Why is my dog scratching?

Hi everyone,
Mauzer, my Maltese started scratching two to three months ago. It was occasionally and was of no concern at that stage. Her scratching mode on her tummy and in between her toes increased and she is starting to shed hair. I treated her with ticks, fleas and mites with the normal powders, sprays and wormers and shape up her bathing routine. She usually is fine after the bath for approximately two days before the scratching starts all over again.
I’m sure that other dog owners having the same problem and can advise me. I’m awaiting your suggestions!!!
In the meanwhile I’m going to enjoy a summer lunch in this hot weather!
Healthy dog greetings

There's lots of reasons for itching and I'd perhaps suggest a vet visit if flea treatments etc. haven't worked. It might be a case of drug resistance with the over the counter brands, and the vet may be able to prescribe a stronger/newer treatment that's more likely to work.
Otherwise, itching is often caused by an allergy - unfortunately there are lots of possible allergens! It might help to try to identify whether anything has changed from when she wasn't itching, to now. Have you changed detergents, started using a different cleaner around the house (e.g. on the carpets), changed her food or introduced new treats/chews? Did she have any problems last summer? Lots of dogs seem to suffer with the change of seasons due to pollen allergies. If you can make a list of things that may have changed, you can perhaps narrow down possible allergens.

Our beagle is allergic to house dust mites storage mites various weeds,plants, trees and grass! We had for a blood test, but even with this knowledge he still gets very itchy sometimes even with his steroids and antihystamine tabs!

Hi krlyr,
Thanks for your advice. I now understand that the vet can help with more specialized treatment and will take her for a visit.
The strange thing is that nothing really changed in and around the house. Her food and chews are still the same. She was her lively self during the previous summer season. But I shall for sure make the list that you suggested and will keep you posted

I don't know if you have harvest mites in S Africa but they cause one of my dogs to get very itchy feet in late summer/early autumn, & sometimes on the tummy too. As the mites eat dead skin cells & not blood, they are not affected by any spot-on flea/mite treatments.

My vet advised dabbing Frontline spray between the toes with a cotton bud. You may want to ask your vet for advice on this.

Telling me that the symtoms occassionaly showed up after testing and treating for allergies, making me curious and I'm going to do some reading.

Wilbar, harvest mites....???? I haven't hear of this before. Can you tell me more?

Hi everyone

Well I took Mauzer to the Vet yesterday. The Vet examined her and found no traces of tick, fleas or mites. The Vet could tell me exactly why she is scratching and recommended that we do an allergy testing, so I made an appointment for Monday morning very early. In the meanwhile the Vet gave me a small dose of cortisone and I’m not satisfied with the outcome of the visit. I’m still so worried about Mauzer because she started scratching her ears as well! Out of desperation I did some research last night and I was shocked to realise how complex a dog’s health actually can be and I’m confused at this stage.
I will let you know what the outcome of the allergy test is!
Healthy dog greetings!

Horrible little critters . They are also known as chiggers & are particukarly prevalent in chalky areas during late summer/early autumn. They are small reddish-orange dots, only just visible to the naked eye, & more active in dry sunny weather.

They latch on to warm-blooded animals & seek out areas with sparse hair & thin skin ~ often, with dogs, they are found between toes, groin, tummy, possibly in ear folds.

They attach to the skin with small hooked fangs which inject a fluid into the skin that liquefies skin cells that are sucked back up. The fluid they inject is extremely irritant to the host ~ & humans can get them too!

Whilst the mites themselves don't necessarily cause harm, the resulting scratching can cause secondary infections which may need treating with antibiotics/steroids.

As they do not feed on blood, spot-on treatments aren't effective. My vet recommended dabbing Frontline liquid onto the mites with a cotton bud. But, to be honest, it's unlikely you'll spot the mites ~ it's only when your dog/cat has severely scratched the area that you'll see anything, & then if the skin is broken, it's not advisable to apply a spot-on treatment.

Barney's really struggling with the irritation caused by these mites at the moment. For some reason my other dog is not affected. The best ways I've found to relieve the itching is:

• bathing salt water (or a swim in the sea) ~ this not only helps the irritation but helps with the healing of inflamed areas & prevent infection.
• Denes Mite Cream ~ has essential oils to help relieve itching & cedar to help deter mites.
• I've also heard that Dorwest Pennyroyal shampoo & Thornit are helpful.
• I try to cover any particularly itchy areas with a bandage but it can be very frustrating for the dog if the area is sooo irritable & they can't scratch.
• I'm currently trying Piriton to see if this helps relieve the itching too.

The only upside is that the harvest mites life cycle means that they change to the next stage in their life cycle soon, so hopefully it's only a temporary irritant. So if you can avoid any secondary infections, there's light at the end of the tunnel!!

If you are living in a chalky area, it may well be worth asking your vet about the possibility of harvest mites/chiggers ~ even if there's no trace of mites on the skin (they drop off after feeding, so may not still be there for a skin scraping), they could still be the cause of intense scratching/itching.

This description is comprehensive, thanks! I took a quick look at Mauzer's tummy, toes and ears and as you said it's very difficult to locate anything. We are taking her to the vet today and will ask him to look for mites/chiggers? I will keep you updated!