What level of itchiness is normal for pup ?

[poppii]

My cavoodle pup is 4.5 months old and sometimes I see him scratching.  About once a day I see him rolling on carpet or grass growling in frustration trying to scratch his back.  We all get itchy sometimes but what level of itchiness should I suspect allergies?  He is currently on MFM - salmon and sardine for puppies.  Thanks in advance.

[karen15]

Is his flea treatment up to date? My westie was itchier than i would have liked as a pup. I discussed with the vet at one of his visits and he got some antihistamines to use as needed. After the bottle finished he's been fine (now three yo).

[poppii]

yes he is on Nextguard spectra.  How long was he on antihistamine for ?

[persephone]

 Your little poodle cross is quite possibly rolling and vocalising in play/ecstasy  
Just like humans - and most animals ..dogs enjoy a back rub and the feel of different textures and may groan if it feels good . >
he's a puppy .. and I suspect he is exploring/stretching/playing   
let him rub on grass, in clean sand, in autumn leaves ... it's fun, it smells grand, and it sounds as if he likes it 
Try to not fill him with chemicals if there is not a definite need ..he is but a baby  ....

[Dogsfevr]

Yep rolling is very normal as is vocal noises at this time ,a great game .

Dogs can itch when there puppy coat is changing,because people wash them in crappy stuff or there not being washed .

If your dog is itching a lot and has coat it will be matting ,if matted due to lack of brushing knots can make them itchy and painful.

Allergies can be over considered but making sure your backyard is pet friendly plant wise is important 

 

[karen15]

 I think there were 30 or 60 tablets in the bottle. If he was too itchy for my liking, he'd get one. As westies are prone to skin issues i didn't want scratching to become learned behaviour. The vet agreed he seemed itchier than he should, so he got a medicated bath weekly and the antihistamines as needed. He's been good ever since.

[Scottsmum]

Sounds normal enough, as others have said. Its hard to say without seeing. Id also add -just double check he hasn't got any sneaky knots causing discomfort.

[poppii]

Thanks all. His hair is not matted and I bathe him every 2 weeks with Aloveen.  He is getting desexed in a month, will wait and  ask the vet then. 

[Daisys Mum]

Sometimes bathing them too often can cause them to itch... unless he is getting muddy/ dusty a lot I would cut down the bathing.

My dogs are due for a bath but they haven’t had one for about 4 months... they aren’t smelly either  

I would just brush him to make sure his coat is free of burrs etc.

Edited April 15, 2018 by ♦ Marg ♦

[suziwong66]

One of my labs has constant itchy skin  and some level of skin and respiratory allergies that we constantly manage. From my experience with Wilbur, the itching is the least of the issues (unless he's scratching and breaking the skin) but i do make sure to bathe him weekly in summer because it cuts down on the pollens that are on his coat - I use Malaseb when his skin has erupted into sores (Dermaveen/Aloveen when no eruptions are present) and neocourt twice daily on any eruptions. Wilbur also has a drippy nose when the pollens are bad - when the itchiness and drippy nose are bad i give him a  60mg Telfast tablet once a day on the advice from our vet. We also keep his ears very clean because they also tend to be itchy when the pollens are high.

 

If he's having a good run with no skin eruptions, occasional or no drippy nose and not too much scratching and no ear issues, i cut down on the baths - it's about 'all round' management for us. The level of itchiness and scratching that you described your pup having, wouldn't even blip on my radar, but thats not to say your dog doesn't have allergies. Perhaps a trip to the vet to allay/confirm your fears.

Edited April 15, 2018 by suziwong66

[Kazm]

On 11/04/2018 at 9:19 PM, persephone said:

 Your little poodle cross is quite possibly rolling and vocalising in play/ecstasy  
Just like humans - and most animals ..dogs enjoy a back rub and the feel of different textures and may groan if it feels good . >
he's a puppy .. and I suspect he is exploring/stretching/playing   
let him rub on grass, in clean sand, in autumn leaves ... it's fun, it smells grand, and it sounds as if he likes it 
Try to not fill him with chemicals if there is not a definite need ..he is but a baby  ....

My Molly does this all the time. She loves to get out on the grass and  she rolls and rubs her back vocalising the whole time. Happy noises. Different to when she gets “itchy”.

And yes I agree try to keep the chemicals to a minimum.

[persephone]

1 hour ago, Zena's mum said:

My Molly does this all the time.

LOL ..so does Puddy ..of course, being white   *sigh*  he rolls around on everything :P 

[Kazm]

12 hours ago, persephone said:

LOL ..so does Puddy ..of course, being white   *sigh*  he rolls around on everything :P 

LOL. ...... of course being a schnauzer, in comes half the yard. 

[natnatroswell22]

Wash them twice a week. As what others have said, it's normal but if you see that is not normal anymore then take him to the vet. My guchi is doing this also and sometimes he jump on my bed and roll around and scratch his back again.