Scratching face

[Lindsey & Rowdy]

I just got home from the vet with Rowdy and am more confused than ever. Rowdy is almost 9 months old and we’ve been having a terrible time with him scratching his face. Since around September/ October he has had reoccurring problems with this. He keeps scratching at his face which causes it to bleed and then scab up. Then he scratches at the scab which causes it to open up and bleed again. The only area that he is scratching is the right side of his face. We’ve been to the vet off and on and have tried lots of different things. He’s been on prednisone which stops the scratching and then his face will heal. It only lasts a couple weeks after we stop the medicine though and he’s back to scratching. In November the vet gave him a series of shots to rule out scabies, even though he didn’t think that was the problem since Rowdy was only scratching his face. He had stopped scratching for a couple weeks and then started up again. Today he gave us an antibiotic to help with the open wound and more prednisone. He also said to use an e-collar until he stops scratching and to start giving him Benadryl. We’re supposed to check in with the vet in a week and see how it’s going. He mentioned that the next step would be to do a food trial for a few months to rule out a food allergy. From what I’m read on this site it doesn’t sound like anything would come up on the food trial since food allergies are so uncommon. If that doesn’t help then he said we would contact a dermatologist for skin testing. The vet thinks that it’s probably some kind of allergy; he’s just not sure what.

Does anyone have any advice? I feel so bad for Rowdy because he’s obviously uncomfortable with the itching. What can I do to help him stop scratching? Has anyone else had a similar experience?

- Lindsey and Rowdy

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

We do give it every day but we only give Ned one because he is only 27 pounds. We will give him one with dinner too for a while or when he starts to scratch more. Next time we get him groomed I am going to ask if she does or could use an oatmeal shampoo or whatever might be soothing. Ned mats so he has to have detangler products - whether at the groomer's or when he mats at home. He is matting less now so I am not using nearly as much. He has to have a very dilute finishing spray when we finish brushing him though or he mats more. But since his coat is maturing, I can start looking differently at products - less for their de-matting content and more for their soothing content.
I really want to wash his beard more and with a cleaner, but I am very concerned about leaving a soapy residue on him so I just use water. I know it has been mentioned to use vinegar but I do not have any idea about how much vinegar and around his nose.......

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I use a shampoo called Douxo- I order it on-line; it's a calming shampoo. Also, there is a line of products called "Relief", which includes shampoos and a spray for itchiness...the spray does seem to provide temporary relief for Jack when he gets an itchy spot...but you have to be careful to keep it out of their eyes, so I don't know about the face. :-(
Also, ask the groomer not to use a hot dryer on any itchy areas; it should be on a 'cool' setting.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I will make sure she knows he is itchy and ask her to use a cooler dryer setting also - I actually don't know if she uses a dryer on him but I assume so. I will speak with her first because she will use any product I ask her to use.
It is such a trial and error process with allergies unless they are really serious - like Jack's. The rest of us with dogs that have much milder ones, think we have figured it out only to find out that we haven't!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

All of my dogs in the past had itchy times periodically; seasonal allergies, some other irritations. The vets gave the usual steroids, sprays, antibiotics. They'd go away, come back the next year, etc. I would get mildly frustrated but never really thought too much about it.
Now I know it's the most baffling thing in the world. Even with Jack, it's trial & error sometimes. All we can do is try to try to keep them comfortable & hope for the best!

[Tammy & Gracie]

I pretty much agree that the food trial would be a waste of time and money. I would go on to the dermatologist and get to the bottom of this issue. I've been through the food trials myself with Gracie and spent alot of money and time on crappy food with no relief. The continued use of prednisone is problematic all by itself. If his problem is allergy the prednisone will interfere with any allergy testing. But at best, if it is an infection it needs to be diagnosed correctly and treated with the correct antibiotic. The benedryl may help with the itching but there are many antihistimines to choose from, many that work better with fewer side effects. If the benedryl is not working well, ask to try another. And listen to Karen, she knows more than all of us put together and probably more than the average vet when it comes to allergy and nutrition issues. And the evening primrose oil caps can be found most places with a large vitamin selection( human). I buy Gracie's at Kroger. Good luck with it!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thanks Tammy. I wish it hadn't been necessary for me to become quite so familiar with these issues, lol. Everything you said about the drugs and foods is 100% true.
Lindsey, if the dermatology specialist deems skin testing necessary, Rowdy will have to be off all the drugs for a period beforehand...the pred and the antihistamines, even the EPO...but they'll tell you that when you see them. For now, try these suggestions and schedule a visit with the specialist.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Lindsey - BTW we never saw the lice or nits on Ned or our golden lab mix because of their coloring. AND neither did the vet!!! She looked at him half an hour before we took him to be bathed. We only saw the nits on Gordie after his grooming and because he has dark fur and under his ear area was covered!!!!! Just so you know - the websites say that only filthy, neglected dogs get this lice! Not. I am sure they got it at a dog park and one dog "shared" it with our other two. Just in case you might want to know, the treatment is Frontline Plus twice at 3 week intervals. Ned does some itching after getting Frontline on him too.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I'm sure hat as a teacher you've seen the same kind of thing with kids passing lice from one to another.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Yes and it isn't always those "dirty" kids who have it or can't get rid of it. In the old days there was such a stigma about all of this. Clean people (and apparently dogs) can get this stuff too.

[shelly]

Yes. When I was in college, I caught those BUGGAS from my sisters in elementary and Jr. high.. we all used the same brushes... I was mortified! Then when I was teaching Kindergarten... I caught it from my class!!! My head (no pun intended) knew it wasn't from being dirty, but I felt so GROSS!!! Now, I keep my long hair pulled back when leaning over students, and hope that all the chemicals (hair dyes, heat from the dryer,etc.) will keep those BUGS away!!!! Well.... pleasant dreams! LOL

[shelly]

OKay... YUCK! Now I'm itchy. As a teacher LICE is a fate worse than death! Can you catch dog lice???? NOw I;m worried to bring Tori to get groomed this weekend!!! Scratch,scratch!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

People lice and dog lice are different. Thank goodness. But if you google in dog lice, they make it sound like only puppy mills and hateful, neglectful people let their dogs get canine lice. Well, my three dogs got it from ?????? probably a dog park - on a vacation. Canine lice is easy to treat - thankfully. You give a flea bath and use Frontline Plus twice at a three week interval so that any nits that might hatch die, die, die. And was I itchy when my guys had this? You betcha' - even though intellectually I knew it doesn't get passed to humans.