If you've ever found yourself asking “Why is my dog so itchy?”, you're definitely not alone.
Constant scratching, paw licking, nibbling and rubbing can be frustrating to watch — particularly when you have absolutely no idea what's causing it.
We know that feeling very well at the Doggy Paddle Club because of Nancy, our Dogue de Bordeaux.
Nancy has struggled with itching, and one of the hardest parts has been trying to work out why she is itchy.
Is it her dog food?
A particular treat?
Grass or pollen?
Something she's come into contact with?
An environmental trigger?
Or something completely different?
When your dog can't tell you what's bothering them, you start questioning everything.
That's why Itchy Pet Awareness Month feels particularly relevant to us this August.
Why Do Dogs Itch?
There isn't one simple answer to why a dog scratches.
Dogs can experience itching for many different reasons, including fleas and other parasites, skin problems, environmental allergens and food-related issues.
Summer can make things even more confusing because our dogs may be spending more time outdoors around grass, plants, pollen and insects.
That's why persistent itching shouldn't automatically be put down to an allergy or food intolerance.
If your dog is excessively scratching, licking or chewing themselves, developing sore skin, losing fur or experiencing recurring problems with their skin or ears, speak to your vet.
But as owners, we can also start paying much closer attention to what's happening in our dog's everyday life.
That's exactly what we did with Nancy.
Our Experience With a Dog Sensitivity Test
We wanted to investigate whether anything in Nancy's diet might be worth looking at more closely.
We discovered a pet sensitivity test that could be completed at home.
There was no complicated procedure involved.
We simply cut a small sample of Nancy's hair, sent the hair cuttings away and received a detailed report after they had been analysed.
It was an accessible way for us to gather some additional information without immediately spending a large amount of money.
However, there's an important distinction.
The test we used was a bioresonance sensitivity test. It isn't the same as veterinary allergy testing and it doesn't diagnose a food allergy or medical condition.
We therefore didn't treat the results as a definitive list of things Nancy was allergic to.
Instead, we used them as another piece of information to help us look more closely at her diet.
What Did Nancy's Dog Sensitivity Report Find?
This was where things became really interesting.
Nancy's report identified different levels of reported reactivity across a large number of ingredients.
Among the ingredients reported in the higher reactivity category were beef and several beef products, grouse, sea bass, turkey gizzard, herring oil, salmon oil, pumpkin seed, walnut and wheat flour.
There were also ingredients in the moderate reactivity category, including duck, boar, mackerel, pigeon, chicken fat, cow's milk and some dairy products, sweet potato, oats and spelt.
But there were also plenty of foods for which the report showed no reported reactivity, including chicken meat, lamb, pork, rabbit, goat, kangaroo, quail, salmon, rice, potato, peas, pumpkin, carrots and broccoli.
It gave us somewhere to start.
What Surprised Me About Nancy's Results
One of the most interesting things for me was how specific some of the results appeared to be.
For example, chicken meat itself wasn't reported as reactive, while chicken fat appeared in the moderate category.
Similarly, salmon wasn't reported as reactive, while salmon oil appeared in the higher category.
It made me realise how easy it is to look at the front of a bag of dog food or treats and think you know what's inside.
Once you've got an itchy dog, you suddenly find yourself studying the tiny ingredients list on the back!
Helping an Itchy Dog Doesn't Always Have to Start With Spending a Fortune
This is one of the main reasons I wanted to share Nancy's story.
When you're worried about your dog, it can feel as though finding out what's wrong is automatically going to involve spending hundreds or even thousands of pounds.
There are situations where veterinary tests, medication and treatment are absolutely necessary.
But there are also simple things owners can do to start gathering useful information.
For us, sending Nancy's hair cuttings away for a sensitivity report was one of those things.
It hasn't medically diagnosed the cause of Nancy's itching.
What it has done is encourage us to look much more carefully at what she's eating and consider whether there are patterns we hadn't previously noticed.
Sometimes the first step isn't finding the answer.
It's knowing what questions to start asking.
Check What's Actually in Your Dog's Food and Treats
Nancy has turned me into an ingredient detective!
If you're investigating whether food might be connected to your dog's itching, don't just look at the flavour written on the front of the packet.
Read the complete ingredients.
Look at:
their everyday dog food
training treats
chews
dental products
supplements
enrichment foods
anything regularly added to meals
It can also be tempting to change lots of things at once because you desperately want your dog to feel better.
But if everything changes simultaneously and your dog's itching improves, it can be difficult to know what actually made the difference.
If you're considering an elimination diet because of suspected food allergy, speak to your vet about doing it properly rather than simply removing lots of foods yourself.
Keep an Itchy Dog Diary
One of the simplest and cheapest things you can do is keep a diary of your dog's itching.
Record what your dog eats, the treats they've had, where you've walked and anything unusual they've encountered.
You could record:
what food they ate
treats and chews
enrichment foods
walks and locations
time spent in long grass
swimming or water activities
shampoos and grooming products
particularly bad itching days
particularly good days
changes to their skin, paws or ears
Take photographs too.
Something that doesn't seem significant today might become much more interesting when you notice the same thing happening repeatedly.
It also gives you useful information to discuss with your vet.
Signs Your Dog May Be Itchy
An itchy dog doesn't necessarily spend all day dramatically scratching.
Look out for behaviours such as:
excessive scratching
licking or chewing paws
rubbing their face
nibbling at their coat or skin
repeatedly licking the same area
red or irritated-looking skin
changes around the ears
thinning or damaged fur
You know what's normal for your own dog.
If something changes or you're concerned, get veterinary advice.
Nancy Has Changed How We Think About Treats at the Doggy Paddle Club
Going through this with Nancy has also influenced how I think about the Doggy Paddle Club.
Food can be a fantastic part of canine enrichment.
Treats can be hidden for sniffing activities, used in enrichment toys or given as rewards when a dog is trying something new.
But Nancy has reminded me that every dog is an individual.
Something that's perfectly suitable for one dog might not be suitable for another.
That's why knowing about a dog's dietary requirements and ingredients that owners want them to avoid will be important when we're using treats during activities at the Doggy Paddle Club.
It's another small part of creating an environment that's centred around the individual dog.
When Should You Speak to Your Vet About an Itchy Dog?
Please don't assume persistent dog itching is simply a food sensitivity.
There are many potential causes.
If your dog is constantly scratching or licking, their skin becomes red or sore, they're losing fur, they're experiencing recurring ear problems or their behaviour changes because they're uncomfortable, contact your vet.
And if you're worried about your dog, you don't need to wait for their symptoms to become severe before asking for advice.
What Nancy Has Taught Me About Having an Itchy Dog
The hardest part is looking at your dog and thinking:
“Just tell me what's bothering you and I'll fix it!”
Unfortunately, they can't.
So we become detectives.
We read dog food labels.
We question treats.
We remember where they've walked.
We look at the grass they've been rolling around in.
We photograph their skin.
We make notes.
And sometimes we get it wrong and start investigating something else.
Nancy has taught me that you don't necessarily have to have all the answers immediately.
Sometimes you just need somewhere to start.
For us, a few hair cuttings and a sensitivity report gave us another piece of Nancy's puzzle.
And if sharing Nancy's experience during Itchy Pet Awareness Month helps another owner start asking questions about their own itchy dog, then hopefully our experience can help someone else too.
Here's to happier dogs — and hopefully a little less scratching. 🐾
