Hi

There are several things you can do to ease your dogs itch while you try to figure out, with the help of your vet, what is causing the irritating itch.

1. Bathe the dog regularly in cool water. Warm or hot water will only make the itch worse. Soak for 5 to 10 minutes. Adding some Epsom salts, baking soda, or colloidal oatmeal (like Aveeno) to the water will increase the soothing effects. This will provide only a temporary relief lasting from a few hours to a few days. After the bath, pat the dog with a towel. Do not rub the skin, this will only increase the dogs itch. Do not use a hair dryer on a heat setting. A cool (no heat) setting would be okay. Heat and rubbing the dogs skin will increase your dogs itch, making the bath ineffective.

2.Fatty Acids, found in either marine oils or evening primrose oil, can be very effective in easing an itch. You can try giving one of these fatty acid supplements. It will take several weeks before the benefit will take effect, so they are for treating long term problems rather than an on-off irritation. You can find these at your local health food store.

3.Antihistamines can sometimes be effective with short term itches. For example; insect bites or a flare-up of hay fever. You can use an over the counter antihistamine such as clemastine (Tavist), chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton) or diphenhydramine (Benadryl). Be sure to consult your veterinarian first. Your vet will give you the proper dosage and tell you if this will be a good thing to try for your dogs problem.

Thanks
Have a anice time ahead.

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