Tips For Treating Severe Itching In Dogs

It is not unusual to see dogs scratch behind their ear or neck once in a while. But if you see them doing this frequently and it seems to be happening more often as the day goes by, your canine friend may be suffering from excessive itching.

One of the usual causes of excessive itching or pruritus is dry skin. Dry skin in dogs can be caused by a number of factors including using the wrong shampoo when bathing them, under-grooming, dry climate or excessive forced air heating, and even a poor diet. Allergies, infections, parasites, and eczema can also cause pups to itch and scratch excessively.

To correctly identify the cause of your dog's severe itching, it is best to bring him or her to your vet. However, you can help dogs get relief from this itching by following the useful tips below:

Change your dog's diet. When you start providing better, more nutritious, and well-balanced meals to your dog, you help him or her stay in tip-top condition and this will reduce itching and scratching. If the main cause of your skin's dry skin and itchiness is his or her diet, your vet will likely recommend a hypoallergenic diet for your pet. You can also consider cooking or making food for your dog using organic ingredients instead of feeding him or her commercial dog food since this a healthier and chemical-free option.

Groom your dog properly and regularly. You can reduce minor itching in dogs by using a special dermatological shampoo at each washing or as advised by your vet. Giving your pet an oatmeal bath may also be beneficial for your dog since this can temporarily alleviate itching. However, make sure to rinse all the oatmeal out of the dog's coat when you're finished. There will be instances though when frequent shampooing will not be advised by the veterinarian. This is especially true if the dog's skin is particularly dry. In such instances, the vet will recommend gentle brushing with a medium strength bristle brush to remove debris from the coat. You have to take special care though when brushing your dog to avoid scratching the damaged skin.

Get rid of the parasites. If parasites, such as ticks or fleas, are causing your dog to itch, ask your vet for a suitable and safe parasitic treatment. There are various flea control products and miticides available today, including collars, liquid treatments and injections. Your vet will also have to advise you on whether there are any specific areas on your dog's body that requires some particular type of parasitic treatment.

Hold an ice pack wrapped in a towel against the dog's itchy area to give him or her some temporary relief. Lastly, this tip can help alleviate itching in your dog, but make sure you remove the pack after a few minutes so that you won't injure or damage the pup's skin.

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How To Keep Your Dog With Food Allergy Healthy And Happy

Once your dog has been diagnosed with some form of food allergy, a lot of changes will have to take place at home. Topping the list of these changes is, of course, a modification in your canine friend's diet. Certain food items and products with ingredients that your pet is allergic to will have to be replaced with different ones. You can also expect some medications and supplements to be introduced and there will also be changes in your dog's usual grooming activities.

Certainly, you will not be happy with these changes. There is also a high chance your dog won't be happy with these changes, particularly with his or her diet, especially for the first few weeks of introducing new food items or products. However, even with these changes brought about by your pet's food allergy, you can still make sure that your dog remains healthy and happy. Here are some tips that can help you achieve this goal for your canine friend:

• Make sure everyone in your family is onboard with your dog's special diet and feeding instructions. Unfortunately, breaks in the food allergy control of your pet can happen simply because a member of the family gives in to temptation and feeds an allergy-causing food to your dog. Keep in mind that feeding your pup the wrong table scraps and adding broth or ingredients that are allergenic in your pet's food can negate all the benefits your canine friend was receiving from being on a special hypoallergenic diet.

• Coordinate with your vet regularly. Undoubtedly, your veterinarian was the one who identified the source of your dog's allergy through different diagnostic and assessment tools. Your vet also provided you all the instructions you have to follow to manage your dog's food allergy symptoms. To make sure that your pet is on the right track to recovery and continues to be healthy and happy, it is important that you and your dog regularly visit the vet. Your veterinarian can make necessary modifications to your pet's diet and even recommend a veterinary nutritionist or dermatologist if the situation calls for it.

• Carefully read the labels and ingredients of everything your dog eats or consumes. Most dog foods will advertise a specific type of meat or protein, but you still need to read the label carefully to make sure that allergenic proteins and other substances are not just placed on the lower part of the ingredient list. Aside from dog foods, follow this tip when buying dog treats.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Keep-Your-Dog-With-Food-Allergy-Healthy-And-Happy&id=9437077