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My dog's itchy skin won't stop. What are my options after trying everything?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Cockapoo | Female | spayed | 1 year and 1 month old | 23.2 lbs

My dog has itchy skin and we’ve tried pretty much everything (went to veggie kibble, Apoquel, Cytopoint, did skin cytology which came back negative, stopped all treats, tried Amitriptyline, tried bathing her with medicated shampoo) nothing has helped and she’s still itching herself. What other options are there and could she possibly be allergic to the vegetarian kibble? I have no clue what else to do at this point.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Megan, DVM, CVA

Answered By Megan, DVM, CVA

Veterinarian

Published on February 9th, 2019

I would try a prescription hypoallergenic diet. Your vet will be able to recommend the one they think will work best for her like science diet Z/D or purina HA. This will be your best shot to rule out any food allergies. I recommend to do a minimum of a 12 week food trial with NOTHING else except for the Z/D. Even her heartworm prevention, if you give it, needs to be hypoallergenic. Unfortunately, most of the oral ones have chicken or beef flavoring in them. For treats, you can take the canned version of whatever food you choose and put a small amount into an ice cube tray and freeze them. Then popped them out and put them in a bag in the freezer for treats.

I would also consider putting her on both apoquel and cytopoint at the same time to help control itching. I would also talk to your vet about whether or not they think there is any yeast on her. Yeast can be very itching. There is a anti-fungal that can be given long term and be safe. It is called terbinafine. I had a dermatologist to give it once a day for 4 weeks then every Monday and Tuesday long term to keep the yeast under control in my really allergic patients. Your vet will be able to determine the best dose and whether or not she even needs this.

Finally, if this doesn't help, I would strongly recommend to find a veterinary dermatologist in your area to see if they can do different types of treatment. Most dermatologists can do skin allergy testing and get her started on allergy injections if needed. I hope this helps!
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Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Megan, DVM, CVA

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 20th, 2018

    Poor Duke! Chronic allergies can be so frustrating. The key is to get them to a comfortable level and maintain them at that level and try to minimize the number of flare ups. I would consider a prescription hypoallergic diet. Your vet can prescribe this for you. Most grain free foods are not truly hypoallergenic and don't help. I would also talk to your vet about a stronger allergy medicine like apoquel, cytopoint or a steroid. If apoquel or cytopoint helps, this is the safest method to help control allergies. Steroids long term are not ideal and can cause a lot of side effects and issues with their liver and kidneys. Unfortunately, it is sometimes the only thing that helps to control allergies. I also recommend to start bathing him 2-3 times per week in a medicated shampoo. Talk to your vet about which shampoo will work best for his skin. If your vet still believes he has yeast, I would talk to them about restarting an anti-fungal. Ketoconazole usually works but it can take 4-6 weeks of treatment before seeing results and once it is stopped the yeast may come right back. I have had good success with terbinafine long term. You can give it daily for 1-2 months and then go down to every Monday and Tuesday long term for chronic allergy patients. I would talk to your vet about whether this would be a good and safe option for Duke. I do recommend blood work every 6-12 months depending on the patient. I would also make sure Duke is getting high levels of omega 3 fatty acids daily. I hope this helps!

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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