dog scratching

[lucyowenwool]

I have a 6 month old male Bichon Frise and he scratches a lot, mostly his ears until they bleed but other areas too. I have read lots of conflicting advice. Some say that it is best to ignore the scratching as it is an attention seeking ploy. Others say that the dog should be distracted and then there is the other advice which says that the dog should be told firmly not to scratch. Nothing seems to work at all and I would be grateful for any advice. Thank-you.

[kita1]

Has he been checked out by the vet? What did they say?

Are the ears red and inflamed? Has he been treated for fleas? What do you feed him? What is his skin/coat like?

Sorry for all the questions but we do need more info.

It is no good ignoring the scratching if he is scratching for a reason and is itchy.

If he constantly scratches and shakes his head (whatever the reason) he is in danger of getting a haematoma (a large blood blister on his ear flap). This will then need draining and stitching - this means a large vet bill!!!

Better to get the vet involved sooner rather than later.

[lucyowenwool]

Thanks for your reply. I have taken him to the vet and he said that I should pluck the hair from inside his ears as this can cause irritation. I try and do this but it is tricky as he hates it so much and wriggles, but I do persist. The vet couldn't see any fleas or mites and his skin seems okay apart from his ears which can be a bit bloody sometimes and his feet which are pink from chewing. His ears clear up very quickly and there is no lasting damage but then he is back to scratching again.
We feed him wheat gluten free kibble, sometimes with chicken or fish added.
He doesn't shake his head but he does rub it along the carpet or pavement sometimes.
He gets a fair amount of excercise and play and he is hardly ever left alone. He is cheerful apart from the itching and if we try and prevent him he will go somewhere on his own to do it. Really don't know where to go next.

[Noweia]

Did your vet mention the possibility of a skin allergy or atopic dermatitis?

Itchy feet and itchy ears are classic signs of allergies in dogs, especially smallish dogs like yours. Hair within the ear canal may cause irritation, but with the fact that your pup has itchy feet too, this would suggest an allergy..

[Annlinda]

Did the vet look at his teeth? Rubbing face along ground is classic sign of tooth / mouth problems he may have not lost his baby tooth and adult tooth is coming through hurting him

[lily-lady]

I would suggest taking him to another vet. Never heard of plucking a dogs ear hair before!

[lucyowenwool]

Thanks for your comments.
I think his teeth will be coming out soon so that could solve the head rubbing query.
Apparently Poodles and Bichon Frise's have hair growing in the ear canal and it needs to be plucked out as it gets sweaty and it irritates them.
The vet thought he may have an allergy but the question is to what? As I said he is on a wheat and gluten free diet and so I don't think it is the food situation. I know that white haired dogs are prone to skin allergies. I have heard that tree tea oil helps, has anyone any experience of this?

[Annlinda]

My Parson Russell bitch sometimes gets bald spots ( probably flea allergy she kills squirrels and gets covered in fleas. Frontline gets rid of them
Anyway to get back to tea tree. I put it on the bald spots and it stops itching and the fur soon grows again

[emma_26]

Hi, I have a lhasa apso, who had the exact same problem, he had got an ear infection due to the hair in his ears, they are similar breeds so having his ears plucked regularly is essential, it sounds to me like the same problem, mine used to rub his head on the floor also when his ears were infected. if you struggle to pluck them yourself then dog groomers will do them happily, and they hold muzzles specially for short nosed dogs like these if needed to make it easier.

[lucyowenwool]

Thank-you for your answers. I will try the tree tea oil and also get the groomers to see to his ears. At the beginning it wasn't too difficult to pluck it out but nigh on impossible now.
I have heard that a small addition of pureed spinach to the diet helps too although I don't see how. Also, aloe vera and witch hazel. Has anyone heard of these remedys? I really need something to soothe the areas and lessen the constant need to scratch. I also read today that a cool cloth which has been soaked in salty water helps and I am going to try that now.

[kita1]

Yes I have heard of pureed spinach, it has often worked wonders for people who have tried literally everything else! As it is pretty cheap (stick a few leaves in a food processor) it is worth a try! It cannot do any harm.

A groomer will pluck the hair out of the ears for you, they are usually more adept at doing this so I would leave it to them if you are having problems!

[janrowlands]

All dogs who have "growing hair" need to have their ears plucked and this is usually done by the dog groomer. With regard to the itching, have you tried "Thornit" - it's a soothing antiseptic smelling powder, highly recommended by groomers. Put "Thornit" into search engine of computer and it will come up with pet supply shops selling it. I've found it useful, but a trip to the vet is necessary if there's no improvement. Ask the vet about Canaural drops. Good luck.