My dog is scratching, lethargic, and won't eat. What should I do?

Related Answers from Veterinarians

• Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

  Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

  Published on February 5th, 2018

  Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. Something like mange can also be going on. This is something that is typically differentiated initially with an exam and basic diagnostics. It is highly unlikely that he develops a systemic infection from the skin infections that could cause his death. Lethargy and inappetence can be caused by conditions such as gastroenteritis, pancreatitis, or even secondary to discomfort caused by the allergies and skin infections. It definitely warrants an evaluation by your veterinarian to check for these possibilities.
  
  It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided.
  
  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!

  

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