Every now and then, George has a spell where he scratches CONSTANTLY and chews on himself and even wears sores on the base of his tail. Now he has one on his left front paw, too. I've given him a bath in anti-itch doggy shampoo. I've gotten coat conditioner that's supposed to help dry skin. I have some stuff from the last time he went through this, that's meant for "hot spots," but it smells foul and I'm afraid of the fumes around the birds, so I haven't put that on him. We didn't have birds last time. Also, the itching doesn't seem confined to one or two spots. He works on his foot awhile. He works on his tail awhile. He scratches his belly awhile. He lies on his back and wiggles on the rug awhile. I'd have to COVER him in this stuff to get all that.

He's recently been to the vet and got a clean bill of health, and the last time he had an itchy spell the vet said it might be allergies to something he's eating. But he hasn't had anything new to eat that he hasn't been eating for months -- the dog food and biscuits are all the same brands he always has and the table scraps he and Gigi get (which are greatly reduced because they're both on a diet, per the vet's instructions) are the same kind of foods he's always eaten. Gigi, by the way, is not itchy. And yes, I've checked for fleas. No fleas.

I suspect it's the change in the weather and dry skin, and so far I've resisted giving him Benadryl -- which the vet recommended last time -- because it makes him dopey and sleepy and because I don't want to give it to him every day. I don't think that'd be good for him. I'm almost driven to it, though, both for his sake and ours. The scratching is driving us all crazy. Anyone have a better idea? A topical application of something I haven't thought of? Maybe I ought to go ahead and give him Benadryl for a few days and maybe the itchy spots would heal up in that time.

Have you tried a little aloe? Perhaps a warm mister with a bit of aloe in it would do the trick.
Oatmeal baths are great for humans .... but I don't know if I'd want to try to brush oatmeal out of a dog's coat ... YUCK!

Well, his hair is pretty short so oatmeal wouldn't be THAT hard to get out. And I did see some oatmeal shampoo the girl at Petsmart said helped her Rotties when they have dry skin, but since I already had this specifically anti-itch dog shampoo at home, I figured I'd just use it. And I rinsed him and rinsed him within an inch of his life after the bath. Maybe I ought to go back and get the oatmeal shampoo.

I think at least part of it is OCD. He starts down this road of scratching and scratching and forgets to stop. He has a bit of tendency that way anyway -- getting so involved in something that he forgets to stop. And it gets him attention. We're either begging him to stop scratching or I'm putting stuff on him in the hopes it will make him stop.

Some dogs are allergic to different pollens that are only present at certain times of the year. I used to have my vet give my shih-tuz's a shot of cortisone to stop the chewing and itching. Also I've been told dipping their feet in a small tub of Listerine every time they come in from outside will help kill what ever may be on their feet that is causing the itch. sounds weird but some people swear by it.

~Carrie & Bubbles~

Allergies are funny things, for dogs and people. You can go along for years, and then suddenly you start reacting to things. I have one friend with a Malamute mix that developed allergies around the age of 10. As soon as it snows his allergies get much better. The dog is 15 now; he's slowed down, but still likes to run and play.

There are special foods for allergic dogs, and while they cost more, they can really improve their quality of life. I'd try the Benedryl, as if it is allergies, it will probably help. If it helps a lot, talk to the vet about changing his food and treats.

our doggie does the same thing and I feel bad for her!! She constantly itches and bites her self almost to th epoint where she has no fur and mainly bites herself between the tail and her rear end. Even the vet cant figure out why and he also believes thats its a certain alergy. we would have allergy tests done but they cost and we dont know for sure what she is allergic to. and yes she also has no fleas either. I think that she may have excema (sp) or its just a bad habit kind of like us biting our finger nails.

I broke down and gave George some Benadryl tonight (I had to break the pill up and hide it in a peanut butter sandwich, but he ate it) and for a while after it hit he was sleepy and dopey but he's perked up now and he's scratching much less. So it is an allergy but I have no idea to WHAT.