My beagle mix seems to have itchy dry skin... Advice?

I have a beagle mix I believe the other half is collie, based on his coat, neck and facial structure.





He has always been very itchy. We had to get him a hydrocortosone shot in january when he was chewing the skin off his back legs. I got hydrocortoson spray, but he hates for me to spray it on him and it doesn't last long. I'm not sure if it is his skin or an allergy. I dont believe it is fleas, because i never see fleas on him or in the bathtub when I give him baths.





He seems to extra itchy after a bath which makes me believe it is dry skin. I am using an oatmeal shampoo that doesnt seem to work. He itches all day. He makes his skin red with all the scratching. Anyone have any advice that has been thru this? I have never had a dog with a problem like this.





I was told to give him benadryl to see if it is an allergy, but i would have no idea how much to give him!

My beagle mix seems to have itchy dry skin... Advice?
Please call your vet in regards to how much benadryl you can give your dog. Every dog varies in how much they can tolerate and there are only certain types of benadryl that can be safely used in dogs.





As for the itchy skin I would make another appointment with your vet. It sounds like, to me, that he needs another cortisone treatment and it might help him to go on an allergy food like Eukanuba Response FP or Hills z/d.





Also make sure that your dog is on a good quality flea treatment as even one flea bite can cause a massive itchy response in dogs with flea allergy dermatitis.
Reply:I have a beagle and he had horrible dandruff. We finally took him to the vet and discovered that he had a skin infection. We were very surprised because we also thought it was in allergic reaction to something. Our vet prescribed an antibiotic that cleared his infection. Now, he is dandruff free and has been for the last year!
Reply:Dogs can take up to 6 benedryl.


It could be about anything.





Try mixing up a raw egg in his regular food and feed it to him daily. This helps create healthy skin cells and will give him a shiny coat.





Give him a bath in head n shoulders. It sounds weird but I bathe my German Shepard in it and he is no longer itchy. He has psoriasis.
Reply:Your first step should be a consultation with your veterinarian, as should be the case with ANY medical problems with ANY animal. These are the people who go through years of schooling to be able to answer such questions.





You should also take a close look at the dog's food. Are you feeding a premium brand of food, one that has meat as the first ingredients listed on the contents? Or are you feeding a supermarket brand, with corn, wheat, etc., as the first several ingredients? Often, the supermarket brands can cause problems in dogs.





Finally, too many baths can be a problem in many dogs. Dogs who don't shed their coat, like Poodles, DO need regular bathing. Dogs who shed their hair on a routine basis (like Beagles) only need a couple of baths a year, if that.





Don't give medications to your dog unless or until you know the real reason for the problem. You might only be adding to the itching. Talk with your vet.
Reply:Then he has got an allergy. It may be to his food and it may be to some cleaning product or other substance that you have in your house. If you Google "benadryl dog allergy" you should get a dosage back, but try to think about solving the problem rather than masking the symptoms.


Dr. Pitcairn's book


http://www.dogwise.com/itemdetails.cfm?I...


covers allergies and suggests recipes that will help you to isolate what it is that's upsetting your dog.
Reply:Well, I have no advice 4 you....But atleast I can tell you that u r not alone! My dog has the same thing, i can stand to see my baby suffering :{ all that oatmeal stuff i bought does nothin' but clean ot my wallet + credit card! LOL:]
Reply:you should have your vet do a allergy test on your dog. it takes a little bit of blood but its the best way to find out whats bugging him. try cooking for him. look for dog food recipes on line. stick with chicken or fish beef can cause reaction in some dogs mine is one of them. also stay away from corn. try chicken and potatoes.
Reply:We have a 2 year old Blue Heeler and she has had the same problem. We started to give her a little bit of olive oil in her bowl with every meal. To our surprise, her dandruff stopped and she doesn't scratch nearly as much!!!