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.
GROUNDS THAT CAUSE SCRATCHING IN DOGS
1. Allergic response:
Allergy is the common cause 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 intake daily. You can diagnose it by changing nutrients and keeping a specific diet for some time, such as changing their diet either entirely carbs or protein. Continue this for a month, and if the symptoms disappear, you have done a great job.
Other than scratching, they can cause nausea, vomiting, unhealthy sin.
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.
1. 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 Infection as well as Foot infections.
2. Flea 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 not be seen clearly as they look like a small black dot, while ticks can be seen easily with a human eye. They need a trip to the vet right after you notice such insects in their fur.
3. Psychological Reasons:
As the name indicates, anxiety when messes with our pup’s mind, they scratch their bodies. So, like humans clip or bite their nails in anxiety, Dogs do rubbing.
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.
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.
4. Seasonal changes:
Winters and dry skin comes 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 number of 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.
5. 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.
Both previously mentioned conditions can cause extensive rubbing of the skin, leading to the development of a hotspot.
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.
If you notice such a spot, seek medical advice as soon as possible.
6. 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 a dog’s parent can only 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 pet 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 benefit from getting 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 a month 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 and then prescribing the therapy.
References:
• https://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/dogs-and-compulsive-scratching-licking-and-chewing
• https://www.insider.com/dog-scratching
