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My dog has itchy skin and shakes his head. How do I stop ear bleeding?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Hello! My dog (lab / boxer / pit mix) constantly shakes his head/body. Vet said he may have itchy / irritated skin. His fur is very short & fine. The constant shaking causes his floppy ears to split & bleed at the tips. I want to fix the source of the problem and soothe his itchy / irritated skin, if that is indeed the problem. (Vet says no ear infections.) Are there any products / steps I can take to fix this? Thank you! - Courtney

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

Licensed Veterinary Technician

Published on January 3rd, 2017

Courtney, it is possible your dog may have allergies. If medical causes (infection, external parasites,etc.) have been ruled out, discuss allergy testing, food elimination trials and hydrolyzed diets with your veterinarian. Consider adding an essential fatty acid supplement such as DermCaps or EicosaCaps to the diet. EFAs can promote healthy skin and coat. They may also help with itching due to natural anti inflammatory properties. A colloidal oatmeal bath may also soothe itchy skin. Bathe in cool water, allow a 10-15 minute soak and then pat dry.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Jennifer Ladd, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    The most common skin irritant I see is fleas, or flea allergy dermatitis. I highly recommend an oral flea product such as trifexis, nexguard etc. (Best to choose based on your area and if you are in an endemic heart worm area). Next, I would start your pup on fish oils. 100mg/kg of EPA daily. I work up to this amount slowly to prevent diarrhea. This is a natural anti-inflammatory and will also help moisten his skin and hair. Finally, I would add some Vitamin E oil into his food as a top dressing. This will help with his skin and coat. I would bathe him no more than 1x per month, and would use an oatmeal based product so that it is not too drying. Finally, there are great medications now such as Apoquel and CADI that can help reduce his need to itch, and very often I only use these short term while starting the other modalities I dressed above. I hope this helps.

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