Do puppies scratch a lot?

You might be getting a scratchy feeling just from watching all of your dog’s frequent scratching, itching, licking, and rolling around on the rug.

There are many reasons your dog may be itchy. Many veterinarians think it’s preferable to identify the source of the itch as soon as possible. While the occasional scratch can be considered normal for dogs, a pattern of frequent scratching may point to a health issue that could deteriorate over time.

The most common reason dogs were taken to the vet, according to a 2021 Nationwide Survey on pet insurance data, was allergic dermatitis for the tenth consecutive year. Due to this condition, your dog may exhibit symptoms of an allergic itch, such as frequent scratching, recurrent ear infections, and changes to the skin.

Reasons Why a Puppy Is Itchy

The urge to itch or scratch comes on quickly when the skin is irritated of any kind. Puppy itching is primarily caused by histamine release at the cellular level inside the body, but occasionally a puppy will scratch themselves out of boredom from a recurrent insect bite.

Fleas: Puppies can get fleas very easily. Fleas can jump from the grass or other outside surface and onto a puppy as well as off of one dog onto another. They rapidly reproduce and feed off of puppies by biting them, which is very irritating. Puppies may itch and scratch when the fleas bite and some puppies may also have a flea allergy which only makes things worse because they may develop flea allergy dermatitis. Fleas can be hard to spot until there are a lot of them but can be seen running through a puppies fur or their feces, called flea dirt, are often found first.

Dry skin: Some puppies live in low-humidity or dry environments and this can lead to a lack of moisture in their skin. If the skin is too dry it becomes itchy and puppies will scratch at it. Poor diets or diets lacking in adequate Omega-3 fatty acids may also contribute to dry skin in puppies.

Ear mites and infections: Itching and scratching due to ear mites will be isolated to the ears because this is where ear mites live. Ear mites are loud since they are inside the ear as well as irritating because they are moving around and feeding. This is why a puppy will scratch at its ears if it has ear mites. Dark and dry ear debris is typical in a puppy that has ear mites. Infections of bacteria and yeast inside the ear canal can also be irritating and cause a puppy to itch. These commonly occur after the ears get water in them and dont dry out.

Mange: There are a few different types of mange mites that can affect dogs but demodectic mange and sarcoptic mange are two of the most commonly seen. These microscopic parasites live in the skin of a puppy and cause hair loss along with itchiness.

Allergies: While food allergies are actually quite rare in dogs, some puppies will have allergies to things in the environment as well as things they eat. If a puppy is exposed to something it is allergic too it may itch.

Ticks: If a tick bites a puppy the puppy will most likely itch at that spot until the tick is removed. Ticks can latch onto a puppy if a puppy is walking in tall grass or wooded areas.

Diagnosing the Cause

The cause of the itching can be determined by a veterinarian if there are no obvious parasites on your puppy. The underlying cause of the itching can sometimes be found by simply performing tests to rule out any skin or ear parasites, while other times it can be found by talking about nutrition and environment. There are tests for blood, saliva, and skin that can be used to determine if a puppy is allergic to something, but they are not very reliable. The most effective method for figuring out what a puppy is allergic to is typically to rule out a specific item in a diet or home, such as a particular meat protein or feather pillows.

If a parasite is the cause of the itching, medication will be recommended to eradicate the invaders. Antibiotics, steroids, and anti-inflammatories may also be required to treat an infection or relieve the symptoms of a puppy. When treating causes of itching other than parasites, it may be necessary to change the diet, add a supplement to improve the skin’s condition, or avoid allergens.

Your puppy won’t scratch because of an infestation if you give him routine preventative medications to get rid of fleas, mange, ear mites, and other parasites. Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil and probiotics are good supplements to add to a puppy’s diet if parasites are already under control to help keep their skin healthy and scratch-free. Call your veterinarian right away if you think your pet is ill. Always seek advice from your veterinarian for health-related issues, as they have examined your pet, are familiar with its medical history, and can provide the best recommendations for your pet.

We published a three-part blog series on allergies in the fall of 2016:

In addition to the therapies listed above, we can also add a newer product called Cytopoint for dogs. Cytopoint is an injectable monoclonal antibody therapy that works to stop one of the main proteins that sends the itch signal to the brain. With less itch, the skin can have a chance to heal (and the dog is more comfortable!). According to the Cytopoint safety studies, this product has a wide margin of safety. A single injection into the subcutaneous tissues is administered at the veterinary office, and the relief from itching can last four to eight weeks.

Make an appointment so that you and your veterinarian can determine the best course of action for your dog or cat’s itching if they suffer from allergies and have itchy skin. If you still doubt that your pet’s itch is a serious issue, schedule a checkup so that our veterinarians can look for signs and consult with you about your pet’s level of itch and discomfort. We can create a strategy together that will make it easier for everyone to sleep.

I recently heard a groomer explaining about how she will often find skin or ear conditions on pets when they are in for grooming. While she always informs the owners and encourages them to seek veterinary care for the condition, she inevitably has some owners who feel their pet’s itchy skin is just “normal” for their dog. This brings up some interesting questions. An obvious one that comes to mind focuses on defining normal: What is a normal amount of itching for a pet? But if we start to think a little more carefully about the response of these pet owners, I also wonder whether there may be some hint of frustration or even a feeling of defeat related to the chronic, ongoing nature of skin allergies for some pets. To this point, I have met a number of pet owners over the years who are just about fed up with the battle of trying to give their itchy pet some relief. And somewhere along the way, some owners do ultimately decide that the itching and discomfort is just “normal” for their pet. If you are the owner of a pet that has skin allergies, then this blog is for you. With all the understanding and treatment options we have for skin allergies, it is much easier (compared to even 10 or 15 years ago) to give our patients relief from this chronic discomfort. Importantly, it must be noted that skin allergies are definitely high on the list of health conditions that are best managed when there is a team approach between pet owners and the veterinary clinic. At Lawndale Veterinary Hospital, our doctors and staff understand this point well, and we do our best to develop an ongoing relationship with our pet owners and their fuzzy companions.

We covered a variety of allergy treatments in the third blog in that series, “Treatment and Management Options”:

FAQ

How much scratching is normal for a puppy?

According to the data we have collected on dogs of different ages, breeds, and genders, the average daily time spent scratching is about 100 seconds.

Why is my puppy so itchy but has no fleas?

Dogs Keep Itching Due to Bacterial and Fungal Skin Infections. The likelihood of a skin infection is higher in dogs who scratch constantly but don’t have fleas or mites. These infections may be bacterial or might be fungal. Some itching in dogs may also be caused by yeast infections.

Do puppies scratch even if they don’t have fleas?

Mites may also be a factor in severe scratching in addition to fleas. Sarcoptic mange is a skin condition that can be brought on by these parasites. The extremely uncomfortable condition of mange is zoonotic, which means it can spread from animal to human.

How do I know if my dog is scratching too much?

1. Red skin or ears.
2. Hair loss.
3. Any skin lesions (e. g. , scabs, pustules, crusting, scaling, ulcerations, lumps, etc. ).
4. Ear discharge.
5. Shaking head repeatedly/ pawing at ear(s)
6. The act of repeatedly biting, licking, or scratching one’s body to the point of self-trauma