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  #1  
Old May 29th, 2014, 10:22 AM
Jules91 Jules91 is offline
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3 Year old Chihuahua Scratches till he Bleeds

Hello, My 3 year old Chihuahua, Poncho wont stop scratching, he will scratch till his hair falls out and bleeds (by bleeding i dont mean blood everywhere, just he broke the skin and a little blood came out) . I've heard using Benadryl will help but I'm not sure. He's only 8lbs. Please Help my little man!
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  #2  
Old May 29th, 2014, 10:53 AM
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marko marko is offline
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Welcome to the forum!

Hope we can help but here's a coupla questions to get you started in order to point you to the right direction.

Have you checked the fur closely to see if there's any parasites or small crawlies?
Is the environment overly dry?
Is it possible dooger is sleeping directly on some fabric or material that may be causing trouble?
and finally...how long has this been going on? and Has dooger ever seen a vet for this?
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  #3  
Old May 29th, 2014, 11:26 AM
Jules91 Jules91 is offline
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I'm constantly checking him, and i see nothing. The air is dry, but we use a humidifier. He has his bed and his blankie, and then he sleeps in our bed aswell. All which are washed regularly. It's been going on for a while but it wasn't this bad, he would just scratch here and there, nothing too concerning, but it just started to get bad within the past month. No he hasn't gone to a vet yet for this issue. Will be soon
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Old May 29th, 2014, 02:26 PM
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Marty11 Marty11 is offline
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Hi Jules, I just want to add. I recently took Bea in for a scratching issue twice......and wouldn't you know we finally found fleas. Turns out that it's a much bigger problem than you think. Both dogs had to be treated, all bedding blankets washed several times. I sprayed my couches and floor mats. Poor Marty had been scratching for a long time but I blamed her allergies. 3 months of treatment and lots and lots of vacuuming going on here. Try bathing your dog and watch very closely around the eyes on top of the head and you may find the little buggers trying to escape.
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Old May 29th, 2014, 11:20 PM
MaxaLisa MaxaLisa is offline
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Could also be the food?
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  #6  
Old May 30th, 2014, 07:21 AM
Longblades Longblades is offline
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Or environmental allergies which are far more common than food allergies.

I used Reactine on Vet's advice when we first encountered allergies. My Vet prefers Benedryl for insect bites and Reactine for environmental allergy. But I'd be scared to self medicate anything with a dog so small. Once the skin is broken the poor little pup is susceptible to secondary infections. I'd Vet.
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Old May 30th, 2014, 09:08 AM
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Marty11 Marty11 is offline
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What area does he scratch the most?
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  #8  
Old May 30th, 2014, 09:50 AM
Jules91 Jules91 is offline
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Hi Marty11, Poncho scratches more in his armpit area, his chest and his ears.
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  #9  
Old May 30th, 2014, 04:27 PM
MaxaLisa MaxaLisa is offline
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Every dog I've had has had verifiable, tested and confirmed food allergies. In fact, many food allergies go hand in hand with environmental allergies through things like oral allergy syndromes. There are a lot of cross-reactions.

I agree that after all the itching, the dog is at a high risk of having a skin infection, which may need treatment.

But getting at the root of itching, rather than masking symptoms. There can be contact allergies (bedding, my last dog was allergic to cotton), carpet, grass, etc. But there is also neurogenic itching, that is caused by the nervous system and not things like allergies (sometimes a chiropractor helps with that). Some dogs are itchy when their thyroid is low, even though that's not supposed to happen. Personally I would start with a limited diet, homeprepared food, with allergy fighting ingredients, and work from there, understanding that this is a process that may take awhile, and best if you have a vet along side with you. The vet is a MUST if you are seeing signs of skin infection.
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