The importance of a proper diagnosis
Did you know that the most important causes of an itchy skin in a dog are parasites, infections, and skin allergies. However, it can be difficult to see parasites and the signs of skin infections (such as pimples, crusts, sores, areas of hair loss). A diagnosis is needed to establish the reason for the scratching. Your vet will help you with this.
Even though, as a responsible dog parent, you are using products for tick and flea control, you should still consider parasites such as fleas and ticks first, as a possible cause for the itchiness. Some products are more effective than others such as the oral products that are in tablet form, e.g. Simparica. The oral products are not only very effective in controlling ticks and fleas, but they are also effective in treating all mite infestations in dogs. These products can be obtained from veterinary clinics and vet shops.
Secondly, skin infections can cause an itchy skin. Skin infections are usually associated with underlying skin allergies, but they can occur on their own. Bacterial skin infections can cause pimples, areas without hair or crusts and the skin can be itchy because of these infections. Some dogs also have yeast infections (a type of fungal infection) on their skin, and this can also cause a greasy, smelly, red and itchy skin and hair loss. This is also common in allergic dogs.
The most common cause of an itchy skin is a skin allergy. Even if your dog has bacterial and yeast infections, one needs to look for signs of an underlying allergy because they often occur together. There are three important types of skin allergies in dogs, namely flea bite allergy, environmental allergies, and food allergies.
Flea bite allergy is an allergy to allergens found in flea saliva. When a flea bites a dog, the flea injects its saliva that contains allergens (substances that can trigger an allergic reaction) into the skin. When a dog is allergic to these allergens, only one flea bite is needed to trigger an allergic reaction where the body’s immune system overreacts to the flea bite and this causes the dog to become severely itchy, especially at the lower back and tail area as well as the tummy and the inside of the thighs. Interestingly, it is very difficult to find a flea in a dog allergic to fleas, therefore one should look for other signs of flea bite allergy too, such as where a dog itches and for flea dirt. It is very important to rule this possibility first out as it is the easiest allergy to treat. Not all dogs with fleas have a flea allergy, but any flea on any dog can cause severe discomfort and itchiness and should be eradicated.
Environmental allergies and food allergies affect the paws, face, ears, and skin of the chest, tummy and under the arms. In some dogs, only one or two of these areas may be affected.
Environmental allergies are caused by allergens in the dog’s environment, such as grass and tree pollens and dust mites. These allergies can sometimes be seasonal, if the cause is a type of pollen that is only in the environment certain times of the year or else it can be non-seasonal if the cause is for example dust mites. Often dogs are allergic to many different types of allergens in their environment.
Food allergies are caused by a dietary ingredient, usually the protein in a diet, especially chicken, beef, and dairy in dogs. With all types of skin allergies, the skin becomes red, warm, and moist and this can often lead to secondary bacterial and yeast infections on the skin everywhere where the dog is itching. Infections can often cause a dog to become smelly and can make the itchiness even worse.
If your dog is scratching, it is important that you take your dog to your vet for a thorough examination so that a more specific diagnosis can be made.
