[Puppyface]

My dog, for the past week has been scratching his ears (to the point of really scratching them up bad) as well as licking his feet to the same point (bleeding, etc.). It also looks as if he would gnaw his feet off if he could - that's how itchy he is. We're treating him currently for ear mites, since he's had them in the past. It seems to be helping - we've cleaned his ears (he won't allow the vet near them - we have to do it ourselves) and are putting Zema (ear miticide) in them as well. That seems to be helping. What else can we do though concerning his feet and the overall itichiness and scratching?

Thanks for your help.

P.S. - this has happened in the past - we took him to the vet and they only tell us that he is allergic. They put him on cortisone and it clears up - until he stops the meds. Thanks foryour help.[/color][/b]

[Northern gal]

It sounds like your dog has a big problem. It sounds like allergies to me. With the ear issue, I have used mouth wash to keep the ears clean. It is an anticeptic, our vet suggested it and it worked. When I would bath my dog I put cotton in the ears to keep them dry. I would take your dog to the vet again to get some help for the itching of the feet, because your dog is in agony.
Good luck

[Puppyface]

Thanks so much. I'm going to bring him as soon as possible. I will also try that mouthwash suggestion - it also sounds like it'll be soothing to him as well.

I've been spraying his feet with a type of lanacaine (made esp. for dogs - I can't think of the name of it right now). It is helping to control the "hot spots" and overall itchiness. I'm wondering if this might be a reaction to peanut butter! My mom recently baked him cookies, which contains peanut butter. I know that pb is one of the foods that children are highly allergic to - I wonder if it's true with dogs as well. I asked her to make them with the cheddar cheese the next time she bakes and if it happens again, we'll just not give them to him at all. Sad, because he goes crazy nuts for those cookies!

Or, this could be due to him recently rolling around in my fireplace! We newly opened the wall and exposed the fireplace behind it because we're in the process of restoring it, and he's decided he would like to make it his den! So he's recently come in contact with years of soot and other gunk that came in from the damper. No wonder he's itchy! It's so insane - just like a child, they seem to seek out the most hazardous and detrimental things to get into trouble over! I don't even ask myself anymore "how much trouble can he get into, without ever leaving the house!?"

Thanks again for your help!

[misty22]

I have a mixed breed that was itchy all the time like that. Not only the ears & feet, but he even scratched all the fur off his rear end. I started giving him fish oil capsules & stopped getting him his rabies vaccine & in a few months he was completely itch free & has remained so.

The rabies vaccination can build up in the dogs body & cause all sorts of skin & other ailments. The Humane Society actually sent out a memo about this a year or so ago. However, I'd advise against stopping the vaccine if your dog has regular contact with wildlife. Mine doesn't--he's in the house, on a leash, or in his fenced in yard.

Fish oil replaces & replenishes the oils in the dogs skin, bringing them back to a normal level. If dry skin is causing itchiness, this will greatly reduce it, or even cure it over time. Excess bathing & short haircuts can cause the skins oil levels to drop. I give him 1 large fish oil cap each day.

[MadisonMom]

My Golden had the same problem and the drops the vet gave me only worked to stop the itchiness. I found doing research that it is a Yeast infection caused by sugar. I changed her diet to a sugar free one and also since she loves her pb made sure it was sugar free. You can also try Gold Bond powder to put on the spots that she is licking/chewing. Dogs do not like the taste and it keeps the area dry to heal.

Maddiesmom

[suebgone]

yes he is suffering from a yeast infection it sounds like

many of the "grocery store" variety of dog foods also have brewers dried yeast in them which will cause this.

you can use witch hazel & water in a tub, have him stand in it before coming inside the house, then rinse - that will help if any of it is from a grass allergy

you can also add some flaxseed oil, canned mackeral or salmon to his diet