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Dog itching 24/7 from allergies & anxiety: How can I help?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Male | neutered | 90 lbs

My dog itching 24/7 EXCEPT when we give him out full attention. We can’t give him our attention 24/7 though; Thats quite obvious. His itching began with allergies and has turned into his habit for coping with anxiety. He itches any time we aren’t paying direct attention or he isn’t distracted by food etc. We have a pillow and cone on his head, a blanket around his body, and socks on to keep him from actually doing damage but we cant keep doing this. Not to mention, he cant still scratch his butt

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on December 8th, 2017

Poor guy. This sounds exhausting! I would inquire with your vet about starting him on allergy medication such as Apoquel or Cytopoint injections and possibly even anti-anxiety medication such as Fluoxetine or Clomicalm. Typically dogs don’t itch due to anxiety, there is almost always an underlying allergy to either something in the environment or something in their food. Here is a website link that discusses these possibilities more in detail. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2604 Best of luck with Rusty and his itching. And also don’t forget to always apply a monthly flea preventative (ie Nexgard, Comfortis or Simparica are my top choices) to rule out any allergies to fleas. Take care.

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    Answered By David Darvishian

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Hi and thanks for using PetCoach! Sorry to hear about Rusty. Sounds like he is miserable. One thing I would advise and many dermatologists are not advising is this- consult with your veterinarian about Bravecto or Nexgard. It's possible that this is an external parasite problem that hasn't been recognized. It will address any fleas/ticks if they are contributing to the problem but most importantly it will address a possible mite problem. 2 mites are possible but one, in particular, is intensely itchy. That is the sarcoptic mange mite and it can be extremely difficult to diagnose. These medicines will kill sarcoptes and demodex mites so you would be ruling out the external parasite component if that is driving this itch or contributing to it. Another possibility is seasonal allergies called Atopy in dogs. Inhaled allergies start in the spring and go through late fall, of course depending on what the dog is allergic to. These can progress to year-round allergies with no seasonal pattern over time. Dogs can also be allergic to flea bites called Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD) and a smaller group of allergic dogs can have food allergies. I would advise taking Rusty to your vet and let them take a thorough history, do a complete physical, and then advise some diagnostics and/or treatment to address what is going on. Some skin diagnostics include skin scrape, Wood's lamp exam, fungal culture, etc. These would be performed to rule out a problem with mites or fungal organisms. Again, sarcoptes mites are very difficult to find. Treatment for allergies includes antibiotics, antihistamines, sometimes steroids for itching, immune modulating drugs (Apoquel), using a good flea/tick product advised by your vet, fish oil, topical treatments, etc. There is also a new form of therapy called CADI which is a monoclonal antibody injection. Here is more information about CADI-https://www.zoetisus.com/products/dogs/cytopoint/index.aspx If you wanted to pursue allergy testing, your vet can advise you on that. There are skin tests and blood tests for that and sometimes that involves going to a veterinary dermatologist for some of those services. The goal would be to identify the allergies if severe enough and then start a hyposensitization program to decrease the body's immune response to the allergy, very similar to allergy shots. They even make allergy drops or sprays that are oral now. Good luck with Rusty. Allergies can be very frustrating but can be managed. If you want to add some good supplements to the treatment plan, please check out this site. http://www.vrshealth.com/canine-products/?petcoach=1977951 Check out the Omega benefits and Cutaneo TruBenefits Use promo code "petcoach20" to receive a discount Good Luck!!!

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