Not only is the voice of skin being scratched irritating, but seeing our pup doing it for long can make you go crazy and worried.
This article will unfold the answers to why our pups scratch and how it can be avoided.
See a vet if: the scratching is intense enough to break the skin or draw blood, you spot a red, oozing patch that’s spreading quickly (a hot spot), there’s odor or discharge from the ears, or you see fleas, flea dirt, or mites in the coat. Persistent itching is one of the most common reasons dog owners end up at the vet, and skin infections, hot spots, and parasite infestations all need an actual diagnosis rather than home guesswork.
What’s Inside!
GROUNDS THAT CAUSE SCRATCHING IN DOGS
1. Allergic response:
Allergy is one of the most common causes of itching and scratching in dogs. Some skin parts can get prone and allergic due to either environmental factors or food allergies.
Environmental factors that lead to allergy can be dust, pollen, or any environmental pollutants that can cause itchiness or irritation in their ears.
Food allergy is the allergy caused by the nutrients in the food your pup intakes daily. You can diagnose it by changing nutrients and keeping a specific diet for some time, such as switching your dog to a single novel protein and carbohydrate source they haven’t eaten before. Vets recommend keeping them on this elimination diet for at least eight weeks, not just a few weeks, before judging whether the symptoms have improved.
Other than scratching, they can cause nausea, vomiting, unhealthy skin.
These, listed above, are some of the common causes of itching or scratching that don’t need a particular medication to cure. Instead, only keen attention to behavior, recognizing it, and a single trip to the vet can make it go away quickly.
Here is the list of some of the serious reasons that can lead to serious side effects and severe irritation to a dog’s body. They all need special attention and sudden medical supervision to cure.
2. Infections that lead to scratching:
Most bacterial infections are caused by itchy skin in dogs. Bacterial and yeast infections are also on the list to cause severe itching infections in our furry friends. Ear infections are caused by bacterial infections that can easily be examined under the flap of the ear. In case of redness or any inflammation under the flap, contact your pup’s vet as soon as possible.
The major sign of bacterial infection is also the strong-smelling discharge from your dog’s ear.
These infections can cause chronic ear infections as well as foot infections.
3. Fleas and ticks:
Dog fleas, ticks, and mites linger inside the fur of the dog due to several reasons. It can be an unhygienic environment or cats around. They both can cause ticks and fleas in dogs’ skin and bite them. They stay there to replicate and multiply to thousands that cause itching and scratching in dogs. Our furry friends do scratch until they find relief from the scratching.
Fleas can be hard to spot because they’re tiny — about 1 to 3 millimeters long and fast-moving — while ticks are larger and easier to see with the naked eye. They need a trip to the vet right after you notice such insects in their fur.
4. Psychological Reasons:
As the name indicates, when anxiety messes with our pup’s mind, they scratch their bodies. So, like humans clip or bite their nails when anxious, dogs rub themselves.
Anxiety can be due to our friends being left out for some time or being separated from their parents. It can also be caused if they are not getting into any physical activity recently and are not tired enough to get good sleep.
Good to know: repetitive scratching, licking, or chewing that isn’t tied to a physical cause is sometimes diagnosed as a real, recognized canine compulsive disorder, where personality, environment, and underlying anxiety or frustration all play a role. It usually responds to a mix of enrichment, exercise, and behavioral treatment from a vet.
Boredom can also be why they are scratching their body, legs, ears, or tail. Engaging them in fun games, providing them toys, or distractions instantly can help you get rid of this canine behavior.
5. Seasonal changes:
Winters and dry skin come hand in hand, and they not only affect our skin but our pups too. Even if they have fur, they still feel the dryness underneath that can cause extensive scratching.
It is also said that the lower level of essential fatty acids in our dog’s body can also cause dry skin that leads to itching.
This condition can only be diagnosed and treated by a professional vet.
6. Hormonal Balance:
Maintaining normal homeostasis is as essential as our body’s food to regulate normal metabolism and avoid signs like itching and scratching. Even a slight imbalance can affect a dog’s body. For instance, if a dog’s body is not producing enough thyroid hormones, it will lead to hypothyroidism.
Just like the deficiency of thyroid hormone leads to a medical condition, the overproduction of cortisol can also lead to a superficial skin infection.
It’s usually the secondary skin infections these hormone imbalances cause — not the hormone imbalance itself — that leads to the extensive rubbing of the skin that can develop into a hot spot.
Any specific body area being scratched abruptly can become a hotspot that appears as a red, inflamed area. It can be noticed and seen quickly.
Fact: a hot spot can grow from a pinpoint to the size of a pancake within hours once a dog gets caught in a lick-itch-lick cycle, which is why they’re treated as an urgent, same-day vet issue rather than something to watch and wait on.
If you notice such a spot, seek medical advice as soon as possible.
7. Pain:
We, as humans, can communicate with others if we feel any numbness or pain in our bodies. Dogs do communicate as well, but the only difference is they do it using a different language — a language that only a dog’s parent can understand. Our furry friends tell us about their condition or any pain they feel by scratching in front of us. It’s the indication that they want to tell you about their pain or any hidden cause; on noticing such a pattern, it’s the right time to visit a vet for proper examination of our pup.
MANAGEMENT
- We can eliminate parasites like fleas, ticks, and mites by using medicated sprays. In addition, following a hygienic routine and cleaning your dog’s crate and living area will help get rid of parasites that might cause allergic reactions.
- If the cause of allergy is food, changing the diet to a different one can help. First, make sure to change the pup’s diet to a single nutrient in food. E.g., having protein or carbs in their diet only for at least eight weeks will tell you about the allergic response and your management progress.
- Medical advice and examination are the most crucial factors to consider while managing scratching and itching problems. Right medicine at the right time in the correct dose and dosage form is necessary for your dog’s health.
- Adding exercises and games to your dog’s routine will help them stay active and in a positive mood. In addition, such activities and games will tire them to sleep, which is the best solution to avoid anxiety or boredom in your pup.
Keeping them distracted in the games or the activities with you will also strengthen your bond.
- You can also address their psychological issues by taking them to a vet, who can prescribe therapy if needed.
References:
• https://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/dogs-and-compulsive-scratching-licking-and-chewing
• https://www.insider.com/dog-scratching
• https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/pruritus-itching-and-scratching-in-dogs
• https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/implementing-an-elimination-challenge-diet-trial-dog
• https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/ear-infections-in-dogs-otitis-externa
• https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/flea-bites-on-dogs/
• https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/compulsive-disorders-in-dogs
• https://vcahospitals.com/resources/conditions-dog/skin-coat/dog-skin-and-coat-care
• https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/hypothyroidism-in-dogs
• https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/hot-spots-in-dogs
