My dog scratches his collar and harness. Is it irritation or adjustment?

It is up to you if you want to keep the collar on or off. I can tell you that usually after a few days they will get used to wearing the collar. I personally would give it a few days (3 to 4) and if he is still bothered by it I would remove it and look for a different solution. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is probably irritating the skin. I would try a collar of a different material. Some dogs are just sensitive to certain materials used to make these collars. My dog for example is very sensitive to collars made out of nylon and develops hair loss and dermatitis if used. I would encourage you to try one of a different material. Keep in mind that there is some getting used to on their end but it should not be itchy. Good luck!

Yes this is a reaction to the collar, likely allergic. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths twice daily for 4 days (make sure you dry it up after disinfection). If signs persist after a week time, a check up at your local veterinarian is required. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

This looks like a nylon harness so I would be surprised if he was allergic to the material. It is possible however that it rubs Lucky in a way that makes him uncomfortable. You might want to try a harness with more padding like this:

It sounds like the vest is rubbing and may have even caused a skin infection. I would have a vet check it out to see if the skin needs treatment. They can also help you make adjustments to the vest so that it is not comfortable for Tikvichko to wear. Once the inflammation calms down, the rough skin should go back to normal over a couple months.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! It could be from extra moisture due to his collar or a skin infection. Below is a link to an antihistamine to control scratching. I would clean it was a mild soap and water daily. Dry it well. You can try the spray below after drying. If it hasn't improved in a week he should be seen by a Vet for prescription medications. Good luck! https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=40493 https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/zyrtec/

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would not recommend that you switch him yet as this may be completely coincidental. Nexgard is a great preventative and I would give it more time before switching to something else. Hopefully the scratching is not a reaction to it as that would be quite unusual. If the itchiness continues despite giving it a few days, that would likely be due to allergies rather than a cause of using Nexgard. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!