Guest ellieb Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Maximilian has suddenly started scratching like crazy! This started in the last 3 or 4 days. He seems to have an especially itchy spot on his chest and one on his side. He even went out into the yard and rolled like a fool, today. Indigo has done a little scratching, but not an inordinate amount. We haven't switched kibble. They both eat Eagle Pack Original Adult Lamb Meal & Rice Formula. I also add just a couple of tablespoons of Merrick canned to each meal. Any thoughts? It has been cold in Ohio, but we keep our thermostat set no higher than 66-68 degrees. We have a whole house humidifier attached to the furnace system, too. Should I add something to their food? Should I call the vet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sunset123 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 (edited) Have you tried an antihistamine? After doing a flea-search, I'd try that to see if it helps. That would tell you if it's some kind of allergy thing. You might also want to do an oatmeal bath. Edited February 11, 2011 by Sunset123 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Swifthounds Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 Have you tried supplementing with fish body oil? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeofNE Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 Could be an allergic reaction to something such as new detergent on your laundry (assuming he gets on the bed?), new rug in the house, carpet cleaner, things like that. Food allergies typically start with itchy feet. I'd give Benadryl and a bath with moisturizing shampoo a shot before I took him to the vet. And think really hard if there is ANYTHING new in the house. Quote Susan, Hamish, Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greysandmollie Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 I add fish oil in the winter to my dogs food to help with flakiness. That does sound odd to be so sudden and we certainly haven't had any warm weather around here! Hope you can figure something out... Quote Donna and...Lucy and Chubb Rascal H 10/1/91-5/22/04 My best friend and Bounty Boon 1/23/99-6/25/07 My boy with the biggest heart Cody 7/28/99-8/1/13 My boy that always made me laugh and Dylan 5/12/04-12/29/2017 The sweetest boy ever Miss Mollie 1/1/99-1/30/15 and Pixie -10/10/2017 Lincoln -2/14/2021 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ellieb Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 No new detergents or cleaners. I use all eco-friendly cleaners/soaps. He isn't bothering his feet. Indigo seems unaffected. I am picking up some fish oil, today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Swifthounds Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 I should ahve posted this earlier, but I'll post now anyway, FYI: You want a fish body oil (salmon, herring, anchovy, mackerel, etc.), not a cod liver oil or an olive oil or other plant-based oils. Plant based oils contain too much omega 6 and 9. Dogs have no use for omega 9 and they require omega 3 supplementation to balance out the excess omega 6 in their diets, so adding more 6s is counter-productive. A maintenance dose of Omega 3s (the ones you're looking to add) would be 300 mg (combined total EPA & DHA) per 30 lbs. of dog and the theraputic dose of Omega 3s (the ones you're looking to add) would be 300 mg (combined total EPA & DHA) per 10 lbs. of dog. Unless your dog is sensitive to soy, which is in many processed oils and need not be listed on the label, the numbers are what you need to know. The mgs (usually 1000 or 1200) listed on the front of the bottle is them mg amount of the oil, not the concentration of EPA/DHA. Flip the bottle over and look for those two numbers. Also, be sure to check the "dosage" - some bottles will list the amount as 1 pill and some will list the EPA/DHA per two capsules. It's how you can compare "less expensive" and "more expensive" fish oils to see what actually gets you the most bang for the buck. I get mine from Puritan's Pride and have been very happy with the results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ellieb Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 I should ahve posted this earlier, but I'll post now anyway, FYI: You want a fish body oil (salmon, herring, anchovy, mackerel, etc.), not a cod liver oil or an olive oil or other plant-based oils. Plant based oils contain too much omega 6 and 9. Dogs have no use for omega 9 and they require omega 3 supplementation to balance out the excess omega 6 in their diets, so adding more 6s is counter-productive. A maintenance dose of Omega 3s (the ones you're looking to add) would be 300 mg (combined total EPA & DHA) per 30 lbs. of dog and the theraputic dose of Omega 3s (the ones you're looking to add) would be 300 mg (combined total EPA & DHA) per 10 lbs. of dog. Unless your dog is sensitive to soy, which is in many processed oils and need not be listed on the label, the numbers are what you need to know. The mgs (usually 1000 or 1200) listed on the front of the bottle is them mg amount of the oil, not the concentration of EPA/DHA. Flip the bottle over and look for those two numbers. Also, be sure to check the "dosage" - some bottles will list the amount as 1 pill and some will list the EPA/DHA per two capsules. It's how you can compare "less expensive" and "more expensive" fish oils to see what actually gets you the most bang for the buck. I get mine from Puritan's Pride and have been very happy with the results. Thank you! This is VERY helpful. I am going to go out this afternoon and look for something. If need be, we have a Vitamin Shoppe nearby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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