First I would like to say that we are taking my Shi Tzu Roxy to a vet regularly these days and she -the vet- is taking care of the issue, but... somehow the treatment fails to work, so.. I decided to ask whether someone here has already faced such a problem with their dog.

Roxy is 1 year old, very healthy and playful, however she is having this rash she cannot put up with. No, she doesn't have fleas we check that every day just in case. She has caused herself huge suffering given that by scratching she has opened up two serious wounds on her neck. I started putting on a scarf in order to prevent her from further affecting the weak place but in vain. Tonight she scratched herself to blood. We did cut her claws, but I guess she just doesn't seem to understand that she is causing herself greater pain that the one she is already in.

Advice will be much appreciated, not on the medical part, but how to make her life easier safe from the medications the vet is prescribing.

I havent experienced this, but it could be a food allergy?

__________________

Bruce has had severe itchy episodes when he's had a tick - even for some time after it's gone as he's allergic to them. He's a shih tzu cross, so don't know whether they're prone to itchy probs. He has a couple of weeks of Piriton when this happens, otherwise it would drive him mad. I hate ticks with a vengence as they're so hard to find and they hurt like hell.

Anyway, not saying this is your girls problem but a course of Piriton may help with the scratching whatever the cause is. You could try putting a comfy collar on her, over a scarf so as she can't scratch the area too.
Comfy Collars for Cats and Dogs
Comfy Collar - Alternative Buster, elizabethan neck collar for dogs and cats
Some pet shops stock them.

Poor baby, must be so distressing for her. Hope it clears up soon.

__________________

Flynn - Kali - Britches - Bruce - T-Bo - Marty



"For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack"

One of my friends has a year old collie/GSD bitch with a similar problem. Her stools are fine and her coat shines but she is permanently scratching.

We think it is probably diet related and at the moment we are trying Bionic Biotics to see if there is any difference.

Have you tried putting boots or socks on her so she can't scratch (difficult to keep them on, I know!) or even putting a small t-shirt or the like on her so she can't scratch the spot? One of mine had a wound on her chest and she was scratching it - a t-shirt sorted the problem and allowed the wound to heal.

Could be a food allergy? or allergy to the flea treatment itself?

What do you feed him?

As it's round the neck is it anything to do with his collar?

Once the wound is healed you could try Dermacton. Have a look at their website ( petnats) it's all for itchy skin problems. We use their ear cleaner and it's fab and they offer 100% money back guarantee.

Marty had a food allergy as a pup - changing to a BARF diet solved the problem. Just a thought!

__________________

Flynn - Kali - Britches - Bruce - T-Bo - Marty



"For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack"

Biting lice perhaps? Frontline didn't work on my dog who got really itchy so changed to advocate.

He was a different dog within 48 hours, hth.

I also dipped his paws in a plastic bag containing some Thornit just in case the mites/lice got under the nails.

Try Stronghold in case it's sarcoptes. My dog had it for over 18 months before the vet found out why he was scratching.

Is stronghold better than Advocate then?