suddenly itchy

[Discussing Labradoodles & Goldendoodles]

Benni is 9 months old, living in So. CA.  We can't find any reason, no new foods, no fleas.  Is this a doodle problem?  None of our past dogs have ever had an itching problem.  We'll go to the vet today after trying to eliminate possible causes for 2 weeks and giving baby Benedryl fast melts morning and evening.  Poor Benni and poor us!

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

Poor Benni-Chloe went through this and we ended up having to change shampoos and her food to Salmon because the vet thought it was allergies and had sensitive skin. Good luck at the vet-keep us posted on the results!!

[F, Calla & Luca]

It's possible Benni may be developing pollen allergies. Right now grass and certain weeds are high here in NJ. There is an Atopy group.

[Bonnie and Kona]

Thanks for keeping us posted on Benni's vet visit.

[Jeanne, Tura and Dolly]

I have an itchy dog too and it was suggested to us to try a single protein food that wasn't fish. So we are on TOTW lamb and so far so good.  Just a thought.

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

he seems to be very young to have developed food allergies - these usually occur after eating the same protein for many years. If it is, then I hope the food change works and he doesnt develop more allergies every 9 months

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree with Kaytlin. Food allergies are not seasonal and usually take a long time to develop. They do not occur from new foods or new anything, but rather from substances which the dog has been inhaling or ingesting over time. The blood tests for food allergies are also notoriously inaccurate in dogs. The markers are not the same as in humans. The only way to reliably diagnose a food allergy in a dog is to do a three month food elimination trial.

In addition, seasonal or inhalant allergies are 9 times more common than food allergies. I hope it is a food allergy, because those are a lot easier to deal with than inhalant allergies. But it's unlikely.

What is a scratch pattern? Did you have skin testing done under anesthetic?

To answer your question as to whether this is a "doodle problem", inhalant allergies (or Atopy) are genetic and Labrador retrievers are one of the breeds most often afflicted.

[Angie, Hudson and Lily]

Could it possibly be anything in your home or outside?  When I worked at a vet clinic we had a Bichon with severe allergies to something environmental in her house. They were remodeling at the time, so it was most likely the dust/chemicals from that. The poor thing had chewed herself all up (very badly) and was hospitalized.  For reasons I don't remember, they ended up giving her up and the groomer there adopted her. She was fine while living with her, and didn't have any severe allergy problems like that ever again.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Dust mites are living organisms, and dust mite allergies are very common. Jackdoodle is allergic to two different species of dust mites. But things like carpet cleaners and other environmental chemicals are not true allergens and don't cause the histamine reaction which is responsible for itching, except in cases of contact dermatitis.

[9pavxfihcp80]

I take my middle doodle, Cooper, for Pet Therapy visits at a local hospital every other week. He has to be bathed within 24 hours of each visit, and when we started, I was concerned about his skin with so much bathing and asked a groomer about ideas. She said she never uses straight shampoo on her dogs-- always uses a pitcher of water with the shampoo mixed in so it's VERY diluted. It's much easier to rinse out and avoids having concentrated shampoo on any area of the body. She said too many people are concerned with "suds" and it's not the suds that gets the dog clean-- it's the rinsing. We've taken her advice and our vet is amazed at how healthy Cooper's skin is!