Comments on: How To Stop Dogs Scratching In 8 Steps

By: Gareth Jones

Gareth Jones — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 23:30:18 +0000

Hello Andrew, thank you for sharing your Knowledge, it is if great assistance to people on an income that doesn’t allow for vet visits as often as one would. Just having the opportunity to ask questions without the consultation fees therefore allowing us to keep our pets healthy with the minimum amount of visits is of huge value and my dog for one can’t thank you enough.

By: Sally Timmons

Sally Timmons — Sun, 10 Dec 2023 13:56:54 +0000

Stacie was a rescue so know little about her past. She has terrible skin issues …greasy but flaky skin and hair loss. Constantly itching. Get her cytopoint injections regularly but the smell is so horrible we can hardly bear it! I wash her every other day in medicated shampoo…yes, tried many but veterinary formula worked best. She smells like a combo of vomit and cow manure. It must be coming from her gut to skin but I have spent hundreds of dollars at the vet to no avail! She has been on meds for yeast, been wormed regularly and multiple varieties of good in case of food allergies. I need major help!!

By: Andrew

Andrew — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 22:33:35 +0000

In reply to Andrew Kirk. Hi Andrew. Simply looking at the odds, food is a less likely cause of skin disease. Environmental allergens and secondary infections predominate, especially in Westies. Four months is plenty of time to have done a food trial and so I would go back to what has been working before.

By: Andrew Kirk

Andrew Kirk — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 21:51:57 +0000

Thanks for the advice. We have a West Highland Terrier 10 years old. She has had a bad run with skin and ear infections. We are well into 4 + months of the strict diet – all aimed at a supposed allergy to proteins. She has also been on two long rounds of antibiotics for the yeast skin infection. She stinks – even after a bath (Malaseb) and her skin and fur is terrible. Pre the diet she was on Apoquel which seemed to help the itching but she still had regular ear infections. I feel the food is not the issue and now causing her smell problem and not helping her skin. Any thoughts?

By: Andrew

Andrew — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 02:48:27 +0000

In reply to Samantha Taylor. Hi Samantha. It will be difficult for you if your dog has severe atopy without pharmaceuticals, so if the reputation you are hearing is from online chatter, talk to a veterinary professional. They should be able to set your mind at rest. For the right dog, these new drugs are game changers and has brought dramatic improvements in dog welfare. Especially for French bulldogs.

By: Samantha Taylor

Samantha Taylor — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 19:58:04 +0000

Hi I’m in the uk and this post is extremely interesting. I have tried most things on here . Baths Elimination diets and loads all natural treatments and apoquel which has a bad rep
Here . It’s not as effective but am about to try masaleb shampoo. It’s have a frenchie . Wuxi he bites licks paws bad and scratches face . Now started to do his sides I’m
Desperate. Hope you be to read this .

By: Andrew

Andrew — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 02:51:35 +0000

In reply to Glenda Fraser.

Hi Glenda. No one recommends dog boots because the problem isn’t really about the feet, it’s about the skin as a whole with the feet being a focus of the reaction. You could possibly make it worse by enclosing inflamed feet.
If you look at the diagram at the beginning of the article, you’ll notice that hair loss down the spine and on the tail is associated with flea bite. It’s such an easy thing to rule out, and never, never assume that not seeing them means they’re not there. That’s why it’s very high on this list.
In your case when using Malaseb, you only need to do the feet, and then treat the rest of the body with a milder shampoo like Aloveen. The shampoo you recommend is probably not up to scratch despite the use of the word ‘natural’ (which has very little meaning anyway). We’re looking for a detergent-free shampoo here.

By: Glenda Fraser

Glenda Fraser — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 00:06:28 +0000

I’ve read a lot of comments about allergy in dogs elsewhere on your site. My lovely Staffie has had very red and sore paws for a while now. I really only came to know of what was wrong when I could see it was not a sore foot from running too much but an allergic reaction. They were infected, so the vet prescribed antibiotic and Malaseb medicated shampoo twice weekly (feet only) for 10 days. (my memory does not serve me well of this exact regime with Shampoo. It all settled very well initially but then started over again and in the meantime using the Malaseb again and massaging it in between her paws, I felt I may have torn her skin?) Back to the vet and the antibiotic dose was changed to a larger dose, advised not to use the Malaseb and prescribed Apoquel. This worked including no walking both times until the paws appeared healed. Yet since then I have had to resort to giving the Apoquel as needed and mostly it seems to be needed. Her paws are so sensitive, and a walk aggravates them in no time. I’ve not ever over bathed her and notice you suggest twice weekly. I was told the Malaseb can be drying so I’m hesitant to use it regularly. I’ve been using a Natural Ingredient Dog Soap Bar – unscented. Staffie is just 6 but has always had hair loss down her spine and on her tail. Beyond this background why is it that no-one seems to recommend dog boots?
I did buy some but have had to return them as wrong size. Not sure whether to buy smaller size. She looked like a human being looks walking with flippers, so funny. I would be interested in your input if you have time. I’m in Victoria and was told allergies were worse during Covid as grasses were not cut as regularly as usual in parks. I think in hindsight the allergy had been brewing for some time