What is causing my dogs to chew and scratch all the time?

Please talk to your vet asbout this problem. But while you are waiting for a vet appointment you might try these suggestions. Don't use plastic bowls to give out food or water, and don't give your dogs any food products that contain corn or wheat. Also give them one high quality omega three tablet each day.

Depends. We had a cat with bad allergies. So bad he was clawing gashes in his skin. He was almost bald from scratching. We tried everything. Finally we decided steroids and comfort was better than a long miserable life. He lived 8 happy years. Did not have bad complications; just died. Vet said his heart just stopped. He was not ill and was happy watching birds.

Yes, it's probably the food. What food are you feeding?

And no, steroids (and almost all "allergy shots" are steroids) are NOT the answer, and carry so much potential harm while merly masking (not solving) the problem.

He could be allergic to a number of things really; from the food he eats to the laundry soap you use to wash his bedding to the great outdoors. I would suggest a vet visit first to determine any bacterial causes first, then move to process of elimination; such as diet, laundry soap (use Dreft for babies to rule out laundry soap with harsh chemicals), carpet cleaners (use White Vinegar instead), air freshners you use and just about anything that may be exposed to his skin or fur. It's hard to eliminate the great outdoors, but maybe with the inside changes you can pin point it to be something outside and he may need to take allergy shots or pills for awhile to get immune to them again. Good luck and hope he gets to feeling better.

My dog had a similar problem but he was getting dry spots on his stomach. We were told that he was getting bacterial infections of the skin. We had this problem every couple months and it was getting expensive. We decided to go to a new vet and she suggested we go to a animal dermotologist (skin doctor). We were sure at first because we thought it would be really expenisive but it really wasn't. They found he had a low immune system and now we give him shots. He doesn't have the problems anymore.

My dog was having the same problems. he ended up having allergies. We give him a simple shot once a moht now for the rest of his life. Excessive you might think, but he can now live life to the fullest without having to stop and scratch right in the middle of play-time. He is much happier.

Best thing is to check with your vet and maybe they can recommend special food!

Environmental allergens are much more of a problem in the warmer months but not all of them go away in the winter. Dogs and cats can be allergic to household dust, mold or even human dander. In the winter time dry skin can make the skin itchy and more suseptible to allergies. Food allergies may be playing a role but they do not usually respond well to steroids and you said your dog does. There are no easy fixes for allergies but you should consider seeing your vet for a fatty acid supplement like derm caps for dry irritated skin and talk about allergy testing. Another product that is relatively new is called atopica. It works like a steroid without the bad side effects, however it is considerably more expensive.

My dog suffered similar symptoms, along with loose stools. After an endoscopy and ectoscopy they confirmed he had Inflammatory Bowel Disease which was exacerbated by a food allergy. It is likely that our dog is allergic to the "filler" in dog foods.

it is a possibility that it is a food allergy but it is best to check with the vet.