Does anyone have any advice on what to do for itchy dog? Indy has been scratching for quite some time now. He had the same issue last year but this year it seems much worse. I think grass is one of his issues...but how do we avoid grass?? I called the vet last week talked to them. I ended up giving him some generic allergy meds (1 mg per pound) but they just aren't working. I've tried wiping his paws when he comes in with plain baby wipes....I've also got some malaseb wipes. He's itching and scratching all over. I gave him a medicated bath yesterday and also put some hydrocortsone spray on him with some relief but by midnight he was scratching again. I sent my husband out to get some oatmeal dog shampoo he said he saw and will bathe him with that and will also take him to the vet tomorrow. If anyone has any additional advice I would appreciate it.
licky/itchy and bumpy - please help
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Gatorblu
Boxer Insane
My first boxer had a lot of allergies. Save the money on the baby wipes and just get some inexpensive hand towels. Everytime you pup comes is wipe him down with a damp towel. Wash all bedding and carpets, as well as stay on top of dusting and vacumming. Keep doors and windows closed, and change your air filter once a month. I used to have to steam clean my carpets once a month and in the fall when her allergies were at their worst, it was once a week. This time of year is also ragweed season, I know the pollen counts for that have been really high here. I would skip the oatmeal shampoo if you just used the medicated shampoo. Too much bathing will dry out the coat and just compound the problem. Also when using a towel to wipe you pup down use cool water as it is soothing to itchy skin. Good luck! Sending healthy ((vibes)) Indy's way!
Bo Bo
Boxer Pal
Some thoughts...
Hello!
The vet will probably do a skin scrape, alot of times it will help explain whats going on with itchy scratchy dogs! Also, mange (like demodectic) is quite common among short haired dogs such as bulldogs, boxers, boston terriers etc. and can become generalized if not treated, which could explain why it seems worse this year. But there would probably be hair loss involved if it was mange, especially if it is genralized, and would be pretty obvious, so it doesnt sound like that is causing it.
There are some dogs who are indeed allergic to grass, my friend had a golden retriever who was and she couldnt be outside for long periods of time and had to take her walks in the street/sidewalk strictly because she would scratch so much she'd scratch off fur and create sores and scabby areas. There was even a great dane who was allergic to sunlight i read about, and in such cases the best option is to once again talk to your vet, who might be able to prescribe a cream or ointment or even a pill to help with the allergies.
It is also possible that he is getting bitten by bugs. My boxer gets terribly bitten by mosquitos and flys in the summertime and often times bumps will show up where the bites are and he'll lick and bite at them. If your boxer was allergic to the bites he might even show bigger lumps and bumps. I use a bug repellent that is made for dogs that works pretty well, but i'd double check with your vet in case the repellent could irritate his skin more.
Does he have dandruff? A skin scrape would would tell but its possible he has mites, which can be easily transferred from dog to dog. Or just dry skin, in which special shampoos or a change in diet might help.
Hot spots are more common in dogs with long hair and undercoats but any dog can get them to varying degrees so that could be another reason. However like mange it would probably be more obvious as the spots usually turn into sores that sometimes leak fluid.
Sometimes, even just brushing everyday can really help because the dead skin cells and hairs can build up and be itchy, especially when your dog is shedding more during certain times.
Its good you are going to the vet tommorow! My boxer had mites AND mange (which we luckily caught early on) and he was a pretty scratchy guy too. These thoughts are just my best guesses, but i am sure your vet will have a solution. Best of luck, i know how frustrating it can be trying to pin point the cause of itching and scratching!
Hello!
The vet will probably do a skin scrape, alot of times it will help explain whats going on with itchy scratchy dogs! Also, mange (like demodectic) is quite common among short haired dogs such as bulldogs, boxers, boston terriers etc. and can become generalized if not treated, which could explain why it seems worse this year. But there would probably be hair loss involved if it was mange, especially if it is genralized, and would be pretty obvious, so it doesnt sound like that is causing it.
There are some dogs who are indeed allergic to grass, my friend had a golden retriever who was and she couldnt be outside for long periods of time and had to take her walks in the street/sidewalk strictly because she would scratch so much she'd scratch off fur and create sores and scabby areas. There was even a great dane who was allergic to sunlight i read about, and in such cases the best option is to once again talk to your vet, who might be able to prescribe a cream or ointment or even a pill to help with the allergies.
It is also possible that he is getting bitten by bugs. My boxer gets terribly bitten by mosquitos and flys in the summertime and often times bumps will show up where the bites are and he'll lick and bite at them. If your boxer was allergic to the bites he might even show bigger lumps and bumps. I use a bug repellent that is made for dogs that works pretty well, but i'd double check with your vet in case the repellent could irritate his skin more.
Does he have dandruff? A skin scrape would would tell but its possible he has mites, which can be easily transferred from dog to dog. Or just dry skin, in which special shampoos or a change in diet might help.
Hot spots are more common in dogs with long hair and undercoats but any dog can get them to varying degrees so that could be another reason. However like mange it would probably be more obvious as the spots usually turn into sores that sometimes leak fluid.
Sometimes, even just brushing everyday can really help because the dead skin cells and hairs can build up and be itchy, especially when your dog is shedding more during certain times.
Its good you are going to the vet tommorow! My boxer had mites AND mange (which we luckily caught early on) and he was a pretty scratchy guy too. These thoughts are just my best guesses, but i am sure your vet will have a solution. Best of luck, i know how frustrating it can be trying to pin point the cause of itching and scratching!
kayboxer
Boxer Insane
I have a female with the exact same issue. We had her tested and hers is seasonal allergies. The only food she was moderately allergic to was lamb. We are now doing the shots which seemed to be helping until about 3 weeks ago. I agree with the above poster, ragweed is a major issue here and I think that is a lot of her problem right now. I do disagree on the bathing part. I think it helps to bath a dog suffering from allergies once a week in a very gentle shampoo to wash the allergens off during the bad times. You can wipe them, but it is not the same. I myself have severe allergies and am suffering horribly. My allergist told me to bath nightly to make sure I have washed all the allergens off my skin and out of my hair to help during this bad time. Also, the cleaning as mentioned above is something that helps also. I do give my girl benedryl to try to help ease the itching. With allergies there is no cure of course, but we can do what we can to relieve the symptoms. Good luck! 
As for the poster who mentioned mange, it causes bald spots where the skin turns a darker color. I've had a boxer with that problem also and it is not the same as allergies. If there are spots that are missing fur with darker skin underneath, the a skin scraping is definately called for.
As for the poster who mentioned mange, it causes bald spots where the skin turns a darker color. I've had a boxer with that problem also and it is not the same as allergies. If there are spots that are missing fur with darker skin underneath, the a skin scraping is definately called for.
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Pandorasma
Boxer Pal
easy fix
Pandora had horrible allergies for months. I took her to the vet every 6 weeks to treat one of the symptoms. It wasnt until I took her to a allergy specialist that everything started to work. He said she is mostlikely allergic to chicken (apparently 75% of dogs are allergic to chicken) and any type of grain meal. He put her on grain free limited ingrediant food, and two benadryl a day (she weighs 56lbs). And TA DA no more allergies or itchies! During the really bad allergy season she sometimes still gets hives, but then I increase the benadryl by one pill a day and the hives go away in about 30 minutes. The doctor also gave me a special allergy shampoo and said to not wash her so often because that strips the oils from her skin and makes her more itchy.
The benadryl does not seem to make her sleepy or affect her in any way other then she is no longer itching her ears off.
Good luck
Pandora had horrible allergies for months. I took her to the vet every 6 weeks to treat one of the symptoms. It wasnt until I took her to a allergy specialist that everything started to work. He said she is mostlikely allergic to chicken (apparently 75% of dogs are allergic to chicken) and any type of grain meal. He put her on grain free limited ingrediant food, and two benadryl a day (she weighs 56lbs). And TA DA no more allergies or itchies! During the really bad allergy season she sometimes still gets hives, but then I increase the benadryl by one pill a day and the hives go away in about 30 minutes. The doctor also gave me a special allergy shampoo and said to not wash her so often because that strips the oils from her skin and makes her more itchy.
The benadryl does not seem to make her sleepy or affect her in any way other then she is no longer itching her ears off.
Good luck
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