My dog is itchy and restless after grooming. What should I do?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Chewbacca. It could be he has experienced an allergic reaction from something at the groomer. Typically allergic reactions require stronger medications such as steroids. I'd take him into a vet now to get this treated. By the way, he is adorable!

Yes, dogs love the taste of coconut oil, and will often lick any topical medications off - either because they enjoy the taste or because they are still itchy underneath the topical medication. I would recommend a soothing shampoo to calm down the razor burn or itch, I like Dechra DermaLyte Shampoo. You can also add fish oils to her food to help with itching. You may ask your groomer what kind of shampoo or products they put on Keira, because she may be allergic to it. If she is still itchy in a few days, she may need to see a vet, sometimes razor burn can cause a mild skin infection and she would benefit from prescription antibiotics and anti-inflammatories.

I would suggest giving Penny an oatmeal bath, as those are soothing to dogs with itchy and irritated skin. You can get oatmeal shampoos for dogs from a pet store. If that doesn't help, then the itching could be due to something else, such as fleas, mites, or allergies. At that point, I would take her into the vet for an exam, as the vet can determine if there is a medical issue causing the irritated skin, and can treat accordingly.

By your description, your dog might have a sensitivity to being groomed and may have developed "clipper irritation" (aka "clipper burn"). Clipper irritation is not an actual burn. It is, in fact, similar to the type of skin irritation people experience when they shave too close on dry or sensitive skin. [Professional groomers](https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-signs-of-a-good-groomer) may recommend the following types of treatment to help soothe the skin and calm the scratching: * Bathing in plain oatmeal or [oatmeal shampoo](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/earthbath-oatmeal-and-aloe-totally-natural-pet-shampoo) for pets * Gently applying witch hazel to affected areas * Gold Bond medicated powder or plain cornstarch * Triple antibiotic cream or ointment * [Hydrocortisone spray](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zymox-spray-with-5-hydrocortisone) for pets (available in petstores) * Bag Balm * Specific treatments for soothing clipper or razor irritation (available in petstores) - sprays, gels, shampoos * Diaper rash cream With some of these suggestions you will need to make sure that your pet cannot lick off the treatment. Rubbing creams or ointments in completely and/or wiping off excess, using an [E-collar](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/well-and-good-e-collar) (cone), or only applying when you can observe your dog closely can all help to prevent ingestion and excessive licking. If your dog has open wounds or any of her wounds worsen even with treatment or appear infected, please see your veterinarian immediately. She may have developed a skin infection secondary to the clipper irritation.

I would wait 24 hours or so after he was groomed to be bathedagain. This is because frequent bathing can dry out the skin and cause more irritation. If his itching continues after one bath he may have an infection and need to be seen by your veterinarian. You could also try and oatmeal-based shampoo as it can be soothing for itchy skin.

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.

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.