If you are getting a pet, you should know the answer to the question of what to do if the dog constantly itches and chews itself, but there are no fleas? This condition in a pet can occur due to various factors, including allergic reactions, stress, and disruption of the glands. In such situations, it is important for the animal owner to pay attention to this symptom as early as possible and provide help to the dog.
In most cases, the cause of your dog's itching can be eliminated within a few days without outside help. If this cannot be done using home methods, you should contact a veterinarian and undergo a full examination and treatment.
If you think this is uncomfortable for you, imagine how your dog feels.
Compulsive scratching, licking and biting is quite common in dogs and has many causes.
One of the first signs that your dog has a problem may be the development of a "hot spot" - a red, wet, irritated area that occurs as a result of constant biting, licking and scratching.
Although acute wet dermatitis can occur anywhere on your dog's body, they are most often found on the head, chest, or thighs.
Because dogs often continually scratch, lick or bite the area when it becomes irritated, acute wet dermatitis can become large and incredibly painful quite quickly.
Nail trimming
Unlike cats, dogs cannot shorten their toenails on their own - they have a dense structure, a large number of nerve endings and blood vessels. Long claws cause a lot of discomfort, so the animal tries in every possible way to get rid of them - it starts gnawing and licking its paws. It is important to get a haircut every 1-2 months, to get used to the procedure. Step-by-step algorithm for processing claws:
- Secure the dog in a standing or lying position. If necessary, wear a muzzle.
- Pull back the fur and use a flashlight to illuminate the claw (bright light allows you to see the vessels inside).
- Using special pliers, cut off the edge of the nail bed (collagen layer) - it has no nerves or capillaries.
If bleeding does occur, apply a cotton pad soaked in hydrogen peroxide. If there is a sharp cut left, polish it with a nail file. During the procedure, you should not make sudden movements and praise the dog after each nail trimmed. At the end of the work, be sure to treat your pet with a treat to associate the haircut with positive emotions. Manipulation can be combined with shortening the hair, which is especially important for long-haired breeds and hunting dogs.
Pain
When trying to determine why your dog is licking or chewing excessively, be sure to consider the possibility that something is causing him physical discomfort.
For example, if you notice your pet repeatedly biting his paw, he may have a thorn or sharp stone lodged in his paw pad.
Compulsive chewing or licking may also be a reaction to orthopedic problems, including arthritis and hip dysplasia.
Paw care after a walk
Proper care of your pet after a walk is a basic method of prevention to prevent the dog from gnawing its paws. Allows you to avoid complications from mechanical damage (wounds, abrasions, splinters), infections and the consequences of contact with reagents in winter.
After each visit to the street, paws should be washed with clean running water, and if necessary, use a special shampoo for dogs. Recently, paw washers have become very popular - small jars with brushes inside that are easy to use for cleaning dirt for any breed. After hygiene procedures, carefully examine the paw pads and fur. There should be no traces of dirt, blood or mechanical objects.
Treating your dog's compulsive scratching, licking and biting
Since there are so many reasons why dogs chew or scratch, be sure to consult your veterinarian as soon as you notice the problem. Your veterinarian can help determine the cause of this behavior and determine the best treatment plan.
Depending on the cause of your dog's compulsive behavior, this may include:
Elimination of parasites
Your veterinarian may recommend a variety of flea and tick treatments. Additionally, if your furry friend's biting or chewing problems are caused by fleas, be sure to wash your dog's bedding and vacuum carpeting and upholstered furniture on a regular basis to reduce the chance of a re-infestation.
Any other pets should also be treated. How to get rid of fleas in the house and on animals?
Change of food
If a food allergy is causing your dog to itch, eliminating potentially irritating foods (like beef or wheat) can make a huge difference.
In this case, your veterinarian may recommend a special diet. Adding fatty acid supplements regularly to your pet's food can also help address dry skin problems and keep your pet's coat healthy.
Taking medications
Your veterinarian can prescribe medications to treat the underlying problems that are contributing to your dog's constant scratching.
Additionally, your veterinarian may recommend the use of topical or systemic antibiotics, steroids, or anti-itch medications to treat existing hot spots or skin infections.
Behavior correction
Because compulsive behavior can be seriously damaging and affect your dog's quality of life, it is important to do everything possible to prevent your dog from chewing, licking, or scratching too much.
Some ideas include using bitter sprays to discourage licking, having your dog wear a special collar to prevent access to hot spots, or keeping him close to you when you are home.
How to Deal with Anxiety or Boredom in Dogs
In some cases, compulsive biting, scratching, or licking develops in response to fear, stress, or inappropriate stimulation.
To reduce this likelihood, make sure your dog gets enough exercise, attention, and love.
It may also be helpful to train your dog to chew on toys or bones to relieve stress, instead of inappropriate chewing or licking behavior.
What is the cause of itching?
- Parasites. These are not only fleas that are clearly visible to the naked eye. Itching can be caused by fairly large (up to four millimeters in length), but less noticeable lice, as well as microscopic mites (including ear mites), lice mites. Their appearance affects the condition of the animal’s fur: it becomes dull, becomes thinner, easily becomes matted, and bald patches form in some places. Also, in the presence of parasites, changes in the skin occur. The skin acquires a yellowish-gray tint, becomes rough, begins to peel, and marks appear on it from the teeth of a dog trying to relieve the itching on its own.
- Allergy. It can be caused by food, external natural irritants (pollen, mold), household chemicals (cleaning, detergents, hygiene products), and medications. As a rule, itching due to allergies is accompanied by nasal discharge, sneezing, watery eyes, swelling, and skin rash.
- Fungal diseases. Signs of fungus are the appearance of a small bald patch on the coat, redness of the skin followed by greying, peeling and, of course, itching. The fungus primarily affects the dog's head, neck and paws, but if left untreated it can spread throughout the body.
- Bacterial damage. The most common disease is pyoderma. The main signs besides itching: inflammatory processes on the animal’s skin, the formation of erosions, ulcers, ulcers, and the appearance of a putrid odor. The result is lethargy, apathy, and refusal to eat.
- Hormonal imbalance. If your dog's thyroid gland doesn't produce enough hormones or produces too much cortisol, skin problems can occur. Symptoms of hormonal imbalance are similar to those of an allergic reaction.
- Diseases of internal organs. Itching can be caused by serious problems in their functioning. Common causes are diabetes, kidney or liver failure.
- Dry skin. It is caused by cold winter weather, central heating, and a deficiency of fatty acids in the body. The dog's reaction may be constant scratching and licking.
- Pain. Physical discomfort is another reason for scratching, licking and gnawing. If the dog pays attention to the same place on the body, carefully examine it: perhaps a thorn, splinter or sharp fragment has stuck there. If there is no foreign body, then the cause of this behavior may be bone problems: arthritis, hip dysplasia.
- Stress, anxiety, boredom. Just as a person, during stress, begins to involuntarily bite his lips, bite his nails, or twirl his hair around his finger, so a dog can experience a physical reaction to a psychological disorder. Usually it manifests itself in constant scratching, intense licking, and inappropriate behavior. The cause of stress is often a change in the usual environment, moving, the appearance of a new tenant (relative, child, other animal), or betrayal by the owner. Think about it: is your dog getting enough attention? “Psychological” itching can be caused by banal boredom.
Diaper rash
Such a nuisance as diaper rash occurs mainly in long-haired breeds due to the fact that a fairly large amount of hair grows on the paws and between the toes.
Long-haired dogs include Dachshund, Spaniel, Chihuahua, Beagle, Weimaraner, Russian Toy Terrier, Hungarian Vizsla, Shih Tzu, Caucasian Shepherd, Pekingese, and German Shepherd.
Poorly dried hair after bathing and lack of ventilation are a good breeding ground for bad microflora.
Avoiding this problem will not be difficult. It is enough to ensure that very long hair does not grow on the paws, and cut it off in a timely manner, and after bathing, dry the area between the toes well with a hairdryer.
Did you know? Dogs can sweat too, just like humans. Only their sweat glands are concentrated not in the armpits, but on the pads of the fingers.
These simple measures will keep your skin dry and eliminate diaper rash.
Contact dermatitis
Contact dermatitis is a specific reaction of the epidermis to the action of an irritant. It can be caused by household chemicals, dog washes, and external preparations. Contact dermatitis is an inflammation of the epidermis accompanied by swelling and itching. The symptoms are in many ways similar to skin allergies, but with allergies, an immunopathological process develops, and with dermatitis, irritation and inflammation develop.
Recognizing dermatitis is quite simple, since it appears immediately after contact with an irritating substance. The owner’s actions should be aimed at cleansing the animal’s skin of any remnants of the irritant.
Apply a cool compress to reduce swelling and itching. For severe inflammation, anti-inflammatory ointments or corticosteroids can be used. Such drugs should be prescribed by a doctor after examination.
Mycoses
If your dog itches and chews itself, the cause may be a fungal infection of the skin. Mycoses are more often observed in smooth-haired animals. With microsporia and trichophytosis (ringworm), thinning of the coat, severe flaking, a small rash in the affected area and painful itching are noticeable. This disease is highly contagious to both humans and other animals. When infected with yeast, light spots on the skin and dandruff are found.
To make a diagnosis, it is necessary to take a skin scraping and illuminate the epidermis with a Wood's lamp. Treatment is aimed at suppressing the growth of pathogenic microflora using antifungal ointments (Clotrimazole, Ketoconazole) and shampoos (Nizoral, Sebozol).
To effectively treat any skin pathology in dogs, it is recommended to consult a doctor and get tested.
How to recognize the problem?
Caring for your paws is a natural hygiene procedure for any dog. A deviation is considered if the desire to lick the limbs becomes obsessive, the animal often gnaws the pads for a long time. To detect the problem, you should inspect your dog's paws regularly. They should be free of persistent dirt, signs of injury and other mechanical damage. The following signs are unacceptable:
- presence of blood;
- inflamed and weeping areas of the skin;
- dry crusts on the pads;
- traces of alopecia (hair loss);
- change in dog behavior;
- refusal of food, games.
Be sure to pay attention to any deviations in your pet’s usual behavior. You should consult a doctor if your dog becomes aggressive or apathetic (when he chews), refuses food and even his favorite treats. The problem can be especially dangerous if the pet begins to growl and grin, and does not allow him to approach him during the next licking of his paws.
Inspection of a dog's paws should be done carefully. Even the slightest touch of the paws can be painful and uncomfortable for the dog. You need to be careful when touching the paws of older pets - the problem may arise due to age-related joint diseases.
Photo: thehappypuppysite.com
Why does a dog chew its tail?
Many people, seeing such a spectacle, think that it is funny, and the dog is just playing. Indeed, this often happens in puppies who are not fully aware of their body parts. However, what to do if this happens to an adult dog? In this case, you need to carefully monitor your pet. Most often this becomes a sign of the presence of some kind of pathology.
Typically, a dog may chew its tail for several reasons:
- Parasites
- Inflammation of the paraanal glands
- Eczema or ringworm
- Tail injuries
- Neurosis and psychological trauma
- Boredom
- Allergy
- Poor nutrition
The dog is chewing his tail
Follow-up and prevention
The owner of the animal must carefully monitor the health of the pet, promptly contacting a veterinarian for help if he notices that the dog is itching. Preventive measures include maintaining good hygiene, constant washing and cleaning the bedding on which the animal sleeps. It is important to limit the animal’s contact with known sick and homeless animals. Do not forget about preventive measures of antiparasitic treatment and timely vaccination.
Author and presenter of the column: Veterinarian Nikolay Evgenievich Smirnov
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Psyche
Unfortunately, many dog owners leave their dogs at home for long periods of time. At the same time, the animal experiences stress, suffers from loneliness and boredom.
They find salvation in their own paws, because a monotonous task is distracting, and thus waiting for the owner to arrive becomes less tiring for them. Why go far, let's remember tips for getting rid of stress for people: reading, knitting, cross-stitching, drawing, etc. These are all monotonous activities that force you to concentrate and thereby relieve stress.
Only dogs can’t do anything like that, so they came up with this type of activity. It is also a unique way to attract attention. After all, when you see your pet chewing its paw, you will immediately begin to say something displeased to him, but he is only glad to have at least some communication from you.
Therefore, do not neglect your dog, but spend more time with it.
