The most common cause of itchy skin in dogs is allergy but there are also a significant number of cases that are due to parasitic, bacterial or fungal organisms.  Although most dogs with allergic dermatitis will get relief with anti-allergy medication the same medication can actually aggravate some of these other causes. For this reason it is important that the vet is able to examine the dog and obtain a full history of the problem before medication is dispensed. In many cases simple laboratory tests such as skin scrapings may be required to help confirm the diagnosis.

The vast majority of itchy dogs however suffer from allergies.  Although medication will usually provide short-term relief it must be remembered that this is only treating the symptoms and the effects will only last while the medication is being given.  In many cases cortisone type drugs are the only things that will give relief and although safe when used correctly, it is well established that prolonged use of this type of medication can have adverse side effects.  Therefore for ongoing cases it is usually worthwhile trying to identify the specific cause of the allergy and hopefully eliminate it.

We most commonly see allergies caused by fleas. This is more than just having fleas; rather it is a severe sensitivity to the fleabite such that only one bite every few days can be sufficient to cause intense irritation. Until this is ruled out it is difficult to investigate other possible causes so the first step in trying to diagnose the itchy dog is commencement of an intensive fleabite prevention program. The simplest and most effective way of achieving this is a daily application of an appropriate insecticide such as Permoxin for a two-week trial period. To aid the diagnosis it is important that no other medication be given during this period. If a marked improvement occurs then flea allergy dermatitis is the likely cause.