Itching dog - definitely not fleas. Given Benadryl, but have heard that it might hurt

[patricia92243]

kidneys. Does anyone know if this is true and also, any suggestions of a topical remedy that might help.

The itching is on her paws only. She has chewed the hair off of all four feet. She is 11 years old and has had a little bit of itch each summer - but nothing like this.

Any help or advice will be greatly appreciated - by her and me!

[Stinky The Clown]

1. Our GSD has itching issues from time to time. Our vet said antihistimies were okay - even daily.

That said, I'd get yours to a vet to get that checked out first. Our GSD itches due to allergies, but we're not sure what. Just itching on the feet could be environmental . . . like from walking on some chemicals. Do you get your lawn sprayed or could she have been someplace where that was done? Something like that is what I'm thinking and that's why I suggest the vet visit.

I hope she feels better.

[patricia92243]

2. Yes, I do get my yard sprayed quarterly for carpenter ants. We have lived here for

over three years, but that still might be it. I will talk it over with my vet. Thanks for answering

[Lionessa]

5. One of my cats had a reaction to the pesticide spray. Could be?? Also

if it's only in the summer, sounds a tad old fashioned but have you tried powdering with Gold Bond or alike, couple times a day?

[Curmudgeoness]

3. Just the paws leads me to believe it is from walking on something.

Have you washed the paws well? Really well, even between the toes? Have you examined the paws to see if there is anything odd looking about them? Is it possible to keep the dog off of any areas that are treated with chemicals? The chemicals may not have been a problem in the past, but just like humans, dogs can develop an allergy to things that did not bother them in the past.

Your vet is the best first line of help after you don't see anything obvious.

[intaglio]

4. Also check for seeds

some carry spines that irritate

[nadine_mn]

6. Our GSD gets seasonal allergies on his paws - must be something in the grass

because he just chomps on his paws.

I have Musher's Secret (we live in Minnesota and its great for the winter when there is all that salt and crap on walkways).

It seems to help his summer allergies - its a wax so it soothes and protects.

We have tried itch relief sprays, but he HATES have anything sprayed on his paws, so this works.

[patricia92243]

8. Since I last posted, I have put Shea Butter on her feet and it seems to have helped a lot.

I will see if I can find the Musher's Secret - may have to order it on the internet.

[TorchTheWitch]

9. you could maybe also try Bag Balm

I think it might be similar to Musher's Secret in that it's a bit waxy. They invented this stuff to put on cow teats for when they get sore, itchy and inflamed from milking. I love it for me and tried it on my first doggie's feet that had sebaceous addenitis. Though the oil baths worked wonders for him all over, it wasn't always enough to treat his feet especially in between the toes probably because he chewed at licked them so much. It's pretty great stuff.

[TorchTheWitch]

7. the vet can prescribe much better anti-histamines than benadryl

The doggie I used to have, Boo, had to take them the last two summers of his life. I can't remember what the one he took was called, but when I asked the vet about Benadryl because I thought it would be good enough without the expense, it turned out to be even more expensive than the prescription stuff given how many milligrams he'd need several times per day. Benadryl is sold over the counter precisely because it is not nearly as powerful as a prescription anti-histamine, though it's plenty good enough for most people for more mild symptoms. Dogs also need a lot more milligrams than the same sized person would of any medication because their metabolism, heart rate, body temp, etc. is much higher than a human's. For instance, my dog being roughly the same weight as me once needed to take three times as much immodium for diarrhea than I would need to take and even that one third amount for me would clog me up for days.

This probably isn't a big deal for someone with a smaller dog (less body weight = less medication), but without finding out from the vet how much Benadryl is needed for the size of the dog how would one know if they were underdosing or overdosing? Anytime one considers giving an over the counter medication to their dog (which I don't advocate without permission from the vet first especially since it may not be the medication that is needed and may even cause worse problems) at least call the vet and ask if giving the over the counter med is ok and have them compute the proper amount of milligrams to give and how often.

Itching skin can be a huge variety of issues in a dog... environmental allergies, food allergy, parasites of one kind or another, skin infection or a host of various other diseases or disorders where one obvious symptom presents as itching skin. The dog should be seen by the vet to rule out any kind of parasite by doing a skin scraping, check for infection in case there is one (skin infections alone can cause itching) and properly diagnose the dog so the right medication or ointment or shampoo or whatever can be administered.

[Walk away]

10. It sounds like alergies. Try keeping you dog off grass and away from...

any poisons or fertilizers. Also, beware of rug shampoos and powdered products. Stick to soap and water of just very hot water to clean. If you begin to see a difference you can try romping on the grass again to see if it comes back.
Don't use wipes on your dog's paws. Just use warm water and clean towels to keep his tootsies free of allergens.

Beladryl should be fine. Call your vet for the correct dosage for your dog. (poor buddy