Dr. Andrew Weil is one of my “heros”. He is at the forefront of human medicine and a rational voice in the sea of drugs, drugs and more drugs. I subscribe to his website blog and this week he really hit t he nail on the head for me. Itchy dogs.
Over the years, I have had dogs that itch. You deworm them, deflea them, bathe them. Nothing seems to work for long. I keep a mental list of things to try for the next itchy dog. Dr. Weil has some ideas new to me . You can read about them at drweil.com.
Without sounding like a broken record, don’t forget food allergies can cause itch in dogs. Be careful what you feed your dog.
And deodectic mange can also be a culprit especially when the paws are involved. This was a new one for me. Deodectric mange occurs for a lot of reasons , but it is basically related to supression of the immune system. It occurs mainly in puppies along their chests, behind their knees, on their foreheads, etc. Most of the time disappears on its own as the immune system develops or gets stronger.
But this mite in some instances has the ability to localize in the feet. And the itching seems to drive dogs crazy. Have you seen dogs madly chewing on their toes and paws? This condition is referred to as DEMODECTIC PODODERMATITIS. It is difficult to treat but the one thing that should NOT be done is to treat the dog with a cortisone type medication such as prednisone. The reason this is important to know is because cortisones are often the first choice of vets to stop severe itching in dogs. In this instance, cortisones which suppress the immune system give the mite an upper hand.
