Itchy dog

[PlayOnWurtz]

My poor girl has got a proper itch on lately. What can I add to or remove from her diet to help alleviate it? She's on a grain free working dog feed but has a fibre supplement in due to frequently impacted anal glands (also allergy related according to the vet).

Dh won't entertain raw feeding and says "dogs scratch lots it's what they do" but to me she scratches an abnormal amount, she just sat here for a good 5-10mins trying to clear an itch on her face poor thing.

I give mine a piriton every morning.

I also give piriton. My vet told me to always give it with an evening primrose oil capsule as this makes it much more effective.

I'd advise trying to find the cause though. With our dog it was contact allergies.....to pretty much everything!

Aloe Vera gel can relieve itchy patches topically. If kept in the fridge it is even more soothing.

Also chamomile tea - make up a strong solution and spray on. Helps with the itch and also has the bonus of a deodorising effect.

Some people swear by apple cider vinegar but this didn't help in our case.

I think it is a case of trying different things until you find something that works.

Good luck!

Hi PlayOnWurtz - sorry to hear your doggy is itching. We have found Kate Bendix' s website www.myitchydog.co.uk to be very helpful with suggestions about feeding/skincare etc. You can also email her via the website for advice. If you want to research further she has written a book called Top Dog which also has loads of advice about the effect that diet in particular has on health.

Our mini poodle has never had skin problems but did keep getting sticky eyes, despite repeated goes with the eye drops! We now have him on a mix of raw food and Nature's Menu tinned food and his eyes have completely cleared up. I wasn't at all sure about raw feeding either and was worried about not getting the nutrient mix right but we order ready-prepared raw nuggets from Nature's Menu - their website gives feeding guidelines and if you call them, they are fantastically helpful. The nuggets retain their shape when they defrost so it's not as messy as you might think! In the long run, I may well move to preparing my own raw food but as a novice, wanted to get it right!
Hope you find a solution soon!

Forgot to say, our poodle also had anal gland problems which have not recurred since we changed his diet.

Our gsd is allergic to meat and poultry could be further allergies.

Another Piriton (or cheaper generic equivalent) user here. Our much missed DDog2 had hay fever which manifested itself in itchiness. The Piriton did the trick - we only had to do it in Spring and Summer.

www.stinky-stuff.co.uk
I cannot recommend this stuff enough. I have spent thousands with the vet on my itchy girl and this has virtually cured her.

Piriton, and a change in diet (from working dog food to James Wellbeloved). Has worked like a charm for years on a dog who used to pull out her fur.

We use piriton for our girl, she has a severe grass pollen allergy and other allergies too. Also slather her in coconut oil regularly, and add cod liver oil to her food. I'll try evening primrose to see if that helps too, she's demented with all the grass cutting going on as she's stuck in.