Protect Your Dog From Itching And Scratching

Tags: dogs, pets, health, itching and scratching

Don’t you feel worried with the way your pet scratches its body? Those scratches never seem to end because your pet does that all time from sun up until sun down. Never think that dog itching and scratching are just part of a its nature or it’s just a not-so-serious skin problems that your pet will get over soon.

But hey, think again! For all you know your pet might be in serious trouble. Every dog owner should be alarmed when the itching and scratching is going a little bit too far. The explanations for this behavior can be attributed to the following: inadequate nutrition and parasitic, infectious, and environmental dermatitis.

Sometimes when a dog is not fed well it does not get the nutrients necessary for growth and well-being which could result to skin problems such as flaking and drying. When this occurs, your pet’s skin feels itchy and the never ending scratching begins. Treat your dog as an extension of the family and not just a pet or a companion.

It is your responsibility to make sure that it is getting the basic dog needs such as food, water, and shelter. Give your pet an adequate amount of olive oil because this is good for its skin. Parasitic dermatitis is caused by tick, fleas, lice, mites, and other parasitic creatures which results to skin dryness and itching and hair loss.

Make sure that when you give your dog a bath you wash it using shampoos and soaps to remove dog lice and other parasites. If ever your pet get wounds due to severe itching and scratching wash it with antiseptic and use antibiotics to prevent infections. Your pet can acquire parasites from others dog through direct contact so it would be advisable if you don’t let it mingle with other dogs or animals for awhile.

Infectious dermatitis on the other hand comes from bacteria and fungi. Bacterial skin infection causes lesion, hair loss, and skin dryness. Yellow pustules are usually present especially in the dog’s chin which causes itching and scratching and a foul odor. Dogs need to be wash with antibiotic shampoos and applied with antibiotic creams.

There are cases where the hairs on and around the lesion need to be removed. Use bandages to cover the treated area to prevent your pet from further scratching. Fungal infection which is commonly known as ringworm is contagious to humans so be careful when you administer treatment to your dog especially when there are children around.

This disease also causes hair loss, skin dryness and lesions in a circular shape. Use special anti-fungi shampoo when bathing your pet. The last one is the environmental dermatitis or skin allergies. Dogs are also prone to allergies just like humans. These allergies can come from food or from dust, pollens and other allergens.

Here the dog develops itching problems, lesions, and eye and nasal discharges. Dogs tend to scratch and lick the infected area which makes the situation severe. That is why you as its owner should avoid giving them foods which they are allergic to and keep them away from certain allergens.

Caring for a dog is serious business and it is important that dog owners must keep them healthy. However there are times that no matter how much care are provided to them complications still arise and when things still go off hand try consulting your vet for this.

About the author

Alex De La Cruz is a successful Dog Trainer who has been advising and coaching dog owners for many years. Alex now decided to share his knowledge through this site, Doggyweb.info. You can sign up for his free weekly newsletter and learn how to keep your dog healthy and happy.

Share this article

You may reprint this article in its entirety on your web site, newsletter or ezine, providing you leave the About the author sections intact. You may not alter the contents.

Read other Health articles or visit our forum for additional information.

Free newsletter • Email this article to a friend

Previous 10 health articles:

1.	Stop Dog Bad Breath— Take An Action Now!
2.	Preventing Canine Arthritis, The Natural Way
3.	Battling Dog Allergies
4.	Grooming Your Dog Is A Plus Point
5.	Healthy Looks For Your Dogs
6.	A Clean Dog Is A Healthy Dog
7.	Getting Dog Health Insurance Is A Good Investment
8.	Dealing With Stains Caused By Dog Urine
9.	Protect Your Dog From Itching And Scratching
10.	Dog Allergy Should Never Be Ignored

I would love to hear from you what you think about my article. Please leave a comment below!

Welcome to DoggyWeb!

Are you a real dog lover? Then DoggyWeb is your new home on the web from now on. Here you will find all the information you need to take care of your beloved pet. Articles about how to deal with complaints, maintaining your dog's fur the right way and information on training your dog: it's all on this website.

When you have plans to get a new dog, but don't know exactly which kind of dog should perfectly fit within your family situation, this site helps you to make the right decision. My team of dog experts has build a rich archive of articles containing descriptions of many different dog breeds. DoggyWeb is the right place to find answers to all your questions about dogs.

There will be new articles every day, so I advice you to check this website daily! It's also possible to receive the latest daily written articles by email once a week. Simply sign up for our newsletter and choose the categories you are interested in.

If you want more information on a topic, I offer you the opportunity to order informational products about the topic you are interested in. You find these products in the bar on the left, once you have opened an article. Examples of these products are e-books written by qualified dog experts.