Itchy Itchy Itchy dog

[nannymom]

I have a 10 year old small standard dachshund. Every year he develops a "hot spot" on his back where he compulsivly bites and scratches until it is a big bald spot This year he has been to 2 different vets on 3 different ocassions. We finally solved it with a special perscription shampoo and athletes foot creme.

However, now that the spots have healed he is itchy all over. I don't think the two things are related except maybe he is itchy from over bathing?

we treat him for fleas and I'm confident it's not fleas.

Could it be an allergy to his food? He eats Wellness and has for a while.

Could it be an allergy to something outside?

Several nights he has scratched all night long. I feel awful for him.

What could it be and what can I do?

[Ola_]

Is there a specific time of the year when it gets worse? One of my dogs has seasonal allergies that are scheduled to start in the next few weeks. We have a number of things that we do to keep them under control but it's certainly not fun.

[nannymom]

Well the hotspot gets worse at the begining of the year-so winter. This all over itching is new.

[Nicole915]

Does the dog have other GI symptoms (vomit after eating, diarrhea, blood in stool)? Does he tend to lick his paws after being outdoors? Has the vet scraped the skin for mites?

Wellness is a really good food, if you decide to do a food test you'll want to find a similar quality food that has none of the same protien sources as the current food. You will also want to remember to to feed people food or treats. A good food trial is difficult, and you'll want your vet to be in on the process.