Hi All:

I've got a vet appointment next week and want to have all my bases covered going in there. Ajax has been itching for a couple months, and he's started to show signs of fur loss where he is biting and scratching. It's mostly on his arm and behind his ear.

I waited a couple months in order to try process of elimination with his food/shampoo, but got no results. First food was Solid Gold Wolf cub, then Kirkland Nature's Domain Salmon, and now Kirkland Natures Domain Turkey. All were rated 4 stars, but no diff in itching. I've also tried not washing him a lot but he loves to dig and get in the mud so it's kind of necessary. I switched from the petco oatmeal shampoo to Pet Head oatmeal with no results.

Only meds he is on is Triflexis.

Anything i'd need to bring in? Any other ideas what could be causing it?

I'd have him checked for fleas and a skin scraping done to check for mange-

HuskyMom09 wrote:

I'd have him checked for fleas and a skin scraping done to check for mange-

OK skin scraping, check. I know he doesn't have any fleas, but don't know about the mites... i'm not sure if Triflexis prevents those.

I'm going to subscribe to this thread for other input.

My foster is the same way.  I think it's allergies.  I am trying to learn what she is allergic to.  She always scratches her belly with her back legs (while standing).  I took her to the vet and they gave her a 'hypoallergenic' shampoo.  I took her home and gave her a good, soaking bath.  Her fur was really soft, but her belly broke out in a rash!  This was about 3 wks ago and she's still healing from the bumps.  I'm not sure if it's related, but it was quite a coincidence.

Whenever I brush her back, she always has to scratch her belly too.  If I stop brushing, she'll stop scratching.  

I live in Houston, so it may be related to the humidity.  

She has already had a hot spot.  It has since been treated and gone away.  Is your fur loss related to a hot spot?  It's literally a bare spot on their fur that is warm to the touch and very red.

VintageJeans wrote:

I'm going to subscribe to this thread for other input.

My foster is the same way.  I think it's allergies.  I am trying to learn what she is allergic to.  She always scratches her belly with her back legs (while standing).  I took her to the vet and they gave her a 'hypoallergenic' shampoo.  I took her home and gave her a good, soaking bath.  Her fur was really soft, but her belly broke out in a rash!  This was about 3 wks ago and she's still healing from the bumps.  I'm not sure if it's related, but it was quite a coincidence.

Whenever I brush her back, she always has to scratch her belly too.  If I stop brushing, she'll stop scratching.  

I live in Houston, so it may be related to the humidity.  

She has already had a hot spot.  It has since been treated and gone away.  Is your fur loss related to a hot spot?  It's literally a bare spot on their fur that is warm to the touch and very red.

No, its not a hot spot like you describe. His skin isn't red, and its not so much "fur loss" as much as him scratching and biting so much that his fur comes off... I have the vet appointment next week so i'll keep you updated. I've been researching and I guess it could also be due to frustration.... My g/f was out of work for a couple months so he got use to being with her all day and going to the dog park for a couple hours a day. Now that we are both at work hes back in the crate for a couple hours at a time and only out when we get back.

I work at a vet clinic and very, very commonly itching can be due to food allergies, specifically allergies to grains in the food. You see body-wide itching and wax buildup/itching in the ears, which is like a dog version of our runny nose. If you've already ruled out other medical causes and fleas, try a strictly grain-free diet (treats or table food with grains either!) for a few months and see if he improves.

Dizzy is allergic to chicken, so if he gets ahold of any he starts itching a lot. I thought the protein source in the food was what caused the allergy. Learn something new everyday.

wpskier222 wrote:

Dizzy is allergic to chicken, so if he gets ahold of any he starts itching a lot. I thought the protein source in the food was what caused the allergy. Learn something new everyday.

From what I learned, dogs can be allergic to different protein sources too like chicken or beef but allergies to plant based protein sources seem to be a bit more common, so it can be a starting point when trying to figure out what exactly is the culprit. Just what I picked up from work but of course everyone should do their research

LittleHouse wrote:

HuskyMom09 wrote:

I'd have him checked for fleas and a skin scraping done to check for mange-

OK skin scraping, check.  I know he doesn't have any fleas, but don't know about the mites... i'm not sure if Triflexis prevents those.

Just an FYI, my guy was on Trifexis and he STILL had a flea infestation last year so your pup could have fleas even if he takes meds. I would definitely check him out to make sure. I had found one on his face, I'd say face legs are a lot easier to check. Also my indoor cat was a good tell tale sign, he had fleas and is white so they were a lot easier to find! I figured that Rue probably brought them in.