Why is my dog constantly scratching her back and tail so much?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed | 7 years and 7 months old | 65 lbs
my great Pyrenees/yellow lab has been extremely itchy, tearing apart her back & tail. I have switched food with some improvement. I have been wiping the area with cold damp washcloth which makes her feel good for a few minutes.
4 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on June 9th, 2018
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 Bella with a high quality flea treatment (e.g. advantage), then get her to 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 discovering the cause of the allergy. Some medications can be given by the vet in order to 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
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on April 26th, 2017
Have her examined by your veterinarian to diagnose allergies, skin infection or endocrine imbalances. External parasites such as fleas or mites should also be ruled out. Dis use Bella's diet with the vet to confirm proper nutrition. If she is chewing or licking excessively, place an e-collar (cone) on her. Consider adding an essential fatty acid (EFA) supplement to her diet to promote healthy skin and coat. This would be in addition to whatever treatment your veterinarian recommends. Your vet may have an EFA supplement, such as DermCaps or EicosaCaps, in stock at the clinic.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on May 12th, 2017
You can give fish oils as a supplement in any food you decide to feed. Fish oils can be purchased from your local pet store and they often come in liquid or capsule forms. Offer the oil in her food daily to improve her coat quality. There are oatmeal based shampoos that help alleviate itching, but if her skin is dry I wouldn't recommend bathing her too often. As far as fleas and ticks, you will want to prevent these guys from biting Bella. You can purchase preventative medication from your local pet store or your veterinarian.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on September 15th, 2017
In bella's case i would say there is a good chance that she is suffering from food allergy. did you try an hypoallergenic prescription diet? if not i would recommend trying that before trying Raw, this way it will be easier to identify the source of the allergy. if the hypoallergenic diet solves the problem, them you can try to switch to raw gradually over a period of 7 days. at first you should try only one source of animal protein, for example chicken, every 2 weeks you can try to add a new source, this way you can identify things she is allergic to.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Wondering what this can be. Is it allergies?
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