What ingredient in dog food makes them itch

Why Is My Dog So Itchy? Possible Causes & Treatment

Are you thinking about your dogs frequent scratching, licking, and rolling around on the rug? You may be feeling itchy yourself, just from watching all this activity!

There are many reasons your dog may be itchy. Many veterinarians believe its best to find the cause of the itch sooner rather than later. While occasional scratching can be normal for dogs, frequent scratching could indicate a medical condition that may get worse over time.

According to a 2023 Nationwide Survey on pet insurance data, for the eleventh year in a row allergic dermatitis (skin allergies) was the top reason dogs were brought into the vet. This condition can make your dog itchy and cause them to show signs like frequent scratching, recurrent ear infections, and skin changes. Continue on to learn more about allergic dermatitis and why August is such a special month.

Possible Cause of Your Dogs Itchy Skin

So, whats behind your dogs itchy skin? It may be caused by a medical condition called skin allergies. This means your dogs body overreacts to an allergen in the environment or to food, which makes them feel itchy. There are several potential culprits:

• Flea allergy: Flea bites can create extremely itchy areas on your dog. They can be found anywhere on the body, but are most common at the hind legs, tail base, and rear end. Just because you dont see any fleas on your dog does not mean they arent there keep in mind that a bite from a single flea can make your dog very itchy.
• Food allergy: Your dogs itching might be caused by a food allergy. Some dogs are allergic to common dog food ingredients such as beef, chicken, and dairy products.1 Food allergies in dogs can lead to changes to the skin around their paws, face, armpits, and belly.
• Environmental allergy: Your dog may be allergic to environmental triggers like pollen, mold spores, or dust mites. Environmental allergens can cause allergic itch during certain seasons, or even year-round. Dogs with environmental allergies will often have changes to the skin around their face, belly, and paws.
• Contact allergy: Your dog may be allergic to substances it encounters daily. These can include things like household cleaners, shampoos, insecticides, and plants. Dogs with contact allergies will often be itchy in the area that touched the contact allergen.

Skin allergies can make your dog uncomfortable. They can also lead to secondary health problems if there is a delay in treatment. When a dog licks or scratches an area excessively, it can damage the skin and lead to skin infections and wounds. These can cause changes like hair loss, body odor, and inflammation. Severe skin infections and wounds may even be painful for your dog.

How to Relieve Your Dogs Itchy Skin

When your dog experiences these skin changes because of skin allergies, it can be tempting to try an over-the-counter treatment or home remedy. However, using an OTC or at-home solution may not relieve your dogs itch. The following treatment options are commonly available and may offer some itch relief but may not be the best option for your dog.

• Over-the-counter shampoos and oils. Treatments like coconut oil and itch-relief shampoos only provide temporary relief. Your dogs itch may come back because the root cause has not been addressed.
• Antihistamines. While studies have shown that antihistamines may relieve allergies in humans well, antihistamines are less helpful in relieving itch in dogs with environmental allergies. In fact, it has been shown that antihistamines likely offer little to no benefit in treating environmental allergies in many dogs.
• Prescription steroids. Steroids prescribed by a vet can be effective in reducing itchiness in your dog, but they may cause side effects5 in your furry friend. Dogs on prescription steroids often experience increased urination, thirst, and weight gain. They can also experience behavior shifts such as increased aggression.

August is Itchy Pet Awareness Month. If your dog is scratching frequently in August or any time of year, schedule an appointment with your vet to discuss the most effective ways to relieve your dogs itch. If your dog has skin allergies, then a prescription treatment from your vet may be needed to get your favorite sidekick feeling better. So, call your vet today!

American poet Ogden Nash said, Happiness is having a scratch for every itch. For your dog, happiness is relieving the source of every itch.

Can dog food make a dog itch?

The short answer is yes, dog food can definitely make a dog itch. This is usually due to a food allergy if the dog food is directly involved. Common allergens include chicken, wheat, beef, oats, dairy,cornand rice. Other reasons why a dog may itch include fleas, ticks, infection, or a reaction to something.

The skin is the largest organ in your dogs body, responsible for providing a natural barrier against harmful germs. As one of the first lines of defence against infection, its really im-paw-tant it stays healthy and intact. Did you know that dog skin is much thinner than ours? This makes them prone to skin conditions.

Dogs naturally itch themselves but when theyre constantly scratching or stopping doing something that they enjoy, such as chasing a ball or eating, to itch then they could have an issue. Sensitive skin is one of the most common reasons why a pet owner would visit the vets, so dont worry youre not alone. The good news is that it can be diagnosed and fixed relatively easily.

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One of the most common reasons why a dog itches is because of a food allergy. When your pup eats the food allergen their body reacts to it as it would abee stingor an infection. The other top cause is the typical fleas and ticks. These can cause allergic reactions, skin reactions or even infection. For fleas and ticks make sure youre using good preventatives (such as collars, sprays and shampoos) and giving your pup a bath regularly. In this article, were going to focus on food allergies.

There are a few potential allergens that dogs are typically allergic to. These include:

• Wheat

• Oats

• Dairy products

• Corn

• Rice

• Lamb

• Soy

• Pork

• Egg

• Rabbit

• Fish

• Barley

For a dog to be itchy from one of these it has to currently be in their diet or be something theyve eaten recently. The itchiness could happen anywhere on your dogs body, but its more common to find the ears, paws, rear end and stomach is itchy. You may also see some other symptoms such as gastrointestinal issues (vomiting, diarrhoea and passing wind), a swollen face or hives.

All dogs could be subject to a food allergy, however, there are some breeds that are more prone to a food allergy, these include:

You could in more rarer situations see some behavioural changes, such as restlessness, frequent shaking/scratching of the ears, reduced interest in playtime, disinterest in food or an increase in scratching on furniture/owners legs etc.

The best way of finding out if your dog has a food allergy is by utilising an elimination diet. This should ideally be done with the assistance of a vet or nutritionist. To carry out an elimination diet you should feed one specific protein and ideally one carbohydrate for 8 to 12 weeks. This can be hard to do because youd need to feed a chicken and rice orsalmonand rice diet that you would need to cook specifically every day.

You could do a pseudo-elimination diet where you switch foods and then observe the reaction over 8 to 12 weeks. Were really looking to see if things change on a different diet without eating potential problem foods. But again, its best to do this with the help of the vet or a nutritionist to get a set of solid results. Many poor-quality dog foods including kibble and canned foods include obscure ingredients that can be hard to understand or additives that could cause issues which is why a nutritionist or vet is important to consult.

As well as elimination diets, vets could opt to try a blood or patch test, these are much rarer to see, however.

We would always recommend going to the vets to make sure theres a problem and to figure out a long-term plan. Vets may prescribe an antihistamine or skin cream to help ease the symptoms in the short term.

There isnt one dog food thats best for allergies as theoretically your dog could be allergic to anything. You need to find what theyre allergic to and cut that out of their diet. Its always best to go for the best quality of food possible too. Ditch the highly processed kibble and go for a healthy, human-quality diet.

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One of the most obvious signs your dog is eating well is a healthy coat. A setter or spaniel with a glossy coat is a beautiful sight, and a greyhound or Jack Russell terrier with a smooth, sleek coat is the very picture of health. While some breeds have a wiry coat, fur that is actually dry and brittle can be a sign that your dog needs a different food. If your dog is scratching a lot, you might start to really wonder about their diet. What is the best option? Should you switch to tinned, wet dog food? Can dry dog food cause itchy skin?

Itchy skin is more than just uncomfortable for your dog. Its a clear sign something is amiss. Scratching damages the skin, leaving it vulnerable to infections. If the problem isnt solved, it can lead to significant hair loss as well as misery for the poor dog. While supplements and treats such as Leader Nutri Vigor Skin and Coat Care Treats give your dogs coat a boost, they are not medicine and they dont get to the root of the problem. If your dog is scratching a lot, it is a sign of a problem. The trick is figuring out what the problem is.

Can Dry Dog Food Cause Itchy Skin?

It seems logical dry food, dry skin? But it is not that simple. Dry dog food should not be dehydrating. A quality dry dog food that will support healthy skin and a glossy coat must include plenty of protein, oils and omega 3. Fish-based foods such as the Go Native Organic Salmon with Spinach and Ginger and Go Native Organic Herring with Carrot and Kale.

But the wrong dog food can damage your pets skin and coat. A food can be wrong for your dog for a variety of reasons and the same food can be right for another dog. Food allergy or intolerance can make a wholesome, healthy food unhealthy for an individual dog. Changing food usually upsets a dogs stomach, but if you try a new food and your dog begins scratching and/ or losing fur, it could be that the new food has an ingredient your dog cant tolerate. No amount of supplements or added oils will help much in that case. To find the right food for a dog with food allergies or intolerance, you must find out which ingredient is the problem. You might be able to do that by comparing the labels to see what is different between the old food and the new one.

Why Is My Dog So Itchy?

Diet is not usually the cause of a dog itching and scratching. Fleas are prime suspects, even if the dog is not hopping with them. All dogs should be protected with an anti-parasite treatment, preferably one that also covers ticks. But if you suspect fleas, you can investigate a bit more. Brush out your dogs coat so it is free of tangles. Then use a fine toothed comb aka a flea comb- to work through the fur. You might be surprised to discover fleas or evidence theyve been on your dog. If you see tiny dark flecks, that isnt just dirt. It is the waste the fleas leave behind.

Dogs can also suffer environmental allergies that cause their skin to get itchy. They can react to anything from garden chemicals to pollen to their shampoo to mould. Anxiety and boredom can also lead to excessive scratching, licking and chewing. You can eliminate some suspect things around the house to see if it helps, but really, this is one for your vet. They can treat your dog to relieve the itching while you work together to discover the cause.

One major danger of a dog scratching a lot is that they can damage their skin. The standard pattern is that the dog will start itching, and this irritates the skin. Then the dog starts to lick and chew the itchy spot, leading to very red, sore skin and some fur loss. Once the skin is damaged, it can easily develop an infection, causing more irritation, which only makes the poor dog chew and lick the spot more. These are called hot spots, and they make dogs miserable. This is why we need to take action when we notice our dogs scratching more than usual.

Keeping Your Dogs Skin Healthy

Your dog doesnt need a skin care regime like yours, but they do need some help to keep their skin healthy and their coat glossy. All dogs benefit from regular brushing. Breeds with short, sleek coats such as Beagles and Greyhounds dont absolutely need daily brushing, but going over them with a soft brush at least weekly will remove loose hairs and stimulate blood circulation in the skin. Dogs with longer hair do need more frequent brushing to prevent mats from developing and to brush out any irritating bits of grass, twigs or other debris that got caught in their coat on their walks.

Excess bathing can irritate the skin, but some dogs do need regular baths. Check the guidelines for your breed or, for mixed breeds, for those breeds most like your dog. Poodles and poodle mixes benefit from professional grooming because of their fur texture. Most dogs do not strictly need haircuts, but many benefit from a nice trim from a groomer when the weather gets warm.

Whenever you are concerned about your dogs skin and coat, worried about how much they are scratching or curious about whether or not they need a professional trim, talk to your vet. Their knowledge of your individual dog as well as the needs of that type of dog put them in the best position to advise you.