[Buddy's Mama]

Well, I've had Buddy for now 3 months going on 4. From the first month I've had him, he has been scratching himself...a lot.. I've changed his food..treats..checked him for fleas -found none thank god. I've taken him to the vet before..last time was a couple of months ago and was told it's nothing..just puppy skin..I guess puppy skin tends to be dry. Buddy is almost 6 months old now, and I am really starting to get worried and I'm tired of taking him to the vet with no help. He is actually starting to flake. I give him a bath like once in a while...like once a month. I'm also training him to go potty outside but I still check for fleas and ticks. I was told to check his belly cuz that's where I will most likely see any fleas..so I did check and I also checked all over his coat as much as I could -he is a wiggler. But found nothing, I don't know what else to do. Sometimes he scratches himself around people and other dogs..it's sad but it's kinda embarrassing too. I don't know what else to do and if this is typical and he will outgrow the itching. Please..any advice???

 

[beagletails]

Try adding a little olive oil to his food. If it is dry skin that should help. We had been advised by our vet in the past to do that for one of our dogs and it did seem to help.

 

[BeagleBabe]

Is he on a flea/tick preventative? If not he needs to be. Are you noticing any hair loss or scaly, flacky skin? If so that could be a sign of a more complex issue.

It could be allergies, more on allergies here: http://www.dog-allergy.org/

It might also be a yeast infection, list of symptoms here: http://www.pet-supplies-review.com/dog-yeast-infection.html

As for is being just dry skin, how often do you bathe him and what kind of shampoo do you use? You could try a plain old Oatmeal doggie shampoo. There are also a couple of "dry skin relief" shampoos worth buying, or your vet may recommend one if you ask. There are also itch relief sprays at places like PetSmart.

 

[Murphys Dad]

Quote:Originally posted by beagletails:
Try adding a little olive oil to his food. If it is dry skin that should help. We had been advised by our vet in the past to do that for one of our dogs and it did seem to help.

Yes!! and you can also try a little bit of rosmary oil and another thing that I have just discovered works wonders on their coat is a spoon of tahini (raw) with their food.

 

[valariereiser]

My beagle had really bad dandruff as well and would scratch a lot. I try not to bath her too much, a beagle book I have said that because of beagle's coats they should actually only be bathed twice a year unless they get into something (which is definitely more than twice a year!!) However, I did switch her food from regular off brand food to Purina's Bentifuls Healthy Radiance which is formulated for skin and coat and it made a HUGE difference! After about 1 1/2 to 2 weeks all of her dandruff was gone and she was scratching much less! Good luck!