My dog is very itchy after grooming and a short haircut. What now?

Lilly Lynne may have a bit of rash or razor burn if she was trimmed close. First be sure she is on appropriate flea control as she may have picked up fleas from groomer. Benedryl is acceptable to use once or twice daily if it give her relief. She may also be having a reaction to the shampoo or fragrance the groom used. I would give her a bath in dawn to wash off any residue to see if that helps. (Original blue dish soap dawn). If no improvement then she may need a vet visit. I hope she’s back to normal quickly. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

Hi Julie! Poor Perry - he certainly did remove a good bit of hair from that area. Since all of this chewing and itching started after his grooming, I have to wonder if he isn't allergic to the shampoo or other grooming products that were used. Some dogs can also develop a folliculitis, or inflammation at the hair follicle, after grooming, but this typically causes some redness on the skin. It's also possible that the timing is coincidental and that this problem is associated with underlying allergies or other medical conditions. As a starting point, try to give Perry a bath with a gentle hypoallergenic oatmeal shampoo or baby shampoo to try to remove any residue that may remain from the other products. If he's still licking and chewing a few days after the bath, it would be best to have him evaluated by his vet. The vet will be able to examine his skin, perform any necessary testing, and may need to prescribe some topical or oral medication to help manage his itching/chewing. Even though this doesn't sound like a classic flea problem (and you aren't seeing fleas), it's still important to keep Perry on flea prevention consistently to be sure that fleas aren't contributing to the problem. I hope this helps and that all goes well!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I suspect Louls developed allergic reaction that makes his skin very itchy. Scratching the ears suggests ear canal infection, that is often a part of allergic skin problems. A visit to the groomers could definitely make things worse as Louls may be allergic to one of the products your groomer used on him. You should take Louls to your local vets to confirm the diagnosis and to get treatment for him. It will likely be a course of anti-inflamatory medications.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would recommend taking Shorty to the vet again for a follow up exam. Whatever was causing the allergic reaction is still in his body. He may need longer treatment with steroids. You can continue to give the Benadryl every 8 hours but if there is no change, I would see a vet. Good luck and kisses to Shorty!

Loose hairs would be one possibility, and some dogs are itchy when their skin gets a little dry after grooming. If his skin looks red or he has bald patches it might be a good idea to have him examined by your vet to make sure he hasn't developed dermatitis secondary to the grooming.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is most likely a result of skin allergy. You should try soothing oatmeal shampoo (can be by TropiClean or Burt's Bees - both available online and at pet shops) - it will give Flip some relief. Once your vet is fully open, please take Flip for an appointment as he may need a prescription-only shampoo or anti-allergic tablets.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Jack. Allergies can be very frustrating but with the right diagnosis and treatment, can be effectively managed. You have described what could very well be seasonal allergies called Atopy in dogs since you talk about a seasonal pattern. We are in a peak time for late summer allergies in humans and dogs who are allergic to weed pollens which are high at this time of year. Of course other inhaled allergies could be present and cross reactivity exists between some allergens. Each year or allergy season can be worse than the last if the pet becomes allergic to more things. Dogs can also be allergic to flea bites called Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD) and a smaller group of allergic dogs can have food allergies. What you are describing sounds like an inflammation/infection of the skin due to self trauma caused by Jack licking, scratching, chewing, etc those areas. Once the skin barrier is broken the surface bacteria can multiply and gain access to the deeper skin areas causing problems like you discuss. I would advise taking Jack to your vet and let them take a thorough history, do a complete physical, and then advise some diagnostics and/or treatment to address what is going on. Some skin diagnostics include skin scrape, Wood's lamp exam, fungal culture, etc. These would be performed to rule out a problem with mites or fungal organisms. Treatment for allergies includes antibiotics, antihistamines, sometimes steroids for itching, immune modulating drugs (Apoquel), using a good flea/tick product advised by your vet, fish oil, topical treatments, etc. If you wanted to pursue allergy testing, your vet can advise you on that. There are skin tests and blood tests for that and sometimes that involves going to a veterinary dermatologist for some of those services. The goal would be to identify the allergies and then start a hyposensitization program to decrease the body's immune response to the allergy, very similar to allergy shots. They even make allergy drops or sprays that are oral now. Good luck with Jack. I hope he gets a lot more comfortable very soon.