Why is my newly adopted dog itching his neck? Fleas or collar?

This is probably due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

If he has a flea allergy than it will probably take a little bit of time for the itching to resolve. You could ask your vet for an anti-histamine or a corticosteroid to help relieve the itching. Make sure to use a monthly flea prevention, like NexGard, Frontline, Advantage, etc every month to prevent him from getting fleas again.

It is up to you if you want to keep the collar on or off. I can tell you that usually after a few days they will get used to wearing the collar. I personally would give it a few days (3 to 4) and if he is still bothered by it I would remove it and look for a different solution. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is probably irritating the skin. I would try a collar of a different material. Some dogs are just sensitive to certain materials used to make these collars. My dog for example is very sensitive to collars made out of nylon and develops hair loss and dermatitis if used. I would encourage you to try one of a different material. Keep in mind that there is some getting used to on their end but it should not be itchy. Good luck!

This is not likely to be due to the collar. If the collar were to cause irritation, it would only be around where the collar is placed and would not cause severe itching. Severe itching is often due to one of the following things: 1) Allergies - this can happen suddenly and is usually due to an environmental (i.e pollen) cause. 2) External parasites - fleas, lice and mites can all cause intense itching. It's good to check him for fleas and get other treatment if needed. 3) Over-bathing, or using the wrong product for bathing - Bathing too often can cause the skin to get dry and irritated. Dogs should normally be bathed no more than once a month with a shampoo that is labeled for dogs. If you bathe more than that, or use a shampoo or soap that is meant for people, then you could be damaging the normal protective barrier of the skin. Seven months is a long time for a dog to be itching this much and it must be miserable for her. In order to find the cause of this and give her some relief, I highly recommend you schedule an exam by a veterinarian. We can usually discover the cause quickly and provide the most effective treatment. I hope that helps and she gets better soon.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! It could be from extra moisture due to his collar or a skin infection. Below is a link to an antihistamine to control scratching. I would clean it was a mild soap and water daily. Dry it well. You can try the spray below after drying. If it hasn't improved in a week he should be seen by a Vet for prescription medications. Good luck! https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=40493 https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/zyrtec/

Hi Katelyn! Duv could be scratching her neck because she has a flea allergy or she could have an ear infection. Flea allergies can develop if a dog has a large burden of fleas. I recommend having Duv seen by a vet in the morning. The vet can diagnose the cause of her itching, and can prescribe treatment for it.