My new puppy is itching after his bath. What are the causes and fixes?

Question

My wife brought home a stray Lab male pup recently. We noticed that he had a few fleas but have treated him and have not seen anymore since. My wife gave him his first bath about a week ago. Shortly thereafter we noticed that he seemed to be itching more than before. What are the most common causes for this and what is our best treatment options? Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Male | unneutered | 60 lbs

Kevin Sanada, DVM · Accepted Answer

Itchy skin is often due to the following things: 1) Allergies - this can happen suddenly and is usually due to an environmental (i.e pollen) cause. https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-tell-if-your-pet-has-allergies/ 2) External parasites - fleas, lice and mites can all cause intense itching. It's good to check him for fleas again and get treatment if needed. Below is a link to a good article about fleas. https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-tips-to-get-rid-of-fleas 3) Over-bathing, or using the wrong product for bathing - Bathing too often can cause the skin to get dry and irritated. Dogs should normally be bathed no more than once a month with a shampoo that is labeled for dogs. If you bathe more than that, or use a shampoo or soap that is meant for people, then you could be damaging the normal protective barrier of the skin. One thing you can do for itchy skin, is give a bath with cool water using an oatmeal or aloe shampoo. You can get these shampoos at the pet store. https://www.petcoach.co/article/4-great-strategies-for-relieving-your-dog-s-allergies/ I hope this helps you to identify the problem. If not, then it would be worth taking him to the vet. We can usually discover the cause quickly and provide the most effective treatment.

My new puppy is itching after his bath. What are the causes and fixes?

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