# Lab constantly scratching



## Bennieficial (Jun 18, 2012)

I've had my lab puppy for about a week now. He's 10 weeks old. I found that he is constantly scratching himself, as if he has fleas. It's so much that he'll completely drop everything he's doing at the moment to scratch. I took him to the vet just to make sure everything was fine. They couldn't find any fleas on him, but still gave me some flea medicine. She said that it could be possibly that he just has dry skin, which is what I think it is also. I noticed that he has white flakes on his coat (doggy dandruff?). So can somebody suggest to me a good product that I could use for dry skin?


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## 3doglady (Jul 31, 2011)

it could be seasonal or food allergies. I would wait a few weeks and re-evaluate. What's he eating?


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

I would definitely look at your dog's diet first. My dog had itchy skin on cheap food from the grocery store which improved greatly on higher quality foods with higher protein and fat. It could be environmental, but I would definitely start with diet and go from there.


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## bootss (Oct 16, 2007)

Usually dry skin comes in winter.I would look into food.Avoid food with grain products as the main ingredient because it contains gluten.If the problem persists after changing food try adding our supplament for your pup.We have been breeding for over 10 years and developed our product just for dry skin and coats.
http://www.labradoodle.net/Dog_Itchy_Skin_Coat_Formula.html
Thanks, 
St.Clair Labradoodle Kennels


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## Bennieficial (Jun 18, 2012)

The breeder was originally feeding him kibbles and bits, but I've fully switched him over to Science diet.


3doglady said:


> it could be seasonal or food allergies. I would wait a few weeks and re-evaluate. What's he eating?


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## undervenued (Mar 26, 2011)

Is it a specific spot? I know that they can sometimes scratch when going from their puppy fur to adult fur.


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## 3doglady (Jul 31, 2011)

Bennieficial, 

While I don't recommend switching foods at such a young age, you might want to consider a different food source. With the recent Diamond plant recall, finding a good economical food is a little tougher than it was a few months ago, but there are still many choices out there. You can start browsing different foods via http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/ (sorry to throw you into that vicious loop, but it's worth looking into and ask lots of questions in the food and nutrition section of the forum). If you decide to change foods, please make sure you transition slowly. 

If the flaky itchy skin continues after a month or two, then it is most likely a food or environmental allergy and you can work with your vet to resolve it. Some dogs do well with some protein sources (ie chicken, beef, lamb fish, etc), and get a reaction from others; same with carb sources, (rice versus, potato, versus barly, etc). And while lots of vets recommend Science Diet, it generally does not have a good reputation. 

In my opinion, a puppy that age should not need supplements. Their food should provide all the nutrients they need. However, if you are unable to work through it with a good base food, then you may want to consider adding a supplement with salmon oil or coconut oil and/or have him tested for allergies. 

I hope you find the source soon. Please keep us updated.


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## MegaMuttMom (Sep 15, 2007)

My dog itched like crazy on Science Diet. My husband was constantly thinking he had fleas. I switched to a food with no corn and no more itching. Lots of dogs can't eat corn.


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## Pekinchick (Jun 11, 2012)

For dry skin, you can give salmon oil or salmon treats which contain omega 3. You can also use oatmeal shampoo. Im using earthbath shampoo and salmon treats and I also switched to taste of the wild which is grain free. My pup has stopped scratching completely after a month. I started noticing less scratching after a few days.


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## hanman67 (Aug 13, 2011)

Bennieficial said:


> I've had my lab puppy for about a week now. He's 10 weeks old. I found that he is constantly scratching himself, as if he has fleas. It's so much that he'll completely drop everything he's doing at the moment to scratch. I took him to the vet just to make sure everything was fine. They couldn't find any fleas on him, but still gave me some flea medicine. She said that it could be possibly that he just has dry skin, which is what I think it is also. I noticed that he has white flakes on his coat (doggy dandruff?). So can somebody suggest to me a good product that I could use for dry skin?


try skin soft or try low dose benadrill


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## Pekinchick (Jun 11, 2012)

Benadryl is only for temporary relief, you'll still need to diagnose the problem. Dry skin is caused by allergies, bad food or not enough oil in their diet.


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## goblingerty (Mar 13, 2008)

Hi, my dog had a similar problem about 2 years ago, she was constantly scratching/biting at her back at the base of her tail and around her legs. We thought she had a food allergy also & changed to harringtons complete, this didnt work. Then we tried flea treatment... still nothing, eventually the vet put her on a course of advocate spot treatment, it is more expensive than other spot treatments, but covers fleas, mites, worms etc etc. this worked a charm & although no skin scrapes were done & nothing had been seen we put it down to mites she probably picked up in the fields. No problems since using this, only available through the vet tho. Good luck with your fiur legged friend.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

Labs are water-dogs, and their fur is 'oily' to repel water and mud. Not only do many, well-groomed Labs have beautiful shiny coats, but they can just shake off the mud when it dries. So, as suggested, consider adding some source of omega 3 fatty acid to his diet.


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## georgiapeach (Mar 17, 2012)

Science Diet is not a good food - mostly corn, which causes a lot of problems for many dogs. Look for a food with no corn, wheat, or soy. Good foods are more expensive, but you can feed less of them b/c they're more nutrient dense. This makes the cost almost even out. I prefer the grain free kibbles (all of the following kibbles come in both grain inclusive and grain free varieties). Some good foods are Acana, Wellness, Blue Buffalo, Innova, and Nature's Variety.

I also recommend feeding your pup a human grade fish oil capsule daily. If he won't eat it whole (my dogs inhale theirs right along with their kibble), you can prick it and squeeze it over the kibble.


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## kadylady (Sep 23, 2010)

My youngest dog Zoey had a dandruffy coat and was very itchy when we first got her. She was on Science Diet from the shelter. We tried a couple different foods with different main proteins and she is on 4 Health Salmon and Potato right now and her coat is so shiny and soft. She's a best guess plott hound mix and her coat is short and slightly coarse, but on this fish based food it is so soft and the scratching has subsided considerably.


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## kea2010 (Oct 7, 2010)

I would suggest you watch him/her closely. My Husky-Lab cross had this same issue, except she was stung by a wasp on the side of the face. She was fine at first and one day when I was at work she scratched all the fur off the side of her face and caused tissue damage. Now shes on 3 different meds for self inflicted wounds, infections, itching are not fun.


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

I'm going to 8th switching foods. Kabota (an adult rescue) was itchy when I got him. I put him on Wellness and added a fish oil capsule every day, and not only did the itch disappear, his coat is soft, shiny and the colour is richer. You want to stay away from anything with corn and other such grains in it. Dogfoodadvisor.com is a great site, just write down a list of 4 or 5 star foods and see what works.

Don't worry about price, either. Good foods seem pricey, but they don't contain fillers like corn, so you can feed less. I was feeding my old dog Purina and when I switched to Wellness/TOTW/Blue (I rotate brands and protein sources), I found that I fed so much less, I was actually spending less on the "expensive" brands.


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## alfrances01 (Feb 24, 2012)

Bennieficial said:


> I've had my lab puppy for about a week now. He's 10 weeks old. I found that he is constantly scratching himself, as if he has fleas. It's so much that he'll completely drop everything he's doing at the moment to scratch. I took him to the vet just to make sure everything was fine. They couldn't find any fleas on him, but still gave me some flea medicine. She said that it could be possibly that he just has dry skin, which is what I think it is also. I noticed that he has white flakes on his coat (doggy dandruff?). So can somebody suggest to me a good product that I could use for dry skin?


My lab was doing the exact same thing and the vet could not find anything wrong. I changed his food to the "Science Diet: Healthy Development" for puppies under 1 year old. It actually works. In about a week, he had stopped scratching and his coat is so much healthier too. It's a ittle more expensive but it's worth it for your pooch.


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## RedGermanPinscher (Jun 22, 2012)

When we got Riley he looked great but within a month of us having him, he started with periodic itches ( so bad he'd scratch himself raw causing secondary infections to set in) we chalked it up to "seasonal allergies" and treated it as such, seeing as this was what was told to us by his former owner, Well, after a couple more months of no improvement and the "sudden" loss of communication with his owner I brought him to my vet and after almost 3 years and $1,500 just in allergy testing (which yielded very little answers) I finally took matters into my own hands. He is now on Earthborn Holistics Coastal Catch and/or Meadow Feast food and gets apple cider vinegar added to his water daily and although we are still battling some minor issues with his ears ( Flare ups that occur whenever he gets into something he shouldn't have) He looks and acts like a completely different dog. Vet has stated that if it weren't for some minor greying in the face a the few battle scars he has she would never of guessed him to be anything more than 4-5 yr old.


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## JJAK (Nov 25, 2008)

Pekinchick said:


> For dry skin, you can give salmon oil or salmon treats which contain omega 3. You can also use oatmeal shampoo. Im using earthbath shampoo and salmon treats and I also switched to taste of the wild which is grain free. My pup has stopped scratching completely after a month. I started noticing less scratching after a few days.


This sounds like a Real Good Plan !


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