Why is my dog constantly itching, losing hair, and smelling bad?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Yorkshire Terrier | Female | spayed | 8 years and 4 months old | 11 lbs
Our 8 yr old Yorkie began itching and scratching in Spring of '17. Vet said allergies and to give benedryl. 2 months ago we took her to vet with loss of hair on legs, belly, neck and thinning all over. She told us to stay with one protein in food and no treats, which we did. (Pure Balance with Salmon and Peas.). No difference. She gave us Apoquel for her itching. That helps but if we don't give the pill she itches like crazy. We give her a bath but after 1 day she really stinks. HELP!
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on November 26th, 2017
I am so sorry that you are having this problem with Gracie. I certainly understand how frustrating it is to watch her be so itchy. I have a few suggestions for you. There are a number of reasons for skin problems in dogs. This article does an excellent job of describing them. You could be dealing with allergies (of various types), external parasites (such as fleas or mites), or secondary infections (bacterial or yeast). https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-is-my-dog-so-itchy/ This is also an excellent article on itching in dogs and the possible causes and treatments. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2604 Since Gracie has a strong smell to her if she isn't bathed regularly, you might be dealing with a yeast or Malassezia infection. I have attached more information on that below. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=466 Malassezia can be very itchy and often requires a medicated antifungal shampoo or even oral antifungal medications to resolve. So, be sure to have your vet do a skin cytology to check for Malassezia. Another option would be to consult a dermatologist. Allergies can be very frustrating to control and working with a specialist can often make this easier. You can find a dermatologist near you here. http://www.acvd.org/tools/locator/locator.asp?ids=16_Find_Dermatologist Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on November 21st, 2016
Skin allergy This is probably due to a severe allergy, although it could also be fleas or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat Gracie with a high quality flea treatment (e.g. Bravecto or Advantage), then get her to the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might revile an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try discovering the cause of the allergy. Some medications can be given by the vet in order to stop the chewing/itchiness and repair the skin lesions (steroids and antibiotics). simultaneously you should start her on a prescription hypoallergenic diet for at least 2 months. Hopefully you will see some results after all this, if not you and your vet should consider putting her on a long term allergy treatment (Atopica or Apoquel).
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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