Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

Dog still itchy with Nexgard & diet change. What else can help?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Male | neutered | 10 years and 3 months old | 85 lbs

I have a lab mix male 10yo has been suffering with they said allergic reaction flea dermatitis I have had him and all pets 2 other dogs on nexgard since Feb he started getting better then real bad hair loss on guessing 40% of his body 4more visits over following 3months cortisone shot no improvement now they said change diet so he is strictly on chicken and veggies.. I want to change flea medicine to try different brand but they don't suggest it.. So heartbroken although "jazz " is active

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Jeffrey Milner

Veterinarian

Published on July 14th, 2017

Sorry to hear about all of Jazz's issues. Dermatologic issues can be very frustrating and take a long time to resolve unfortunately. In terms of the steroid shots, if those are not working there are definitely other medications available that can assist with the symptoms. The first two the come to mind are Apoquel, which is a daily medication that is given orally, and the second is Cytopoint, a once monthly injectable biologic. I have had fantastic success, far greater than with steroids, fighting against severely itchy dogs. The itchiness associated with both fleas and food allergy should be addressed with both of these medications. In terms of switching to a different flea medication, I would switch if you feel you have been finding fleas. If not, then I see no reason to change to something else. Nexgard is typically a really good choice, which is part of the reason it is so expensive. As for the dietary changes, these trials can be very long and often require repetition with different proteins. I usually don't start with chicken since it is such a common protein that your dog has likely been exposed to already. I would have chosen something like salmon or venison. You might want to speak with you vet about why he thought to go with chicken as a first line choice. Anyway, I think the above recommendations are a good place to start. If you are not seeing any improvements are want the advise of a specialist, ask your vet for a referral to a dermatologist. Hope this helps!

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Image profile

    Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on November 11th, 2017

    Itchiness and skin spots can be caused by various reasons such as fleas, mites ,fungal infection, bacterial infection and allergies. the first 4 needs to be ruled out before we start treating for allergies. in order to do that first de-flea Nahmi with a high quality flea treatment such as advantage spot on, if it doesn't help - take her to the vet in order to check for/treat the other possibilities. If everything is ruled out, then an allergy treatment can be started. Usually an hypoallergenic food is a good way to start together with anti histamines. if it doesn't help - the best solution is a medication called Apoquel which treats allergies with great success and without side effects.

    Vote icon

    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

See More Answers

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has itchy skin and we’ve tried pretty much everything (went to veggie kibble, Apoquel, Cytopoint, did skin cytology which came back negative, stopped all treats, tried Amitriptyline, tried bathing her with medicated shampoo) nothing has helped
I would try a prescription hypoallergenic diet. Your vet will be able to recommend the one they think will work best for her like science diet Z/D or purina HA. This will be your best shot to rule out any food allergies. I recommend to do a minimum of a 12 week food trial with NOTHING else except for the Z/D. Even her heartworm prevention, if you give it, needs to be hypoallergenic. Unfortunately, most of the oral ones have chicken or beef flavoring in them. For treats, you can take the canned version of whatever food you choose and put a small amount into an ice cube tray and freeze them. Then popped them out and put them in a bag in the freezer for treats. I would also consider putting her on both apoquel and cytopoint at the same time to help control itching. I would also talk to your vet about whether or not they think there is any yeast on her. Yeast can be very itching. There is a anti-fungal that can be given long term and be safe. It is called terbinafine. I had
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
NexGard seems to make our puppy itch. We have only had him 2 weeks, he does not have fleas. We gave him his monthly pill as instructed by the Vet and he is itching now. Is that ok or should we switch brands for next month? 18 pound spaniel-terrier mi
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! I would not recommend that you switch him yet as this may be completely coincidental. Nexgard is a great preventative and I would give it more time before switching to something else. Hopefully the scratching is not a reaction to it as that would be quite unusual. If the itchiness continues despite giving it a few days, that would likely be due to allergies rather than a cause of using Nexgard. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I have a Lab that is 1 and she has been having issues with itching., chewing on paws and scratching her ears sore. We’ve tried different non-chicken dog food and recently finished a trial with Ulta Amino for 8 weeks with no improvement. Antihistamine
Hello, and thanks for your question about Mya. Allergies are very common in dogs, and they can be frustrating to control! I recommend asking your vet about Cytopoint, which is a monthly injection, and Apoquel, which is a daily pill. These are very effective non-steroid allergy medications that can either be given individually or (in more severe cases) together. For young dogs like Mya, I usually prefer the cytopoint injections, and then add Apoquel if necessary. If the a strict feeding trial with the Royal Canin Ultramino diet didn't help, then her allergies are less likely to be related to food, and are more likely environmental. Of course, also make sure she's kept current on a high quality flea/tick preventative, to make sure an external parasite can't be complicating things! And if a skin scrape has never been done, that may be advised as well - I've had skin mites get misdiagnosed as allergies before! If it comes to it, I've certainly had patients who did best on steroids
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Seeking options for dog will severe itching. He chews his paws and tail and scratched his belly. He has a Serestro collar and no fleas have been seen, nor ticks. I've tried the following - Prednisone, Apoquel, Citopoint injection. He's been allergy
If he scratches and is itchy year round, it could be a food allergy or an indoor allergen. Discuss desensitization injections (allergy shots), hydrolyzed diets, antihistamine use and food elimination trials with your veterinarian. https://www.petcoach.co/article/food-trials-for-allergies-in-pets-what-to-expect https://www.petcoach.co/article/what-is-a-novel-protein-pet-food/ https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/food-allergies/
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Dog itches like crazy. Body, ears, eyes, mouth, feet, back etc. Tried grain free good dog food. She is on Apoquel. Carrots have been her snack
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! The main thing with allergies is that the allergic component needs to be addressed or medications like Apoquel are only going to help just to some extent. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My pet has been itching to the point where she is bleeding in her armpits and paws. She is on Nexguard medication but still appears to have flea bites. There was about a 1 week period where she was off of the medication--so I'm wondering if that has
This is probably due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment (advocate or advantage), then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Jax has also had red bumpy areas around his back legs. He has been scratching at the rash looking section for a day now and I am 99% sure that it is fleas. Should I get him and next guard chew and if I do will that stop the itching within the next
I am very sorry to hear about Jax's itching. Nexgard is a great product for fleas (I use it on my own dog) but it isn't going to make the itching stop immediately as it doesn't affect inflammation in the skin. The itching if it is due to fleas is due to flea bites that have occurred (the flea doesn't have to still be on the dog). Some dogs are especially sensitive to flea bites and it can make them very itchy. Often these dogs benefit from a short course of steroids to really stop the inflammation/itching. I would call your vet to find out if they feel you should bring Jax in. They may decide to see him to prescribe medication, or they may be able to tell you an over the counter antihistamine you can try. You can also try a soothing shampoo/creme rinse such as something with oatmeal or if your vet sells shampoos I like the Episoothe product, and a fatty acid supplement which can decrease inflammation in the skin, but often a few days of steroids will stop the problem much more q
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I got Layla & started her on Trifexis & Fish Oil. 2 months later she scoot her hiney & I saw tapeworms. The vet gave her a Droncit injection. 1 week later her first heat cycle started & her eyes were swollen shut. I thought she caught pinkeye but it
Poor girl. She has been through a lot I see. If she is itching badly then she may have a food allergy. I would try her on any of the following prescription diets to start a 2-3 month food trial to see if we can resolve her itchy skin. Royal Canin derm defense, Royal Canini Rabbit and potato*, Royal Canin Ultamino. Prescription diets for skin allergies are much more reliable than over the counters b/c there is low risk of contamination of the food with other foods made in the factory, so we only recommend these when doing a food trial. In the meantime, I would suggest trying something like Cytopoint to better manage her itchy skin, which can also be used in conjunction with Apoquel. Cytopoint is an injection that your vet gives once every 4-8 weeks depending on when the itch returns and is used to treat canine allergies that have an environmental component. The swollen eye incident was likely incidental and was caused by an acute allergic reaction to something she came into contac
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hi, I have an 8 year old Male American akita. He started scratching in October and hasn’t stopped. His skin was clean and checked every day. 3 weeks ago dark crust and lumps appeard on his skin. We have gone to the vet 4 times and have gotten him cre
Poor Oscar. Allergies can be SO frustrating. If it improves at all on steroids then it sounds like he needs to be on long term allergy meds like apoquel or cytopoint. I would also put him on a prescription hypoallergic food trial for a minimum of 12 weeks. I like science diet z/d or Purina HA. This means ONLY this diet and the treats that go with the diet your chose for 12 weeks to see if it helps with the itching. If you give him heartworm prevention, you need to ensure the kind you give is hypoallergenic or you switch to the injectable heartworm prevention. I would also be sure he stays on a high quality flea preventative. Without seeing him, I cannot say for sure what other meds may help but I would talk to your vet if they feel like he has yeast on his skin. If so, a long term anti-fungal may be helpful like terbinafine. You can give it once a day for a month or two then give it every Monday and Tuesday long term to control the yeast for dogs with allergies. If all els
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Dog has been having these patches(attached pics) 5 mos. Now. Vet has prescribed him with chlorphenaime, prednizone, scavon, mycocide, itraconazole, atopex, even injected anti-mange but can’t seem to pinpoint what this is. He is also on a hypoallergen
HI, thanks for using Boop by Petco! Poor Summer! Your Vet has tried a lot. My suggestion at this point is to see a dermatologist. I would have him on Nexgard or Bravecto to cover fleas, demodex and scabies despite the injections. I would start an omega 3 fish oil (see link). I would also do several seeks of an antibiotic and antiyeast. I would also use cytopoint. The dermatolgist can do skin testing as well for environmental allergies. You can try a thin layer of the quadriderm cream on the areas once daily but he can not lick it so you have to use an E-collar. It also will only help the symptoms you see not the underlying cause of his allergies. Do not use it for more than 1 week. I wish you the best https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=19121
Updated on September 24th, 2025
image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored