My 9 month old lab/terrier mix is scratching herself...a lot!?

It's not a constant struggle, but she seems to be very itchy on her belly and on the back of her back legs. It looks like she has scratched some of the hair off. I feed her Science Diet, and she doesn't get any human food other than a piece of hot dog now and then. She has always had Science Diet, so I can't see it being a food allergy. A vet recommended Benadryl, so I have been giving her some (about 25mg, since she is only about 35-40 lbs) and I can't tell if it works. I haven't seen any fleas, and I check her every day. My roommates and I haven't been bitten at all, and she hasn't been around other dogs with fleas (although I know that's not the only way she can get them). Basically, I'm just looking for some suggestions. Thanks!

My 9 month old lab/terrier mix is scratching herself...a lot!?

My brother's black lab had a similar problem. When my dog and I left for University, the poor little lab went to pieces and went bald in quite a few places. My brother thought she had some sort of skin disorder or had developed an allergy to something. It turned out that she was just really over stressed by the change in her life. The vet put her on tranquilizers and they helped but not entirely. My brother finally asked if I'd keep her with me for awhile to see if she would get better. She did! She just really missed her buddy, my little cockapoo!

One of the foster dogs I had for awhile did have a skin condition that was caused by a thyroid imbalance and also an allergy to his food. Once he switched to a prescription dog food and went on thyroid meds, he grew his hair back really quickly.

My 9 month old lab/terrier mix is scratching herself...a lot!?

It could just be a regular allergy. My neighbor has a dog with the same problem. You should probably just wait it out.

My 9 month old lab/terrier mix is scratching herself...a lot!?

I highly doubt human food could have caused the allergy. Try bathing her with a anti itch dog shampoo or a oatmeal dog shampoo. If you see any brown dirt looking specks on her then that's flea dirt and she has fleas. You might not always see the original flea. My aunt has a lab with that same exact problem. It is probably something outside that she is coming in contact with.

My 9 month old lab/terrier mix is scratching herself...a lot!?

This type of reaction, again usually severe itching, is not to the flea itself but rather to proteins in its saliva. Dr. Ackerman writes that dogs most prone to this problem, interestingly enough, are not dogs who are constantly flea ridden, but those who are exposed only occasionally! A single bite can cause a reaction for five to seven days, so you don't need a lot of fleas to have a miserable dog.

To test for flea allergies, a skin test is performed which must be read in fifteen minutes and again in forty eight hours. Unfortunately injections to desensitize are not very effective because it is hard to collect enough flea saliva to make a serum!

For dogs with this problem a strict flea control regime must be maintained. We would caution you, however, against using strong chemical preparations on your dog. Often times the flea control program produces more harmful effects than the fleas, including seizures and skin problems, so please use caution.

My 9 month old lab/terrier mix is scratching herself...a lot!?

My dog had that problem and it was just allergies! So my mom gave him allergy medicine and it worked!

My 9 month old lab/terrier mix is scratching herself...a lot!?

What kind of shampoo do you use? Some dogs have sensitive skin and some dog shampoos can irritate it. you might want to see if a milder/sensitive skin dog shampoo is made. I've heard that some vets recommend a human shampoo that is mild, sometimes a type of suave. Make sure the dog is not allergic to the flea stuff you put on him. And also try a baby soap (they are very mild). If nothing else, he may be allergic to the carpet or something in your house.

My 9 month old lab/terrier mix is scratching herself...a lot!?

take her to the vet and get her treated for mites quick it's deadly if you dont see fleas then it is mites they live UNDER the skin so do it quick my guinea pig is being treated for thr same problem