My Maltese dog keeps itching and biting. Only shots help. What now?

Question

My maltese dog is 2 years old. Last year, she started itching and biting her thighs, tail and nails causing selfinflicting hairloss and wounds. The vet said it might be an allergy. He give her shots (I think antihistamine and antibiotics) and the following day everything was fine - hair started growing, no itch, no bite. After a week, it began again. We tried to change the food and no betterment. We tried with pills, nothing. Only the injections help. What should we do? Pet's info: Dog | Maltese | Female | unspayed | 2 years old | 9 lbs

Linda G, MS, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello. Without knowing what was previously used, it is difficult to make any recommendations. If you want to try a different food, it must be a hypoallergenic diet recommended by your veterinarian, not just another brand from the pet store. Medications include Apoquel, Atopica, & judicious use of steroids. Cytopoint is a relatively new injectable anti-allergy treatment that can last 4-8 weeks. High dose of Omega 3 fatty acids is very helpful, as is bathing 2-3 times a week in a Hy-Lyt type shampoo & conditioner. Use of topical ceramides is also great to heal the moisture barrier in the skin. Jot this all down to discuss with your veterinarian, or ask for a referral to a board-certified veterinary dermatologist in your area. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

My Maltese dog keeps itching and biting. Only shots help. What now?

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