Printable View
It's not mange, or fleas etc. Dog on grain free diet, supplementing with salmon oil. Healthy and shiny, non-flaky coat, 1 yr old male Lab, tons of exercise. Just scratches elbows and belly all the time, can it become a habit do you think? Vet says to use Benadryl at night...
I'd go with the doctor recommendation to start. My Jack Russell starting itching out of the blue and after doing all the diet changes and etc... the only thing that has brought him any relief at all is steroids and an anti-allergy medication.
Environmental allergies? A low dose steroid (even tapering off) often helps.
Have you tried a limited ingredient, novel protein diet?
I started giving my dog 1.5 teaspoons of local raw seasonal honey with his AM meal and it has helped with itching. Just like humans, honey can and will help a dog with environmental allergies.
Steroids only mask the issues never curing it, and while honey is a short term fix too. I would rather give him honey than a drug any day.
Protein allergies are very common. Try a grain free alternative protein food. (Avoid chicken, beef and lamb (lamb used to be alternative, but now it is much more common).