My dog is scratching and losing hair. What's the cause and solution?

Disney should be treated for fleas first in order to rule this out as a possible reason for the skin issues. There are many different types of flea medications in all different formulations, none of which are necessarily better than the other. It is all a matter of preference. If this does not work, I would recommend trying an antihistamine to see if Disney is experiencing some discomfort from an allergy. Sometimes benadryl can help with this, but other times sometimes more animal specific is required to control the itchiness. Other causes of skin issues include certain inflammatory and infectious diseases, immune mediated processes, environmental / contact allergies, and other less common causes. I would certainly try ruling out the easy stuff out first.

I agree that allergies are one of the most likely causes for your dog's scratching - this is a very common problem for many dogs in the summer. But there are other possible causes also that should be ruled out first - itching can also be caused by skin mites (mange), or bacterial or fungal infections. If the itching is allergy related, you can try bathing in a dog shampoo with either cortisone or aloe and oatmeal to help soothe the itching. But most allergy problems in dogs require prescription medications to treat successfully, so I would recommend having your dog examined by a vet if bathing her isn't helpful.

Skin problems can have a variety of causes, sometimes more than one. Allergies, parasites, bacterial or fungal infections, even contact with some surfaces or substances will cause itching, rash and/or hair loss. It is important to have the problem checked by your vet to determine if there is a medical cause for your pet’s skin issues and treat accordingly. In pets of all ages, fleas, food allergies and exposure to chemical irritants such as cleaners and soaps can be a cause. Any one of these may not be enough to trigger the breakouts, depending on how sensitive your pet is, but a combination can be enough to start the itch-scratch cycle. Finding out the cause and eliminating it is the best course of action. With flea allergies, if your pet is sensitive enough, a single bite can cause them to break out scratch enough to tear their skin. Check for fleas with a flea comb. Look for fleas and/or tiny black granules, like coarse black pepper. This is flea feces, consisting of digested, dried blood. You may find tiny white particles, like salt, which are the flea eggs. Applying a good topical monthly flea treatment and aggressively treating your house and yard will help break the flea life cycle. If you use plastic bowls, this is a possible cause for hair loss, though this tends to be on the chin, where their skin touches the bowl while they eat. If you suspect this to be the culprit, try changing the bowls to glass, metal or ceramic. Food allergies are often caused by sensitivity to a protein in the food. Hill's Science Diet offers some non-prescription options for sensitive skin as well as prescription hypoallergenic foods for more severe cases. Royal Canin carries limited protein diets that may also offer some relief. Your vet can recommend a specific diet that will help. If there is no relief or not enough, consider getting your pet checked by a veterinary dermatologist and having allergy testing done.

Poor Faith sounds very itchy and uncomfortable! This scratching can be caused by fleas, mites, ringworm, or allergies. A bath won't get rid of fleas and keep them from coming back. If she isn't up to date on his flea treatment, I will give you the flea treatment program I recommend. First, I would give her Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes. Then follow up with a spot on treatment, such as Advantage or Revolution. This is a treatment that has to be used once a month. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash her bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home. If she is up to date on his flea treatment, I recommend taking her into the vet for an exam today or tomorrow. The vet can do blood tests, skin scrapings, and use a Wood's lamp to diagnose allergies, mites, and ringworm. Once the cause of the itching is found, the vet can prescribe the appropriate treatment. I hope this helps!

Hello. While Apoquel has been an absolutely wonderful addition to our ability to help allergic dogs, it is not 100% effective all the time & in every pet. I have had to add medications to the really tough cases, including using the injectable Cytopoint, adding antihistamines, or even very low doses of glucocorticoids. Talk to your vet to see what might be the next step for helping Zelda. You might also consider seeing a veterinary dermatologist to see what exactly she might be allergic to & if a desensitization protocol would be helpful. Good luck & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Allergies and mange would be at the top of my list. A vet can easily check for intestinal parasites (mange) and then figure out a treatment plan for allergies if you don't have any parasites. There are many many different way to treat allergies, depending on how much you want to spend on medications/testing.

This could indicate an allergy to the environment, food or another skin disease like sabeceous adenititis or an autoimmune disease. Sometimes an oatmeal based pet shampoo and conditioner help as well as omega 3 fatty acid supplements. However if this is due to an allergy he may need a long term medication like Apoquel for control. If Shadow gets worse, or the over the counter treatments don't work, he needs to get checked out by his veterinarian.