Dogs get sick often. We, breeders, sometimes say: "Dogs are susceptible to almost all human diseases, plus they also have their own." The phrase, of course, is somewhat confused, but is one hundred percent true. And in the treatment of four-legged pets often use drugs designed for human therapy.
Why, for example, can a dog have an itch? On the one hand, there seems to be no reason for particular concern. But this is if the animal itches infrequently.
But if the knock on the floor and uterine rumbling (or nibbling of an itchy place) lasts day and night, then the cause of the itch needs to be determined. It must be admitted that this task is not always simple, even for experienced professionals. It happens that it is not possible to establish the reasons and have to be limited only to symptomatic treatment.
The dog itches due to irritation of the nerve endings that permeate the skin and mucous membranes. With strong, intense irritation, pain in the muscles is already possible (the animal whines or growls). Nerve impulse transmission is controlled by a substance called histamine. That is why drugs that relieve symptoms (do not eliminate the cause, but only block the transmission of momentum), are called antihistamines.
The nature of the itch can be either episodic or chronic (weak or painful).
Episodic scratching is a kind of protective reaction, one may say, congenital, evolutionally formed, designed to remove insects, plant seeds, shreds of wool, etc. from the hair and skin. Here, the cause of itching is easily eliminated, and the disease is not even considered. But if the dog itches constantly, it is very difficult to eliminate the cause. It’s, you guessed it, a chronic itch.
Reason number one (the most common) is ectoparasites (ticks, fleas). But if it is possible to deal with this (although the produced veterinary preparations have a lot of complaints), then the second reason sometimes makes even veterinarians with long experience to raise their hands. And her name is allergy. By the way, among people in recent years, there are also more allergic people. Allergens that provoke skin diseases in dogs, mass. Like the reasons. The chemical industry, both pharmaceutical and metallurgical, made their “contribution”. Due to technological progress, substances provoking skin inflammation (dermatitis) are released annually into the atmosphere. A microscopic fraction of the allergen may be enough to “burst” the immune system.
Moreover, there is a sharp deterioration in the gene pool. Breeders, in pursuit of the exterior, sometimes forget about the immunity of the dog. As an example - inbreeding mating. Those who are interested in the consequences of such can search for information in the vast expanses of the Internet. Moreover, for the sake of profit they even manage to bind sick animals, some of which have hereditary diseases (which means that they will be passed on to their descendants).
It is possible that the dog itches due to toxic substances that have accumulated in the skin due to ailments. For example, liver diseases lead to accumulations of bilirubin. Its contents will be determined by laboratory tests. Outwardly, this is manifested in the yellowing of the skin and eye proteins, as well as in a noticeable itch of varying intensity. Another example is kidney disease, leading to impaired protein metabolism and, again, to itching. The animal itches due to the high content of creatinine, which irritates the nerve endings.
The next cause of itching in dogs may be in the nervous system. Rather, in her illness. The nature of the disease can be both infectious and non-infectious (for example, a tumor or brain hematoma). Intense itching can be caused both by a violation of the integral membrane, and by damage to the brain itself. In this case, a specific neurological examination and special therapy are required, which is different from the others, the most familiar and standard.
The cause of itching can be food allergies, atopic dermatitis, neurodermatitis. Some owners point to the progression of allergies, despite the treatment and feeding of dogs with special (and terribly expensive) feeds. It is important to consider the following points. Firstly, those foods that are recommended in the complex treatment of allergies are both low-allergenic and non-allergenic. The former are usually classified as physiological diets. The protein in them causes allergic reactions rarely. But non-allergenic foods do not contain one at all. They contain only hydrogenated proteins. Therefore, if you regularly feed the dog only with this food, not succumbing to the temptation to give it a tidbit from the table (if you remember, the amount of allergen absolutely does not matter, a drop is enough), following all the instructions of your veterinarian, and the pet itches, as before, then the diagnosis probably wrong.
This does not mean that the allergic origin of itching is excluded, but it is worth thinking about non-nutritional reasons. As an option - atopic dermatitis (diffuse neurodermatitis, extensive).
The diagnostic algorithm is usually built "from simple to complex." With a symptom caused by banal causes, the use of antihistamines is sufficient. The dynamics are important here. If the itching after the use of these drugs does not go away and even intensifies, if the dog itches, if inflammation appears (from redness and swelling to hair loss), it’s definitely not worth the delay to visit your veterinarian. Especially if the symptoms of general malaise are added: impaired appetite, weakness, etc. Itching can be a symptom of a serious disease, for the diagnosis of which additional examinations will be required: tests, ultrasound.