Face scrubbing may seem like a real colloquial term and not a medical term however this exactly what one great vet I visited called Archie's condition. Pay no heed to it not having a lot of results on Google. For it does exist for up to ten percent of poodles and many other dogs.

Essentially it is one of the most annoying itches that a dog can get caused by a general skin irritation. If you want to resolve this, there is good and bad news.

Skin sensitivity is often an extension of other allergies your dog can get. They can get it from the environment or food, but usually it is one of these two that causes the irritation.

Humans use anti-histamines in spring when their auto immune system rebels against grasses, and if you have ever had hay fever you can imagine how annoying a life-long allergy would be.

I have fed my dog pellets, tinned food and for the last few years a raw meat diet (including bones and offal). I have been told that maybe only 5% or less of dogs that have skin allergies, get their allergies from food. If your dog is sick after eating or has swelling near the mouth then yes it could be caused by food.

The best way of checking the cause is to do a sensitivity test similar to what human doctors administer. They pin prick your skin with the specific allergen and see i there is any localised swelling.

If food is expected a vet will suggest an exclusion diet where something like potato is coupled with an inert kibble or similar (to see if the dogs allergy improves). It can take six weeks or more.

if the allergy is environmental and not an easily definable cause such as a single plant but many grasses, then it is almost impossible to rid your dog completely of this form of allergy. That is because to be social they should be off lead, and to allow them to play safely on soft grounds, grass is usually the answer.

FIXING DOG SKIN ALLERGIES

I am not a vet, but these are the tips that I have picked up and had some success with:

Omega 3 supplements daily have shown the greatest improvement in his allergies. It has cleared up the incessant licking he used to do between his toes that turned all four of his fee brown. Now there is only usually one or two gaps between toes that have a brown tinge (discoloured from saliva).

The only thing is that you need to get the dose right and keep it up for at least three to four month to find any improvement but it is well worth it.

Archie will still get allergy flair ups which when I notice by a more than casual licking of his toes. If this occurs it usually means that he is not long away from face scrubbing more in earnest and getting an ear condition.

The reason why taking care of the toes is so important is that if this part of his body is compromised, then his general immunity will go down and the ear will be next, followed by a trip to the vet for cortisone shots. If your dog has face scrubbing or toe licking issues, then using diluted (1 in 20 parts water) maleseb mediated shampoo washed over his feet can give some relief. It does this by killing fungal and bacterial populations that can breed into an unhealthy level.

Topically you can administer several soothing creams, one of which I use is paw paw. Just make sure that whatever you use in not orally dangerous to your dog as of course they will continue to lick the area.

Article by Bruce Dwyer. If you wish to use any of this information please use a LINK reference to http://www.dogwalkersmelbourne.com.au

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