Overview of Dog Itching

If your dog’s itching is excessive, it is an indication that there is something the matter with your dog. While occasional itching and scratching is normal, if it is happening enough that you notice it, then you need to learn how to stop dog itching. If you don’t, the condition will worsen and can lead to all sorts of problems down the road – from secondary bacterial skin infections to hearing loss.

Your puppy needs your help

Should be a relatively simple problem to overcome, right? It would be if we could question our dogs. But we can’t, so we must play detective and use our best guess as to the cause. Once the cause is determined, at least a plan of action can be formed.

So, to stop dog scratching, one must first figure out why your dog is so itchy in the first place. The easiest way to do this is going through each of the possible causes, in order.

• Fleas/Insect Bites
• Mange
• Improper Nutrition
• Psychological (anxiety/stress)

and last, but not least, …

• Allergies

Allergies was last because there can be so many things your dog is allergic to. And if you go through the above list and still find your dog itching constantly, then you can dive into determining the allergic trigger. For example, improving your dog’s nutrition may very well take care of any food intolerance that your dog has, which may be the very reason for all the scratching.

Fleas And Insect Bites

Fleas and insect bites can cause non-stop scratching, especially if your dog has an actual allergy to flea bites. But fleas are probably the easiest to determine: yes or no. Your dog has fleas or they don’t. If they have a really thick coat, it may be hard to tell. Look at the bedding for black specs of dirt. Wet the ‘dirt’ a little – if they turn red, that is flea dirt. Learn all about How to Get Rid of Fleas in Your House and How to Get Rid of Fleas on Dogs. If it is an actually allergy to fleas, keeping your pup flea-free is the only solution.

Mange in Dogs

Mange is caused by a parasite known as a mite and is another matter that is relatively easy to determine. There are three main types of mange – read about Mange In Dogs to understand the different symptoms and with help determining if this is your dog’s problem.

Nutrition

Improper nutrition is actually a HUGE reason many dogs itch and is also commonly misdiagnosed as dog food allergies and other allergies. Depending upon the type and quality of food you feed your dog, they may not be getting what they really need, and their immune system becomes over-stressed – producing itchiness. Read more about the role of healthy dog food here.

Anxiety/Stress

Psychological problems that cause itching and licking can be very hard to determine. Believe it or not, dog separation anxiety is a huge and growing problem, as is noise anxiety (fireworks, thunderstorms). Dog anxieties manifest themselves in many ways, and dog itchy skin is one of them. Refer to Dog Calming Products as a starting point for ways to help your dog.

Allergies in Dogs

Allergies in dogs can be so difficult – your dog, like you, can become allergic to so many things. Allergens inhaled, such as pollen and dust mites; allergens absorbed through skin contact, such as rubber, wool, pesticides; insect bites, such as fleas and mosquitoes; and of course, dog food allergies. But when dealing with allergies in dogs, rather than using anti-histamines (which are meant for humans), you really should try to boost their immune system and control your pet’s environment to limit exposure to the allergen.

So those are the main reasons that cause dogs to itch and scratch incessantly. Unless you specifically know what is the problem from the beginning, go through these systematically, eliminating areas and helping you to narrow in on your dog’s problem.