“I wouldn’t stop scratching”
Cooper, our rat terrier is an OCD – obsessive compulsive dog. He scratches his neck until he bleeds, so he has to wear cortizone 10, gauze, bandages, and the dreaded neck sock! How humiliating.
I scratched a hole in my neck | Dog Shaming
Kim
It’s a handsome scarf!
debbie
I have three Ratties and a JRT…I know exactly what you mean by OCD
Margarita
I don’t think Cooper is OCD. I think he has a skin condition. His paws and legs are very pink/irritated as well. My corgi did that too…she was very allergic to chicken. After we switched her food to Lamb (she can do salmon too) Tast of the Wild (no grain)..the itching and skin problems came to abrupt stop. Best of luck to you guys.
I think Cooper is very handsome in his scarf:)
LN
Oh he is just adorable in his scarf, though! Poor guy!
Ashley
My dog does the same thing, even nibbles at himself and pulls his hair out. He is now on medication and hopefully it works!
Donna Tipton
Ditto Margarita! Cooper caught my eye because he looks so much like our Rat Terrier Lilly. Her paws are also identical – season allergies that require medication & special diet. Sweet Babies!!
Beth Greenberg
It’s a cute scarf!!!
Hayley
I agree with Margarita here.. There is something irritating him.. whether it’s environment or something he’s eating..
We had a lot of Wandering Dew in our back yard that we could not get rid of! My dog had very irritated feet from it for about 3 years.. We moved house.. now 8 years on, she still bites her nails till they bleed purely from habit.. and yes thats OCD..
But the color of Coopers feet is telling me there is something still there and it’s not just in his head.
vidalia poopnoodle
my boxer has allergies and she’s on over-the-counter meds prescribed by our second vet. its helped a lot! unlike the $70/week dog food the first vet prescribed. you might look into the possibility that your baby has food allergies. best of luck to you and your adorable boy!
Hildy
My dog had the same issue. Claritin once a day and fish and sweet potato dog food for sensitive skin solved the problem.
briannaquaranto
My little rat terriers have the same problem with their skin. One of them is on Prednisone, which does help with the itching, but unfortunately causes him to gain weight. Dogs can also take benadryl tablets, usually half a tablet every day. Another thing that helps is to make a lukewarm bath and add two cups of vinegar, completely wet the dog’s skin and then leave it on the skin without rinsing. Over time, these baths will reduce the inflammation and itching. 🙂
Veronica
Sorry for the skin conditon…my dachshund used to chew on his left back paw till it bled. I stopped giving him mini Milkbones and he stopped. Now I’m thinking I might get him one of those “neck socks”…pretty dashing, I think!!
SD
Baby wipes can work wonders for pups with environmental allergies. Try wiping him down down after walks and anytime he’s been outside, especially the paws. It can make a huge difference.
Outis
It is most definitely allergies and it’s great that so many are giving their advice and experiences. My poor pup used to scratch till he bled. He was allergic to chicken of all things and flea bites. Now we’ve gone raw and he is so healthy with a beautiful coat. When you read all the nasty stuff about dog food and how dry food in particular is just not good for a pet, even the expensive stuff, it makes the extra work of feeding raw worth it. WAY less expensive than medication which is a vicious cycle and can lead to lots of health problems.