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Riley has what seems like very dry skin lately, she itches and chews at her side/legs/ears a lot. We have tried giving her fish oil and coconut oil, as well as Benadryl, to help with the itching and re growing hair she chews out. are there any product recommendations to help with her itching, or growing fur back?

Riley has what seems like very dry skin lately, she itches and chews at her side/legs/ears a lot. We have tried giving her fish oil and coconut oil, as well as Benadryl, to help with the itching and re growing hair she chews out. are there any product recommendations to help with her itching, or growing fur back?

Updated On May 16th, 2017

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 2 years and 7 months old

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Answered By Jeffrey Milner

Veterinarian

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Riley definitely sounds quite uncomfortable. The best medications available to prevent and address itching and scratching are prescription only, but I assure you are much more effective at controlling the issue than Benadryl. Based on the distribution of the scratching, I believe it is possible Riley could be suffering from a food allergy. You should consider placing her on a new diet with a brand new protein. Many of the prescription only diets contain single proteins (meaning there is no by products of any other meats at all). Your veterinarian will be able to provide you with information on these products, and issue you a prescription to the pharmacy of your choice to purchase it. In terms of addressing the itching right away, your vet should prescribe a medication call Apoquel or Cytopoint. One of them is a daily oral while the other is a month injectable. An e-collar might also be necessary at first in order to prevent Riley from causing any more damage to herself. If you choose to undergo a food trial, it should be done for at least 6-8 weeks without feeding ANY other protein. While I understand this is difficult, any small amount of protein that is not the novel one has the potential to throw off the entire trial. Good luck with Riley and her itchiness!

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    Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

    Licensed Veterinary Technician

    Place an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent chewing. Consider an exam with your veterinarian or a veterinary dermatologist. Rule out endocrine issues (hypothyroidism), skin infection (bacterial or fungal), external parasites (fleas or mites) and allergies or sensitivities. If the Benadryl is not effective, discuss different antihistamines with your vet. Hydrolyzed diets, allergy testing and food elimination trials should also be discussed.

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