My dog is itching, biting his back, and losing hair. What's the cause?

I would use this medicated mousse on him for a week or so. If no improvement or if he seems worse then get him to your vet for an exam. ( http://www.allivet.com/p-6679-douxo-calm-mousse-for-dogs-and-cats-68-oz.aspx ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

This is a common area for a dog to itch when they have flea allergies. Unfortunately, flea baths only remove fleas on the skin at the time of the bath. They do not prevent other fleas from jumping on later. Twitchy would need a good flea preventative and may need a prescription anti-inflammatory to help with the itching. Other causes of itching in this area include fungal infection, deep pyoderma (bacterial infection), and mites. A vet will do a thorough examination and may collect a sample to be examined under a microscope. Hair loss on the feet could be caused by excessive licking or may be related to the cause of the itching around the butt.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Paris! Medicated shampoos may work for a skin infection but rarely fix the problem by themselves. If she doesn't have an infection a medicated shampoo will likely not help at all. I would be sure Paris is on a good flea medication (the back is a common location for fleas). I like the oral formulations like Nexgard, Bravecto, Simparica or the Seresto collar. Otherwise Paris may have allergies and need to have her diet changed (chicken is the biggest allergen in dogs with food allergies), something to control the scratching (apoquel, antihistamines) and medications to get rid of an infection if present. Since the shampoos has failed, I would have Paris seen by your Vet for an exam, if she is constantly scratching and biting she is uncomfortable! I hope this helps and I wish Paris the very best!

This can be caused by various reasons such as fleas, mites ,fungal infection, bacterial infection and allergies. the first 4 needs to be ruled out before we start treating for allergies. in order to do that first de-flea him with a high quality flea treatment such as advantage spot on, if it doesn't help - take him to the vet in order to check for/treat the other possibilities. If everything is ruled out, then an allergy treatment can be started. Usually an hypoallergenic food is a good way to start together with anti histamines. if it doesn't help - the best solution is a medication called Apoquel which treats allergies with great success and without side effects

Itchy skin and hair loss is often due to 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 treatment if needed. The permethrin shampoo is only temporary, so it's possible that he is getting re- infested. He may have mites, which are microscopic and require a vet to find. 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. One thing you can do for itchy skin, is give a bath with cool water using an oatmeal or aloe shampoo. You can get these shampoos at the pet store. I hope this helps you to identify the problem. If not, then it would be worth taking him to the vet. We can usually discover the cause quickly and provide the most effective treatment. Below are some links to articles that should be helpful for you: https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-tell-if-your-pet-has-allergies/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/4-great-strategies-for-relieving-your-dog-s-allergies/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/skin-allergies-vs-food-allergies/

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Skin issues like you are describing can have a variety of causes, including skin parasites (fleas or mites), allergies, an infection, or an underlying medical issue (Cushings disease, diabetes). I would recommend he be evaluated by his regular veterinarian to determine the underlying cause for his skin lesions, have any necessary testing done (bloodwork, skin scrape, culture) and start on any treatment that he may need. Good luck!

Poor girl. This looks highly suspicious for a mite issue (Demodexx). This could also just be a really bad allergy. I would highly recommend taking Beretta to your vet to have her skin tested. The vet needs to do a skin scrape to confirm if this is a mite problem first. If so, then you do have some reasonable options for treatment. Treatment for mites nowadays can come in the form of a flea preventative such as Simparica, Nexgard, or Bravecto. These all treat for demodexx mites given once every 30 days. These are prescriptoin only medications. It also looks like Beretta has a secondary bacterial infection on her skin. You will need to have your vet put her on a short course of antibiotics to clear this up. Until you can get her seen, it is best to get her started on a good topical shampoo. My top pick here for something that doesn't require a prescription is Duoxo calm shampoo available online. Also daily pet fish oils are best for pets with skin allergies since they are a natural anti-inflammatory. Visit your local pet store to see what options you have since all of them are equally effective in pets. I hope that Beretta's skin improves soon! Best of luck moving forward. Take care.