Why is my dog scratching his face? Are his thick, red whiskers normal?

It sounds like Ruffo may be experiencing an allergic reaction. This could be due to something in the environment, foods, bee stings, etc, especially if it is causing facial swelling or puffiness. I would definitely schedule a visit with your vet to figure out the underlying cause and get him started on some meds such as an antihistamines to help with the swelling and itchiness. If the swelling worsens on his nose, or appears on his face, head, or neck, seeking care sooner is best as this is considered a serious condition.

Hi there! This is normal and many German Shepherd's have this very same presentation. It should not cause any problems and has probably been there for the lifetime of your pet. No worries! Hope this helps.

There are several things that could cause this to happen: bacterial or fungal infection of the skin, splinter out other foreign body under the skin, itchy nose (allergies), tooth root issues, among a few others. You can try rubbing some hydrocortisone cream into it or rubbing an ice cube on it. He may need to wear an e-collar/cone to stop the behavior. But if it continues for another day or two, I would have Perrin checked out by a vet.

It could be that Zeeke is having an allergic reaction, and he's pawing at his face to try to scratch it. I would take him into a vet now for an exam. If he is having an allergic reaction, it could progress to breathing difficulties, and that becomes a medical emergency. The vet can determine if he is having an allergic reaction, and can treat with anti-histamines or steroids.

Itchy ears are most commonly a sign of allergies. Your dog may have food allergies, environmental allergies, or parasitic/bacterial skin infection. If he hasn't had a skin scraping to rule out parasites, or skin cytology/culture to look for bacterial or yeast infection, these things should be done. Some dogs actually have skin tumors or autoimmune skin disease that is causing the itching, and those dogs need to have fine needle aspirates or skin biopsies taken for diagnosis. Also, you should try a veterinary prescription allergy diet like Hills z/d for 8-10 weeks fed exclusively to treat potential food allergies. It's really important to feed ONLY the prescription diet during this time. Also, I have had great success with the oral pill Apoquel for some allergies as well, and this is a medication that is much safer to use long-term than steroids like prednisone. If this course of diagnosis and/or treatment is not possible with your current veterinarian, pursue a second opinion somewhere else. If all of these options are explored and your dog is still itchy, it's time to visit a veterinary dermatologist specialist.

This is probably caused by an allergic reaction. first of all make sure you de-flea Billy regularly every month with a high quality spot on (ex. Advantage) as fleas are by far the most common reason for these reactions. If the fleas are not the problem, it could be an allergic reaction to food or an environmental factor. this is more complicated to treat and will sometimes require medications such as Steroids, anti histamines or cyclosporin in order to stop the allergy.

It could be allergies, and although allergies occur more frequently when dogs are a little older, some younger dogs can be affected too. Since the lesions are itchy parasites (such as demodex, etc.) and infection ( bacterial, fungal) need to ruled out as well. Since your guy is uncomfortable the best plan is to see you vet to test for the above so that the correct treatment is prescribed. If the lesions resolve and recur work up for allergy will likely be recommended. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!