchy from skin allergies. When it comes to allergies, it is all about trying to figure out what the inciting cause is. This is usually worked-up stepwise. The first thing to rule out is flea allergy. If BJ is not currently on a flea preventative, then trying one would be the first step. If she is already on one, you may try another one and treat for fleas. Even if you cannot find them, that may still be an issue as it only takes one or a few to result in an allergy. If that does not seem to be the issue, the next step would be to rule out food allergies and ultimately environmental allergies. Your veterinarian would be able to guide through this and provide with a plan especially designed for BJ after an examination. Good luck!

If your dog is scratching that often, I would be concerned something is irritating her. She could have fleas or an allergy causing irritation, but we would also be concerned about itching in the ears (can look like they are scratching the neck when they are trying to get the ears) or the oral cavity (teeth). You can try looking at the ears (into the ear canal) and mouth for any signs of pain/discomfort/discharge/odor. If these are present, a visit to the vet is in order. If they are not, then you could try starting a flea preventative. If no improvement is seen, then a visit to your vet is needed.

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

Poor Momo! He could have a sore tooth in the back of his mouth causing him to scratch at it, he could have a skin infection of the side of the mouth called a lip fold pyoderma, it could be caused by allergies, or he could have a foreign body stuck in his mouth. I recommend taking Momo into your vet to have his mouth examined, have the cause of the scratching diagnosed, and you vet can determine the appropriate treatment.

This presentation could be due to a trauma or localised spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria and commonly called hot spot). A check up, appropriate disinfection and antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection can eventually be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid licking. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

There are a number of medical causes of itchniness in a dog, including ectoparasites, infections of the skin (fungal, bacterial, viral), metabolic disorders, and even allergies. Sometimes allergies are to ingredients in the dog's food; sometimes they are due to irritants in the enviroment, like fabric freshners, laundry detergents, floor and carpet cleaning products. You should have your dog evaluated by your veterinarian. S/he will want to do a complete physical exam and may also recommend taking skin/hair samples for diagnostics purposes.

What you are describing sound like a possible allergy. It can be from something in the food or something in the environment or her own immune system just being weaker than the others. It can be known as military dermatitis. I would consult your vet about a treatment as there is medicine to stop the itching and some antibiotics to clear the related bacterial infection