How to Prevent Your Dog From Scratching and Why He’s Doing It. Before we talk about how to deal with the constant scratching, let’s take a quick look at why your dog is doing it in the first place. My dog keeps scratching and biting himself! Needless to say, it’s become pretty annoying. He scratches until he bleeds and then it becomes a bloody mess. I do not use flea treatment because my dog is allergic to them. I’ve spent a lot of money trying to figure out why he is scratching so much.

No Fleas But Dog Still Scratching

Introduction

If you’ve ruled out fleas and are still wondering why your dog is scratching, there are a number of other potential causes. Some of them can be treated easily at home, but others need veterinary attention. Let’s explore the possibilities.

Identifying the Cause of Your Dog’s Scratching

The most common causes of itching are fleas, skin infections and allergies. If you have a dog with sensitive skin that’s constantly scratching, it’s time to do some detective work. Start by looking for signs of fleas; if you find them, head over to our article on how to get rid of fleas. If there is no sign of infection or allergies (more on those in a minute), look into food allergies as the reason your pup is scratching up a storm: they’re more common than many people realize!

Fleas

If you think your dog may be infested with fleas, look for signs of irritation and hair loss around the neck, head and tail. The most common places to find fleas on a dog are in the coat around their ears and face, under their neck (where they rest while sleeping), inside the armpit area or between their legs. If you notice any of these areas are excessively bare or balding, it’s possible that there is an issue with your pet’s health that could be causing this.

If you suspect your dog is suffering from an allergic reaction to flea bites then we advise seeing a vet as soon as possible. In some cases there can be underlying issues such as allergies which require further investigation by medical professionals who can advise on the best course of treatment for your beloved pooch!

Atopic Dermatitis

• Atopic dermatitis is a type of allergy that causes dry, itchy skin. It is common in dogs, but can also affect humans.
• Atopic dermatitis is not contagious and it cannot be transmitted between pets or people through contact with a pet or by sharing bedding, grooming tools or toys.
• Factors that may contribute to atopic dermatitis include food allergies, fleas and other environmental factors such as pollen or dry air (allergens).

The symptoms of atopic dermatitis can vary depending on the age of your dog and the severity of their symptoms:

Food Allergy

If your dog is scratching, licking and biting at his skin, it’s important to consider that food allergies could be the cause. Food allergies are more common in dogs than humans and can be very uncomfortable for a dog who may also have other health issues. Symptoms of food allergy include itching, scratching and skin infections. Dog breeds with curly hair tend to be more prone to this condition as well as those who are allergic to fleas or ticks. The most common areas affected by food allergies include the stomach, intestines and ears which leads us into our next section on treating flea bites on dogs who are allergic or sensitive to certain foods.

Contact Dermatitis

Contact dermatitis is an immune reaction to allergens that come in contact with your pet’s skin. Allergens can be found in many things, including food, chemicals and plants.

Allergic reactions are caused by the body’s immune system overreacting to an allergen when it comes into contact with the skin.

The symptoms include:

• redness or swelling of the skin (erythema)
• intense itching (pruritus)
• hair loss where there has been rubbing against something or scratching

Skin Infections

Another common cause of scratching is a skin infection. This can be caused by many things: ticks, mites and bacteria, fungi or viruses. The most common type of dog skin infection is demodectic mange caused by the Demodex canis mite. Dogs tend to get infections from other dogs or cats but they can also get it from humans (so be careful handling your dog!).

The treatment for this type of infection depends on what caused it but usually involves antibiotics or anti-fungal cream along with some sort of parasite medication if needed. If you suspect that your dog has a skin problem then take them to see a vet as soon as possible so they can diagnose the problem and find out which treatment will work best for your pooch!

Autoimmune Skin Conditions

Autoimmune skin conditions are those in which your dog’s immune system begins to attack the healthy cells of the body, but instead of attacking invaders like viruses or bacteria, it attacks the dog’s own cells. This can lead to inflammation and other problems that affect their skin, hair coat, and nails.

Some breeds are more prone to autoimmune disorders than others—for example: Samoyeds, Great Pyrenees, St Bernards and Siberian Huskies are more susceptible than Golden Retrievers or Labrador Retrievers.

If you suspect that your pup might have an autoimmune disorder based on symptoms such as itching (especially at night), loss of fur/loss of hair on paws/nails (thinning), bald patches on skin and ears with scabbing along with other indicators including sores around eyes; redness in those areas; etc., then you should definitely get them checked out by a vet who specializes in these cases!

Ringworm

Ringworm is a fungal infection that can be passed from dog to dog, cat to cat and even from human to human. This can happen through direct contact with an infected animal or through an object that came into contact with the fungus.

While ringworm is not caused by a worm, it can be very contagious to both pets and humans. It is important for you and your family members to learn the signs of ringworm so that you can avoid letting it spread throughout your home!

There are many possible causes.

There are many possible causes. It could be an allergy or even a food sensitivity. It could also be an infection, such as ringworm or mange. Other reasons for itching include parasites like fleas, ticks, mites and lice. Severe skin infections can also cause itching.

If your dog’s skin is red and inflamed with hair loss, he may have mange mites (a type of arthropod). If the skin has developed sores from scratching and is flaky instead of oily looking then there’s probably some sort of fungus growing on it which causes patches to form along with thickening in that area.

Conclusion

If your dog is scratching, it’s important to determine the cause of the problem. If you’re not sure what’s causing the itching, your veterinarian can help you narrow down a list of possible causes and make a diagnosis. Once you’ve identified the cause, you can work on the best treatment option for your dog.