Dog has rashes on belly and ears, scratching. What should I do?

Related Answers from Veterinarians

• Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH

  Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner

  Published on September 17th, 2017

  Poor Castiel. His belly looks really irritated. I certainly understand how frustrating it is to watch him be so itchy.
  
  There are a number of reasons for skin problems in dogs. This article does an excellent job of describing them. You could be dealing with allergies (of various types), external parasites (such as fleas or mites), or secondary infections (bacterial or yeast). We commonly see allergies start to develop in dogs around 2 years of age and it can be to something that he was fine with previously, so the fact that you haven't changed anything doesn't necessarily matter.
  https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-is-my-dog-so-itchy/
  
  This is also an excellent article on itching in dogs and the possible causes and treatments.
  https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2604
  
  I would recommend having your veterinarian evaluate Castiel to discuss your treatment options for itching. This can involve topical treatments (like shampoos that contain antihistamines or steroids) or may involve oral medications. There are both prescription and over the counter medications that you can try. There are a number of good treatment options for itching and allergies, but sometimes it takes a little while to find the right combination for your dog, so I would recommend asking your veterinarian for help.
  
  Please let me know if that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

  

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