My dog scratches constantly, no rash. Is Vetalog safe? Vet-prescribed?

No I don't recommend prednisone for long term use as it can cause liver problems. The scratching can be from food, fleas, plants and grass in the yard among other things. Make sure you are using flea control on Kia since even one flea bite can cause excessive scratching in some dogs. Also if there is a secondary skin infection using a course of antibiotics can greatly reduce the itching too. The most effective long term solution is to find the specific reason and taylor the medication to the diagnosis. Skin problems can be annoying and difficult to get under control but you will have better success when treating the cause not just the symptoms. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Kia.

This is probably 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). Unfortunately Granulex v won't help to resolve the problem. 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.

I am not sure if ingesting the powder has any side effects but it certainly is not going to help the wounds heal if he just licks it off. I think the best thing is to treat the main problem of itching and prevent him from scratching and licking. He could have allergies, bacterial skin infection, fleas, mites, etc. If he has allergies than your vet can prescribe an oral antihistamine or corticosteroid to control the itching so he doesn't get hot spots. If he has fleas they should be treated and you should use a monthly flea prevention, like NexGard, Frontline, or Advantage. If mites could be a possibility than your vet can do a skin scrape to look for mites and treat. He may also need an oral antibiotic to treat a secondary bacterial infection on his skin. You can give him a bath with a medicated shampoo and see if that helps. I like Betagen Spray for local treatment of wounds because it dries fast and has an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory in the spray. If your vet is not able to control his itching you could get a second opinion or take him to a dermatologist. Hope his problem resolves soon!

If it is from a flea allergy, then regular flea control will be needed to treat the underlying cause. Cortisone shorts can have side effects such as increased thirst and urinating and weight gain which can affect joints and arthritis is older animals. Long term use or high doses can also lead to diabetes and liver problems. They do make other medications to help control allergies that are safer to consider. A food allergy may also be contributing and you may want to talk about a prescription diet to minimize more ingredients.

Steroids can be used but only after you get a specific prescription with specific dosage from your veterinarian, you should never give your dog this medication without getting a prescription as the potential side effects can be extremely severe, especially if not given at an accurate dosage.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, it appears to be. We have to keep allergic dogs on it longterm as it improves their quality of life so much. You can always use it on an as needed basis as there will be times of the year perhaps winter when his allergies will not be as significant. Good luck and have a great day!

Poor Logan! Even though you are not seeing fleas, Logan may be sensitive to even 1-2 flea bites and could be scratching as a result. Make sure that he is receiving a high quality flea and tick preventative, such as Nexgard, Bravecto, or K9 Advantix II regularly. It is also possible that Logan has an allergy to something in his new environment, either inside the house or different plants/allergens outside. Instead of coconut oil, you could try using fish oil supplements ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=19121 ) in his food to improve his coat. Fish oils tend to be far more effective than coconut oil. Logan may also benefit from a bath in a medicated shampoo ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=27980 ) to manage his itching. However, if his itching continues or becomes more severe, he could develop a skin infection from ongoing skin trauma. Moderate to severe itching is absolutely a vet-worthy issue, so if it continues, take him in to be checked. I hope that all goes well!