My dog keeps itching above his back over his tail and it is red, what should I do. Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Male | unneutered | 1 year and 11 months old | 15 lbs

The most common reason for itching in this area is fleas however environmental allergy, food allergy or hypothyroidism can also make dogs prone to itching and secondary infections. You can rule out fleas as a cause by using a good product such as Simparica or Nexgard. Since Qwynn is so itchy and bleeding, I recommend for her to see her veterinarian who may be able to provide other medications to make her more comfortable quickly. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Are you using a good flea product? Just because you are not seeing fleas does not mean a few are not apparent. Some dogs can react severely to a single bite, some dogs can have a delayed reaction & not show symptoms for hours or days after a bite. So, consistent flea control is important. The other significant cause of itchy dogs are allergies to pollen, molds, other things in the environment, & food. When your dogs bite & lick at their fur, they leave saliva which contains a pigment called porphyrin & will stain the hair a rusty red color. There are many things to do & try to decrease the itch & make your pets more comfortable. Your veterinarian can recommend prescription medications such as Hydroxyzine, Apoquel, Cytopoint, or even low dose steroids. In the mean time, you can use an antihistamine based shampoo for pets, or one that contains the ingredient called Pramoxine for temporary relief. Just make sure to use cool water. This can be quite soothing to itchy skin. Take care.

My dog keeps itching his red back near his tail. What's the cause?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

My dog keeps itching above his back over his tail and it is red, what should I do

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Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM 191

Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

Published on August 25th, 2018

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

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My dog keeps itching his red back near his tail. What's the cause?

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