Common Causes of Non-Specific Itching in Dogs: A Compre
The Causes of Itching in Dogs
1. Allergies: When other causes are ruled out, skin rashes and itching can serve as initial indicators of allergies in dogs. Medications can also assist in confirming the diagnosis. Allergies often trigger itching in dogs, which can be effectively treated with antihistamines, corticosteroids, adrenal, and other antiallergic medications. It's important to keep dogs away from potential allergens during this time. If the cause is indeed an allergy, the itching should significantly improve.
2. Environmental Factors: Dogs can experience itching due to their environment being too humid, too cold, overly dry, or subject to changing weather conditions. For instance, dogs may develop dry hair, increased dandruff, and itching if they are exposed to heat in winter. If this is the case, simply keeping them away from the heat source can alleviate the itching. Additionally, dogs that frequently come into contact with concrete may develop symptoms like hair loss, thickened skin, darkening, scabbing, and frequent itching. Some bedding materials like straw pads or wood shavings can also irritate the skin, potentially carrying bacteria, parasites, or other contaminants. Eliminating these factors can help improve the dog's itching.
3. Diet Factors: Clinical experience suggests that a lack of vitamins, fatty acids, and minerals can lead to varying degrees of itching in dogs. Even if the dog's diet is wellbalanced, occasional itching may warrant the addition of vitamins and fatty acids to see if it relieves the itching.
4. Neurological Disorders: Itching in dogs can also be caused by central nervous system disorders.
5. Systemic Diseases with Itching: Many diseases, such as jaundice, diabetes, and uremia, often present with itching as a symptom. If a dog exhibits skin patches and itching, it may be due to mastocytoma or lymphocytoma, among other diseases.
In cases where the cause of a dog's itching is not immediately apparent, the following treatments can be attempted:
1. Try using corticosteroids or antihistamines to observe if they effectively control the itching.
2. Regularly groom the dog's coat and increase training to distract the dog from the itching.
3. Supplement the dog with an appropriate amount of fatty acids and vitamins.
Dr. OxygenPet offers a simple analysis of nonspecific itching in dogs, hoping this information can be helpful to you.