Raise your hand if you’re one of the many pet parents with dogs that scratch and lick too much and are desperate to find a permanent solution to what can I put on my dog to relieve itching? Well, you’re in luck because here’s a short list of easy home DIY remedies that will relieve your dog from all the itchiness and irritation in no time. While allergies are one of the reasons to cause itchiness, it is not the only one. There are myriad other reasons behind the same. So let’s learn what’s causing the itchiness in the first place.
What Causes Dogs to Itch?
If your dog losing hair and itching, having red, inflamed skin, or being covered in scabs, this will help you run through the main causes of itchiness in dogs.
#1 Infections
These can be bacterial, fungal or yeast affecting anywhere on the body or ears. Generally, there is an underlying cause that needs closer inspection, especially if the problem becomes recurrent.
#2 Anal Gland Disease
The anal glands are two sacs on either side of the back passage. It becomes irritating and uncomfortable making your canine scratching a lot. They become full and enlarged, causing them to hurry or rub its bum on the floor. The other will chew, nibble, lick and scratch around the thighs, back, and tail base.
#3 Parasites
Fleas are the most common problem, with mites and lice also causing significant itching and scratching in dogs. The main mite here is the sarcoptic mange which causes the thickening of the skin.
#4 Skin Issues
Greasy or dry skin on dogs can be inherently itchy, with an underlying problem in the diet or hormonal abnormalities.
#5 Allergic Skin Disease
This is the biggest cause of chronic itchiness and scratching in dogs. The three main types are flea-allergic dermatitis, atopy or atopic dermatitis, and food allergies. There are also contact allergies and allergies to insect bites and stings.
What Can I Put On my Dog to Relieve Itching?
Having an itchy dog is incredibly frustrating. Today we’re giving you the main dog skin allergies home remedies for you so that you wont be needing to take your pet to the vet. And by home remedies mean things you can get without a veterinary prescription in your kitchen cupboard where you make a load of potions. It will help you and your pet lead a healthier, happier life.
#1 Optimize Skin Quality
The very first thing to do is to optimize skin and coat quality for giving the itching relief for dogs. There are two excellent dog itching remedies that you can give your canine at home.
Shampoo your Dog Regularly
You can use a normal oatmeal shampoo for puppies if your dog is not particularly itchy and things seem pretty well controlled. It is known to be very gentle. It neither strips the oils from the coat nor dries out the skin, which can make things itchier and cause greater irritation. One should shampoo their pet every two weeks or so, exceeding which could create graver concerns, and any less is not doing the job that you want it to do.
Add Essential Fatty Acids to your Dog’s Diet
Omega 3 fatty acids are the main anti-inflammatory ones that can greatly impact the skin and reduce inflammation working as anti itch for dogs. Thus, there are many brands supplying fish oil for dogs skin.Omega 3 fatty acids include fish oils – cod liver oil is the main one. Other than that, it could also include krill oil or green-lipped mussel oil. However, something to avoid is flax seed oil. It’s because although it is much cheaper, pups cannot break down the omega 3 fatty acids in flax seed oil into the usable DHA and EPA fatty acids that have the effect in them.
#2 Healthy Skin Diet
Adding a variety of green vegetables to your dog’s diet has many health benefits besides relieving skin itchiness. They include asparagus, spinach, broccoli, lettuce, sweet potatoes, and carrots. There are several derma diets out there that have added essential fatty acids. They have also added other vital components and anti-inflammatories like vitamin E, zinc, and other elements that will help to reduce inflammation and optimize skin quality. Another thing to consider is that some dogs, although it is a minority despite what you might have heard, do have a food allergy.
So, one must attempt to find novel protein and carbohydrate sources for dog itch relief. Henceforth, these are things that your pup has not come across. Most diet-related skin allergies occur because of the protein component, which normally includes chicken, pork, or fish. In some cases, it can happen due to the underlying carbohydrate constituent case, a specific grain, but they are usually the minority. If you think your dog might be itching all the time because of a dietary allergy, then you should consider feeding them a specific diet for about 8-12 weeks.
#3 Avoid Itch Triggers/ Reduce Flare Factors
If you know something causes your dog’s skin to flare up and become itchier, avoid it. That could be running through the long grass, for instance. You also want to keep any parasites – like fleas – under control. Make sure to have a routine regular flea prevention strategy in place. To cite an example, it is suggested to use a product like fipronil which is effective in many cases, although there are resistance problems in some parts of the world, and it does not require a visit to your vet to get that medication.
Storage mites are the next problem that you should think about endeavoring. They live in pet food, especially kibble stored for longer than 30 days. So make sure you use up a bag of food within 30 days. Small tip: Only buy a small bag if you’ve got a small breed dog. You could also store it in an airtight container in a cool, dark area to lessen the impact of storage mites.
Clean their paws when they enter the house after their daily strolls down the neighborhood park. Consider having hard floors if you have got old carpets down. Clean and vacuum areas of your house regularly to reduce house dust mites which are another big cause of allergies in dogs. These basic steps will discourage allergen interactions, which are more likely to accumulate in these areas.
#4 Prepare Some Organic Itch Relievers
Chamomile and Herbal Tea Soak
To treat hot and itchy patches of skin that are at risk of getting rubbed raw, you can try this specially curated dog itchy skin home remedy. The ingredients required include chamomile, calendula, and green tea. Also, these ingredients serve as the best itch relief for dogs. Let several tea bags steep for 3 minutes in the tub or sink. After this, you may remove the tea bags and soak your canine for a minimum of 5 whole minutes. You could also steep single tea bags, pour cooled-down tea on the dry patches of skin, and let it drip dry.
Plain, Sugar-free Yogurt
Any plain, sugar-free yogurt once a day is a miraculous dog itchy skin relief for treating certain rashes, hives, or allergies. Feeding small dogs one teaspoon and the bigger ones two teaspoons per week is recommended.
Coconut Oil
Chilled and solid coconut oil for dogs itchy skin treats eczema, allergies, yeast infections and certain bites and stings. Massage the oil into the affected areas of the skin and coat.
#5 Home Treatment for Scratching
If you think your pet is starting to get a little skin infection, treating that promptly is of utmost importance. One can use a chlorhexidine-based shampoo, home made dog anti itch spray or skin cream. You can clip and dry that area, which means that you don’t need antibiotics, thus nipping it in the bud. To reduce inflammation, consider antihistamines only after a vet consultation.
#6 Conditioning Heat and Moisture
Apart from providing your dog access to fresh, filtered water to facilitate proper hydration, it is also very important to furnish them with a moderated environment that is neither too cool and dry nor too hot and humid. A dog’s skin is immensely sensitive, and a pet owner should always bear in mind the havoc that might be wreaked upon using high-heat blow dryers on their dog.
#7 Reduce Drug Need
Ultimately, many dogs with skin allergies will still need pharmaceutical medication such as steroids, cytopoint, or apoquel. But if you use these home remedies and management strategies, you can minimize their reliance on these drugs and reduce the dose they might need. You can also reduce the frequency at which you need to give them.
Conclusion
While it is mostly considered that bathing dogs frequently isn’t a good idea, it is quite the opposite regarding taking care of itchy dog skin. When it comes to what causes dogs to itch the above triggers can be the common reasons. We hope these remedies work out for you. However, be certain to run them by your vet through a phone call to be on the safer side.