All 3 dogs scratching and chewing themselves?

Hi, 2 months ago I got a rescue puppy who was itching a scratching.

No fleas were visible, but vet said it could be just one flea - so against my better judgment she was Frontlined (I prefer natural methods).

The Frontline made no difference, and then a few weeks ago, my 2 adults who have never itched in 2 years, both started scratching too.

All three of them seem to be most itchy on elbows, legs/feet and belly. The 2 females in particular seem to be causing abrasions from chewing the itchy areas. The puppy has scabs on her elbows and feet.

On my light coloured female I can see small red bumps - which she then chews and causes a sore. On all of them, the skin at the elbows seems to be redder than normal.

Any ideas? My arrogant vet says it's a grass allergy and says a skin scrape "is not necessary" - yet this is all too much of a coincidence with the arrival of my rescue puppy, for me to think that all three suddenly develop the same allergy?

Any thoughts appreciated

I presume that mange has been ruled out as it seems to have made rather a comeback in this country and probably rife in Bulgaria.

I would insist on a skin scrape, mange if left untreated can really damage a dogs health and if its Sarcoptic mange, very contagious.

A scrape should identify the problem and has to be quite a deep scrape, treatment is reasonably simple, but quite expensive depending on which you use.

i would say get a mange test done i had a dog with it a few years back, and thats how it started we tried every thing first to make sure it was not down to fleas or worms when it carried on we told our vet and she did a mange and ring worm test and it was possative the vet said if we had not already wormed and flead they would of done this first so at least we got it sorted out quicker. i would be on the vet to do the test if not change vet. good luck hun hope it gets sorted soon.

No, no skin scrape as yet - veterinary care here is quite primitive and they're quite arrogant - he says a skin scrape is not necessary.

I have been reading up on mange tho - none of them do that involuntary leg movement when you scratch their ear (unless I'm not doing it right?). Is that a 100% proof test for all dogs with Sarcoptic mange or just a guide?

To my uneducated eye it fits more with Sarcoptic mange more than it does Demodex.

When you say a "skin scrape has to be deep" - how exactly do they do it?

Many thanks!

a scraping is done buy shaving a small area of the dog and they with a blade they scrape the skin for a few layers, this where the mites live under the skin they normaly give the dog a local or genral depending on the dog so they dont feel it. the mites show up when looked for under a scop it is a safe test it is like a graze if you fall over. it shows up either mite. teh ear test is not 100% my dog never did it but had the mites hun.

i really hope you get it sorted.

my male husky has for the last week been nibbling himself on tummy, tail & made 1 hock area red, fur come out where hes been at it & its bled too , been putting fuciderm cream on it & hes on Piriton tabs but not helped so going back to vet friday again as hes made it worse. this started since warm weather started up. other 2 dogs are fine.

Mine's the same, identical to what you describe, and he does have a grass allergy along with just about every other allergy going I would suggest a good bath for all 3 of them using Hibiscrub (or your own equivalent - it's used for surgeons to scrub up with and you can buy it at any good chemist) That will kill off just about everything that's on them. Frontline doesn't cover mites, whereas another treatment such as Advocate, Advantage or similar will kill them off. Our vets here are also veering away from Frontline, and using other products. When I used it years ago, my dogs still got fleas and ticks and scratched like mad, and eventually I was blaming the Frontline and other doggy friends of mine seemed to agree with me with their dogs too!

There's something going on here that the new dog might have brought with him that is now affecting your other two, it seems the most obvious answer doesn't it. Either that, or it's the Frontline. Were they ALL scratching before they were Frontlined?? Maybe if the new puppy did bring some fleas along, they've now made themselves comfy in your home. Have you deflead all the skirtings etc when you Frontlined them?

If this were me, I'd bath all the dogs like I suggested, and I'd do the house and all bedding. A grass allergy can't suddenly affect your other 2 dogs I'm sure of that, even if the new puppy has it Fleas could though, and mites. Ask your vet about another flea treatment which kills off mites too, coz they can be soooooo aggravating for the dogs and you can't see them, especially if they're scratching in their ears too? Are they?

Many thanks everyone.

I too think it's too coincidental to be allergy, especially as the new pup arrived itching.

I'm confident it's not fleas - never had a problem with fleas on Frontline, and just to be sure I've also doused them all in Diatomaceous Earth which has good ratings for killing by dehydrating them - it kills within 72 hours fleas, lice, mites, and ticks.

That's what's confusing me really, that neither has worked, which to my mind then leaves mange?

They're not scratching their ears so much, just a little - mainly they're scratching at their elbows.

My adult female seems to be the worst - particularly under her front legs. Here's a couple of photos although she wouldn't play ball to get a pic of under her front legs!




It's easiest to see on my female as she has white fur - it seems to first appear as a little red spot, then if she scratches it or chews it goes into a big raw area.

I think you have done about all you can with over the counter treatments so I would guess the skin scrape test is next and the correct mange treatment if mites are present.

I am no expert, but that looks like classic mange symptoms to me particularly the first photo. Be aware it can infect humans so get it checked pronto!!

Mange can be very difficult to shift unless the correct specific treatment is used, a bath and hibiscrub might ease the scratching and soreness, but the mites burrow into the layers of the skin and are impossible to detect with the naked eye.

We have had some poor results with frontline too, I can only think that fleas have built up an immunity to it.

Am I the only one who can't see the piccy?

I would take them back to the vets and insist on a skin scrape being done. When it comes down to it, you're the customer and if that's what you want done then that's what they should do.

Heidi