Last week I wrote about cold weather with the dogs' coat and body heat as the focus. With the massive response with that topic, I decided to address the main question at hand: "My dog is scratching like crazy; I know he/she is itching. What do I do?" First and foremost, always talk to your vet before starting any type of treatment. Cold weather does cause drier skin, but so can allergies, fleas, or other parasites. I am speaking directly to the itching that is a result of dry skin because of cold weather. There are several options lets talk about the extreme and then take a step back.

If the dog is scratching and gnawing at their coat and skin, they can dig deep enough to cause cuts or abrasions and these opening in the skin may get infected and take on a whole new set of issues with the dog's health and wellbeing. If you are at this point do not waste time; go to the vet and get some antibiotics for the animal. While you are there, the vet may inform you of some medication that you can obtain from him/her, such as cortisone or antihistamines that may alleviate the itching. This type of treatment may be effective. However, it may have side effect as well. The side effects may include, but not limited to: weight gain, drowsiness, lack of attention, or hyperactivity.

With the worst case scenario out of the way, lets talk about preventive home treatments such as diet and supplements. Without proper nourishment this dog's entire body, not just its skin, will be continuously in a state of unbalance. A high quality dog food will generally contain the necessary protein, vitamins and amino acids a dog needs. With a balanced diet a dog's skin will generally produce enough oil to prevent dry skin, but supplements such as Omega Fatty Acids and possibly some spare steak trimmings, "fat", will have positive benefits. Now, let's continue down the road of prevention by addressing grooming habits. A daily brushing will assist in this area and provide you and your pet with quality time and well worth the effort. Next, using an oatmeal shampoo, like BioLux's Oatmeal (Sensitive) Shampoo might help to control itching. A second type of shampoo, BioLux's medicated dog shampoo formulated with colloidal sulfur that remains on the coat and skin to speed healing and relieve itchy, dry or flaky skin and hot spots Finally, BioLux Therapeutic Tar/Aloe Shampoo has been formulated using a blend of 2% Coat Tar and mild surfactants. Cools and soothes itchy inflamed areas. After the shampoo, try following up with a cream rinse or moisturizer. This may help restore some moisture to the skin and reduces itching and you can find multiple types at the following link. pet grooming supplies

These are the methods they use to aid in the prevention of dry skin and the itchiness that causes a dog to scratch and chew at their skin. It may take a couple of weeks to obtain the right combination to alleviate the issue, but if you love animals as I do, it is well worth the effort to see them content and healthy.

Thanks for reading