Itching Doodle

[Heather and Rocky]

Ok when we got Rocky last September - he had no itching issues. We bought shampoo and bathed him wiht Pure Paws Brightening Shampoo as needed and no itching ... he was fine.  Then, winter came and he began to itch when it got really cold so we switched to Dr. Harvey's Protection Shampoo and it did the trick - no more itching.

 

UNTIL - He went to the groomer a couple weeks ago and he's been itching ever since.  Just constantly scratching.  Talked to the groomer - she used Pure Paws on him for shampoo - so we bathed him again in the Dr. Harvey's - hoping it would work again and to no avail - he's still itching.

 

Poor baby!  What do I do??    

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

We've had a lot of discussions recently about itchy dogs, as this is one of the peak seasons for allergies and a lot of dogs are itchy. I don't know how old Rocky is, but there's a ton of info about this here.

I did a search for Itchy and here's what I got. You may want to look through some of the more recent ones, a couple are from just last week:

http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topic/search?q=itchy

One thing i can tell you is it's doubtful that shampoo has anything to do with this, unless it wasn't rinsed well.

[Eva (Lilo and Rocky)]

I use an anti-fungal/anti-bacterial shampoo called Mal-A-Ket - my groomer recommended it, you can buy it on amazon.com. You need to let the shampoo sit on the dog for 15-20 minutes though before rinsing it off. Your groomer may have caused razor burn, or used dirty blades. If it's just a few spots, you can apply OTC hydrocortisone cream, but make sure he doesn't lick it off. Can you tell if his skin is irritated?

 

[Bonnie and Kona]

Here is the link to my discussion on this topic. It turned out that Kona had poison oak, but I got lots of great help when we didn't know what was wrong.

http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/kona-is-itchy

[F, Calla & Luca]

That's interesting. I didn't know dogs could get poison oak. I don't think they get poison ivy but maybe they do

[Bonnie and Kona]

I didn't think so either! When I looked it up on the internet I thought they couldn't. My daughter is infinitely better at internet research than I am and she found out they do. She found a suggestion to wash the dog with white vinegar and water, then rinse. It made him feel so much better! We could see the bumps on his belly. I was wondering if it was the poodle part that got poison oak because our other dogs never had it.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

LOL-there isn't a "poodle part" when it comes to whether dogs can get a contact dermatitis like poison oak, etc. Either they can, or they can't...it wouldn't differ for one breed or another. Just like giardia or bordatella...if a dog is exposed to it, they can get it, regardless of their breed.

Actually, considering how thick and wolly a poodle's coat is, I'd think they would be less susceptible than most other breeds.

F, dogs can and do get poison ivy, too. It's rare, but they can get it.

[Bonnie and Kona]

Hahahaha! Thank you, Karen! Good to know. I was just thinking the fur vs hair thing. Clearly not knowing what I am talking about!

[2m42srv7vi6sq]

Yes they get poison ivy, oak and sumac.

A few years ago, we thought that Caeleach had atopic dermatitis and the poor baby went through all kinds of allergy testing, only to find that she had run through poison ivy that was growing in a spot we didn't notice, on our property.

We use oatmeal shampoo and rinse with an anti itch conditioner.

For spot itchies, I use baking soda and water, make a paste and put it on the itchie.  It seems to work.

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

We were told to use a medicated shampoo and they smelled terrible. Then they said oatmeal shampoo for itching? Can't really say if it worked ir not because my dogs are always itching and licking themselves, Chloe especially. Good luck,  know how frustrating this is!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Well, if they're licking and itching because of seasonal allergies, that's happening inside their bodies...it's a histamine reaction to the allergens they're breathing in, like pollen in the air....so nothing you use on the outside of their bodies is going to make any permanent difference.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

1. Give evening primrose oil 500 mg/day.

2. Wipe off paws thoroughly after walking outside in grass.

If it is minor seasonal allergies (as my Peri has), these two tips do wonders.  We hardly EVER bathe Peri.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Wiping down the whole dog helps, too. Also, vacuuming a lot and washing all bedding every week, because if it is pollen that's causing the problem, the dog brings it in on her coat, and it then gets all over her bed, etc.