Dog Itchy Skin – Causes and Solutions
Dog itchy skin is tough to diagnose. Some dogs truly have a problem while others just like to scratch!
This page will cover…
- Parasites that cause itchy skin
- Common dog allergens
- Dog skin infections
- Chemicals that cause itchy skin
- Natural treatments for itchy skin
“Over 75 percent of my cases are dogs that scratch excessively. These dogs may have an itchy rash, they may have hair loss from scratching, or they may just scratch incessantly. We see more itchy dogs than itchy animals of any other species, including cats and horses.” – Dr. Kinga Gortel
So if itchy skin is so common, there must be effective treatments out there, right?
As we’ll explore below, causes of dog itchy skin include parasites, allergens and skin infections and there are effective natural treatments for each one…
Parasites that Cause Dog Itchy Skin
Parasites attach themselves to your dog and cause itching and discomfort.
Following are the common parasites. Please click on the links for detailed information about the treatment and prevention of each:
Common Dog Allergens
Dog skin allergies are another main cause of dog itchy skin. The process of figuring out exactly what your dog is allergic to can be difficult.
Fleas are the most common culprit, making prevention essential in the fight against dog flea allergens. Most dogs with fleas will scratch to some extent, but a dog with flea allergy is miserable after only one flea bite. See our Dog Flea Medicine page for flea treatment and prevention advice.
“The next most common allergies are environmental and due to seasonal pollens, molds, and insects and non-seasonal allergens such as house dust and house dust mites. Environmental allergies are similar to those people have. However, people usually sneeze and get a running nose and eyes, and dogs usually itch.” – Dr. Kinga Gortel
Dog food allergies caused by one or more ingredients in the dog’s diet are less common but can be more severe.
Figuring out the exact food allergy will require putting the dog on an elimination diet.
We have compiled a step-by-step guide to help you through the allergen elimination process in the “How to Diagnose Your Dog’s Food Allergy” section of our Dog Food Allergy page.