Both my Labradors are constantly itchy and keep nibbling and scratching, they have been frontlined for fleas, checked for parasites, they have no breaks in their skin, no dandruff, they are not fed dog food and their food has not changed at all, their skin has no redness there is nothing visable, Their coat is very shiney and healthy looking,  have given them antihistimens (sp) but nothing is helping, they have been bathed, they both swim and not at the same place one swims at a hydrotherapy pool the other at home.  I am running out of ideas why they are so itchy  anyone have any ideas??

Do you use carpet fresheners in the home or fabric conditioner on their bedding or surroundings? Or plug-in room 'fresheners'?

No only aromatherapy oils and have always used these, I am only glad they are both itchy, if it was just one I would be even more worried, knowing heart problems and some cancers can cause itching, am at a total loss to know what the cause is, have not changed the washing powder to a different one so it can't be that, just have run out of ideas

I've got a young golden retriever who is the same justi :(.  Think one problem might be crop spraying by local farmers - is this a possibility where you are?

knowing heart problems and some cancers can cause itching

Really?  Not heard that one before.

I was advised to give my dogs raw carrots if they were itchy dogs, I do and they seem to itch a lot less when they are on carrots, as I don't give them all the time.  Actually only one of mine is a scratchy dog and she drives me round the bend, the rest are great.

Oh yes and some cancers do cause itching in people as well!

Sadly they have carrots daily both raw and cooked so guess that would mean that particular thing would not work they are too used to them, due to cancer in the older Lab (not related to itching and they both itch) we do not feed any dog food, we were advised against it by her oncologist, so they get carrots lots of dark green veggies, parsnips, pumpkin, whatever vegges we have on a daily basis, along with their wholemeal pasta or brown rice and chicken or fish or turkey or liver/kidney. Just hope this itching stops soon or we find the root cause and can treat it, it drives me round the bend lol, plus the three legged dog only has one back leg to scratch with so that is not helping her either poor thing.

justi

That could be a possibility, we do  live close to the countryside, although in town, and I am often up the stables less than a mile away in the countryside, though as a rule do not take the dogs there, but the car goes they get in the car etc... So that could be a cause,  and living not that far away it could be in the air I guess, not alot I can do if that is the cause though

Sadly yes itching can be caused by heart problems and some cancers

You could try Stronghold - it might be sarcoptic mange.  My dog scratched for 18 months before the vet did a blood test that diagnosed him with sarcoptic mange.  He was treated with Stronghold on the back of his next every two weeks exactly (to catch the new ones hatching out) and he is absolutely fine now.

Great thankyou that is worth a try, where do I get it from?  Is it perscription only? is there no skin damage with sarcoptic mange?  For some reason I thought there would be hair loss and skin damage, I am probably getting mixed up, sadly it does not take alot to confuse me these days lol

Thankyou Justi

Think you would need the vet to diagnose sarcoptic mange first justi. :) 

Stronghold is only available from the vet in packs of 3 tubes - if your vet agreed to let you try it - its a bit like frontline where you put it on the back of their neck.  My dog didn't have hairloss but he was scratching like mad, mainly around his ears and his ears got very thick with all the scratching.  He had an ear scrape but that was more or less a waste of time because they didn't find anything but two weeks later phoned to say his blood test for sarcoptes was positive.

You sure it is not mites of some sort? My dog is driving me nuts scratching as well. I used frontline and it did not work so the vet said I should try Advocate. See the thread has anybody used Advocate flea and worm control product. I am running out of ideas to stop the scratching.

All tests for mites have come back negative so at a loss once again, the only thing that is relieving the itching is tea tree oil cream, but that only last 3 hours or so then its back to scratch scratch, mine have been frontlined too no difference there, but my cat does not go out, long story he went missing in march when he was allowed out and turned up 4 weeks later two towns away!! So if the dogs had fleas or mites he would get them from them, damn cat is not scratching, have flea combed him and nothing!!  so really at a loss now both dogs are scratching but the cat isn't!!!!  Throughly went over both of them, there is no hardening or thickening of skin, no weals (one dog has a flea allergy and always has horrid weals when she gets just one flea) no red skin nothing!!!

justi

Poor things. You say they've been bathed, presumably that was in tea tree shampoo if the cream's helping? Can't really help I'm afraid, but sympathy to all. :-(

Have you thought of trying some Quistel ? The guys are very helpful & it stopped my old cavalier having an itchy skin

no had not heard of that will look into it, Thankyou
Justi

Justi,

If you wash their bedding they might be reacting to whatever washing soap you use.    They may also have dry skin from swimming and/or bathing.  I'd try adding some evening primrose oil to their food and see if that helps.